BTA Updates - July 18, 2006

The Baltimore region can expect high density, mixed use development around many of its current and future transit stations, according to panelists speaking at a GBC-sponsored policy forum held June 30. Regional wealth, job growth, and the pace of development are positive indicators for development in low-wealth communities, Sean Closkey, Executive Vice President of Policy and Real Estate Enterprise for Philadelphia-based The Reinvestment Fund, told attendees. Clarence Snuggs, Local Office Director for Enterprise Community Partners, said some of Enterprise's work in Baltimore is based on the idea that community development and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) can be mutually supportive policies.

TOD, according to Marty Baker, a planner in the Research and Strategic Planning Division of the Baltimore City Planning Department, "is an approach, not a product." Baker said the new city comprehensive master plan emphasizes TOD and will support the development of mixed use projects within residential zones. Jennifer Goold with Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse and Shawn Weingast of Best Industries presented plans for new high density TOD's in Baltimore City and Prince George's County.

As a result of legislation and an Executive Order, the MTA now has two new committees to oversee its study of the 10-mile Red Line. One committee was created by bills passed during the 2006 legislative session but then vetoed by Governor Ehrlich. Legislators from the study corridor then convinced their colleagues to override the vetoes during the June Special Session. In addition to creating a 15-member Citizens Advisory Council, the bills require MTA to consider establishing a fund to compensate the owners of property damaged by the project; to consider commercial development opportunities around stations; and to consider methods give preferential treatment to corridor residents when hiring for construction jobs.

The second committee was created by an Executive Order signed by Governor Ehrlich the same day he vetoed the bills. Executive Order 01.01.2006.04 establishes the "Red Line Community Advisory Council." The council will have 15 members selected by the Governor, and will provide advice to the MTA on "potential neighborhood impacts" and "economic development activities." While less specific than the version established in the bills, the executive order provides a similar framework for public input and oversight. The council will be co-chaired by Sandra E. Connor, Director of the Workforce Transportation and Referral Center at Sojourner-Douglass College and Reverend John A. Heath, Executive Director of the Maryland Department of Human Resources' Community Services Administration. The MTA has announced that the first meeting will be July 20 at 6:30 PM at Sojourner-Douglass College, 500 N. Caroline Street.

MTA buses arrive at their stops when they are supposed to only 41% of the time, according to a new survey undertaken by the Citizens Planning and Housing Association. Past surveys by both MTA and CPHA have shown that on-time performance is a top concern of riders, and one that the system overhaul known at the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative was designed in part to address. GBBI has apparently failed in that regard: CPHA reports that of the routes they surveyed, three of the four worst performers were changed last fall as part of the initiative. Bus reliability is affected by a complex interplay of factors, including scheduling, traffic conditions, driver training, and monitoring by supervisors. Traffic conditions are largely beyond a transit agency's control, but the other factors can be addressed with adequate resources and attention from management. To see the complete CPHA report, click here.