Maryland could lose $100 million in federal funds over canceled Red Line

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

Maryland may lose out on $100 million in federal funding that was slated for use in the Red Line transit project, which was canceled by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

 

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx made clear in a letter to U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) that the federal Red Line funding cannot be used for other Maryland transit projects in lieu of the governor’s decision to cancel the project.

“For me, the Red Line has always been about jobs today and jobs tomorrow. It is a jobs and opportunity corridor,” Sen. Mikulski said. “I’ve been bullish on the Red Line so that we can ease congestion, revitalize communities and improve our state’s transportation infrastructure. I went to work for Maryland and fought tooth and nail to secure $100 million in the federal checkbook for construction. I am disappointed Gov. Hogan has canceled the project. All options to create a jobs corridor must be on the table and explored.”

Responding to an inquiry from Senator Mikulski, Secretary Foxx noted that $100 million in federal funding securing in 2014 can only be used for the Red Line transit project, with its specific environmental study and engineering plan and cannot be transferred to another Maryland project. Secretary Foxx said that any new transit project the state embarks upon must start the project development process over again with state or local money. Secretary Foxx assured that USDOT will hold onto Red Line federal funding for a short period, in case Gov. Hogan reconsiders his plan to cancel the project.

The Red Line is a 14.1-mile east-west corridor from Woodlawn to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center campus with 19 stations. It would have served areas in western Baltimore County/City and downtown Baltimore, including: Woodlawn, Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, downtown Baltimore, Harbor East, Fell’s Point, Canton and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center campus in eastern Baltimore City and would connect with the existing light rail, Metro and MARC Train. According to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), estimated ridership by 2035 had been expected to be 55,000 passengers per day and construction had been estimated to create 4,000 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs.

Foxx wrote that “funding targeted to the Red Line cannot be shifted to, or reserved for, another yet-to-be-defined transit investment in the city of Baltimore. President Obama recommended the Red Line for a Full Funding Grant Agreement in his Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, including $100 million toward a total $900 million federal funding commitment. The project had been evaluated by the FTA and was advancing toward a funding commitment. The appropriations language made for the FY 15 CIG program that governs the referenced $100 million was clear in its assignments and, unfortunately, any alternative project will not be able to meet the language’s specific funding requirements.

“It should be noted, however, that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has not yet received an official confirmation from Gov.Hogan’s office that the Red Line has been canceled. Until that time, the project will remain in our CIG pipeline. For a short period, FTA will refrain from redirecting FY 15 funding available to the Red Line, on the chance that the governor might reconsider essential state support for the project. However, if the governor’s slated decision to cancel the project stands, the funds must be redirected to projects in other communities to ensure that they remain actively deployed for New/Small Start investments.”

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