Proposals for the rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are due Monday. But the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition (BTEC) and its allies “urgently request the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) to accept designs that include light rail transit for the rebuilding,” in an official statement released Thursday.
In their statement, advocates argue that a light rail option would increase work opportunities and improve air quality while reducing commute times. “The mantra in the industry is, development follows rail,” said Samuel Jordan, president of BTEC. “So why shouldn't we extend that opportunity for expanded development that's going to occur, and is occurring in East Baltimore County, across the bridge?” he asked.
Jordan believes adding light rail will help people in underserved neighborhoods in South Baltimore without cars get to work. They could ride to places like Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point where companies like Amazon, UPS and FedEx are located.
“They have to go around the harbor at least an hour and a half on a very good day. So that bridge, when it has a capacity for light rail, will do more than just be a multimodal design. It will also bring the kind of development to the region that we envision. We call it the Railazation of the regional Baltimore economy.”
Earlier this month, engineers from the MDTA announced plans for the new bridge. They’re focusing only on rebuilding it as it was - meaning no light rail or pedestrian walkways. “The new bridge will be designed to meet the current standards and needs of the Port of Baltimore,” said chief engineer, Jim Harkness, during a community update meeting on June 11.
In that meeting, the MDTA also said it would use an equity framework in rebuilding. Agency spokespeople have not yet responded to WYPR’s inquiry asking for clarification on how a public transit option like the light rail fails to fit into that.
However, the agency is sticking to its June 24th deadline for design proposals. The cost is estimated between $1.7 and $1.9 billion. On March 26, the Dali, a cargo ship struck the bridge killing six workers. MDTA expects to complete the rebuild by October 15, 2028.
