The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) board of directors voted to install Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. as its 2020 chair at its meeting on Friday, January 17th. Carroll County Commission President Stephen Wantz was selected to serve as Vice Chair. This meeting also marked the launch of BMC’s regional marketing campaign for the 2020 Census, aimed at reaching hard-to-count populations in greater Baltimore.
BMC worked with participating counties to coordinate a campaign aimed at encouraging residents of greater Baltimore to get counted in the upcoming Census. The campaign targets populations that the U.S. Census Bureau defines as “hard-to-count,” including renters, seniors, low-income, parents of young children, and limited-English speakers.
“The Census plays a significant role in how federal funds are allocated to our counties and our region, which is why it is so important for everyone to be counted,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. “I am proud to serve as 2020 chair of the BMC and I’m proud of Baltimore County for engaging our county partners across the region to bring this campaign together.”
Campaign ads will describe why the Census is important, including its impact on federal funding for education, transportation, economic development, healthcare and other essential programs.
The following six jurisdictions participated in the campaign: Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Carroll County.
“This marketing campaign is an example of local governments maximizing resources to make a regional impact,” said BMC Executive Director Mike Kelly. “I want to thank our Chair, County Executive Olszewski, for making this a priority.”
The regional 2020 Census radio ads will run on WERQ-FM 92.3, WLIF-HD2 106.1, WOLB-AM 1010, WWIN-FM 95.9, WLIF-FM 101.9, HFS-FM 104.9, WJZ-AM 1300, WCAO-AM 600, WLZL-FM 107.9 and Ke Pachanga radio stations. The campaign will air from Wednesday, January 15th through Sunday, June 14th. Messages will encourage listeners to visit census.maryland.gov for more information.
"As the liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) supports collaboration and partnerships at every level with the goal of counting every person in Maryland in the 2020 Census," said Planning Secretary Robert McCord. "The Census is a family portrait we take every ten years and we need to show what Maryland really looks like by having everyone in the picture."
The campaign is financed in part with State funds from Maryland’s 2020 Census Grant Program.
###
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 Maryland Association of Counties (MACO) held its three-day Winter Conference December 4-6, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Dorchester County.
The conference brought 600 attendees, 96 speakers, over 60 exhibitors and 38 sessions. BMC was proud to participate in the “No More Deaths: Vision Zero and Maryland’s Mission for Roadway Safety” session.
Bala Akundi, Principal Transportation Engineer with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC), was honored to attend and speak about safety on our roadways and how our transportation system is essential to connecting all Marylanders to recreational and economic opportunities. Other panelists included Monique Anderson-Walker, Prince George’s County Council Member, Christine Nizer, Administrator for the Maryland Department of Transportation - Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT-MVA) and Scott Flanigan, Director of Public Works for Cecil County. Moderator Delegate Julie Palakovich-Carr introducing the panelists and providing an overview of Vision Zero.
Each speaker shared details on the statewide effort to improve roadway safety with a goal of reaching zero vehicle-related deaths or serious injuries on roadways by the year 2030. Presentations explored how to make traffic safety an essential piece of annual planning by developing local Strategic Highway Safety Plans and tools available to complete the process.
During Akundi’s portion of the presentation, he explained the regional perspective, MPO advantages, draft plans and processes to help reach the Vision Zero goal. Since late 2018, BMC has assisted member jurisdictions in developing local Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSPs) in support of Maryland’s goal of Vision Zero. The Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) provided grant funding to support a full-time staff position at BMC to help the local jurisdictions develop and implement the local plans over the next several years. As of December 2019, two jurisdictions have developed draft plans that are waiting approval from senior management while others have begun putting together teams to begin the process.
The MACO winter conference is an annual event and is scheduled to be held next year December 9-11, 2020.
Baltimore City hosted its Annual GIS Day on Friday, November 15th at the War Memorial Building downtown. The event showcased the geospatial and mapping work being done in Baltimore by city agencies and other local organizations.
The gathering included a wide display of data, technology and GIS work open to the public for review and discussion. It also created a platform for exhibitors and attendees to collaborate and share GIS practices with each other.
Exhibitors included many city agencies, MD iMap (MD Department of IT), BMC, Johns Hopkins, and the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance. Among the over 300 attendees were city employees from many agencies, members of the community, and students.
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council was excited to be included in the event presenting maps and apps created by our GIS team that illustrate information about the city and its relationship to the broader region. We also spoke about our work in general and how it benefits the city and the region.
At our table, we gave away maps that showed travel patterns to and from the city. This allowed guests to understand where people who work in Baltimore commute from, and where people living in the city go to work.
We also presented our regional bicycle facilities map, which attracted many throughout the day. Attendees were interested in seeing bicycle trails in their neighborhood and comparing facilities across different counties.
Another popular display was our interactive traffic dashboard. I Participants entered their address into the application to look at traffic conditions in their area. This led to conversations about what else BMC was doing to address the issue, including traffic safety and congestion management.
The event welcomed Digital Harbor GIS Track students. The students learned more about professional GIS work. Each student visited the map and data-covered tables, where exhibitors were eager to share their wealth of knowledge and answer questions to encourage their growth and development within the field. While many learned new information about map and data resources from visiting the BMC table, we are proud to note that the students from Digital Harbor plan to use BMC's open data for their school projects.
This is the first year BMC’s GIS team participated in this event. We are fortunate to communicate through our research, data and strategies just how interconnected our region is. We look forward to next year’s event and all that we can learn, give and discuss with next year’s attendees.
 |
LESS DAYLIGHT INCREASES RISKS FOR PEOPLE WALKING: HOLIDAY SEASON BRINGS INCREASE IN PEDESTRIAN DEATHS AND INJURIES
BALTIMORE, MD (November 19, 2019) – With the approach of Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season, sponsors of Baltimore’s Look Alive pedestrian safety campaign want pedestrians and drivers to make safety a top priority during this risky time of year.
Regional transportation officials warn that November and December are the most dangerous time of year for pedestrians because of fewer daylight hours. According to the MDOT MVA Maryland Highway Safety Office, nearly 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities in Maryland occur in the dark, with one in three pedestrians killed at times with little to no light.
During the last two months of 2018, there were almost 400 crashes involving people on foot in Baltimore and the surrounding counties, resulting in 52 serious injuries and 13 deaths. Pedestrian crashes that result in fatalities occur most often between 6 p.m. and midnight.
“We know visibility plays an important role in pedestrian safety,” said Michael B. Kelly, BMC’s Executive Director. “That’s why we’re reminding everyone to be alert and on the look-out for one another, especially as it gets dark earlier every day.”
Beginning November 21, residents in the Baltimore metropolitan area can expect stepped up enforcement of traffic laws that protect people who are walking. Violators face fines ranging from $40 to $500.
The Look Alive campaign offers safety tips for drivers and pedestrians (see below). The campaign’s key safety tips include reminders for drivers to obey the speed limit and stop for people crossing the street. Pedestrians are advised to use the crosswalk and wear something light or reflective at night. Learn more about the program at LookAliveMD.org.
###
STREET SAFETY TIPS
If you’re driving…
- Slow down and obey the speed limit.
- Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.
- Be careful when passing buses or stopped vehicles.
- When turning, yield to people walking and biking.
- Look for bicyclists before opening your door.
- Allow at least 3 feet when passing bikes.
- Avoid using your cell phone and never text while driving.
If you’re walking…
- Cross the street at crosswalks and intersections.
- Use the pushbuttons.
- Wait for the walk signal to cross the street.
- Watch for turning vehicles.
- Before crossing look left, right, and left again.
- Be visible.
- Wear something light or reflective after dark.
- Watch out for blind spots around trucks and buses.
- Avoid using your cell phone when crossing the street.
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) was proud to co-host the 11th Annual Meet the Primes event with Baltimore County on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at the Maryland Fairgrounds.
This procurement outreach event connects small and minority owned businesses (MBE/ SBE) to prime contract bidders.
Over 120 prime contractors, bidders and government buyers attended.
With onsite registration welcome, this free event was open to all to showcase their businesses to prime bidders seeking partners and sub-contractors. Attendees were asked to prepare a capability statement to present to exhibiting business representatives looking to meet MBE/SBE sub-contractors in the areas of Professional Services, Construction Trades, Architecture, Engineering and Other Business Services.
Attendees also had the opportunity to speak directly with companies in the “meeting cafe.” These pre-scheduled discussions allowed small business representatives to meet privately for five minutes with select government agencies and prime companies for a one-on-one discussion of their product or service. This undivided exposure to procurement officials, buyers and decision makers opens the door for new and lasting business opportunities.
Located in the section dubbed “Government Row,” BMC’s Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC) shared information about contracting opportunities, the interconnected nature of our region, and services offered to BMC members and the public. Other government entities on the Row included Maryland Department of Transportation – State Highway Administration, Maryland Department of Labor, and a host of community colleges, public schools, and government officials from Annapolis, Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, and Prince George’s Counties.
BMC and the BRCPC look forward to continuing this event in 2020. We are proud of the opportunities Meet the Primes creates for small and minority owned businesses in our region to build new partnerships and access the buying capacity of our governments.
 |
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) is soliciting proposals from a qualified consultant, or consultant team, with extensive experience in all phases of trail development – including concept, design and permitting – with the expertise in environmental, cultural/historic resource management, multi-modal transportation planning and economic/community development to provide preliminary engineering for one segment of the Patapsco Regional Greenway (PRG)
Proposals must be received by BMC no later than Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
Written questions about this procurement should be sent to Regina Aris at raris@baltometro.org or 410- 732-8248 (fax) no later than Friday, October 25, 2019. Answers to questions will be posted on the BMC website no later than Wednesday, October 30, 2019.
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) seeks qualified firms or organizations to examine how changing mobility options, particularly the introduction of "new mobility" services, are impacting and are expected to impact the Baltimore region's roads, pathways and curb space, and how local government development planning and review processes can and should consider and evaluate these services.
Proposals must be received by BMC no later than Friday, November 8, 2019, at 2 p.m.
Written questions about this procurement should be sent to Don Halligan at dhalligan@baltometro.org o
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) seeks an accounting and/or auditing firm to perform a comprehensive audit of financial statements, a Single Audit and certified fringe and indirect rate calculation for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020; 2021; and 2022.
Proposals must be received by BMC no later than Monday, October 21, 2019, at 2 p.m.
Written questions about this procurement should be sent to Tamiko Knight at tknight@baltometro.org no later than Monday, September 30. Answers to questions will be posted on the BMC website no later than Wednesday, October 2.
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS TO EVALUATE THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES OF THE BRTB
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) seeks qualified firms or organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of current public involvement activities of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) and to develop recommendations for improving public involvement in the region's transportation planning process.
Proposals must be received by BMC no later than Friday, October 11, 2019, at 2 p.m.
Written questions about this procurement should be sent to Regina Aris at raris@baltometro.org or (410) 732-8248 (fax) no later than Tuesday, September 24. Answers to questions will be posted on the BMC website no later than Friday, September 27.
| View the Request for ProposalS |
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) seeks qualified firms or organizations to provide professional services to develop a Carroll County Transportation Master Plan (TMP) that will complement the 2019 Amendments to the 2014 Carroll County Master Plan and the 2018 Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan.
Proposals must be received by BMC no later than Friday, September 6, 2019, at 2 p.m.
Written questions about this procurement should be sent to Bala Akundi at bakundi@baltometro.org or (410) 732-8248 (fax) no later than Friday, August 9. Answers to questions will be posted on the BMC website no later than Friday, August 16.
View the Request for Proposals