The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB), as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Baltimore region, seeks comments from the public through Monday, August 1 on two transportation-related documents – the draft 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the associated Air Quality Conformity Determination.

Returning this year is an interactive project map, in which the public can view projects and offer comments. Staff have also created an interactive story map to offer the public an easy way to learn more about these plans. Details about the TIP and Conformity Determination, as well as how to provide comments, are available below.

Draft 2023-2026 TIP | Draft Air Quality Conformity Determination | How to Comment

Draft 2023 – 2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

The draft 2023-2026 TIP is the list of regional transportation projects requesting federal funding in the near term. It includes $4.26 billion in proposed funding (federal, state, local, toll revenue) for highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects during the next four years. The funding goes toward maintaining, operating and expanding the transportation system. These projects support regional goals such as accessibility, safety, and prosperity. Funding identified in the TIP is based on funding reasonably expected to be available from all sources.

The draft 2023-2026 TIP includes 132 projects, 7 of which are new to this year’s TIP, 6 were in previous TIPs but were removed due to lack of funding, and 3 projects have moved from Anne Arundel County to MDOT SHA. Highlights include:

• Anne Arundel County is dedicating nearly $16 million in funding for a multi-modal Transportation Center in Parole at the Westfield Annapolis Mall to serve existing local and regional bus service, with possible future connectivity to modes such as bikeshare, carshare, and ride hailing services.
• Baltimore City, in partnership with the state of Maryland, is investing $50 million in an RAISE Transit Priority Project (formerly the East-West Priority Bus Corridor), which will provide a comprehensive suite of investments facilitating more efficient transit trips, improving multi-modal connections, and addressing existing safety issues. The project will improve bus service between east and west Baltimore and will help to reduce emissions.
• Baltimore, Carroll and Harford Counties are dedicating federal and local funding for 28 essential bridge improvement projects.
• Howard County continues progress on a $24 million project on Snowden River Parkway: Broken Land Parkway to Oakland Mills Road which add a third lane along Snowden River Parkway in each direction and will provide new 10-foot shared-use paths in an effort to increase transportation alternatives to access public transit.
• MDOT SHA is dedicating $180.2 million to reconstruct the interchange of I-695 at I-70 to improve safety, operations and capacity. MDOT SHA is also dedicating $133 million to widen I-695: US 40 to MD 144 to provide safety and capacity improvements.
• The Maryland Port Administration is partnering with CSX to leverage federal grant funding to reconstruct the 125-year-old Howard Street Tunnel in order to create double-stack rail access to and from the Port of Baltimore. Adjustments to several other bridges in Baltimore City are included in this project.
• MDTA also continues engineering and construction on a $1.1 billion project in Baltimore and Harford Counties adding two additional Express Toll Lanes on I-95 from north of MD 43 to north of MD 24. This project is funded with toll revenues.

Please view the draft 2023-2026 TIP through the BRTB’s interactive project map or learn more in our story map.

 

The draft 2023-2026 TIP is also available in PDF format for download:

Draft 2023-2026 TIP 

Introduction and Background  |  Financial Plan

Projects by jurisdiction: Low-income and Minority Concentration  |  Appendices

Projects in the draft TIP are also available to review in pdf format by project sponsor, either a local jurisdiction or state agency:

Anne Arundel County  |  Baltimore City  |  Baltimore County

Carroll County  |  Harford County  |  Howard County

Maryland Port Administration  |  Maryland Transportation Authority

MDOT MTA  |  MDOT SHA and the Office of the Secretary

Analysis of Air Quality Conformity

The Baltimore region does not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and so must review its transportation plans and programs to ensure conformity with the State Air Quality Implementation Plan (SIP).

The Air Quality Conformity Determination report details a comprehensive analysis of Baltimore region mobile source emissions as a result of implementing the Draft 2023-2026 TIP. Highlights of the report include:

• Staff from BMC and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) used the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) 2014a model, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to analyze the amount of mobile source emissions generated from vehicle travel associated with the implementation of the projects in the draft TIP and LRTP
• The report addresses mobile source emissions of VOC and NOx, which are precursors of ground-level ozone emissions.
• Adopted forecasts for population, housing, and employment in the Baltimore region were used for this conformity analysis.
• Current data about the types and purpose of vehicles, fuel data, and meteorological data were used as inputs into the analysis.
• Projected mobile source emissions for the Draft 2023-2026 TIP are well below the motor vehicle emission budgets set in the state implementation plan, or SIP.
• Implementation of the projects proposed in the Draft 2023-2026 TIP will not worsen the region’s air quality or delay the timely attainment of national air quality standards.

The conformity determination is available in PDF format for download. Download the Draft Conformity Determination of the draft 2023-2026 TIP:

Conformity Determination | Appendices

Share Your Thoughts

Public comments are welcome from Wednesday, June 29 through Monday, August 1, 2022. The BRTB will vote on these documents at their meeting on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

View comments received | BRTB Responses to Comments

Join Us for a Virtual Public Meeting

Those interested in learning more about the Draft 2023-2026 TIP and Air Quality Conformity Determination may do so during a virtual public meeting on:

• Tuesday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

To share your thoughts and ideas, send all comments to:

ONLINE	EMAIL	TWITTER	VOICEMAIL	TEXT
https://publicinput.com/2023-2026TIP	2023-2026TIP@PublicInput.com	@BaltoMetroCo @BmoreInvolved #BRTBListens	1-855-925-2801 x 6662	Text keyword 2023-2026TIP to 73224

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Comments are also welcome during the public comment opportunity at the BRTB meetings at 9 a.m. on Tuesday July 26 or Tuesday, August 23 (scheduled vote).

Note: MDOT MTA, in lieu of a separate mandated public comment period, has exercised its option to use the procedures of the BRTB’s public involvement process for the Draft 2023-2026 TIP. The public participation process for the TIP meets the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) public participation requirements for MDOT MTA’s Program of Projects (POP).

For more information:

Contact Regina Aris, assistant transportation director, by email at raris@baltometro.org, or by phone at 410-732-9572.

Notice

The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, or national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable laws.
Appropriate services can be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities or those in need of language assistance who submit a request at least seven days prior to a meeting. Call 410-732-0500.
Dial 7-1-1 or 800-735-2258 to initiate a TTY call through Maryland Relay. Usuarios de Relay MD marquen 7-1-1
Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500.

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