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. MTA, in partnership with Baltimore City and Baltimore County, has identified the range of options (also known as Alternatives) that best serve existing and future transit demand between the Towson area of Baltimore County and downtown Baltimore. Click here to learn 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.

The conclusions of the North-South Corridor Feasibility Study will serve as the basis of the preliminary alternatives that will be studied in detail during the Alternative Analysis (AA) phase. In 2024, the project team will present the preliminary alternatives that will continue into the AA phase and share the public engagement plan for stakeholder and public feedback during this phase of the project. The AA phase is expected to take approximately two years to complete, depending on the number and complexity of alternatives included for study. The AA phase will conclude with the selection of a preferred alternative.

Read the 2023 Feasibility Study Final Report

Corridor Study Goals

North - South Corridor Towson to Downtown Baltimore
1	Increase mobility and access to jobs, services, and other opportunities in the region.
2	Center equity as a core consideration.
3	Create strategic connection to local and regional multi-modal transportation options.
4	Support the region’s economic competitiveness and strategic growth.
5	Support the regions sustainability goals.

East - West Corridor Bayview to Ellicott City
1	Improve the connectivity and operations of the existing transit network.
2	Expand the reach and connectivity of the regional transit network.
3	Prioritize the needs of existing transit riders and transit-critical populations.
4	Maximize the economic and environmental benefit of a major transit investment.

What goes into a Corridor Study?

Corridor Studies identify the range of options (also known as alternatives) that best serve existing and future transit demand for a specific study area. In each case, MDOT MTA and its partners will work with jurisdictional partners and the public to set corridor-specific goals and objectives to evaluate potential routes, modes, and service characteristics (stop/station locations and frequency).

Corridor studies look at:

What comes out of a Corridor Study?

It takes approximately one year for Corridor Studies to narrow down all of the possible ways to travel between destinations into a final group of two to three alternatives that will receive further engineering analysis. Each alternative offers a different approach to how the service would work, including these characteristics: