April 2003

The BMC Board of Directors' first priority in 2002 was ensuring that local governments are prepared to mount a coordinated response to any major incident, from hurricanes to snowstorms to attacks on our citizens and infrastructure. The Regional Emergency Preparedness Task Force examined a wide range of issues, including evacuation, sheltering, the safety of the water supply, coordination and communications among responders, debris management, public health, police and fire activities, and public education. All jurisdictions, as well as state and other agencies, were represented on the working committees. The committees' findings and recommendations were presented to the Board in October.

The first product of the Task Force was the Baltimore Regional Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which was signed by the BMC Board at its October 15 meeting. This comprehensive agreement provides for mutual assistance among the six member jurisdictions in managing a state of emergency. Emergency support functions include fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, transportation, communications, public works, engineering, building inspection, planning and information assistance, mass care, health and medical services, search and rescue, or other local agency equipment and personnel as requested and provided.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works, which owns and operates the reservoirs and treatment plants that supply water to 1.8 million residents, had already tightened security at its facilities immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Additional security measures, such as stepped-up monitoring to detect foreign substances in the water supply, are being planned and implemented.

The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority took the lead in developing a regional debris management plan. Debris from a disaster can include anything from tree limbs to massive amounts of building rubble. The plan,

which has been pre-approved by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), provides for reclaiming recyclable materials, and identifies disposal sites for various kinds of debris. Without a pre-approved plan in place, all debris would have to be taken to the nearest local landfill.

A Transportation Emergency Preparedness Task Force was convened in June and charged with preparing a regional Transportation Emergency Preparedness (TEP) Plan. One of its first activities was commissioning the Baltimore Wireless Integrated Network (B-WIN) feasibility study. B-WIN would provide emergency responders with seamless inter-agency and inter-jurisdictional communications, as well as shared access to emergency databases through mobile data terminals. The task force is also working closely with MEMA to coordinate all aspects of regional evacuation planning.

Finally, the Baltimore Metropolitan Media Council (BMMC) was created as a forum for public information professionals and representatives of broadcast and print media outlets. Quarterly meetings will provide an off-the-record opportunity to share contact information and discuss issues such as media access to disaster sites and spokespersons.

Vision 2030

The work on Vision 2030, which began in 2001 with focus groups and a workshop, continued in earnest in 2002.

Between April 9 and May 8, hundreds of residents attended the seventeen public meetings held throughout the Baltimore metropolitan region. The meetings began with the assembled audience looking at several possible scenarios for growth and development, including the status quo, new highway-oriented development, new transit-oriented development, and redevelopment in existing neighborhoods. Participants were asked to rank their options, and a preference for redevelopment emerged. Participants were then divided into smaller facilitated groups, where they were asked

what could be done to make the Baltimore region the best it can be. More than 1,800 ideas were collected, entered into a database, and grouped by general subject.

In June, the Oversight Committee of community, business and government leaders began to review the ideas, and drafted vision statements for fifteen topic areas, ranging from safety and crime reduction to farmland and agriculture.

In July, the vision statements were tested in a telephone survey of 1,200 households, chosen at random to ensure accurate representation of all the region's jurisdictions. The survey confirmed that the core values and strategies that emerged resonate strongly with the region's residents. The "hot button" issues are education; crime and drugs, and their spread from Baltimore City to the counties; traffic congestion; and loss of open space.

The values and strategies were further tested at a Community Choice workshop in September. Approximately 75 people who had previously participated in a Vision 2030 activity were able to offer additional comments. The Oversight Committee further refined the values and strategies, based on the final round of comments, and prepared the final Vision 2030 report.

Additional information about Vision 2030, including reports and proposed next steps, is available at www.baltometro.org/content.asp?id=37.

Vision 2030 was commissioned by the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB).

Public Participation in Transportation Planning

Nineteen organizations and individuals representing diverse interests accepted an invitation from the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) to serve on its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC meets monthly to discuss issues of interest, and provides citizen input to the BRTB. Ms. Lynne Nemeth, a Howard County resident, chaired the CAC in its inaugural year, and re

ported on CAC activities and recommendations at meetings of the BRTB. Mr. David Whitaker, who represents the Maryland Department of Planning on the BRTB, served as BRTB liaison to the CAC. CAC meeting dates and agendas were available under the Calendar of Events at www.baltometro.org.

To heighten public awareness of and participation in transportation planning in the Baltimore region, the BRTB commissioned new materials to inform and engage citizens. A PowerPoint presentation, table-top display, general brochure and citizen's guide were developed to provide clear, consistent information on the Baltimore metropolitan planning process, and can be used at meetings with interested community groups and organizations.

Air Quality

Building on the successes of Clean Commute Weeks in 2000 and 2001, the Clean Commute Partnership promoted Clean Commute Month in 2002. Throughout the month of May, representatives of the BRTB, BMC, Maryland Transit Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment, Annapolis Department of Transportation and Clean Air Partners were visible at fairs and festivals, clean fuel workshops and the Clean Air Partners Conference, urging commuters to try an alternative to driving to work alone. The month kicked off with Bike to Work Day events at the Hard Rock Café and State Office Complex in Baltimore, as well as in Annapolis. Radio spots aired during drive-time news and traffic reports on 30 stations throughout the region.

The unusually hot summer of 2002 resulted in 17 exceedances of the Environmental Protection Agency's standard for ground-level ozone in the Baltimore non-attainment area. By way of comparison, in 1988, a summer with similar weather, the region recorded 36 exceedances.

Clean Air Partners

In 2002, Clean Air Partners added 16 new members, including Inova Health Systems and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. In addition, the Baltimore region gained ten new Ozone Action Days participants, bringing the total to 239 businesses and organizations who are committed to helping clear our air. The Clean Air Partners Ozone Action Days Conference at Camden Yard served as the kickoff event for BMC's Clean Commute Month. Baltimore City Councilwoman Catherine Pugh was elected 2003 Chair of Clean Air Partners at its Annual Meeting in November. In addition, awards for outstanding Ozone Action Days programs were presented to Middle River Aircraft Systems and Constellation Energy; Lori Pinson of Fox 45 and WJZ's Bob Turk received awards for outstanding media support; the Maryland Port Administration was recognized for its support of the 2002 media campaign; and Montgomery Park Business Center in Baltimore received a special Clean Air Trendsetter Award as an outstanding example of a "green" building.

Telework Partnership with Employers (TPE)

BMC continued to administer the Maryland Department of Transportation's Telework Partnership with Employers (TPE) in the Baltimore region. The TPE provides free consulting services to eligible businesses interested in developing telework programs. Through the TPE, FutureHealthCare implemented a telework program for its employees in 2002. A new video explains the benefits of telework, and the TPE program. Call Russ Ulrich at 410-732-9575 to find out how telework can work in your organization.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

For a number of years, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has been able to monitor traffic flow and road conditions at its CHART (Coordinated State Highways Action Response Team) Center near BWI Airport. Now, with funding from the BRTB and local government, Anne Arundel and Harford counties have added CHART workstations to their Emergency Operations Centers. The informa

tion provided by CHART's advanced traffic management technology will help direct rescue and medical crews safely to their destinations. The CHART workstations provide images from a network of closed-circuit video and still cameras, as well as data from roadway traffic sensors and remote weather detectors. The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) provided the necessary communications to connect the workstations to SHA's CHART system.

Analyzing Travel Patterns

Three studies conducted and/or completed in 2002 will help transportation planners determine where, when, how and why the region's residents get around.

The US Department of Transportation conducts a periodic National Household Transportation Survey. The BRTB commissioned an "add-on" option, to collect data from an additional 3,446 households in the Baltimore region. The survey collected data on auto occupancy, income and household type, in addition to information about trips and transportation choices on a randomly-selected travel day. The data will be used to understand and project transportation choices in planning an adequate, integrated transportation system for the region. Baltimore regional data will be available by mid-2003.

A Regional Park and Ride Study, using data collected in April and May of 2001, was completed. The study found that the vehicles using park and ride lots accounted for a reduction of almost 600,000 miles of highway travel per day through the use of rail, bus service and carpooling. Users of park and ride lots reported a reduction of about 20 miles per day in their average drive. Most users of park and ride lots were traveling to either Baltimore City (45 percent) or Washington, DC (44 percent).

To quantify rush-hour congestion on major roads in the region, BMC staff collected speed data on nearly 6,000 lane miles of 29 travel corridors. Several drivers were equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices

and laptop computers to record their travel times and speed. Drivers traveled along each corridor seven times in each direction between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., Monday-Thursday, to obtain a representative sample. The data can be used to produce maps and charts, and was stored in a database for comparison with data from other years.

Out and About

In December of 2002, BMC released an updated and greatly expanded edition of Out and About, a guide to help the elderly and individuals with disabilities in the Baltimore region who have special travel needs. The guide lists eighty-seven transportation providers who offer specialized and lift-equipped transportation services in Baltimore City, the City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties, and adjacent areas. Out and About is available FREE at www.baltometro.org. Printed copies are available from BMC's Regional Information Center at 410-732-9570.

Building Permits Data System Services

For over three decades, staff of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) and its predecessor, the Regional Planning Council, have compiled the region's building permit information and organized it into a standardized database. The resulting information provides a continual record of plans for new and renovated residential, commercial/industrial and institutional building projects. The BMC staff itself makes use of this information as a leading indicator of new regional development patterns.

BMC makes the data available to real estate market analysts, economic development professionals, specialty contractors, consultants and academic researchers in a variety of media: printed reports, a searchable electronic database, and photocopies of the original permits issued by the local governments.

In 2002, BMC launched Building Permits Online, a subscription service that allows a user to access the

building permits database at any time of day or night, for any computer with internet access. Building Permits Online allows the user to generate custom reports by selecting specific types of construction projects, time frame, geographic area and estimated cost of the proposed project. Information about the Building Permits Data System is available at www.baltometro.org/content.asp?id=18. Contact the Regional Information Center at 410-732-9570, or ric@baltometro.org, for pricing and subscription information.

Demographic Research and Forecasting

In 2002, BMC's MetroResearch staff continued to process Census 2000 data as it became available, and made presentations at events such as Anne Arundel County Public Schools administrators' workshop and the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau annual conference. Maps, charts and analysis of census data are available at www.baltometro.org.

MetroResearch also worked with local governments to develop long-range population, household and employment forecasts through 2025, assisted the Mayor's Office in a successful challenge of 2001 population estimates for Baltimore City developed by the US Bureau of the Census, and made presentations on population characteristics to several local government agencies.

Special demographic forecasts were prepared on contract for St. Agnes Hospital Strategic Planning and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore.

CrimeSmart

Through a Byrne Grant from the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention, BMC provided computerized crime-mapping systems to the Howard County Police Department, Laurel Police Department, Westminster Police Department and the Belair and Salisbury State Police Barracks.

The SLAM (Street-Level Activity Mapping) software that was provided to participating law enforcement agencies was developed by BMC in cooperation with the Baltimore County Police Department. SLAM was designed to be customized by local police departments, and to provide ease of both data entry and retrieval. Information about user-selected types of criminal activity is displayed on a map. Clicking on a crime icon reveals whatever information the using agency has chosen to enter, up to and including photos or drawings of suspects. Patterns of activity are easy to detect visually, simply by looking at the icons on the map. In addition, SLAM can be used to track changes in activity, and to generate bulletins and crime analysis reports. In September, 2002, BMC was awarded a second Byrne Grant in the amount of $74,215 to provide SLAM to five additional police departments.

Regional Mapping

BMC's Baltimore Basemap provides the foundation for 911 dispatch services, crime mapping and other applications for both the public and private sectors. In 2002, BMC updated the Basemap to include all new streets and addresses in all jurisdictions in the Baltimore region. Using the Basemap, BMC staff geocoded databases and pupil information files for the Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Carroll County Public Schools, and the Maryland State Board of Education.

Custom maps were created for clients such as Technology Commercialization, Inc., United Way of Central Maryland, Greater Grace World Outreach Church, the Greater Baltimore Alliance and Greater Baltimore Cultural Association.

Cooperative Purchasing

The Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC), a standing committee of BMC, met monthly to identify opportunities to achieve cost reductions and cost avoidance through cooperative contracts. In 2002, local jurisdictions enjoyed combined savings in the one million dollar range.

New in 2002 was the Police and Public Safety Supplies and Equipment Group, which included the state of Maryland, Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties.

Water Quality

Vision 2030 surveys found water quality to be one of the top concerns of the Baltimore region's residents. BMC continued to work with local governments to protect and improve water quality, and raise awareness of issues that affect our water.

Through its support of the Reservoir Protection Program, BMC laid the groundwork for a Reaffirmation of the Reservoir Watershed Protection Agreement to limit de

velopment and eliminate sources of pollution around the Liberty, Loch Raven and Prettyboy reservoirs.

BMC also coordinated a review of the Carroll County Water and Sewer Plan, and participated in a review of the Carroll County Rezoning package, as it related to reservoir watersheds. For the third year, BMC supported the Secchi Dip-In at Baltimore Harbor to promote awareness of water clarity.

BMC staff also supported the Loch Raven Workshop in April of 2002, provided local coordination of the TPL/Prettyboy Project, and researched and wrote a report on stormwater issues associated with highways in the Baltimore area.

Regional Information Center

The Regional Information Center (RIC) is a branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library located in BMC's offices. In 2002, the RIC responded to more than 2,500 requests for information and research assistance by BMC staff, government agencies, businesses, students, private citizens and the media, an increase of 21 percent over 2001. In addition, the RIC handled sales of BMC publications and products totaling more than $9,000.

The RIC also served as the first point of contact for Building Permits Data System Services, and kept the BMC website updated with meeting schedules, reports and other information.