The Greater Baltimore Committee & the Greater Washington Partnership identify the importance of building a much stronger transit system in the Baltimore Metro Area.
December 31, 2022
A world-class public transit system creates shared economic prosperity and inclusive growth while spurring private investment and job creation.
Greater Baltimore’s transit system is underperforming compared to peer regions in terms of transit reliability, access to opportunity, and the reach of the system. The lack of this fundamental infrastructure is holding the region back. Yet despite MDOT MTA having been chronically underfunded for decades, the agency still served more than four million riders in August 2022.
The Greater Baltimore Committee and Greater Washington Partnership, alongside elected officials and more than sixty business, non-profit and advocacy partner organizations, call on the incoming administration to launch an immediate course correction to transform the region's transit system and support MTA's efforts to spur inclusive economic growth.
This memo builds on the Baltimore’s Transit Future campaign and months of work with community leaders, partners, and transportation experts to identify specific recommendations for how the next Maryland Governor and General Assembly can accelerate meaningful reforms in 2023 and 2024.
If this strategy is adopted, by the end of your first term the region's transit performance will improve significantly, more businesses will choose to stay in Maryland, and new businesses will be knocking on the door to invest in a future-oriented state. This is a signature, legacy-defining opportunity.
Investing in Baltimore's Transit Future will:
1. Energize the Maryland Economy by creating tens of thousands of new jobs in high-growth sectors and leveraging the multiplier effect of transit construction and delivery in the state.
2. Promote Inclusive and Equitable Growth by expanding affordable mobility options for the region's most vulnerable residents, including access to jobs, education, and healthcare.
3. Help Greater Baltimore Compete on the World Stage by delivering the mobility and connectivity that can transform the Baltimore region into a globally competitive, highly- desirable metropolitan region that attracts and retains the world's leading companies.
We thank Governor-elect Moore, Lieutenant Governor-elect Miller, the incoming administration, and the Maryland General Assembly for the opportunity to share our recommendations to advance Baltimore’s Transit Future.