Riding the Rails: Fears and Hopes for the Red Line

There's an old adage, "You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time," and when it comes to Baltimore's proposed Red Line transit system, nothing could be more true. However, while officials and organized groups weigh in offering their support or decrying the potential pitfalls of the proposed plan via Op-Eds in the Baltimore Sun or on websites, those most affected by the plan -- residents along the Red Line's route and transit riders -- have not been given the same opportunity. Ask them, however, as we did, and you may be surprised to find that the issue is not black and white.

The Cons

The Red Line is the proposed east-to-west transit line in Baltimore. The scenario now under discussion is plan 4c under which an above ground light rail line will run from Hopkins Bayview in the East to Woodlawn in the West, except for a tunnel under downtown and a shorter tunnel under Cook's Lane. Both Mayor Sheila Dixon and Gov. Martin O'Malley support the plan.

The current 4c calls for the tunnel under Cook's Lane to be a single track in order to save money. Detractors call this a death trap and predict horrible collisions in the underground stretch. Planners, however, are confident this will not be a problem.

The Red Line's biggest problems may not be the ones everyone's complaining about. A "death trap" tunnel under Cook's Lane and a ruined community in Canton are the problems most talked about for the proposed Red Line, but the real problems might be entirely different.

The other well-publicized complaints about 4c involve the above ground stretch planned for Boston Street. Some Canton residents believe this will ruin both the street and the community it serves. This group is loud and visible, but that doesn't mean it speaks for the entire community. Some Canton residents, like Dan Tracy, disagree, claiming (as the city does) that property values near the Red Line's path will increase.. Tracy looked into modern light rail on his own and concluded that the trains will likely be quieter than the constant Boston Street car and truck traffic they will replace.

The Pros, well sorta

Folks in other parts of the city also look forward to the Red Line. Ali Horwitz has lived in Canton and Fells Point. She says the city has an obligation to listen to its citizens, but that it needs a convenient and affordable mass transit option. She says she would definitely use the Red Line as it is currently planned.

Justin Adger, who grew up in Woodlawn, where the western end of the Red Line would be anchored, bemoaned the complicated and time consuming process of using the bus there. The speed and convenience the red line promises would have transformed his youth, he says.

Mark Gross, who lives in Highlandtown, which would also be served by the Red Line, says he'd use the system, but is wary that it may not be implemented correctly. That sentiment is one of three overriding concerns Baltimore residents have with this new proposal that few people are talking about.

Time is of the essence

If the Red Line doesn't run on time, nothing else will matter. People won't use it. In addition, riders have to feel safe. Unfortunately, Baltimore is no stranger to violence on mass transit, and dirty stations or poorly lit trains and tracks could lead to people avoiding the new system. The trains' schedules will likely have to accommodate both commuters and those going to bars and restaurants if it is going to be successful ultimately.

While timeliness is an important issue, the Red Line will also have to stop at places people are coming from and want to go, according Transit Riders Action Council's (TRAC). Though TRAC supports the building of a Red Line, they have serious problems with technical details they find troubling about plan 4c.

For instance, the planned "Camden" stop is two blocks north of the MARC and current light rail station at Camden Yard. Since the ability to connect to existing transit is one of the Red Line's selling points, a two block gap between the Red Line and MARC is pretty glaring. Even more serious, however, is TRAC's complaints that a full fledged metro was not seriously considered before a light rail option was chosen. With a host of technical arguments about the cost of purchasing right of way and building a system in stages, TRAC's website is dedicated to a convincing argument that an underground metro would be as affordable and more efficient than a light rail system. Just as important, TRAC says, is that the federal government requires other options like this to be studied.

Potential funding SNAFU?

The Federal Transit Administration's New Start program provides funds for local communities across the country to build transit systems of all kinds. In order to obtain these funds, local communities must qualify. One of the requirements for qualification is an alternatives analysis. TRAC contends that Baltimore has not studied options beyond light rail enough to fulfill this demand for alternative analysis.

The Maryland Transit Authority MTA disagrees. Who the Feds side with will be crucial, because the Red Line will depend on New Start money. Without federal funds matching local dollars, the Red Line as 4c paints it is simply impossible. Federal approval, in the form of New Start dollars, will be the real deciding factor.

Thus, despite the hopes and fears of vocal locals on both sides of the Red line debate, the survival of plan 4c relies on the approval of Baltimore's neighbors to the South.

Photo captions:

The light rail travels through downtown Baltimore.

A light rail sign is illuminated as the railcar travels through downtown Baltimore.

The light rail train rail on the street in downtown Baltimore.

A pedestrian enters the Metro in downtown Baltimore.

The light rail travels through downtown Baltimore.

photos by Arianne Teeple - managing photographer, www.bmoremedia.com