 Light rail at BWI station | | The neutrality of this article or section may be compromised by weasel words.
You can help Wikipedia by improving weasel-worded statements. | The Baltimore Light Rail is a small light rail network serving Baltimore, Maryland and the surrounding suburbs. As of 2002, it has a daily ridership of 36,000. [1]It is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. Download high resolution version (1034x823, 225 KB)Baltimore light rail system vehicle at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport station. ...
Download high resolution version (1034x823, 225 KB)Baltimore light rail system vehicle at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport station. ...
Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ...
This article is about light rail systems in general. ...
Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more, Balmerr,Bodymore, Murderland Motto: The Greatest City in America (formerly The City That Reads; Get In On It is not the citys motto, but rather the advertising slogan of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association; BELIEVE is not the...
The Maryland Transit Administration, sometimes called MTA Maryland to avoid confusion with other cities agencies called MTA, is a state operated transit service serving all of Baltimore, Maryland and the surrounding counties. ...
History
The origins of the Baltimore Light Rail ultimately lie in a transit plan drawn up for the Baltimore area in 1966 that envisioned six rapid transit lines radiating out from the city center. By 1983, only a single line had been built: the "Northwest" line, which became the current Metro Subway. However, much of the plan's "North" and "South" lines ran along right-of-way once used by interurban streetcar routes, and remained available for transit development. Exterior of the Charles Center Metro Subway station in downtown Baltimore The Metro Subway is a single-line rapid transit system serving the greater Baltimore area. ...
A right-of-way (plural: rights-of-way) is an easement or strip of land granted to a railroad company upon which to build a railroad. ...
An interurban streetcar line or interurban, also called a radial railway in Canada, is a streetcar line running between urban areas. ...
Beginning in the late 1980s, Maryland Governor and former Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer put his considerable energy behind building a transit line along this corridor, motivated in part by a desire to establish a rail transit link to the new downtown baseball park being built at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles. The Light Rail line was built relatively quickly and cheaply, and without money from the U.S. federal government, a rarity in late 20th century U.S. transit projects. The initial system was a single 22.5 mile (36 km) line, all at grade except for a bridge over the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River just south of downtown Baltimore. The line ran from Timonium in Baltimore County in the north to Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County in the south. The Light Rail began service in April 1992, the same month that Orioles began play at Camden Yards. William Donald Schaefer William Donald Schaefer (born November 2, 1921) is an American politician who has served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. ...
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland ( ), which was constructed to replace the aging Memorial Stadium. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4,5,8,20,22,33 Name Baltimore Orioles (1954–present) St. ...
The Patapsco is a river in central and coastal Maryland. ...
Lutherville-Timonium is a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. ...
Baltimore County is a suburban county located in the northern portion of the State of Maryland. ...
Glen Burnie is a census-designated place located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. ...
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. ...
Three extensions to the system were added in 1997. In September of that year, the line was extended north 4.5 miles (7 km) to Hunt Valley, adding five stations that served a major business park and a mall. In December, two short but important spurs were added to the system: one a 0.34 mile (550 m) spur in Baltimore that provided a link to Penn Station, a transit hub also served by MARC and Amtrak trains, and the other a 2.7 mile (4.3 km) link that brought trains to the terminal of BWI Airport. Hunt Valley is an unincorporated community located in Baltimore County, Maryland just north of the Baltimore, Maryland metro area, on Highway 145 off I-83, by Loch Raven Reservoir. ...
A business park in Santa Barbara County, California A business park or business estate is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. ...
Pennsylvania Station (generally referred to as Penn Station) is the main train station in Baltimore, Maryland. ...
MARC, prior to 1984 known as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a commuter rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. ...
Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ...
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (IATA: BWI, ICAO: KBWI) serves the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan Area in the United States. ...
In 1998, the Hamburg Street station opened as an infill station between the existing Westport and Camden Yards stations. Adjacent to M&T Bank Stadium, it was initially only open during Ravens games and other major stadium events; however, as of July 1, 2005, it is open full-time. << UNDER CONSTRUCTION >> Westport is a neighborhood in south Baltimore. ...
M&T Bank Stadium is the home to the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimores National Football League franchise. ...
City Baltimore, Maryland Team colors Purple, Black, and Gold Head Coach Brian Billick Owner Steve Bisciotti General manager Ozzie Newsome Mascot Edgar, Allan, and Poe League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1996–present) American Football Conference (1996-present) AFC Central (1996-2001) AFC North (2002-present) Team history Baltimore Ravens...
To save money, much of the system was built as single-track. While this allowed the Light Rail to be built and opened quickly, it made it difficult to build flexibility into the system: much of the line was restricted to 17-minute headways, with no way to increase headways during peak hours. Federal money was acquired to make the vast majority of the system double-tracked; much of the line south of downtown Baltimore was shut down in 2004 and north of downtown shut down in 2005 in order to complete this project. Much of the northern section reopened in December 2005; the rest opened in February of 2006. The headway between vehicles in public transit systems is the amount of time (usually in minutes) that elapses between two vehicles passing the same point traveling in the same direction on a given route. ...
Practical information
Routing and schedules
 Baltimore Light Rail system map (as of March 2006) The Baltimore Light Rail network consists of a main north-south line that serves 28 of the system's 33 stops; a spur in Baltimore city that connects a single stop (Penn Station) to the main line; and two branches at the south end of the line that serve two stops apiece. Because of the track arrangement, trains can only enter the Penn Station spur from the mainline heading north and leave it heading south. Various routing strategies have been used on the network; as of February 2006, with the double-tracking work concluded, the routes and headways are as follows: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (470x843, 77 KB)Updated map of the Baltimore Light Rail system. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (470x843, 77 KB)Updated map of the Baltimore Light Rail system. ...
Exterior of Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (generally referred to as Penn Station) is the main train station in Baltimore, Maryland. ...
- Hunt Valley to BWI: 20-minute headways at peak travel times (weekdays from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.), 30-minute headways at all other times
- Timonium to Cromwell/Dorsey Rd.: 20-minute headways at peak, 30-minute headways at all other times
- Penn Station to University of Baltimore/Mt. Royal (a two-stop shuttle): 15 minute headways at all times
 An LRV waits at a red light near Camden Yards. The Light Rail travels in mixed traffic in downtown Baltimore.
 A northbound LRV departs Mt. Washington station. Outside the city center, the Light Rail has a dedicated right of way. Because the majority of the system is covered by the first two routes, most stations see 10-minute peak and 15-minute off-peak headways. Occasional Hunt Valley-Cromwell and Timonium-BWI trips are also built into the schedule; passengers traveling to destinations off the Timonium-Linthicum mainline should check train destination signs before boarding. The full system runs from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, though trains run on the downtown section as early as 4 a.m. on weekdays. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 789 KB) Summary Light Rail Vehicle at Pratt Street in downtown Baltimore. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 789 KB) Summary Light Rail Vehicle at Pratt Street in downtown Baltimore. ...
Image File history File links Mtwash_lighrail_062006. ...
Image File history File links Mtwash_lighrail_062006. ...
As noted above, a significant portion of the Light Rail follows disused interurban right-of-ways. As a result, many stations are located in areas peripheral to densely populated neighborhoods rather than at the heart of them, which has negatively affected ridership. The Light Rail's route through northern Baltimore mostly parallels the Jones Falls Expressway. The Jones Falls Expressway, known to local residents as the JFX, is a 13-mile (20. ...
Most of the light rail's route is on a dedicated right-of-way, with occasional grade crossings equipped with crossing gates. However, on the downtown portion of the route that runs along Howard Street (between the University of Baltimore/Mt. Royal and Camden Yards stations), trains mix with automobile traffic, and their movement is governed by traffic signals. Unlike most other light rail systems (though similar to the MBTA Green line in Boston), trains do not preempt the traffic signals: while special light rail preemption software was installed in the City of Baltimore-owned traffic signal controllers along Howard Street when the system opened, its preemption features are not used. This means that trains travel through this section of the line at what can be an interminable crawl. A right-of-way (plural: rights-of-way) is an easement or strip of land granted to a railroad company upon which to build a railroad. ...
The term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing) is a crossing on one level (at-grade intersection) — without recourse to a bridge or tunnel — of a railway line by a road, path, or another railroad. ...
A boom barrier is a bar, or pole pivoted in such a way as to allow the boom to block vehicular access through a controlled point. ...
Fares and transit connections MTA fares are identical for the Metro Subway, the Light Rail, and local buses: a one-way trip costs $1.60. Daily, weekly, and monthly unlimited-ride passes are also available that are good on all three transit modes. A passenger with a one-way ticket can change Light Rail trains if necessary to complete their journey -- the only instance where a one-way MTA ticket is good for a ride on more than one vehicle -- but transferring to a bus or the Metro Subway requires a new one-way fare or a pass. Automated ticket machines that sell tickets and passes are available at all Light Rail stations.
The Light Rail's ticketing is based on a proof-of-payment system, similar to that used in mass transit in Berlin. Passengers must have a ticket or pass before boarding. Maryland Transit Administration Police officers ride some trains and spot-check passengers to make sure that they are carrying a valid ticket or pass, and can issue criminal citations for those without one. Civilian Fare Inspectors also conduct ticket checks alighting those without fare. Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of the Federal Republic of Germany. ...
Police employed by the Maryland Transit Administration to patrol public transportation and related facilities in and around the Baltimore Maryland area. ...
Criminal citations are used by police in some jurisdictions in order to charge a person with a crime without the need of making a physical arrest. ...
Most Light Rail stations are served by several MTA bus routes, and passengers can make platform-to-platform transfers to the MARC Camden Line at Camden Yards and to the MARC Penn Line at Penn Station. There is no direct connection to the Metro Subway -- a fact that may strike the passenger as a distinct oversight in planning. The Metro Subway's Lexington Market Station is a 200-foot walk from the Light Rail stop of the same name.
Rolling stock
 Light Rail vehicle on Howard Street downtown Baltimore's Light Rail vehicles (LRVs) were built by ABB Traction, the U.S. division of Asea Brown Boveri. The initial set was delivered in 1990 as the line was being built; a supplemental order of essentially identical cars was delivered in 1997 when the extensions came into service. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1544x836, 402 KB) Summary Photo of a Baltimore Light Rail vehicle, taken on Howard Street near Lombard. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1544x836, 402 KB) Summary Photo of a Baltimore Light Rail vehicle, taken on Howard Street near Lombard. ...
ABB, formerly Asea Brown Boveri, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, operating mainly in the power and automation business areas. ...
Baltimore LRVs are quite large -- much larger than traditional streetcars and bigger even than those used on San Francisco's Muni Metro or Boston's Green Line. Cars are 95 feet (29 m) long and 9.5 feet (2.9 m) wide, and can accommodate 85 seated and 91 standing passengers. Despite their size these cars still operate on standard (4 feet, 8.5 inches) gauge track. 1-, 2- and 3-car trains are all routinely seen in service. Trains are powered by an overhead pantograph and have a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ...
This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
Muni Metro is a mass transit system operated in the City and County of San Francisco by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, managed by the Municipal Transportation Agency. ...
Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ...
Two trains at Park Street. ...
A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. ...
The MTA currently own 53 individual Light Rail cars. During typical weekday peak time service, approximately 30 to 35 cars are required; a somewhat higher number of cars are put into service immediately after Orioles and Ravens games. The MTA also owns a variety of maintenance of way equipment as well as diesel power for emergencies.
Several industry spurs are accessible through light rail trackage only, so freight is shunted during off hours.
Criticism Ever since the light rail was conceived, it has faced a lot of criticism from locals, especially riders. Having been built on a minimal budget, it has been filled with numerous glitches, which the state has endeavored to correct over the years: - The light rail has many stops along its route. This allows access from a wide range of areas, but it also slows the speed of the system.
- There is no direct link to the subway, requiring paying fare twice and walking above ground to accomplish intermodal trips.
- The trains have also been slowed by the single track. Besides headways being restricted, trains have often been delayed as they are forced to wait for other trains to pass. Note: this has since been corrected by the MTA's double tracking project accomplished under federal assistance in 2006.
- While operating on downtown streets, trains must stop at red lights, which also reduces overall speed.
- Businesses and commumities along the light rail (especially in the suburbs) have been known to call it the "Crime Rail"[name a specific person/group]. Crime rates such as home burglaries and business robberies increased in the suburban areas after the Light Rail opened[dubious — see talk page]. Recent murders and assaults on the trains and at the stations has been a serious problem and the MTA is installing extra security cameras to accommodate the problem[citation needed].
- The trains have posed safety issues. Their grade-level operation has left the tracks open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, resulting in death and serious injury during crashes[citation needed].
Many of these factors negatively affect ridership, and comparing ridership numbers to that of similar systems, the Baltimore Light Rail system does not boast high cost efficiency, though it is hoped that future expansion of the light rail system will boost utility and passenger use. The following is a list of all light rail systems in the United States, ranked by ridership. ...
Future Travel on the Light Rail was significantly disrupted in 2004 and 2005 when large portions of the system were shut down to accommodate double-tracking work. In the immediate future, the MTA's goals are to recapture ridership lost during this period and to woo new riders with the improved service that is now possible on the double-tracked system.
There are no immediate plans to add track length to the current Light Rail system. An independent commission on Baltimore-area transit made a number of suggestions in a 2002 report for new lines and expansions of existing lines. One proposal was to create a branch of the Light Rail system that would head southeast from the main line at Timonium, run through Towson and Baltimore, and reconnect to the existing line at Camden Yards. However, this proposal is not being actively pursued at present. There is the possibility of adding an infill station at Texas, between the existing Timonium and Warren Road stations. A set of platforms was built at this point on the line in conjunction with the 2005 double-tracking work to provide a turnback point for trains not going all the way to Hunt Valley; it would be relatively simple to convert this into a revenue station, and reports indicate that the MTA is considering doing so. Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. ...
Two rail welds in continuous welded rail in Wisconsin. ...
One line from the 2002 report that is being considered is the so-called Red Line, an east-west line that would intersect with the existing Light Rail downtown. If the Red Line were to be built as a light rail line, it might be integrated with the existing network; however, the mode -- and even the existence -- for this proposed line is still up in the air. The report also includes somewhat immediate plans to extend the existing subway line northwest beyond Hopkins Hospital, creating an extended version of what will be called the Green line. The Red Line is a proposed mass transit line for the Baltimore, Maryland area. ...
The Green Line is a proposed mass transit line for the Baltimore, Maryland area. ...
There have been numerous recommendations to fix the Howard Street situation by allowing the trains to preempt traffic lights, to place the light rail in a trench with sidewalks or roads cantilevered over top, or to simply remove all vehicular traffic from Howard street (which has no on street parking, or garages which require access to the street). However, at the moment there are no concrete plans to do so.
See also // Baltimore Metro Subway system map The Baltimore Metro Subway is a subway located in Baltimore, Maryland. ...
This article is about light rail systems in general. ...
The following is a list of cities that have tram / light-rail systems as part of their public transport system. ...
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