FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Thank you for reading BMC Quarterly, a brief overview of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s activities and initiatives to keep you in the loop.
We had a busy summer at BMC. Our team has worked to develop a Comprehensive Climate Action plan, a regional strategy for reducing pollution and pursuing sustainability. We worked with the Maryland Transit Administration to host the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission for site visits. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board approved a $4.52 billion Transportation Improvement Program and $18.8 million in grant funding for transportation projects and achieved federal certification. The Cooperative Purchasing Committee’s Energy Board secured $29.2 in savings on electricity spending.
This is just a snapshot of some of our recent work. We are proud to continue building a better region together, and I am grateful to our staff and partners for taking on this work. I hope you’ll read on to learn more about our programs.
Sincerely,
Mike Kelly
Executive Director
Baltimore Metropolitan Council
TOP STORY
Comprehensive Climate Action Plan
We are developing our Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), a strategy shaping future climate action in the region. Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, the CCAP seeks to inform and coordinate action from local and state agencies toward reducing pollution and ensuring a more sustainable future.
Residents throughout the region are invited to complete a brief survey to weigh in on issues related to the CCAP. This feedback will inform additional planning efforts later this year and next year, and help local jurisdictions respond to the unique challenges and opportunities in their communities. The project team will also host community meetings for you to learn more, ask questions and share your thoughts.
“We want to make sure that the plan not only addresses environmental issues but also reflects the needs and values of our region’s residents,” said Executive Director Mike Kelly. “We encourage everyone to join us in advancing climate action.”
Learn more at publicinput.com/climateplan.
IN OTHER NEWS
BRTC Transit Tours
Over the summer, the Maryland Transit Administration hosted members of the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission at its Kirk Avenue Bus Maintenance Facility and Operations Control Center to learn more about what it takes to run the region’s bus, light rail and metro systems. The tour included a briefing on the new zero-emission buses joining the fleet thanks, in part, to funding approved by our Baltimore Regional Transportation Board.
The Commission reconvened earlier this month after a summer recess, and will next meet on Friday, October 4.
BRTB Funding Approvals
The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) recently approved nearly $18.8 million in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grant funding for 18 carbon reduction and alternative transportation projects.
Of the approved funding, $14.1 million from the FHWA’s Carbon Reduction Program will go toward projects such as energy-efficient streetlights, electric vehicle fleet upgrades and charging, improved traffic management and zero-emission buses. Meanwhile, $4.7 million from the FHWA’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program will go toward targeted projects to design or implement improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes and shared-use paths.
Housing Hot Spots
Sites in Ten Hills, Edgewood, and South Baltimore are emerging as the ‘hot spots’ for residential development in the Baltimore region, according to our latest Residential Building Permit Activity Hot Spot Report. In 2023, 7,298 residential units were permitted in the Baltimore region. This data can help the region’s leaders evaluate trends and implications for the region’s opportunities for wealth-building, homeownership and transportation.
Federal Certification
The BRTB recently achieved certification from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. 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 previous certification in 2020, more than 1,750 people 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.
BOARD UPDATE
Our board members received a briefing from the U.S. Coast Guard representatives of the Key Bridge Response Unified Command on the Key Bridge collapse response. The discussion included how we can help our communities recover from the disaster as Maryland works toward rebuilding.
Our Board of Directors will next meet on Friday, October 25.
ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Bikeable Baltimore Region
Our Bikeable Baltimore Region project seeks to identify challenges and opportunities in creating the first comprehensive regional bike network. The project does not budget for construction, but will simply identify existing, planned and potential bike facilities that are safe and comfortable for people of all ages, laying the groundwork to connect local communities and provide safe access to transit, schools, work, parks and other destinations.
The initial public comment period was held from May to July, including ten public meetings around the region. Another comment period inviting the public to weigh in on more detailed analysis and plans will open later this year. Learn more and get updates at publicinput.com/BikeBaltoRegion.
Patapsco Regional Greenway: Stoney Run
Progress continues on the Patapsco Regional Greenway initiative, which seeks to connect Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with Sykesville in Carroll County via a 40-mile trail network in the Patapsco River valley. This year, we focused on a segment connecting Elkridge Main Street with the BWI Trail at Stoney Run Road.
We shared an initial survey to gather public feedback on the proposed trail and found that 97 percent of over 100 respondents supported the project. During the summer, we hosted a comment period to present four variations of the proposed trail route. From this feedback and our team’s technical analysis, we’re now developing a final proposed route, which we will share with a final comment period later this year before passing along the design plans to agencies in Howard and Baltimore Counties for implementation.
Learn more and subscribe for updates on the project via publicinput.com/prg.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: ENERGY BOARD SAVES $29.2 MILLION IN FY24
The Energy Board, a subcommittee of our Cooperative Purchasing Committee, saved $29.2 million on electricity in the previous fiscal year, bringing its cumulative savings since inception in 2006 to approximately $319 million. As the Energy Board oversees energy procurement for participants, including city and county governments, public schools and community colleges, the savings free up taxpayer money for other investments.
Learn more about the Energy Board at baltometro.org/purchasing/committees/energy-board.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Thanks for reading this edition of BMC Quarterly. Click here to subscribe to future editions.
#
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.
BMCB Minutes - Jan 26, 2024
BMC Board of Directors Minutes - Jan 26, 2024
FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Thank you for reading BMC Quarterly, a brief overview of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s activities and initiatives to keep you in the loop.
It has already been a busy year at BMC. We recently hosted the first meeting of the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission, which will seek to provide long-overdue oversight and advocacy for greater Baltimore’s public transit system. We welcomed a new Board of Directors Chair in Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Jim Moran, and new Vice Chair in Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. We are working on several transportation planning projects and preparing to roll out more. And speaking of rolling out, our annual Bike to Work Central Maryland program is set for the week of May 13.
With all this and more, it’s a packed issue of BMC Quarterly, and it’s looking likely to be a packed year of programs for our agency. As always, I’m proud of the work we do, and our amazing staff who make it happen. I hope you’ll read on to find out more about what we’re up to, and that you won’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or comments about our agency’s activities. We would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Mike Kelly
Executive Director
Baltimore Metropolitan Council
TOP STORY
Baltimore Regional Transit Commission
We were honored to host the Baltimore Regional Transit Commission (BRTC) for its inaugural meeting on Friday, February 2.
Created by the Maryland General Assembly in the 2023 legislative session, the Commission will work to identify and prioritize local and regional transit needs, and begin laying the groundwork for a new future of transit governance in the region. The Commission will engage state partners at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), as well as Locally-Operated Transit Systems and transportation planning professionals, to pursue an ambitious vision of oversight and advocacy.
The Commissioners, appointed by Governor Wes Moore, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr., Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, represent transit riders, employers, industry experts and others with a stake in improving greater Baltimore’s transit networks. BRTC members elected Baltimore attorney Jon Laria as Chair.
In their first meeting, Commissioners heard from MTA Administrator Holly Arnold and deputies, as well as our staff supporting the work of the BRTC, to learn more about the challenges facing transit in the Baltimore region, and the work underway to overcome those challenges. In future meetings, the Commission will begin to develop a forward-looking work plan.
The next BRTC meeting is set for Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m. Members of the public are welcome to join virtually or in-person.
IN OTHER NEWS
GoSmart Maryland Commuter Resource
We recently launched launched GoSmart Maryland, a new platform providing residents of Baltimore and Carroll counties with easy access to information on carpool and transit options, as well as programs that offer car-poolers, cyclists and transit riders a free ride home in an emergency and financial incentives for ditching cars.
GoSmart Maryland offers a free service to help businesses provide free and low-cost transportation benefits that help employers and employees save money, reduce stress and benefit the environment. GoSmart Maryland can help businesses find programs that help recruit and retain top talent, achieve sustainability goals, save on payroll taxes and secure free benefits for workers. Free programs include employees pre-tax benefits, employ subsidies and the guaranteed ride home benefit.
Learn more at gosmartmd.com.
Regional Bulk Purchasing Contract Database
The Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC) opened up a database of regional contracts, making details about the group’s high-volume purchasing of commodities and services accessible to the public.
We convene and staff the BRPCP, which provides a forum for state and local governments, public schools, community colleges, nonprofits and other agencies to buy in bulk, leveraging their collective purchasing power to secure better rates and save millions on expenditures such as energy, vehicles, office furniture, software and services like daycare. Many BRPCP members are public agencies, and money saved on these bulk contracts frees up funding for services.
The database will serve as a resource for connecting bidding opportunities and vendors. Learn more at baltometro.org/brcpc-database-launch.
Also, don't miss the Maryland Public Safety and Emergency Communication Product Expo on Wednesday, March 27 at the BWI Marriott. Emergency managers, safety officials and communications staff from around the state can take this opportunity to connect with suppliers showcasing the latest in safety and communications technology and services. Click here to learn more and register.
BOARD UPDATE
Our Board of Directors named Queen Anne’s County Commissioner James J. Moran as the 2024 Chair at its most recent meeting on Friday, January 26. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman will serve as Vice Chair. We also recently welcomed Mark Anthony Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Greater Baltimore Committee, appointed by Governor Wes Moore to represent the region's private development sector.
“The Baltimore Metropolitan Council does important work in all our jurisdictions,” said Moran, the Board's longest-serving member. “I’m looking forward to moving us forward.”
Our thanks to Moran and Pittman, as well as to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, our 2023 Chair, and all our board members. Our next Board of Directors meeting is set for Friday, April 19 at 9 a.m. and will be a joint meeting with the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board. Members of the public are welcome to attend virtually or in-person.
ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Transportation Planning Budget (UPWP)
The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) is drafting a transportation planning budget for the upcoming fiscal year, proposing $10.6 million for a range of studies, plans and projects. If BRTB members and federal regulators approve the budget, formally titled the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), we will start this work when the fiscal year begins on July 1.
Funding items in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 include:
- Conducting a Transportation Needs Assessment to identify needs and challenges for users of the region’s transportation system, with a focus on vulnerable populations,
- Continuing the Transportation and Land Use Connection grant program, which quickly unlocks resources to help local jurisdictions improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities,
- Expanding the Look Alive road safety outreach campaign to reach more people who drive, bike and walk in the region through more creative and engaging methods,
- Planning a shared-use path connecting the Patapsco Light Rail Station to Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood, advancing another piece of the Patapsco Regional Greenway,
- Drafting the region’s next short-range transportation plan (with a five-year horizon) and laying the groundwork for the next long-range plan (with a twenty-year horizon).
These are just some of the items proposed. New tasks are described in the draft document, which is available for review online. A public comment period closes on March 11. Learn more and weigh in at publicinput.com/BRTBbudget.
Patapsco Regional Greenway: Stoney Run
We are developing plans for a four-mile shared-use trail connecting Elkridge Main Street to the BWI Trail at Stoney Run Road. The trail will be part of the Patapsco Regional Greenway (PRG), an envisioned 40-mile trail network from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Sykesville in Carroll County. The trail will link with another PRG segment we helped design from Elkridge to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, expanding connections for bicyclists, pedestrians and other users.
We are working with Anne Arundel County, Howard County and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on the plans. An initial public comment period will close on February 16, 2024, and included a meeting at the Howard County Library Elkridge Branch on February 6. Learn more and share your thoughts at publicinput.com/prg.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT PLANNING
We recently received a $1 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, which will help us collaborate with local and state partners to create climate action plans for our region. These include a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) due next month, and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) due in the summer of 2025.
The PCAP will include a greenhouse gas inventory, a list of priority emission reduction measures and an analysis of potential benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities. The CCAP will build on the PCAP with a more extensive look at the inventory, reduction measures and other analyses. These planning efforts seek to help our region bring down greenhouse gas emissions and make our communities less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Click here to learn more about our CPRG planning and how to get involved.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
SAVE THE DATE
Mark your calendar! Bike to Work Week 2024 will run Monday, May 13 through Sunday, May 19. Registration will open soon, and registrants can collect free Bike to Work t-shirts at participating locations (supply limited). Subscribe for updates via biketoworkmd.com.
Thanks for reading this edition of BMC Quarterly. Click here to subscribe to future editions.
#
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.
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.
###
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.
###
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.