BALTIMORE — The Maryland Transit Administration will host several open houses in May to update the community on the Baltimore Red Line and allow people to weigh in on the project.
Federal funding for the project is unlikely, so the MTA is looking for other ways to move forward with the east-wet connector in Baltimore.
“The Baltimore Red Line is long overdue, and we remain committed to providing a reliable east-west transit line across the region,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson.
“Amid rapidly evolving federal priorities and limited financial resources, we are working with communities throughout the Baltimore region to find solutions to these barriers that will lead to getting shovels in the ground as quickly as we can for this critical project.”
The MTA is evaluating several alternatives for the Baltimore Red Line in an effort to reduce the $9 billion cost of the project. Switching to buses for the entire project reduces the cost to $750 million to $1 billion and could be up and running in as little as three years, according to the MTA.
Right now, they are focusing on Bus Rapid Transit and surface-level Light Rail Transit for the 14-mile project.
A hybrid plan could also combine surface transit with shorter tunnels, rather than having the entire line underground.
On June 25, 2015, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan canceled the project, calling it a "wasteful boondoggle". He returned federal funds and reallocated state money to suburban/rural highway projects.
Governor Wes Moore revitalized the project in June of 2023 and, in January 2025, set a goal of getting it done before he leaves office.
The public is invited to four open houses:
- Baltimore County: Saturday, May 2, 10 am - 1pm, Woodlawn High School
- Downtown Baltimore: Tuesday, May 5, 3 pm - 5 pm, Baltimore War Memorial
- West Baltimore: Thursday, May 7, 6 pm - 8 pm, Edmondson High School
- Southeast Baltimore: Saturday, May 9, 10 am - 1pm, Southeast Anchor Enoch Pratt Library
You can learn more about the project here.
