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March 16, 2007
February 21, 2007 January 30, 2007 November 17, 2006 October 23, 2006 September 26, 2006 September 8, 2006 August 7, 2006 July 18, 2006 June 9, 2006 May 22, 2006 April 26, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 6, 2006 February 7, 2006 January 13, 2006 December 15, 2005 November 14, 2005 October 4, 2005 September 9, 2005 August 18, 2005 July 29, 2005 June 28, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 4, 2005 April 7, 2005 March 21, 2005 February 28, 2005 February 3, 2005 January 14, 2005 December 23, 2004 December 2, 2004 November 11, 2004 October 22, 2004 October 1, 2004 September 13, 2004 August 19, 2004 July 29, 2004 July 6, 2004 June 16, 2004 |
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March 16, 2007
GBC Supports Gas Tax Citing Need for Revenue to Pay for Transit Priorities Citing the need for more revenue to support transportation projects such as the Red Line, GBC President and CEO Don Fry voiced the GBC's support for a proposal introduced by Maryland Senate President Mike Miller to increase the state's gasoline tax by 12 cents per gallon and tying it to inflation. The current state gasoline tax is 23.5 cents per gallon. "There is general agreement that we need improved public transportation - it is a service for the people and they want it. This is a reasonable way to fund projects such as the Red and the Green lines," Fry said in the statement. The proposed gas tax increase would provide approximately $400 million a year for roads and mass transit. Increasing the gasoline tax, along with other sources of revenue, was advocated in the report of Governor Martin O'Malley's transition workgroup for transportation.
National Transit Ridership Breaks 10 Billion Mark CBreaking a 49-year record, transit systems across the country carried more than 10 billion riders during 2006 according to a recent report by the American Public Transportation Association. Transit usage is up 30% since 1995, exceeding the increase in vehicle miles traveled and more than double the rate of population increase. Due to recent expansions, light rail showed the greatest increase of any transit mode, followed by heavy rail, commuter rail, paratransit, and bus. Although MTA did not submit data for the report, an agency press release indicates that overall ridership was up 2%, led by paratransit (up 19%) and light rail (up 11%).
After three years directing the BTA for the Greater Baltimore Committee, Henry Kay will return to the MTA later this month to become part of the senior management team of recently-appointed MTA Administrator Paul Wiedefeld. Kay, previously MTA's planning director, was hired by the GBC in 2004 to manage the BTA which had been created shortly before by the GBC and a coalition of community and environmental organizations including the Citizens Planning and Housing Association, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and 1000 Friends of Maryland. Funding for the effort was provided by the Goldseker Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Baltimore Community Foundation, and the Open Society Institute. BTA accomplishments during Kay's tenure include major funding for planning and design of the Red Line, authorization of federal funding for the Red and Green lines, new funding for transit system maintenance, and a community-oriented planning process for the Red Line. GBC's President and CEO Don Fry, speaking on behalf of BTA, called Kay "the right guy at the right time." "Henry Kay's expertise and vision have helped define a bright future for transit in the Baltimore region. We wish him well at MTA," he added. At MTA, Kay will oversee agency units including Planning, Engineering, Customer Information, Communications, and Government Relations.
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