Baltimore Regional Transportation Board

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, May 16, 2024) – The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) is seeking feedback on a draft transportation investment plan which anticipates $4.52 billion for projects throughout the Baltimore region. A comment period on the draft closes June 17, and includes two virtual public meetings on June 10.

Known formally as the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the plan includes funding for 162 bicycle, pedestrian, transit, bridge, highway and freight projects that BRTB members tapped as priorities for the 2025-2028 planning window.

Key among these are safety improvements at dozens of intersections in Baltimore City, bridge repairs or replacements in Baltimore and Carroll Counties, expansions along Snowden River Parkway in Columbia and transit-oriented development in Odenton and Aberdeen, as well as the Maryland Port Administration’s Howard Street Tunnel freight corridor expansion, the Maryland Transportation Authority’s I-95 Express Toll Lanes from White Marsh to Bel Air and the Maryland Transit Administration’s Red Line connection across Baltimore.

“Boosting connectivity across modes of travel, improving environmental outcomes and increasing safety for all users are important threads in this TIP,” said Todd Lang, Director of Transportation Planning at Baltimore Metropolitan Council, the agency that staffs and supports the BRTB. “These projects will help move our region’s transportation network forward.”

The 2025-2028 TIP includes about $2.3 billion for highway preservation and expansion, $1.28 billion for transit and commuter rail preservation and expansion, $463 million for the ports and $480 million for emissions reductions, safety improvements and other spending. Support from federal agencies accounts for about $2.8 billion of this funding, with state and local agencies providing $1.24 billion and toll revenues covering $490 million.

Notably, investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure are drawn from many categories, particularly the funding for highway preservation and expansion. This TIP also includes record funding for transit throughout the region, accounting for all of the transit projects requested by local and state agencies.

The draft TIP also includes an Air Quality Conformity Determination, which assesses that the projects in the TIP will not delay the Baltimore region’s progress toward meeting national air quality standards.

You can learn more about the draft 2025-2028 TIP and associated Air Quality Conformity Determination via publicinput.com/BRTB-TIP.

The BRTB is asking members of the public to complete a brief survey on the draft TIP, and welcomes open-ended comments on the projects or planning process. The BRTB will also host two virtual meetings for participants to learn more and ask questions or make comments. Both meetings will take place on Monday, June 10, one at 12 p.m. and one at 6:30.

Ways to comment include:

• Online via a short survey at publicinput.com/BRTB-TIP
• Sending an email to BRTB-TIP@publicinput.com
• Texting keyword ‘BRTB-TIP’ to 73224
• Leaving a voicemail toll-free via 855-925-2801x10279
• Reaching @BaltoMetroCo on social media with #BRTBListens
• Joining a virtual public meeting on Monday, June 10 at 12 p.m. or 6:30

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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. BMC offers interpretation services, including language translation services and signage for the hearing impaired, at public meetings upon request with seven days advance notice. BMC will not exclude persons based on age, religion, or disability. For assistance, contact the Public Involvement Coordinator, comments@baltometro.org, or call 410-732-0500. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-735-2258 to initiate a TTY call through Maryland Relay. Usarios de Relay MD marquen 7-1-1. Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500. 

Leer en español.

BALTIMORE, MD (Monday, May 6, 2024) – Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) is sharing four options for a four mile trail segment connecting Elkridge Main Street to the BWI Trail at Stoney Run Road. A public comment period on the plans will close on June 5, 2024, and will include a meeting at the Anne Arundel County Public Library Linthicum Branch on May 22 at 6 p.m.

BMC shared an initial survey to gather public feedback on the proposed trail earlier this year, and found that 97 percent of respondents supported the project. Of the 100 respondents, 91 percent said they would use the trail for recreation or exercise, 39 anticipated using the trail for events such as bike races or running events, 36 percent would use it to see wildlife, and 24 percent expected to use the trail for traveling to work or school.

The trail will be part of the Patapsco Regional Greenway (PRG), an envisioned 40-mile shared-use trail connecting Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Sykesville in Carroll County along the Patapsco Valley. The trail will connect with another developing segment of the PRG at Elkridge Main Street, and extend south to connect with the existing BWI Trail, expanding the connections available to bicyclists, pedestrians, equestrian riders and other users.

BMC is collaborating with Anne Arundel County, Howard County and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to develop plans for the trail.

After sharing these more detailed designs for review, the project team will develop a single ‘preferred alignment’ based on public feedback and technical analysis. A report on the preferred alignment will be shared for public review later this year. These comment periods seek to ensure that feedback from members of nearby communities is considered at every stage of planning.

Learn more about the project and how to comment at publicinput.com/prg.

Anyone wishing to discuss the project in more detail is welcome to join a public meeting at the Anne Arundel County Public Library Linthicum Branch on Wednesday, May 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. Parking is available on site. The location is also transit accessible via the MTA Light Rail at Linthicum. Anyone who cannot attend may view meeting materials via publicinput.com/prg.

Ways to comment include:

• Online at publicinput.com/prg
• Email prgstoneyrun@publicinput.com
• Text keyword ‘PRGStoneyRun’ to 73224
• Call 855-925-2801 x 1247 toll-free and leave a voicemail
• Reach @BaltoMetroCo on social media with #BRTBListens
• Join our public meeting Wednesday, May 22 from 6 to 8 at the Anne Arundel County Public Library Linthicum Branch, 400 Shipley Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090

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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. BMC offers interpretation services, including language translation services and signage for the hearing impaired, at public meetings upon request with seven days advance notice. BMC will not exclude persons based on age, religion, or disability. For assistance, contact the Public Involvement Coordinator, comments@baltometro.org, or call 410-732-0500. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-735-2258 to initiate a TTY call through Maryland Relay. Usarios de Relay MD marquen 7-1-1. Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500. 

Leer en español.

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, April 4, 2024) – The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) is working with partners at the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration to get certified. The BRTB is asking members of the public to take a survey of recent planning and outreach by May 7, and will host a hybrid public meeting on May 1.

The process of federal certification takes place every four years, and seeks to ensure that the BRTB follows federal rules for planning and outreach. Since the BRTB’s most recent certification in 2020, more than 1,750 people have weighed in on plans and projects, helping shape the future of the region’s transportation system. The BRTB continues striving to reach more people around the region and bring more voices into the planning process.

“Your feedback is critically important to our federal certification process,” says Todd Lang, Director of Transportation Planning at Baltimore Metropolitan Council, the agency that staffs and supports the BRTB. “Whether or not you’ve taken part in our past planning work, we want to know how we can better reach you, share the information you need and get your feedback.”

The BRTB is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the Baltimore region. Its board members include local elected officials as well as local, state and federal agency specialists who guide transportation planning and budgeting in the Baltimore region, evaluating needs and trends, listening to communities, and advancing shared priorities for the movement of people and goods with a focus on safety, equity and resilience.

This certification review will focus on the BRTB’s Resilience 2050 long-range transportation plan, approved in 2023 and the BRTB’s Public Participation Plan, updated in 2022, as well as the most recent Transportation Improvement Programs, which are refreshed annually and act as budgets for transportation projects throughout the region.

The BRTB is asking members of the public to complete a brief survey on these planning and outreach efforts. The BRTB will also host a hybrid public meeting on Wednesday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. At the meeting, members of the public will have a chance to learn more about the process of certification from federal regulators and ask questions or share comments. Participants can join virtually, or in-person at the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s McHenry Row office.

Ways to comment include:

• Online via a short survey at publicinput.com/BRTBcertification
• Sending an email to BRTBcertification@publicinput.com
• Texting keyword ‘BRTBcertification’ to 73224
• Leaving a voicemail toll-free via 855-925-2801x1774
• Reach @BaltoMetroCo on social media with #BRTBListens
• Joining a public meeting on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Virtual: register for the link via publicinput.com/BRTBcertification
  • In-person: visit the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s McHenry Row office at 1500 Whetstone Way, Suite 300, Baltimore MD 21230 (free visitor parking, transit accessible via MTA Local 71 and 94 or the Charm City Circulator Banner Route)

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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. BMC offers interpretation services, including language translation services and signage for the hearing impaired, at public meetings upon request with seven days advance notice. BMC will not exclude persons based on age, religion, or disability. For assistance, contact the Public Involvement Coordinator, comments@baltometro.org, or call 410-732-0500. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-735-2258 to initiate a TTY call through Maryland Relay. Usarios de Relay MD marquen 7-1-1. Si se necesita información de Título VI en español, llame al 410-732-0500.