December 15, 2005 

Light Rail Re-Opens to Timonium with Improved Schedule

With the majority of work complete on the multi-year project to double track an additional nine miles of the Light Rail line, MTA re-opened service between the North Avenue and Timonium stations on December 4. From a rider's perspective, the Double Track project should increase the reliability of service as well as eliminate delays when a train waited for on-coming train to clear a single track section. Still closed is the section of track between Timonium and Hunt Valley, with an expected re-opening in February. The northern half of the line has been served with special shuttle buses since closing 11 months ago, but many riders apparently found other ways to work to avoid the congested Jones Falls Expressway. Light Rail averaged about 27,000 riders per day before the project began, but according to data published by the American Public Transportation Association ridership is now about half that amount.

The re-opening also includes a new schedule that increases the frequency of trains for many riders. Prior to the project two overlapping lines had service every 17 minutes, the maximum that the single track configuration allowed. In the overlap area between Mt. Royal Station and North Linthicum Station the combined frequency was eight and one-half minutes, but this only benefited riders whose origin station and destination station were both in the overlap area. Under the new schedule, the overlap area has been extended north to Timonium Station. Trains will arrive every 10 minutes during peak periods and every 15 minutes at other times. The new schedule also allows riders from any station south of Timonium to travel directly to BWI Airport without having to change trains. One issue with the schedule is that Penn Station will only be served by a shuttle to Mt. Royal Station, meaning all riders will have to transfer to continue their trips.

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Federal Transportation Appropriation Gives Boost to Transit, But Congress Still Considering Across the Board Cut

Prior to the Thanksgiving recess Congress adopted a FY 2006 Transportation Appropriation bill that provides a 12.3% increase in overall transit funding compared to last year. The appropriation generally follows the structure established in last summer's authorization bill, and the programs most important to the Baltimore region were generally increased. This includes the basic formula funds that support MTA's capital budget, funding for "fixed guideway" modernization, and funding for bus purchases. Thanks to hard work by the region's delegation, the appropriation also included $2 million for studies of the Red and Green lines. Still to come prior to the end of the year, however, is consideration by Congress of across the board cuts to discretionary programs in support of deficit reduction. Cuts to all programs, including transportation, are likely to be in the range of 1% to 2%.

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