North-South Corridor Study

OVERVIEW

The North-South Corridor Study is part of the Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan (RTP), a 25-year plan for improving public transportation in Central Maryland. MDOT MTA, in partnership with Baltimore City and Baltimore County, has spent the last year identifying the range of options (also known as Alternatives) that best serve existing and future transit demand between Towson and Downtown Baltimore. Click here to find out more about the overall Corridor Study process, including information about why this corridor study area was identified as a top priority by the RTP Commission.

We are now sharing what we've learned about seven potential Alternatives in this North-South Corridor, and we need your ideas, comments, and questions to help MDOT MTA and its regional partners compare options and develop alternatives for further study in the next phase. We are looking for specific feedback on each Alternative as well as feedback on the proposed project goals. MDOT MTA and its regional partners will use public feedback themes to supplement the measures of effectiveness review. While these are preliminary results, they represent a first step toward the long-term goal of delivering major transit investments to the region.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT EACH OF THE ALTERNATIVES

Take the Survey

Survey deadline: November 7

Attend a Public Meeting

ALTERNATIVES AT A GLANCE

Alternative 1

Light Rail Transit from Lutherville to University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) via York Road/Greenmount Avenue.

Alternative 2

Bus Rapid Transit from Lutherville to University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) via York Road/Greenmount Avenue.

Alternative 3

Bus Rapid Transit from Towson to Harbor East, via York Road/ Greenmount Avenue.

Alternative 4

Heavy Rail Transit (Subway) from Towson to Port Covington, via York Road/ Greenmount Avenue.

Alternative 5

Bus Rapid Transit from Towson to Port Covington, via York Road/ Greenmount Avenue.

Alternative 6

Light Rail Transit from Lutherville to Otterbein, via Goucher Boulevard, Loch Raven Boulevard.

Alternative 7

Bus Rapid Transit from Towson to Harbor East, via Joppa Road, Loch Raven Boulevard.

EXPLORE THE ALTERNATIVES

HOW WE GOT HERE

DETERMINED PROJECT GOALS

In Spring / Summer 2021, we developed a set of corridor-specific goals and objectives based on input from local jurisdictions and members of the public through conversations and surveys. We used these goals and objectives to evaluate potential routes, modes, and service characteristics (including station locations and frequency). Project goals were to:

Increase mobility and access to jobs, services, and other opportunities in the region.

Create strategic connection to multi-modal transportation options locally and regionally.

Center equity as a core consideration.

Support the region's economic competitiveness and strategic growth.

Support the region’s sustainability goals.

CREATED ALTERNATIVES

Alternatives allow us to test combinations of different kinds of transit service (mode) and connections to key destinations (alignments).

Alignment

To determine where stations would be located and how close they would be to each other, we used public surveys and conversations to get an idea of where people want to be able to travel by transit. We also considered broader trends in travel patterns and transit ridership, as well as land use and market conditions.

Mode

We are testing three types of transit service - Heavy Rail Transit (Metro), Light Rail Transit (LRT), and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - that individually and in combination with each other best meet the corridor goals and transit demand.

Service Type

Definition

Reliability

Stop Spacing

Average Passenger Capacity (per vehicle)

Heavy Rail Transit (HRT)

Electric rail system powered by third rail
Must operate in exclusive fixed guideway, often underground
Serves areas with high-density development and high-transit demand
High construction costs

High

1 - 2 miles

70 - 190

Light Rail Transit (LRT)

Electric rail system powered by overhead wires
Operates in dedicated fixed guideway, but can run in mixed traffic
Medium to high construction costs

High

.5 - 1 mile

60 - 175

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Bus-based transit system
Operates in both dedicated busways and mixed traffic allowing for route flexibility
Provides the quality of rail transit with the flexibility of buses using traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and enhanced stations
Low to medium construction costs

Medium to High

.25 - 1 mile

40 - 110

All Alternatives would operate at 10-15 minute frequencies 20-24 hours per day

SELECTED MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS

In Fall 2021, we chose a range of measures that align with the corridor goals to evaluate how each Alternative performs. Additionally, we performed modeling to project the ridership and transit system effect each Alternative would have. Here is a summary of what we've learned:

ALTERNATIVES			1	2	3	4	5	6	7
		Mode	LRT	BRT	BRT	HRT	BRT	LRT	BRT
		Endpoints	Lutherville - UMMC		Towson - Harbor East	Towson - Port Covington		Lutherville - Otterbein	Towson - Harbor East
		Length	11.6	11.5	9.2	10.5	10.4	12.5	12.6
		Number of Stations	21	33	28	9	30	25	32
		Average Station Spacing (miles)	0.6	0.3	0.3	1.2	0.3	0.5	0.4
Goal	Theme	Measure of Effectiveness
Increase mobility and access to jobs, services, and other opportunities in the region	Reliability	Dedicated or separated guideway	GOOD	BETTER	BETTER	BEST	BETTER	BETTER	BEST
	Reliability	Fixed or Flexible Guideway	FIXED	FLEXIBLE	FLEXIBLE	FIXED	FLEXIBLE	FIXED	FLEXIBLE
	Travel Time	Transit travel time between Towson and Downtown Baltimore (minutes)¹	BEST	BETTER	BETTER	BEST	BETTER	GOOD	GOOD
	Access	Future jobs accessible by transit within 45 minutes	BEST	BETTER	BETTER	GOOD	BETTER	GOOD	GOOD
		Households within 1/2 mile of a station per mile	BETTER	BETTER	BEST	GOOD	BEST	BETTER	BETTER
		Future jobs within 1/2 mile of a station per mile	BETTER	BETTER	BEST	GOOD	BEST	GOOD	BETTER
		Student population within 1/2 mile of a station per mile	BETTER	BEST	BEST	GOOD	BETTER	BETTER	BETTER
	Ridership	Projected daily boardings in 2045 per mile	BETTER	BETTER	BEST	GOOD	BEST	BETTER	BETTER
Create strategic connection to multi-modal transportation options locally and regionally	Connections	Connections to rail stations, frequent bus routes and locally operated transit systems	BETTER	BEST	BETTER	GOOD	GOOD	BETTER	GOOD
	System Travel Savings	Average travel time savings for transit riders living in the corridor	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT
Center equity as a core consideration	Equity	All transit-critical populations per mile²	BETTER	BETTER	BEST	GOOD	BETTER	BETTER	BETTER
Support the region's economic competitiveness and strategic growth	Cost	Capital cost ($ millions)	$$$	$	$$	$$$	$$	$$	$
	Development Opportunity	Development opportunities within 1/2 mile of station (number of vacant properties)	BEST	BEST	BETTER	BETTER	GOOD	GOOD	GOOD
	Implementation	Implementation time (years)	MIDDLE	SHORTEST	SHORTEST	LONGEST	SHORTEST	MIDDLE	SHORTEST
	Implementation	Bridge and Tunnel Complexity	MEDIUM	N/A	N/A	HIGH	N/A	MEDIUM	N/A
Support the regions sustainability goals.	Sustainability	Protected areas adjacent to the alignment³	BETTER	BETTER	GOOD	GOOD	GOOD	BEST	BETTER
Support the regions sustainability goals.	Mode Shift	Trips shifted to transit	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT	NOT SIGNIFICANT

1 Total trip time, including walking to and from station

2 Sum of low-income, minority, limited English proficiency, and 65+ populations, people with disabilities, and zero-car households within 1/2 mile of a station, per mile. People/households may be counted more than once if they're part of multiple transit-critical groups.

3 Percentage of the 100 foot buffer area around alignment within protected areas.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS REPORT

VISIT OUR FAQ PAGE

ACTION ITEMS

Please review the Alternatives profile pages here and provide your feedback by November 7. In addition to the website, you can share your thoughts by:

Attending the Virtual Public Meeting on September 22 or October 3. Click here to register.

Inviting us to present at your community meetings.

Contacting the project team by email: rtp@mta.maryland.gov or phone message:
443-475-0687

Talking with us at transit or event pop-ups in the corridor.

NEXT STEPS

WE ARE HERE

Identify Alternatives for Further Study

MDOT MTA and local jurisdictions will select a reduced set of alternatives for further study after public feedback is gathered.

Additional Analysis

The reduced set of alternatives will be narrowed to a single option after receiving additional engineering and environmental review, as well as public feedback.

Apply for Funding

MDOT MTA and its partners will develop a local funding plan and apply for funding to support design and construction once a preferred option has been confirmed.