FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baltimore Penn Station Improvements will Deliver Reduced Travel Times,
Expand Access to Employment and Services
BALTIMORE, MD (August 12, 2022) -The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) has been awarded a $6 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) 2022 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The grant will assist the $12 million Building Baltimore Penn Station Connections project to improve access in and around Baltimore’s Penn Station.
“Baltimore Penn Station is a major focal point of the region’s transit network, so I’m gratified our federal partners selected this project for funding,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “This investment in Baltimore Penn Station will provide stronger access to jobs and sustainable growth in the surrounding community and throughout the region.”
In addition to enhancing transportation connections for transit riders, motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, Building Baltimore Penn Station Connections will expand access to the local disadvantaged community, more than 20% of which lacks access to a car. This project will complement investments by other public and private partners to modernize and redevelop Baltimore Penn Station.
The project will fund several multi-modal improvements to enhance safety, reliability, accessibility and connectivity, including:
- transit priority treatments on Charles and St. Paul streets, two of the highest volume bus corridors in Baltimore City, providing…
- dedicated bus lanes on Charles Street that will connect to bus lanes installed with the North Avenue Rising project, and curb extensions at approximately 10 bus stops;
- bus stop amenities including new real-time travel information and ticket vending machines;
- dedicated curbside pick-up and drop-off locations for buses and for-hire vehicles; and
- bicycle and pedestrian investments including traffic signal and crosswalk enhancements at Charles and St. Paul streets, secure bicycle parking and realignment of the Jones Falls Trail.
These enhanced transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure investments will support future ridership needs and augment the significant public and private investments planned at Baltimore Penn Station. Amtrak has committed more than $100 million toward modernization of the facility and Baltimore Penn Station Partners, a local development group, is investing more than $450 million in transit-oriented, mixed-use development intended to strengthen job opportunities and growth in the surrounding area.
Building Baltimore Penn Station Connections is the second MDOT MTA project to receive a RAISE grant in the last two years, highlighting MDOT MTA’s success in leveraging federal, state and local partnerships to improve transit options. In 2021, MDOT MTA was awarded a $22 million RAISE grant to assist the $50 million East-West Priority Corridor project. In 2017, the agency received a $10 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the $27 million North Avenue Rising project.
MDOT MTA is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States. MDOT MTA operates LocalLink and commuter buses, Light RailLink, Metro SubwayLink, MARC Train service and a comprehensive Mobility (paratransit) system. MDOT MTA’s goal is to provide safe, efficient and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. As a participating agency in APTA’s Health and Safety Commitment Program, MDOT MTA is dedicated to keeping our employees and passengers safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, visit mta.maryland.gov, check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/mtamaryland and follow us on Twitter @mtamaryland.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jerimiah Moerke
Office: 410-767-8367
Cell: 667-392-3625
jmoerke@mdot.maryland.gov
Paul Shepard
Office: 410-767-3935
Cell: 443-622-4181
pshepard@mdot.maryland.gov
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