The Sun reported on the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance's criticism of the Maryland Transit Administration's latest proposal for overhauling bus service in metropolitan Baltimore ("Transportation alliance critical of MTA's plan to overhaul bus routes," Sept 22). The article quoted Hogan administration spokesman Doug Mayer as calling the report "complete nonsense" and "extremely biased at best."
The Transportation Alliance can defend itself, but it is not nonsense to criticize the plan, which falls far short of the MTA's own goal of providing "safe, efficient and reliable transit … with world-class customer service." Customer service seems the least of the plan's concerns. In many instances, the proposal makes the bus service less efficient and less reliable for MTA customers.
For much of central Baltimore, traveling by bus will be less convenient and take longer under the MTA's plan. Trips of less than two miles, which can now be traveled by one bus, will require a transfer. For example, MTA plans to cancel the No. 3 line along East 33rd Street. That means that to go south from the heavily used transportation hub at Greenmount Avenue and 33rd Street to Penn Station, the Maryland State Office Complex or the Enoch Pratt Central Library would require taking two buses rather than one. The same is true for those going north to Morgan State University or Good Samaritan Hospital. Happy transferring, and good luck getting to classes on time, Morgan State students!
Consider the current No. 11 line. It now heads down Charles Street, Maryland Avenue and Cathedral Street to the Inner Harbor, discharging passengers for Penn Station and all the offices, shops and medical offices on or within a block of this route. Major institutions include the Waxter Center for Senior Citizens and the Enoch Pratt Library. The bus then returns to northern Baltimore and to Baltimore County via Charles Street. Under the new plan, to be known as LocalLink 51, buses turn east on Mount Royal and head south to City Hall via Guilford Avenue, before turning north via the Fallsway. Why this re-routing? The MTA justifies this because buses will move faster on Guilford and layovers will be easier near City Hall. That might be true, but is it passenger friendly? Do the people currently taking the No. 11 want to go down Guilford Avenue and then walk four blocks uphill to their destinations?
These routes are particularly important to residents of central Baltimore, but the changes affect people along the entire length of these routes from Baltimore County, through the city to downtown Baltimore — and back to the county. These changes will certainly transform, but certainly not improve, the bus system.
Furthermore, these routes serve two key public transportation constituencies: low-income people without cars who depend on buses and people who choose to use public transportation rather than driving, thus reducing automobile congestion and pollution. To neglect either of these populations is poor public policy.
There are other routes MTA wants to cancel or reconfigure. There are routes that will have times between buses lengthened.
It is clear that BaltimoreLink Plan will result in worse service for many riders in the metropolitan region. But it is also clear that current bus service needs to be improved. The Baltimore Metropolitan Region — or any region in Maryland — will not have adequate public transportation until Maryland adequately funds public transportation. Trying to expand the current system without expanded funding only creates new underserved areas. Until the governor, the General Assembly and the public recognizes this, we're just playing around with colored lines on a map.
Michael S. Franch, Baltimore
The writer is a member of Bus Workgroup14, a group advocating for transit services for residents of the 14th City Council District.