Work on new Halethorpe MARC station starts
The Maryland Transit Administration has launched a $21 million project to replace the obsolete Halethorpe MARC station, one of the busiest on the Penn Line, with a modern facility.
Gov. Martin O'Malley joined Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and local lawmakers Monday for a ground-breaking at the old Halethorpe depot.
O'Malley said the new station would include new and longer platforms, ramps, elevators and a pedestrian bridge. It will also include a new kiss-and-ride lot.
The Halethorpe station is the fifth-busiest on the Penn Line, serving about 1,300 passengers a day. The Halethorpe stop serves a wide range of communities in Baltimore city, Baltimore County and the Elkridge area of Howard County.l
The project is expected to address a longstanding lack of facilities for the disabled at the old station and to bring it into compliance with federal law on wheelchair access.
MTA Halethorpe Station
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Photo illustration courtesy of MTA Maryland
Comments
Wasn't there an article just last week saying that groundbreaking had been postponed "indefinitely"? Also, as a daily rider from Halethorpe I noticed no signs, no extra parking, NOTHING that lets its customers now their commute is about to be severly disrupted AGAIN (after the huge schedule overhaul just a few weeks ago). Two years of construction will be pure hell. Soon, MARC will become so difficult and unpleasant as a daily experience that it won't be worth it.
Posted by: RomanTotale3d | April 4, 2011 3:35 PM
Roman, MTA is about to spend a bundle solely for your comfort and convenience and all you can do is whine that there are no signs and no extra parking? Sheesh.
Posted by: anon | April 4, 2011 8:02 PM
It is not often that a state gets to add a new rail station. It is a pity that this was the best the state's system of procurement could come up with when soliciting a design. Historical pastiche in mediocre materials is embarrassing.
Posted by: Eric in Baltimore | April 5, 2011 9:09 AM
Roman: What anon said.
Eric: Baby steps. At least they're upgrading the station. Maybe next they'll (GASP) build some mixed-use development around it. What a concept!
Posted by: Chris | April 5, 2011 1:03 PM
You would think that they would look at some more options in the area. Instead of locating a station there, they would look at moving the station south just a bit to serve BOTH the Penn and Camden lines! This would eliminate costs of maintaining 2 stations - the old Halethorpe station and the existing station to the west on the Camden. Reduction in operating costs plus we'd be able to have a northern transfer point!!!!
Posted by: John | April 6, 2011 4:25 PM
anon and Chris: unless you two clowns actually ride the MARC my suggestion is to shut the h*ll up. If there is no place to park for 2 years, how is this going to help? Try commenting on a topic you know something about.
Posted by: RomanTotale3d | April 7, 2011 3:32 PM
Roman, I ride MARC and unlike you I don't have the benefit of subsidized parking. According to the MTA website there are 928 FREE spaces at Halethorpe. Are you saying the construction project will eliminate all those spaces for two years? I doubt it.
Posted by: anon | April 12, 2011 4:06 PM
I thought it was a 17 million dollars project, now it is 21 million dollars. Every time I look the price increases.
Posted by: mel | August 4, 2011 11:20 AM