MTA officials planning options for light rail connections between Baltimore and Towson
BALTIMORE - Maryland Transit Administration leaders are working on new ways to get people to and from Baltimore with better ease.
They say a feasibility study narrowed down the options as to where a new transit line will go, with most proposals starting on York Road.
A map shows the path of the light rail that links Baltimore to Timonium/Lutherville. Riders have to take a bus to get to Towson.
MTA officials say they are hoping to add a new transit line that can connect riders directly to where they need to go.
Patricia Brown told WJZ she hops on a shuttle in Baltimore City to Timonium, and then switches to another bus to get to Towson.
It's a commute that only works if everything runs on time.
"If the buses don't come on time, then I have to stand in the cold and wait for the bus," Brown said.
Brown, like many MTA riders in Baltimore, is pushing for transit officials to add another form of transportation, and connect it from the city to Towson.
The MTA says they are taking steps forward to do just that.
"This is one of our highest ridership bus routes in the entire region," said Kate Sylvester, MTA's Chief Program Delivery Officer.
Sylvester says a feasibility study looked at the north-to-south corridor of I-83, and the existing light rail, which averages more than 220,000 rides per year.
The study looks at building a future transit line that connects areas like Harbor East, the Baltimore Peninsula or the University of Maryland Medical Center to York Road or Loch Raven Boulevard by use of bus rapid transit, light rail or subway.
"We'll look at different options, like where it will go in existent lanes, of traffic or parking lanes or different locations where the transit can fit in the roadways in the communities," Sylvester said.
Officials first announced the proposed multi-million dollar project last year, with several community meetings to gain feedback.
"A lot of people work there," Baltimore resident Dennis Caples said. "Towson is really coming up."
Riders say adding a new transit line could expand access to new jobs and opportunities.
"I think that would be beneficial for everybody who has to work out there and go to school," Brown said.
This is still in the early stages of planning.
Officials say they plan on holding more community input meetings in the spring.
