Transportation Plan Approved (Metropolitan Report, v2 #3)
Fall/Winter 2001
2001 Baltimore Regional Transportation Plan Approved
The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) unanimously approved the 2001 Baltimore Regional Transportation Plan (BRTP) at its October 23 meeting.
The BRTB is required to prepare a long-range transportation plan that looks forward at least twenty years and lays out policy, actions and transportation investment initiatives. To ensure that planning is as accurate as possible, the BRTP must be updated every three years to incorporate new demographic projections, new growth and investment policies and new economic development initiatives.
The 2001 BRTP will serve as a guide for the expenditure of primarily federal and state funds through the year 2025. Regional transportation needs are identified through forecasting current and future travel trends. Alternatives are developed to meet the changing mobility needs of the region.
The public played a greatly enhanced role in the development of 2001 BRTP, having a role in each stage of the process. The BRTB held four public work sessions to provide opportunities to comment and shape the direction of the 2001 BRTP. In June 2001, the BRTB held six additional public workshops throughout the region as it unveiled the first draft preferred alternative. As a result of these meetings, two highway projects were removed from the Plan.
The plan is fiscally constrained, meaning that funding sources must be identified to pay for all recommendations. In addition, funds must be allocated for the operation and preservation of the existing transportation system. The 2001 BRTP estimates that $21 billion will be available for transportation spending through 2025. Of that, $15.8 billion, or 74 percent, is set aside for operations and system preservation. The remaining $5.5 billion, or 26 percent, is available for system expansion.
As indicated on the map (below), highway projects are located mostly in Priority Funding Areas to promote Smart Growth. New light rail lines are proposed from Security to downtown and from White Marsh to downtown. A detailed list of projects is available online.
2001 Baltimore Regional Transportation Plan
Preferred Alternative
The 2001 BRTP also includes a number of strategies to reduce dependence on the automobile:
- Transit improvements, such as expanded service hours and routes, neighborhood shuttles, and improved schedule information and transit stops
- Commuter Assistance programs, such as Rideshare, Guaranteed Ride Home and telework
- Additions and improvements to park and ride facilities
- Enhancement of bicycle and pedestrian facilities
- Expanded use of technology for incident management, toll collection and signal synchronization
Dan Pontious, Executive Director of the Baltimore Regional Partnership, commented, "This Plan is significantly better than the 1998 Plan, including significant increases in transportation demand management and transit funding."
In the 2001 BRTP, $708 million is dedicated to transportation demand management compared to $165 million in the 1998 BRTP. Fixed-guideway transit funding increased from $963 million in 1998 to $1.57 billion in 2001. In addition, $240 million is dedicated to other transit related improvements.
The 2001 BRTP also includes the Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenways Transportation Plan and the Regional Job Access and Reverse Commute Transportation Plan.
The Baltimore Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenways Transportation Plan seeks to make the region safer and friendlier for walkers and cyclists. Recommended strategies include:
- Developing and maintaining a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities that connect with transit and community destinations
- Protecting greenway corridors in our urban, suburban and rural areas
- Ensuring that facilities comply with the standards established in the Americans With Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines
- Providing regular instruction on bicycle and pedestrian safety to school children, adult cyclists and motorists
- Using bikeways, walkways and trails to promote wellness and physical activity
- Eliminating hazards near schools through a Safe Routes to School program
Posted: January 24, 2002
Other Metropolitan Report articles
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 January 2006 04:53