Baltimore, Maryland has two main rail-based public transit systems: the Metro Subway and the Light Rail. Both are operated by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). In addition, the MTA's MARC commuter rail system has several stops in Baltimore; however, as this is a commuter railway rather than a true mass transit system, it falls outside the scope of this article. This article is about the city in the US state of Maryland. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296... 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search MARC, prior to 1984 known as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a commuter rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ...

Metro Subway

Baltimore Metro Subway train at State Center station

The Metro Subway is a single-line rapid transit system that draws power from an electric third rail. The Subway opened in 1983 with service between Charles Center in downtown and Reisterstown Road Plaza in the northwest section of the city. In 1987, an extension from Reisterstown Road Plaza to Owings Mills in Baltimore County was added, and in 1994 a further extension from Charles Center to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore City was also opened. The current system is 24.5 km long. 10 km is underground, 3.5 km is elevated, and the rest is at ground level. Jump to: navigation, search ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 737 KB) Summary Westbound Baltimore Metro Subway vehicle at State Center station. ... Jump to: navigation, search ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 737 KB) Summary Westbound Baltimore Metro Subway vehicle at State Center station. ... Jump to: navigation, search Metro and Subway redirect here. ... Third rail at the West Falls Church Metro stop in the Washington, D.C. area, electrified to 750 volts. ... Owings Mills is a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Johns Hopkins Hospital is a teaching hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. ...

Baltimore Metro Subway system map. Click to enlarge.

Passengers must pass through a faregate in order to enter any Metro Subway station; small tickets similar to those used in the Paris Metro are used to pass through the entry gates. Currently a one-way trip between any two points on the Metro Subway costs $1.60. In the early 1990s, fares varied based on distance, and passengers had to use a ticket to exit the station as well as enter it, but fares were soon made uniform throughout the line, and with the removal of exit faregates in 2005, the situation is unlikely to change soon. MTA daily, weekly, and monthly passes are also good on the Metro Subway. Passengers with one of these passes must show it to a station attendant in order to enter the platform area. This is a map of Baltimores Metro Subway system, drawn by Jfruh. ... This is a map of Baltimores Metro Subway system, drawn by Jfruh. ... Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ...

See also: List of Baltimore subway stations Stations on the Baltimore Metro Subway The Baltimore Metro Subway is a subway located in Baltimore, Maryland. ...

Light Rail

Light rail at BWI station. Click to enlarge.

Baltimore also has a light rail system known simply as the Light Rail. This system runs generally north-south. The northern terminus of the Blue line is at the Hunt Valley mall and business park in northern Baltimore County, southward to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). The yellow line's southern terminus is at Cromwell in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, running north to Baltimore's Penn Station, where passengers can transfer to MARC and Amtrak trains. In between the two lines travels more or less through the middle of Baltimore City, sharing a single set of tracks. 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. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Hunt Valley is located in Baltimore County, Maryland just north of the Baltimore, Maryland metro area, on Highway 145 off I-83, by Loch Raven Reservoir. ... Baltimore County is a suburban county located in the northern portion of U.S. state of Maryland. ... KBWI Airport Diagram Baltimore-Washington International Airport serves the Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC metro-region. ... 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. ... Exterior of Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (generally referred to as Penn Station) is the main train station in Baltimore, Maryland. ... Jump to: navigation, search MARC, prior to 1984 known as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a commuter rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. ... Jump to: navigation, search Amtrak is the trademark name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ...

While the system technically consists of two separate lines, in practice, directions on the system are only labeled "Northbound" and "Southbound", and passengers must observe destination signs on trains to make sure they are getting on the right one. (The Light Rail system's routing is currently in flux; see more below on future directions.)

The system opened in 1992 and the current system was complete by 1997. The entire system is built at ground level, excepting a few brief stretches on bridges. (The longest of these carries the line over the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River just south of downtown Baltimore.) The majority of the Light Rail line's route is separated from all other road and rail traffic, though much of the section traveling through downtown Baltimore runs either down the middle of or immediately adjacent to Howard Street and must interact with cars and stop at traffic lights. On outlying sections of the line, the light rail tracks cross roads just like a passenger or freight line, complete with railroad crossing gates. The Patapsco is a river in central Maryland. ...

Baltimore Light Rail system map. Click to enlarge.

The Light Rail line follows for much of its route existing but previously disused right of way that had once been used by interurban streetcar routes. This allowed the system to be built at a substantial cost saving so that no federal money was required for the initial construction -- a rarity in modern American mass transit. Much of the political willpower to build the line the came from William Donald Schaefer, who was Mayor of Baltimore from 1971 to 1987 and Governor of Maryland from 1987 to 1994. It is no accident that the light rail services Baltimore's Camden Yards baseball park -- this stadium was another one of the projects that Schaefer spearheaded. 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. ... Right-of-way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: the property along the sides of, and including, railroad tracks. ... An interurban streetcar line or interurban, also called a radial railway in Canada, is a streetcar line running between urban areas. ... Jump to: navigation, search William Donald Schaefer (born November 2, 1921), American politician, has served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. ... Here is a list of mayors that have served the city of Baltimore, Maryland. ... Robert L. Ehrlich, the 60th and current Governor of Maryland. ... Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland which was constructed to replace the aging Memorial Stadium. ...

The Light Rail's ticketing is based on a proof-of-payment system, similar to that used in mass transit in Berlin. Passengers can buy single- or round-trip tickets, or daily, weekly, or monthly passes, from vending machines located at stations. MTA police officers ride some trains and spot-check passengers to make sure that they are carrying a valid ticket or pass. Berlin ( ♫), IPA: , is the capital of Germany and its largest city; down from 4. ...

See also: List of Baltimore light rail stations Stations on the Baltimore Metro Subway The Baltimore Metro Subway is a subway located in Baltimore, Maryland. ...

Ticketing

The ticketing system for Baltimore-area public transit uses an integrated, paper ticket system. A one-way trip on the Metro Subway, Light Rail, or bus costs $1.60. A $3.50 day pass allows riders unlimited trips on all three systems for one day. Reduced fares for children, seniors and the disabled; monthly passes; and weekly and monthly passes are also available.

System shortcomings?

Although Baltimore's rail systems carry tens of thousands of passengers daily, they are viewed by many in the region as somewhat of a disappointment. This section will review some of the system's perceived problems.

Lack of integration

One of the first thing that strikes a public transit rider about Baltimore's rail systems is that they are in fact two systems rather than one integrated system. There is in fact no station where one can transfer directly and easily between the two systems. Both systems have stations at Lexington Market; however, to go from the Metro Subway station to the Light Rail station involves a 200-yard walk down a city street.

Stations not well placed

The Metro Subway route was drawn from scratch to pass through many residential neighborhoods on the west side of Baltimore and Baltimore County. However, because it follows previously existing interurban routes, the Light Rail line doesn't pass through the center of many neighborhoods; rather, it passes along their edges, often in parallel with the elevated Jones Falls Expressway (I-83). This means that Light Rail stations are sometimes inconveniently located. Interstate 83 is an interstate highway in the eastern United States. ...

In many cities, tourists make up a significant portion of the passenger base of a public transit system. However, Baltimore's rail systems don't take passengers directly to many of the city's biggest tourist attractions. Tourists would need to walk 500 yards to get from a rail station to the Inner Harbor, nearly a mile to get from a rail station to Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes; and more than a mile to get from a rail station to Fells Point. The Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and iconic landmark of the city. ... Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. ... The Preakness Stakes is a classic 1 3/16 mile (1. ... Fells Point is a neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, home to a variety of shops, restaurants, coffee bars, music stores, and over 120 pubs. ...

Baltimore's Penn Station has potential as a major transit hub, and it also immediately adjacent to a burgeoning arts and entertainment district. However, the spur that connects the main line to the platform level at Penn Station is only a single track, and thus cannot be used for through service. This means that trains can only enter and leave the station from the south, thus cutting off the entire northern half of the line from easy access to the station.

Long headways and slow service on the Light Rail

In order to complete it under budget, the Light Rail line was built with long stretches of only single track. As a result, trains could run on each of the two lines no more often than once every 17 minutes. (Times would be staggered so that on the shared section trains came every 8.5 minutes.) With the recent completion of double-tracking along the southern half of the system, trains now arrive at most destinations every 5-10 minutes.

Light Rail vehicle on Howard Street downtown

The section of the Light Rail line that passes through downtown Baltimore must interact with automobiles and streetlights; unlike many other similar systems, light rail vehicles have no ability to preempt signaling. This means that trains travel through this section of the line at what can be an interminable crawl. Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search 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. ...

The future of rail transit in Baltimore

Double-tracking and changing the routes of the Light Rail

In February 2004, the Light Rail system south of downtown Baltimore City was shut down so that all single-tracked areas of that portion of the system could be double-tracked. In July 2004, most of this section reopened; this stations south of North Linthicum, which include the two southern termini at Cromwell and BWI, were reopened in September 2004. Stops on the blue line north of the North Avenue stop have been shut down while double-track construction continues on that half of the system. Estimated re-opening of the northern section is "late 2005 to early 2006." A double-tracked system will see improved performance and could feature faster and variable headways, though the latter may require the purchase of more light rail vehicles -- a purchase for with the MTA currently has no budget. Linthicum is a census-designated place (CDP) and an unincorporated community located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. ...

Just before the shutdown, the MTA changed the Light Rail route pattern: Trains travelled between Hunt Valley and BWI Airport, and between Penn Station and Cromwell/Glen Burnie. This route structure offers direct access to the airport from the northern portions of the line.

Future expansion?

In 2002, an independent commission issued a report on the future of Baltimore-area transit. The report suggested an ambitious program that would tie together the two existing rail lines better and add miles of new track throughout the area. The existing Metro Subway would be rebranded as the "Green Line", while the two Light Rail lines would become the "Blue" and "Yellow" lines that they already were on maps. Part of the Yellow Line would be rerouted through a different portion of central Baltimore, and would be extended past the airport as far as Columbia, Maryland. The Green Line would be extended from Johns Hopkins Hospital to Morgan State University in the northeast of the city. An all-new rail line, called the Red Line, would run east-west from the Social Security Administration complex west of the city through downtown Baltimore to the burgeoning Fells Point and Canton neighborhoods. The People Tree statue has become a symbol of Columbia, Maryland. ... Morgan State University, located in residential Baltimore, Maryland, awards Baccalaureate, Masters and Doctorate degrees. ... The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) manages the United States social insurance program, consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. ...

Area transit riders and advocates were extremely excited by the report, though; the Baltimore City Paper dubbed the map that accompanied it "transit porn". However, the report was never more than a guideline for future plans, and there was no budget attached to it. Additionally, November 2002 saw the election of Republican Robert L. Ehrlich as governor of Maryland. Ehrlich's transportation agenda was centered on the Intercounty Connector, a long-proposed highway that would connect Montgomery County and Prince George's County in the south part of the state. Ehrlich's Secretary of Transportation, Robert L. Flanagan, has been ambivalent at best on the prospects of implementing any of the recommendations of the report. He initially proposed bus rapid transit in place of some of the rail lines advocated in the report. The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search Robert Leroy Ehrlich, Jr. ... The Intercounty Connector (The ICC) is a long-proposed, but as-yet-unbuilt, state highway in Maryland. ... Location in the state of Maryland Formed 1776 Seat Rockville Area  - Total  - Water 1,313 km² (507 mi²) 30 km² (12 mi²) 2. ... Jump to: navigation, search Location in the state of Maryland Formed 1696 Seat Upper Marlboro Area  - Total  - Water 1,291 km² (498 mi²) 34 km² (13 mi²) 2. ... Jump to: navigation, search Silver Line in Boston Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a broad term given to a variety of different transportation systems which attempt to use bus to provide a high-quality service through a set of various improvements to the bus line. ...

However, under pressure from Baltimore-area Congressional representatives, Maryland is now lobbying the Federal government for money to build the Red Line, probably as a light rail line with an underground section in the city center, and extend the Green Line. Such money can be hard to come by, and whether Congress will apportion such money to a state that appears to be ambivalent about using it to build rail lines remains to be seen. The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...