MTA Begins BaltimoreLink Public Hearings Starting January 4

The first public hearing will be held on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Baltimore County Public Library North Point Branch located at 1716 Merritt Boulevard in Dundalk. MTA customers can take MTA’s Local Bus Number 4 to the meeting.

All 14 of the public hearings will be held at sites that are conveniently accessible via MTA transit options.  

When Governor Larry Hogan first announced BaltimoreLink in October 2015, the MTA launched a robust outreach program to educate the public about the plan and get feedback. Outreach efforts have included public workshops, pop-up events and scheduled meetings with community associations, elected officials and other stakeholders.

Comments on BaltimoreLink also have been collected online via SurveyMonkey and the mySidewalk crowdsourcing websites. As a result, the MTA received a wealth of constructive and critical feedback that has led to enhancements in BaltimoreLink’s network design and service levels.  

“Through our public outreach process, we have received more than 2,000 comments at 200 public meetings that have provided invaluable ideas on how to make this transformative plan even better for our customers,” said MTA Administrator and CEO Paul Comfort. “We encourage all of our customers to take part in the public hearing process so that they have an opportunity to present their views.”

To achieve MTA’s goal of providing safe, efficient and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service, BaltimoreLink will:

* improve service quality and reliability;

* maximize access to high-frequency transit;

* strengthen connections between MTA’s bus and rail routes;

* align the network with existing and emerging job centers; and

* engage riders, employees, communities and elected officials in the planning process.

“Our goal is to link people to jobs and to life’s opportunities,” said MTA’s Director of Planning and Programming Kevin Quinn. “Public input has been a key component to delivering this transformative plan.”

The public is encouraged to visit any BaltimoreLink hearing during the times and locations listed below. Each hearing will enable attendees to examine their current travel route and see how it could change under the BaltimoreLink plan by viewing route information, information boards and discuss the transit plan with team members. MTA’s workshop information and displays will also be posted at baltimorelink.com.

BaltimoreLink is the multi-phase plan to create an interconnected transit system by redesigning the entire local and express bus systems throughout Baltimore and adding 12 new high-frequency, color-coded bus routes that improve connections to jobs and to MARC Train, Metro Subway and Light Rail. BaltimoreLink transforms Baltimore’s half-a-century-old and outdated transit network with implementation of bus-only dedicated lanes, installation of transit signal priority, construction of a transfer hub network, rebranding and replacement of more than 6,000 transit signs, expanded commuter bus service, new shared bicycle availability, access to car-sharing options and more. New Express BusLink launched its suburb-to-suburb service in June 2016. As promised, expanded and new Commuter Bus service has seen launches in the summer and fall of 2016 with more coming this spring. High-frequency CityLink routes launch in the summer of 2017.