$100M contract in Baltimore's Red Line Project approved. Research into its impact continues.

BALTIMORE -- Plans for Baltimore's Red Line System are making some progress. The transit project has a long history in Baltimore -- it has been in the works for more than two decades.

Gov. Wes Moore relaunched the project, which would connect East and West Baltimore, last June. It was canceled in 2015 when the Hogan administration decided not to move forward with the project.  

"We need to make sure that everyone in the region can get from where they live to where opportunity lies," Moore said.

Transportation leaders and researchers from Johns Hopkins University plan to announce findings in a study on how the multi-billion dollar transit project would affect job access in Baltimore.

This all comes as the Board of Public Works approves a key contract to help move the project forward -- a program management consultant service contract for the Maryland Transit Administration in support of the project.

The eight-year, $100 million contract has been awarded to Gannett Fleming, Inc. This will help the project team begin project designs, schedule development, and environmental reviews.

The project's goal is to address a significant gap in East-West transit service from Bayview to Woodlawn, through downtown Baltimore.

The MTA hopes this project will bridge a gap for residents and will provide easy access to work, school, and other resources.

The approval of this critical contract is another major step in our efforts to build the Baltimore Red Line," said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. "This is a much-needed project for our region and our team is committed to delivering it as quickly as possible."

The MTA also announced that the Red Line has restarted the National Environmental Policy Act process with the Federal Transit Administration to examine potential environmental impacts from the project.

The FTA and MTA will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Red Line. The review will build upon earlier technical work, environmental analysis, and engagement activities, as well as recent local and regional planning studies.

To learn more and to sign up for project updates, visit https://redlinemaryland.com. To contact the project team, email outreach@redlinemaryland.com.