Baltimore's vision for transportation released
Baltimore has just released a 53-page outline of its requests for federal funding in the massive, multi-year transportation spending reauthorization bill Congress is taking up this year. This is more than just a $294.8 million wish list. It's a blueprint of the city's vision for transportation for the next six years or more.
There are many important initiatives proposed here -- not all of which are likely to receive funding. But if you're interested in understanding the Dixon administration's long-range plan for transforming Baltimore, there's a lot here. It's not narrowly focused on transportation.
You'll be reading more about this report in the coming days and weeks here, on baltimoresun.com and in the pages of The Baltimore Sun. If you see something particularly noteworthy, feel free to drop us an email.
Comments
Glossy looking documents with lots of color, big photos, and fancy fonts always concern me.
This looks like a wish list of projects, many of which have been circulating around for years now. These projects usually come from a developer and s/he wants some federal bacon to help him out. I don't see comprehensive planning, nor do I see anything like a blueprint. But then again, it's a request list, not a master plan.
If I were composing a vision/blueprint, it would refer to a fully modally integrated capital/maintenance project plan/expectations for the next 100 years and detail and request what we want to spend (receive) over the next 6 years. The 100 years would already be determined in moderate detail in earlier documents, but condensed and referenced here. But transportation is really a regional issue (BMC/BRTB) and this is the City, and we can't expect either one to think beyond the length of time it takes to repay a loan on a building project now can we?
Nate Payer
TRAC
(The views expressed here are my own).
Posted by: Nate | May 15, 2009 4:53 PM