Transit Briefs: MDOT MTA, MBTA, NYMTA

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
MBTA on Sept. 9 reported that 69% of work on the 30-day m/w blitz along the Orange Line is complete and approximately 60 new railcars (10 six-car trainsets) are slated to be available when service resumes Sept. 19. (Photograph Courtesy of MBTA)

MBTA on Sept. 9 reported that 69% of work on the 30-day m/w blitz along the Orange Line is complete and approximately 60 new railcars (10 six-car trainsets) are slated to be available when service resumes Sept. 19. (Photograph Courtesy of MBTA)

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) is seeking public comment on preliminary transit alternatives for the North-South Corridor between Towson and downtown Baltimore. Also, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Orange Line maintenance-of-way blitz is 69% complete; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has launched a newsletter to inform riders of major rail service changes planned for weekends.

The North-South Transit Corridor study includes seven preliminary alternatives, which overlap with portions of the MDOT MTA CityLink Red, Green and Silver local bus routes. (Map Courtesy of MDOT MTA)

MDOT MTA, along with regional partners Baltimore City and Baltimore County, have completed the first phase of a feasibility study for development of a Regional Transit Plan (RTP) North-South Transit Corridor (see map, left). The group spent the past year identifying a range of transit alternatives that best serve existing and future demand between Towson and downtown Baltimore, as part of the RTP, a 25-year plan released in October 2020 to improve public transportation in central Maryland.

The seven preliminary alternatives were developed through stakeholder feedback, a market analysis of travel patterns, transit ridership, land use and market conditions, according to MDOT MTA, and include heavy rail (defined as an “electric rail system powered by third rail” that “must operate in exclusive fixed guideway, often underground”), light rail, and bus rapid transit. They are:

  1. Light Rail Transit (LRT) from Lutherville to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) via Ridgely Road, York Road, Greenmount Avenue, Orleans Street, St. Paul Street and Baltimore/Fayette streets. (Line shown in pink on map.)
  2. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Lutherville to UMMC via Ridgely Road, York Road, Greenmount Avenue, Hillen Avenue/Gay Street and Baltimore/Fayette streets. (Line shown in maroon on map.)
  3. BRT from Towson to Harbor East via York Road/Greenmount Avenue, North Avenue, Penn Station, Charles/St. Paul streets, and President Street. (Line shown in purple on map.)
  4. Heavy Rail (Metro SubwayLink) from Towson to Port Covington via York Road/Greenmount Avenue, 33rd Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station and Hanover Street. (Line shown in bright green on map.)
  5. BRT from Towson to Port Covington via York Road/Greenmount Avenue, 33rd Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station and Hanover Street. (Line shown in dark green on map.)
  6. LRT from Lutherville to Otterbein via Ridgley Road, York Road, Fairmount Avenue, Goucher Boulevard, Loch Raven Boulevard, 25th Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station and Conway Street. (Line shown in blue on map.)
  7. BRT from Towson to Harbor East via Joppa Road, Loch Raven Boulevard, The Alameda, 33rd Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station, Pratt/Lombard streets and President Street. (Line shown in orange on map.)

All alternatives would operate at 10-15 minute frequencies 20-24 hours per day, according to MDOT MTA, which noted that the study compares each one “using numerous measures of effectiveness including reliability, travel time, type of guideway, ridership, access to households, students’ needs, future jobs potential, equity, cost, complexity, and implementation time.”

MDOT MTA, Baltimore County and Baltimore City are seeking stakeholder feedback on the alternatives by Nov. 7, 2022. Comments will be gathered at two virtual public meetings on Sept. 22 and Oct. 3, as well as through the project website and at pop-up events at transit stops and other locations, according to the partners. The feedback will be used to determine which alternative components should be included for further study during the Alternatives Analysis Phase, which will begin this winter. Ultimately, one alternative will be developed and selected to apply for federal funding, according to the partners.

“MDOT MTA is excited to be working with our local partners to improve critical transit connections from Towson to downtown Baltimore and improve access to jobs, education and recreation,” MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold said. “This is another significant step in the continued effort to build an equitable rapid transit network, and the public’s input is invaluable to the process.”

(Video Courtesy of MBTA)

MBTA on Sept. 9 reported that 69% of work on the Orange Line m/w blitz is complete and approximately 60 new railcars (10 six-car trainsets) will be available when service resumes Sept. 19 (download MBTA update below; watch video above).

At the end of week three of the 30-day Orange Line closure, MBTA said it had replaced 7,280 feet of rail and 2,695 feet of full-depth track, as well as 240 Cologne-eggs rail fasteners at Tufts Medical Center. Additionally, special trackwork at Jackson Square was completed, allowing the agency to remove a “slow zone.” Crews have also removed a slow zone in the Downtown Crossing and State area. These are two of six slow zones the MBTA is addressing during the blitz. Signal upgrades continue between Oak Grove and Malden, and MBTA said it has been running test trains between these two stations to assess “our updated signals and troubleshoot any issues.”

“With less than 10 days remaining in this ambitious project, the work crews up and down the line have us in a great position to finish strong and on time,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said Sept. 9.

The “MTA Weekender” launched Sept. 9 to inform riders about major weekend service changes to New York City Transit subway, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad services as well as travel alternatives for affected routes or stops. The weekly email newsletter supplements information already available through the MYmta app or the MTA’s Planned Work tool displaying all major service changes on a given weekend by line in one place, according to New York MTA.

“Communicating directly with customers about major weekend service changes will allow them to navigate the transit system with certainty every weekend,” MTA Acting Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara said. “Launching the MTA Weekender is a game changer in providing new, proactive and creative ways for customers to get informed and travel with confidence.”

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