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September 13, 2004
BTA Board of Advisors Taking Shape A number of prominent Baltimore region business and civic leaders have agreed to serve on the Board of Advisors. Recruitment efforts are continuing to create what will eventually be a 40-person organization. To date, confirmed members are as follows:
GBC's Fry Asks Governor for Support of Studies In recent letters to Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., GBC President Donald C. Fry sought support for on-going studies of both the Red and Green lines, as well as the Baltimore-Washington Maglev Project. While data collection is continuing on the Baltimore projects, no work has been done on the Maglev project since December 2003 hearings on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The 2004 General Assembly allowed nearly $1 million in federal funds available for Maglev to be used to complete the final phase of study but the Department of Transportation has taken no action to date.
MTA Schedules Workshops to Present Alternatives In a newsletter sent to an extensive mailing list, the MTA committed to fall public workshops on Red Line and Green Line alternatives. A subsequent mailing is expected soon that will provide additional details about the workshops which will held at seven locations between October 26 and November 9. At the workshops MTA planners will present options for routes, station locations, and above and below ground alignments. This information will be the first time the public will be able to see how MTA translated comments received in 2003 into specific proposals.
In the face of substantial opposition from bus riders and advocacy organizations, including the BTA, the MTA has indefinitely deferred proposed cuts to the 10, 31, and 64 bus lines. BTA wrote to Administrator Robert Smith expressing support for bus system restructuring but raised concerns that these changes are not presented as part of a larger plan to improve service.
Phase II of Bus Shelter Installation Set to Begin Beginning this month, MTA and its contractor will construct over 100 new bus shelters in Baltimore City. The shelters, four-fifths of which will carry advertising, will both replace existing worn-out shelters as well as cover new locations. The shelters will be similar to the 60 already placed downtown, and include glass walls, a bench, a transit system map and lighting. Some locations will also include trash containers. Under a 10-year contract with MTA, Viacom Outdoor constructs and maintains the shelters in exchange for the right to place advertising on most of them.
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