BALTIMORE, MD (April 10, 2018) – The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) will accept comments on a draft of the Public Participation Plan through Thursday, May 24.
View the BRTB's draft Public Participation Plan
The draft of the Public Participation Plan is scheduled for a vote before the BRTB on Tuesday, June 26.
The Public Participation Plan serves as a guide for residents in the Baltimore region to navigate the public process, while also outlining the policies and procedures to ensure that those coordinating the planning process engage the public. The mission of the Public Participation Plan is to provide an open process that offers reasonable access to information, timely public notice, full public access to key decisions, and support for early and continued involvement of stakeholders.
The BRTB’s Public Advisory Committee (PAC) helped to develop the draft through its Public Involvement subcommittee.
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Dear Friends,
The Orioles are back in town, tulips are in bloom and temperatures are again cresting the 70-degree mark. There’s no doubt that spring has sprung in the Baltimore region, which means Bike to Work Day is right around the corner.
In our COG Quarterly cover story, we’re gearing up – literally and figuratively – for Friday, May 18, when our region will celebrate its 21st year of Bike to Work Day. This annual event, encourages commuters from Baltimore and surrounding counties to swap their cars for a bicycle and enjoy a clean, healthy, affordable ride to work. The big day is coordinated each year by BMC and its member counties and generously supported by public and private sponsors. We hope that you’ll join us for this fun event. Please read about Bike to Work Day, as well as some of BMC's other activities in the Spring 2018 issue of COG Quarterly, our digital magazine.
Sincerely,
Michael B. Kelly
BMC Executive Director
BALTIMORE, MD (May 10, 2018) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) staff grieves the sudden loss of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz after hearing the news of his passing earlier this morning.
"We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, a member of the BMC Board of Directors," said Michael B. Kelly, executive director of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. "County Executive Kamenetz chaired our board in 2015 and was a strong voice, advocate and leader for our region. Our most sincere condolences go out to his family and friends, as well as to our colleagues in Baltimore County Government."
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2018 Greater Baltimore State of the Region Report: Major changes during the past 20 years include growing diversity, educational attainment and an economy in transition.
BALTIMORE, MD (May 14, 2018) – A report being released today by the Greater Baltimore Committee and Baltimore Metropolitan Council, which looks at demographic and other changes that have occurred in the Baltimore region since 1998, finds that the region’s population has become more diversified, a higher percentage of residents hold college degrees, and the economy has transitioned from industrial manufacturing to one driven by technology, medicine, higher-education and service-based businesses.
These major shifts, which are still underway, bode well for the region’s future, the two organizations conclude in the Greater Baltimore State of the Region 2018 Report.
The report also compares the Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) to 19 other peer metro regions, such as Atlanta, Dallas and Pittsburgh. The Baltimore MSA includes: Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Howard County, Harford County and Queen Anne’s County.
Other findings in the report, to be released tonight at the Greater Baltimore Committee’s 63rd Annual Meeting and on the two organizations websites, point to several challenges that elected officials and the private sector should watch closely, including declining home ownership rates and increased commute times.
“On the whole, the report found that the Baltimore region has many positive trends that the private sector will be working to support and nurture to ensure the region retains a highly attractive business climate. The region’s strong shift to technology, medicine and the digital economy is particularly promising and shows the innovation and drive of our business community and major educational institutions,” said Donald Fry, President and CEO, of the Greater Baltimore Committee.
“Some findings in the report remind us that the GBC and private sector must continue to explore how we can continue to work with elected officials and others to ensure that the increased wealth and education that some segments of society have experienced helps lift those struggling with rising costs of living and the skill demands of the modern labor market.”
“On the one hand, the regions we analyze in this report are a benchmark for our own success. On the other, these regions represent our competition for attracting and retaining talented people and top employers. We must work cooperatively across sectors and political boundaries to advance our competitive position among our peers," said Mike Kelly, Executive Director, of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
"Over the last twenty years, the Baltimore region has seen notable increases in household income, cost of living, and population diversity. An important question for the next twenty years will be how rising incomes and costs impact our increasingly diverse community. There is a lot of progress to be proud of in this report and our hope is that through cooperation and thoughtful investment in places and people we will see continued improvement in the years to come.”
The report considers a variety of indicators in seven key measures to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the Baltimore region and 19 peer regions. They are: Demographics; Economy; Business; Employment; Education & Workforce; Transportation; and Quality of Life.
Some of the key changes that occurred in the region include:
The Baltimore’s population diversified much faster than its peers. The region’s Hispanic population grew by 125 percent, while the Black or African American population grew by 130 percent. In fact, Baltimore led its peers in Hispanic population growth and saw the fourth highest percentage gain in the Black or African American population since 1998.
The region saw significant improvement in educational attainment. More than 37 percent of the region’s population 25 and older had a college education in 2017, up from 25 percent in 1998. The gains pushed the Baltimore region to No. 7 among the peer group, up from No. 13 in 1998 for the percentage of the population with college degrees. Also among adults 25 and older, more than 26 percent of the population’s highest level of education was a high school diploma in 2017, up from 18 percent in 1998. That improvement moved the Baltimore MSA to the No. 8 position, up from No. 10, among its peer group for high school education.
Business ownership also improved in the 20-year period. The percentage of women-owned firms rose to more than 21 percent, up from 16 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic-owned firms rose to more than 2 percent, up from just more than 1 percent. The percentage of Black-owned businesses rose to more than 5 percent, up from more than 3 percent in 1998.
Per capita personal income and median household income surged between 1998 and 2017 in the Baltimore region. In fact, the region had the second highest growth rate among its peers for per capita personal income, which increased 52 percent to $38,406, up from $25,347. The region experienced the third highest growth rate in median household income, which doubled to $76,788 from $38,361.
The home ownership rate in the region fell to just more than 65 percent, from almost 72 percent in 1998. That pushed Baltimore to No. 8 among the peer metro regions for home ownership, down from the No. 5 spot in 1998.
Average travel time to work increased by five minutes, from 26 minutes in 1998 to 31 minutes in 2017, making average commutes in the Baltimore region the 4th longest among its peers. Ridership on heavy and light rail in the region also declined to 19.8 million from 24.6 million. That pushed Baltimore to No. 10 among its peers for rail ridership, down from the No. 6 spot in 1998.
As Fry and Kelly note in their forward in the report, the State of the Region data and findings will “inform decision makers of strengths that can be leveraged to ensure an attractive business climate and economic vitality, as well as weaknesses that need to be addressed to ensure the region doesn’t falter and become inconsequential compared to its peers.”
The GBC and BMC plan to use the State of the Region Report to develop policy recommendations, competitiveness strategies and programs that promote workforce skills, diversity in leadership and inclusiveness in the economy.
The 2018 State of the Region Report marks the seventh time the GBC has collaborated to publish such a study. The first report was published in 1998 by the GBC and the Greater Baltimore Alliance. Through the years, subsequent reports have been published by the GBC, BMC and the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore. The two most recent updates released in 2007 and 2011 were joint efforts of the GBC and BMC.
Note to journalists: Digital files of the infographics and the Top 5 and Bottom 5 charts in the State of the Region Report are available for publication by contacting the media relations contacts listed on this release. Any art supplied MUST carry the source credit line: Courtesy of the Greater Baltimore Committee and Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
ABOUT THE GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE
The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is a regional organization of business and civic leaders that includes businesses, nonprofit organizations and educational and civic institutions. It is the leading voice for the private sector in the Baltimore region on issues relating to economic growth, job creation, workforce development, transportation, the business climate and quality of life. The GBC’s membership is comprised of over 500 member organizations, including large, mid-size and small companies, nonprofits, education and foundations in the Greater Baltimore region.
ABOUT THE BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) works collaboratively with the chief elected officials in the region to create initiatives to improve the 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.
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BALTIMORE, MD (May 16, 2018) – Bike To Work Day in the Baltimore region is postponed until Friday, June 1, because of forecasted severe weather on Friday, May 18. The spirit of Bike to Work Day is to promote bicycling as a safe and healthy commuting option. While many cyclists regularly commute in an array of weather, the threat of flooding and lightning storms, present very real concerns for participants' safety from the Bike to Work Day committee and local public safety agencies.
More than 1,500 cyclists have registered to meet up at 48 pit stop locations around the Baltimore region for the 21st annual Bike to Work Day. Registration will remain open until Wednesday, May 30. Those who registered for May 18 pit stops do not need to re-register.
Bike to Work Day events throughout the region will feature group convoy rides, bicycle tune-ups, riding challenges, free food and drinks, free custom 2018 T-shirts, and other prizes - including two bikes, courtesy of two of our sponsors, Joe’s Bike Shop and Race Pace Bicycles. Cyclists must register for a pit stop to be eligible for the T-shirt or enter into the raffle for two Trek FX 2 bicycles.
Bike to Work Day is a national campaign that celebrates bicycling as a healthy commuting option, while promoting public awareness of its safety and environmental factors. Bike to Work Day helps raise awareness of the rules of the road for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and highlights the need to improve bicycle facilities to improve safety. Many of the Bike to Work Day partners are an integral part of the year-round transportation planning process across the region to improve the roads for everyone.
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BALTIMORE, MD (May 23, 2018) – The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Baltimore region seeks public comments through Monday, June 25 on two transportation-related documents – the draft 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the associated Air Quality Conformity Determination of the FY 2019-2022 TIP and amended Maximize2040: A Performance-Based Transportation Plan.
The BRTB is scheduled to vote on these documents on Tuesday, July 24.
2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
The 2019-2022 TIP is the list of regional transportation projects requesting federal funding in the near term. It includes approximately $3.2 billion in proposed federal, state and local money for highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects during the next four years. The funding goes toward maintaining, operating and expanding the transportation system. The TIP is fiscally constrained.
Air Quality Conformity Determination Report
The Baltimore region has been designated as not meeting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and, as a result, the BRTB must review its current transportation plan and program to ensure conformity with the state plan to meet these standards, known as the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The Air Quality Conformity Determination report details a comprehensive analysis of effects that the draft 2019-2022 TIP and the amended Maximize2040: A Performance-Based Transportation Plan have on the Baltimore region. The report addresses ground-level ozone emissions.
The conformity results show that implementation of these projects will not worsen the region’s air quality or delay the timely attainment of national air quality standards. The draft air quality conformity determination is available in PDF format for download.
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BALTIMORE, MD (January 17, 2019) – The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) hosted a meeting of its Board of Directors on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. The BMC Board of Directors unanimously approved Mayor Catherine E. Pugh as its chair and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski as its vice-chair for calendar year 2019.
As the region's council of governments, BMC serves a vital role as a convener of stakeholders. BMC is an important resource for local governments and the community as a whole - from transportation planning, to workforce development, affordable housing coordination, and cooperative purchasing.
Pugh is optimistic and committed to working with her fellow elected leaders around the region to advance shared goals, she said.
"Now, perhaps more than ever before, we have a unique opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the City of Baltimore and the counties that make this area a great place to conduct business, to learn, enjoy leisure, and call home," said Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. "It will be my aim to ensure that we fully leverage the capacity of the BMC as a forum for research, analysis and collaboration to support the shared work of enhancing our region's economic competitiveness and quality of life."
Michael B. Kelly, BMC executive director, said that he looks forward to Pugh's leadership in 2019.
“The City of Baltimore is the heart of our metropolitan region,” Kelly said. "We look forward to working with Mayor Pugh and her staff to advance the common priorities of the city and our counties in the coming year."
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