Group raising funds to support Red Line
A group of Baltimore residents will hold a pro-Red Line pep rally tonight in a hotbed of opposition to the proposed light rail tonight to raise money to advocate for the project.
The Red Line Now PAC will hold its event at 6 p.m. at the Field House Pub at 2400 Boston Street in Canton, where many local residents have protested plans to run trains along the surface of that street.
"This is one of the few issue-driven political action committees created by everyday Baltimore citizens, and the only one to focus on transit," said Robbyn Lewis, the organization's chairperson. "We want this project to be the best it can be."
The group said it is made up of citizens volunteers who live along the planned route of the Red Line, which would run from Woodlawn through downtown to Bayview. The organization says it is not affiliated with any political groups or candidates but will concentrate it efforts of promoting the Red Line.
Comments
I wish they'd take all the money destined to support Red and Purple line projects and pour it into extending the DC Metro Green line to Charles Center. Connect DC and Baltimore! People will use it constantly. It will be self sufficient.
Posted by: BigDragon | August 24, 2011 3:05 PM
BigDragon,
Regional Rail is the best way to connect Baltimore and DC. 100+mph vs subway speeds. We just need it to run on weekends. Advocate, advocate, advocate.
Posted by: blarg | August 24, 2011 4:49 PM
Green line from Greenbelt to Charles Center would mean your trip to DC would take about two hours. Regional rail (MARC) is better for this service.
Posted by: JH | September 1, 2011 2:38 PM
It appears that this PAC, under the guise of promoting the Red Line is actually trying to get it moved from Boston Street to Eastern Avenue. Shame on hiding the truth and the REAL motives.This, as a practical matter, would kill the Red Line because of the additional cost.
People should realize that property values go up when near public transportation.
Posted by: ADP | September 1, 2011 3:36 PM
Making it the "best it can be" would involve switching the mode from light rail to heavy rail. This is a desperately needed transit line, but building it this way is short-sighted and not going to generate the transit culture that exists in places like D.C.
METRO FOR BALTIMORE!
Posted by: Tom | September 4, 2011 9:45 PM
JH is right about MARC versus a Washington Metro extension for connecting Balto and DC. The Germans run trains analogous to our MARC service. The service is called S-Bahn service. It links the central city with the suburbs in a metro area. Depending on the size of the metro area, trains can operate every 30 minutes, like in Dresden, or even more frequently, as in the larger metro areas.
If MARC trains operated every 30 minutes between DC and Balto, that would be a great service for Maryland.
COMMENT: MARC does not own its tracks but must use those controlled by CSX and Amtrak. Thus, it must schedule its trains around interstate passenger trains and freight traffic. I doubt the German trains operate under similar constraints. --MTD
Posted by: James Caldwell | September 7, 2011 5:51 AM