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BALTIMORE, MD­­ (Thursday, February 8, 2024) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) Board of Directors named Queen Anne’s County Commissioner James J. Moran as the 2024 Chair at a meeting on Friday, January 26. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman will serve as Vice Chair, a role Moran held in 2023.

“The Baltimore Metropolitan Council does important work in all our jurisdictions,” said Commissioner Moran, noting that he is the longest-serving member of the Board of Directors. “I’m looking forward to moving us forward.”

County Executive Pittman moved to nominate Commissioner Moran to serve as chair, seconded by Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly. The vote was unanimous. Commissioner Moran thanked Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, the outgoing chair, for his service on behalf of the region.

Commissioner Moran was elected to the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners in November 2014 after being appointed to a vacant seat in December 2013. He was re-elected in 2018, and again in 2022. He served as president of the Board of Commissioners for the 2017-2018 term.

A military veteran who joined the U.S. Marine Corps 35 years to the day after his father, Commissioner Moran attended Anne Arundel Community College and worked in the concrete construction industry. In 1987, he started his own construction business, which became Increte of Maryland, Inc. in 1991. He then started another business in 2007, Mid-Atlantic Pigments LLC, which supplies color used in concrete construction.

County Executive Pittman was elected Anne Arundel County Executive in 2018, and re-elected in 2022. Raised on a farm in Anne Arundel County, he took over the farm’s hay production and became a nationally recognized horse trainer. He has more than three decades of experience managing nonprofits and small businesses, and has always been a dedicated community organizer, centering compassion in his work with people and animals.

“This organization is very important to Anne Arundel County, the city and all the other counties in the region,” County Executive Pittman said of BMC. “I’m looking forward to working together.”

BMC Executive Director Mike Kelly thanked Commissioner Moran and County Executive Pittman, who will lead BMC through a period of growth. BMC is gearing up to spearhead significant initiatives like a survey of public opinion on housing and transportation issues and the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission, which will give local jurisdictions greater voice in managing local transit.

“We’re building on our momentum and working toward more prosperous and livable communities across our region,” Kelly said. “My thanks to our board for continuing to support that mission.”

BMC’s Board of Directors includes elected executives from Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne’s Counties, as well as representatives of the state legislature and private sector. It will next meet again on Friday, April 19, 2024.

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Baltimore Metropolitan Council provides a regional forum for members, state and local partners to identify mutual interests and collaborate on strategies, plans and programs that help improve economic vitality and quality of life for all.

BMC 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. Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500.

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, December 14) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), the Baltimore region’s council of governments and metropolitan planning organization, released its 2023 Annual Report. The report includes the agency’s audited financial statements and a peek at the agency’s work in the previous fiscal year.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, chair of BMC’s Board of Directors, said that the agency’s planning work will help communities across the region realize a vision for a safer, more resilient and more connected future.

“Our efforts lay the groundwork for realizing that vision in the years to come,” said County Executive Ball. “Through our collective efforts, we seek to help our region invest in and capitalize on outcomes that boost quality of life for all.”

For the first time, BMC released an interactive digital version of the annual report, featuring embedded content and links to learn more about the agency’s work.

Highlights in BMC’s 2023 Annual Report include:

• Developing the Resilience 2050 long-range transportation plan, which anticipates $70 billion of major capital investments to the region’s transportation system in the coming decades, and boosts projects centering safety and transit access.
• Preparing for the new Baltimore Regional Transit Commission, which was recommended by BMC’s Regional Transit Governance & Funding Workgroup and will be a significant step toward giving the Baltimore region a voice in the future of our transit system.
• Pursuing regional transportation priorities through initiatives like the Transportation & Land Use Connections grant program, which quickly unlocks resources to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and the Patapsco Regional Greenway, an envisioned 40-mile trail network connecting Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Sykesville in Carroll County.
• Releasing a Climate Change Resource Guide and toolkit for planners in local jurisdictions with information, insight and next steps to help communities across the region best prepare for the effects of climate change with the available resources.
• Saving consumers $74 million on electricity compared to standard rates through the bulk purchasing Energy Board, which includes county and city governments, public schools and communities colleges and nonprofits.
• Building on the impact of ongoing programs such as Chesapeake Connect, which brings together leaders from across greater Baltimore to connect, reflect and learn from peer regions, and Bike to Work Central Maryland, which has rebounded strongly with a return to in-person participation.

BMC Executive Director Mike Kelly thanked the agency’s board members and staff, as well as partners in agencies, organizations and businesses throughout the region.

“We’re grateful to work with talented public servants dedicated to supporting the health and advancement of our communities,” Kelly said. “We are hard at work to advance the shared goals of our region.”

Learn more in the full 2023 Annual Report. You can also sign up for BMC newsletters, and follow the agency on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.

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Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) works collaboratively with the chief elected officials in the region to create initiatives to improve quality of life and economic vitality. As the Baltimore region’s council of governments, BMC hosts the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) and supports local government by coordinating efforts in a range of policy areas including emergency preparedness, housing, cooperative purchasing, environmental planning and workforce development.

BMC 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. Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500.

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, February 2, 2023) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) Board of Directors named Howard County Executive Calvin Ball as the 2023 Chair during a recent vote. Queen Anne’s County Commissioner James J. Moran will serve as Vice Chair. Ball served as Vice Chair in 2022.

“I’m excited to lead our region’s growth and development in 2023 and beyond,” said Ball. “BMC embodies the spirit of ‘stronger together,’ connecting our communities to embrace opportunity for everyone. Over the next year, we look forward to our partnerships with the Moore-Miller Administration and our regional partners advance and improve our overall quality of life for all."

County Executive Ball is a Maryland native and a resident of Columbia, where he and his wife Shani are proud parents of two daughters who attend and graduated from Howard County public schools. In 2006, Ball made history when he was elected the youngest Chairperson in the history of the Howard County Council. He made history again in 2018, when he became the first African American to be elected Howard County Executive. Ball is also serving as 2023 President of the Maryland Association of Counties.

A message from the County Executive:

BMC’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Ball as Chair and Moran as Vice Chair in a ballot collected on January 20. The Board of Directors consists of elected executives from Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne’s Counties, as well as representatives of the Maryland General Assembly and the private sector. 

“I’ve always worked to expand economic opportunity, and that’s the core of BMC’s mission,” said Moran, a Marine Corps veteran and business owner who was elected to a third term as a Queen Anne’s County Commissioner in 2022. “From Centreville to Columbia, we will work together to serve the interests of our citizens.” 

The Board also welcomed two new members, newly elected Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly and two term Carroll County Commissioner Ed Rothstein.

BMC Executive Director Michael B. Kelly emphasized that communities across Maryland share a stake in the Baltimore region’s success as the state’s economic engine. With upcoming projects including a thirty-year, multi-billion dollar transportation plan and a push to reshape Baltimore’s transit governance and funding, the board members will play a crucial role in guiding the next decades of development in the region.

“With Dr. Ball and Commissioner Moran at the helm, we’ll make some important achievements and lay the groundwork for many more,” said Kelly. “My thanks to them, and to all our current and former board members, for their dedicated service.”

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Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) works collaboratively with the chief elected officials in the region to create initiatives to improve quality of life and economic vitality. As the Baltimore region’s council of governments, BMC hosts the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) and supports local government by coordinating efforts in a range of policy areas including emergency preparedness, housing, cooperative purchasing, environmental planning and workforce development.

BMC 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. Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500.

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, August 18, 2022) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) will convene a Transit Governance and Funding Workgroup to identify ways to improve transit governance and funding in the Baltimore region.

Established by BMC’s Board of Directors at its July 15^th meeting, the workgroup will be chaired by BMC board member, Delegate Tony Bridges. "Moving forward it is critical that our transit system work for residents and businesses throughout Baltimore," said Delegate Bridges. "I'm thankful to my fellow BMC board members for their leadership and to the members of the workgroup for their commitment to the issue."

The appointed members of the workgroup include:

• Tony Bridges, Maryland State Delegate, Baltimore City, District 41
• Dr. Celeste Chavis, Associate Professor of Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Studies, Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Morgan State University’s Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering
• Andrew Gena, Director of Strategic Research, Amalgamated Transit Union AFL-CIO/CLC
• Tasha Gresham-James, Executive Director, Dundalk Renaissance
• Ron Hartman, Senior Consultant, WSP USA
• Jon Laria, Managing Partner, Ballard Spahr
• Michael McMillan, President & Business Agent, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300
• Tony Scott, Executive Director, Southwest Partnership
• Samuel Snead, Director, Anne Arundel County Department of Transportation
• Aaron Tomarchio, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Tradepoint Atlantic
• Adrea Turner, Chief of Staff, Urban Institute
• D’Andrea Walker, Acting Director, Baltimore County Department of Public Works & Transportation
• Mary Washington, Maryland State Senator, Baltimore City, District 43

“Public transportation plays an essential role in the advancement of people, businesses, the environment and overall economy of a city and a region,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “As our local economy emerges from the pandemic, we will need to adequately advocate for and invest in an inclusive transit system that truly connects all of our residents to educational and employment opportunities to drive economic growth for communities throughout Baltimore."

The workgroup has two objectives. First, the workgroup will prioritize one or more governance models identified in the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board’s 2021 Baltimore Regional Transit Governance and Funding Study. The 2021 study researched and identified five potential governance and funding structures for the region’s transit services, as well as a sixth option of maintaining the status quo. The workgroup will review options detailed in the 2021 study and make a formal recommendation to the BMC Board of Directors, Maryland General Assembly, and Governor. 

"The assembled transit, business and thought leaders are experts in their fields," said Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr. "I look forward to hearing the recommendations so we can work with the General Assembly and next Governor to provide meaningful and impactful transportation solutions for the Baltimore region."

Additionally, the workgroup will review funding associated with the Locally Operated Transit Systems (LOTS) program and develop options for increased equity and transparency in the distribution of those funds.

The Baltimore Regional Transit Governance and Funding Workgroup will meet on the first Friday of every month through the end of the year. Meetings will be held at the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s office and will be open to members of the public. The first meeting will be on September 2, 2022. Click here to view the workgroup's opening presentation.

“This workgroup is a necessary step toward establishing a high functioning and more equitable transit system for the Baltimore region,” said Mike Kelly, executive director of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. “BMC has taken a thoughtful and diligent approach in analyzing the region’s transit system and I’m pleased to see the issue of local input and decision-making is becoming central to the conversation.”

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The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) works collaboratively with the chief elected officials in the region to create initiatives to improve our quality of life and economic vitality. BMC, as the Baltimore region’s council of governments, hosts the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB), the federal metropolitan planning organization (MPO), and supports local government by coordinating efforts in a range of policy areas including emergency preparedness, housing, cooperative purchasing, environmental planning and workforce development.

BMC’s Board of Directors includes the executives of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties, the mayor of the City of Baltimore, a member of the Carroll County and Queen Anne’s County boards of commissioners, a member of the Maryland State Senate, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, and a gubernatorial appointee from the private sector.

BMC Brings Local Leaders to Detroit, MI for Chesapeake Connect 2022

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, July 26, 2022) - The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) led its annual Chesapeake Connect trip to Detroit, Michigan from Wednesday, July 20 to Friday, July 22, bringing together leaders from across greater Baltimore to connect, reflect and learn from the experiences of a peer region.

Over 60 government, private sector and nonprofit leaders joined BMC in Detroit, with a program focused on unpacking the profound impact of Detroit’s 2013 municipal bankruptcy. Through site visits and discussions with local community leaders, BMC sought to curate an effective exploration of the innovative developments reinvigorating a great American city.

Motor City, as Detroit became known due to its place as a global hub for auto manufacturing, shares many of the challenges facing Charm City, including a declining population, historic under-investment and barriers to building wealth in communities of color. Detroit has bright minds implementing brilliant ideas to counter these challenges, and the Chesapeake Connect trip posed the question: how can we bolster similar ideas in and around Baltimore?

The trip kicked off with a visit to the Union Carpenters and Millwrights Skilled Training Center, where participants heard from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan about his efforts to guide the city out of bankruptcy. Later that day, a tour of downtown concluded at One Campus Martius, where participants dined with the Rock Family of Companies and learned about their historic corporate and private investment in the city.

On day two, participants got a close-up view of development in Detroit’s neighborhoods, starting with the cradle-to-career campus opening at Marygrove Conservancy. That afternoon, small groups broke out to explore four industry hubs across the city. That evening, participants reconvened for dinner in the enclave of Hamtramck, hearing from Mayor Amer Ghalib and members of what is believed to be the country’s first all-Muslim city council.

For the final day, participants focused on open spaces and public waterfront development, touring the downtown Capitol Park and a five-mile pedestrian stretch of the Detroit Riverfront before a closing lunch at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Adventure Center.

For more details about the trip, see BMC’s Chesapeake Connect 2022 story map or peruse the Chesapeake Connect 2022 Program.

Participants will be invited to join a Chesapeake Re-Connect wrap-up event to encourage a continuing dialogue about the innovations and development strategies observed in Detroit.

Previous Chesapeake Connect trips have brought leaders from the Baltimore region together in Philadelphia, Nashville, New Orleans and Cleveland. BMC has already begun planning the Chesapeake Connect 2023 trip and will announce the destination and dates early next year.

Chesapeake Connect 2022 would not have been possible without the support of sponsors, including Mercy Medical Center, 28 Walker, BGE, Exelon, Hartman Executive Advisors, the Maryland Institute College of Art, Southway Builders, Tradepoint Atlantic, the Baltimore Community Foundation, Design Collective, Loyola University Maryland, Morris & Ritchie Associates, Ballard Spahr, the Baltimore Development Corporation, Chase Brexton Health Care, Gordian Energy Systems, Howard Hughes, Park Heights Renaissance, University of Maryland Baltimore, the University of Maryland Medical System, Web Connection, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

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BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, January 21, 2022) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) hosted its virtual board of directors meeting at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 21, 2022, unanimously approving Harford County Executive Barry Glassman as its 2022 chair, and Howard County Executive, Calvin Ball, as its vice-chair.

 

Throughout his 30 years in public service, Barry Glassman has been recognized for outstanding character and leadership. He has been a BMC board member since 2014, and served as chair in 2016. He will serve as BMC board chair for a second time through January 2023.

 

“It is a great honor to chair the board of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council,” said County Executive Glassman. “Harford County is an integral piece of the puzzle that comprises greater Baltimore and I look forward to working with the other jurisdictional leaders to leverage our resources for the region.”

 

Mike Kelly, BMC Executive Director says “County Executive Glassman has been an instrumental asset to the BMC board for many years. His insight and leadership is invaluable to the progress of our organization and the region at large. We look forward to what is to come as we continue to serve in the region’s recovery.”

 

BMC also welcomes Howard County Executive Calvin Ball as vice-chair. He has been a BMC board member since 2018 and will serve as vice-chair through January 2023. 

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The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) works collaboratively with the chief elected officials in the region to create initiatives to improve our quality of life and economic vitality. BMC, as the Baltimore region’s council of governments, hosts the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB), the federal metropolitan planning organization (MPO), and supports local government by coordinating efforts in a range of policy areas including emergency preparedness, housing, cooperative purchasing, environmental planning and workforce development.

 

BMC’s Board of Directors includes the executives of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties, the mayor of the City of Baltimore, a member of the Carroll County and Queen Anne’s County boards of commissioners, a member of the Maryland State Senate, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, and a gubernatorial appointee from the private sector.

The Baltimore Metropolitan Council led its annual Chesapeake Connect trip, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, October 13 - Thursday, October 15, 2021. Chesapeake Connect brings leaders from across Baltimore region to a peer region for a three-day learning experience.

Over 60 leaders from across the region traveled by train from Baltimore Penn Station to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station for the event. The agenda included presentations by Philadelphia leaders, tours of parks and public assets, and visits to non-profits and development sites with lessons for the Baltimore region.

The first day of the program focused on West Philadelphia’s University City, and the decades of cooperative investment by the City of Philadelphia and anchor institutions like the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The day ended with a visit to the Enterprise Center, one of the most innovative and successful urban entrepreneurship centers in the entire country.

Our second day started with executive briefings on Philadelphia’s efforts to equitable invest in broadband access and aging city assets. Those briefings were followed by a tour of Dillworth Park, a privately managed park just outside of Philadelphia’s historic City Hall. The group then split into small groups to visit neighborhood development sites, groundbreaking urban trails, a nationally recognized public art effort and the Navy Yard, one of the largest redevelopment efforts on the east coast.

Our final day in Philadelphia began with a discussion of regionalism with leaders from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The program closed with a tour of FDR Park, Philadelphia’s only Olmstead park that is currently in the midst of a strategic redesign to better meet the needs of a growing and diverse immigrant community in South Philadelphia.

The City of Brotherly Love, shares many of the same strengths and challenges of the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Both places boast of vibrant cultural and university districts, some of the world’s leading research institutions and balance of urban living with attractive and desirable suburban communities.

However, both places struggle with the socio-economic impacts of redlining, a crisis of substance abuse, and deep rooted economic, health, and technology based disparities made clearer by the pandemic.

Like Baltimore, Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, and every neighborhood story is unique. Over the three day event, attendees heard first hand from Philadelphia’s leaders and decision makers about the wins, pitfalls and works in progress that define the Philadelphia region.

The 2021 trip came after the necessary cancellation of the 2020 Chesapeake Connect trip, slated for Minneapolis, Minnesota. In response to the worldwide pandemic and out of an abundance of caution, BMC repurposed the trip into the “Chesapeake Connect Podcast.” The podcast focuses on a deeper exploration of the Baltimore region, through conversations with elected officials, non-profits, local companies and WYPR’s Tom Hall.

Past trips have included Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA , and Cleveland, OH.

BMC will begin planning for Chesapeake Connect 2022 soon and will announce a destination and dates for the trip next spring. BMC is hopeful for another successful in person event.