By Kennedy Thomason
Elm Staff Writer
The people of Baltimore have long yearned for an expanded public transportation system, and it seems like under Governor Wes Moore’s administration, they just might get it — but the initiative is about more than just moving people.
Gov. Moore has positioned himself to undo the product of generations of systemic racism in infrastructure, and the payoff will be a triumph for those across the state of Maryland.
The Moore administration looks to rejuvenate a project called Red Line, which originally began in 2013 under former Governor Larry Hogan. Preliminary research, environmental impact analyses, and other early steps to implementing the Red Line were underway when Gov. Hogan abruptly scrapped the initiative in 2015.
This decision was made following a period of substantial unrest in the aftermath of Black civilian Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody. Instead of using this already racially-charged situation to inspire change and provide equal accessibility to transportation, Gov. Hogan redirected the efforts toward rural and suburban roads, highways, and bridges, once again leaving Baltimore to its own devices.
Rather than continuing to ignore the issue, Gov. Moore wants to tackle it. The question on everyone’s minds is where we go from here.
“We need to make sure that everyone in the region can get from where they live to where opportunity lies,” Moore said during his speech at the official launch of the project this past June.
He hints toward some of Baltimore’s more pressing dilemmas: the large — and disproportionately Black — low-income population, unemployment, lack of access to quality education, food deserts, and environmental concerns, just to name a few, according to his speech.
Many hope that this new Red Line transportation system will begin to rectify some of these issues. According to Gov. Moore’s campaign website, “there is an important link between transportation and economic mobility.”
A lack of widely available public transportation hurts those who are already suffering the most. The unemployed are unable to connect with employers, students are cut off from educational centers, working parents spend more hours commuting than with their children, families without vehicles have further restricted housing options, and healthy food and medical care become harder to obtain.
It seems like getting this initiative up and running again is a no-brainer, especially considering all of the much-needed jobs it would create.
So, what is the hold up? Apparently, it is no coincidence that there is currently no East to West Baltimore public transit route. The notion garners pushback from overwhelmingly white middle-and upper-class residents who are concerned about crime and poverty being delivered to their doorstep by way of the Red Line.
Other objections include the time that the project will take, since construction is not projected to begin until 2026 or 2027. Who knew planning and building an entire transit system takes time? There is also the question of who will pay for it; imagine intensified pearl-clutching as I ask: it also costs money?
Gov. Moore’s administration outlines their plan for funding, which involves almost entirely federal grants. This would not be the first time the state of Maryland received federal funds for the Red Line, but Gov. Hogan decided to send back $900 million in 2015. This was money that could have been used to drastically improve the lives of Baltimore’s poorest residents, but it seems like he was more interested in punishment than progress.
Even with its contestants, the Red Line project marches on — and it is in good hands, as Moore’s running mate and current Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller previously spent 25 years working in the Montgomery County Department of Transportation and used her expertise to weigh in on transportation issues throughout her political career. According to the Red Line’s progress-tracking website, the state government’s goals for this fall are to “complete a detailed study of project costs, benefits, and impacts” and “receive and incorporate public feedback to define preferences on trade-offs.”
It is still up in the air whether this transportation line, which will run for 14 miles between the areas of Woodlawn and Bayview, will be a bus system, a light rail, or some other form of mass transit. Either way, it will be a welcome change from the current system: nothing.
State officials and residents alike hope it will be able to bring Baltimore up to speed with other large cities, such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, which boast much more sophisticated public transportation systems.
Addressing racial discrimination in housing and infrastructure is not just a Baltimore problem — it is an everywhere problem. The Eastern Shore is not exempt from its effects. The conversations starting in Annapolis and Baltimore must stretch across the outskirts of smaller areas like Chestertown to bring about real change.
The results of mobilizing communities will not just benefit one demographic. Young people, old people, those without cars, those without the patience for traffic, potential employees, potential employers, and functionally everyone could take advantage.
It would also lessen the need for expensive Ubers and institution-organized programs like Washington College’s beloved Safe Ride. It is time Maryland begins to implement programs such as Red Line to confront the class and racial disparity in our infrastructure, extend our capacity for thinking about these issues, and eventually spread easily accessible transportation across the state.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Gov. Wes Moore is poised to finally enact legislation that will make public transit more accessible to Maryland residents.