Maryland

Wes Moore to relaunch Baltimore’s Red Line, but big questions remain

Published

1 year ago

June 15, 2023

Wes Moore to relaunch Baltimore’s Red Line, but big questions remain

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) will announce Thursday plans to build the multibillion-dollar Red Line in Baltimore on an expedited schedule, setting an ambitious timeline to revive an east-west transit way whose abrupt cancellation in 2015 became a symbol of neglect for many city residents.

The defunct 14-mile project — designed in large part to link isolated, high-poverty neighborhoods with regional jobs centers — will need to be reimagined and has many hurdles to clear to start construction by 2026 or 2027, as Moore plans.

Key questions remain about how the project will be paid for and what it will entail — including whether it will be light rail as originally envisioned or a rapid bus system.

But Moore, who campaigned on building the Red Line, plans to start community meetings next month for feedback on those questions ahead of seeking federal funding by the end of next year, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld.

“The governor is telling us to go,” Wiedefeld said in an interview.

He said the state would reexamine whether the project should stretch farther into the Baltimore County suburbs to reach Sparrow’s Point, home to Trade Point Atlantic and the big Amazon fulfillment center built on what eight years ago was the abandoned site of Bethlehem Steel.

Wiedefeld said the state also must realign the Red Line’s path given the development that has happened in the corridor since it was designed, and consider whether to stick with costly plans to tunnel under downtown. He said it was too soon to determine the revamp’s cost, but estimated it would be “several billions.”

Asked how much of the existing plan could be salvaged, Wiedefeld said, “We feel quite a bit.”

“We’re not reinventing the wheel here,” he added.

Back in 2015, the $2.9 billion project had spent more than a dozen years in development, sparked a gas tax increase to help pay for it, secured a critical federal environment approval and was in line to receive more than $900 million in federal funding.

But then-governor Larry Hogan (R) canceled it a few months into his first term, calling the plan “a wasteful boondoggle” and sending earmarked resources to transportation projects elsewhere in Maryland.

The decision came as Baltimore reeled from the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody and the subsequent public unrest. The Obama administration investigated whether the Red Line cancellation was a civil rights violation, but never brought action against the state.

Hogan defended his decision throughout his tenure, arguing the plan that tunneled under parts of West Baltimore and downtown was unworkable. In addition to the federal funding Hogan walked away from, more than $300 million had already been spent planning the Red Line. Baltimore’s political leaders and residents lamented the disinvestment for years.

After studying numerous options, Maryland officials had selected light rail and their preferred route back in 2009. In 2013, federal officials approved crucial environmental documentation for the 14-mile, 19-station line stretching from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services headquarters in Baltimore County to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore City. That was the decision that set up Maryland to receive $900 million from the Federal Transit Administration.

Five years later, many across Baltimore bitterly lament Gov. Hogan’s decision to kill the Red Line light rail

Today, Biden administration officials say the 2021 infrastructure law, with more than $90 billion in guaranteed funding for public transportation, represents the biggest transit investment in U.S. history.

But there is still stiff competition for federal dollars supporting multibillion-dollar projects such as the Red Line, and federal officials have said Maryland would not jump to the front of the line.

Instead, the state would face federal environmental and other assessments that, in some cases, can take years.

The Federal Transit Administration had said that if plans for a rebooted Red Line were similar to earlier ones approved by Washington, “a significant portion” of Maryland’s design plans might still be usable.

Wiedefeld said the community engagement process will weigh light rail against rapid bus transit, considering how to most expeditiously serve a community that he said has long been left behind.

Purple Line will open 4½ years late and cost $1.4 billion more to complete, state says

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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Maryland

How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream

Michigan State got the job done in its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty as it hung on at home against Florida Atlantic. Now, it has to head on the road to open Big Ten play in what promises to be a tougher test.

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on FuboTV (free trial)

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on Sling

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on DirecTV Stream

· Visit MLive’s Betting Home for latest odds & sportsbook promos

Michigan State is 1-0, but the road gets tougher now. The Spartans go on the road and start Big Ten play early in Week 2 with a trip to Maryland. The Terrapins have a new look this year without quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa but looked strong in their season-opener against Howard last week.

· Who: Michigan State at Maryland

· When: 3:30 p.m.

· Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland

· Twitter: Follow Matt Wenzel

· Live updates: Beginning at 2:30 p.m. at mlive.com/spartans

· Latest line: Maryland -9.5

TV Network: Big Ten Network

Streaming options:

· FuboTV is offering $30 off the first month for all U.S. plans. Sign up to get your favorite TV shows, live sports events, and much more

· Sling currently has an offer of $20 for the first month of subscription and has streaming coverage of live sports, news and entertainment.

· DirecTV Stream offers live sports, news and on demand TV.

Five must-reads before kickoff:

* Michigan State lost two members of its secondary, Dillon Tatum and Khalil Majeed, to long-term injuries in its season opener. The team is turning to some new faces to fill in the holes from those injuries.

* Alex VanSumeren was once Michigan State’s top-rated recruit, but he’s been seldom seen on the field due to injuries. Now, though, he’s healthy and making his mark on the Spartans’ defensive line.

* Aidan Chiles’ 10-completion, two-interception performance in Michigan State’s season-opener was his “floor,” according to offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who has a plan to improve the quarterback’s performance going forward.

* Jonathan Smith had a name for Week 1 in college football: overreaction Saturday. He’s cautioning fans not to put too much stock into an opening performance that likely underwhelmed many.

* The run game and discipline are two of Matt Wenzel’s five things to watch in this week’s matchup.

Michigan State

* Passing: Aidan Chiles 10-14, 114 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT

* Rushing: Kay’ron Lynch-Adams 9 rush, 101 yards, 1 TD

* Receiving: Michael Masunas 2 rec., 29 yards, 0 TD

* Tackles: Angelo Grose 12

* Sacks: Khris Bogle 1.5

* Interceptions: Grose, Nikai Martinez 1

Maryland

* Passing: Billy Edwards Jr. 20-27, 311 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

* Rushing: Roman Hemby 14 rush, 66 yards, 1 TD

* Receiving: Tai Felton 7 rec., 178 yards, 2 TD

* Tackles: Glendon Miller 6

* Sacks: None

* Interceptions: Ruben Hyppolite II, Miller 1

Friday, Sept. 6

Western Illinois at Indiana

Duke at Northwestern

Saturday, Sept. 7

Texas at Michigan, noon (FOX)

Rhode Island at Minnesota, noon (Peacock)

Bowling Green at Penn State, noon (BTN)

Akron at Rutgers, noon (BTN)

Iowa State at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Michigan State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

Eastern Michigan at Washington, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

South Dakota at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

Kansas at Illinois, 7 p.m. (FS1)

Colorado at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Western Michigan at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. (BTN)

Boise State at Oregon, 10 p.m. (Peacock)

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Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland

Published

8 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Michigan State has an excellent chance to make a strong statement this weekend that the rebuilding job under new head coach Jonathan Smith is ahead of schedule, if the Spartans can take down 8-point favorite Maryland on Saturday.
A Michigan State victory would be a strong statement within the football industry, but maybe not as strong from a fan perspective. I’m not sure Maryland’s football brand is as respected in the state of Michigan and regionally as it should be, for a program that has gone 8-5 in the past two seasons and defeated Auburn and North Carolina State in bowl games the past two years.
Maryland is good. The Terrapins are coming off a 50-7 victory over a weak UConn team last week. Maryland’s offense looked very good against a weak, soft, conservative UConn defense.
Michigan State’s defense was ahead of schedule last week against a mediocre Florida Atlantic offense. Michigan State’s offense was behind schedule, experiencing inconsistent accuracy and decision-making at the quarterback position, which was somewhat understandable considering it was sophomore Aidan Chiles’ first start as a college player. MSU’s running game also lacked consistency, especially in short yardage and in the red zone.
The big news from Maryland last week in my opinion was the excellent play of new starting quarterback Billy Edwards. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound redshirt-junior had waited behind the outgoing, record-breaking Taulia Tagovailoa for three years. Tagovailoa left Maryland as the Big Ten’s all-time passing leader. He went undrafted and is now playing in the CFL.
Edwards looked good last week. He’s strong in the pocket, is a physical ball carrier on designed runs or scrambles. He was accurate over the middle on intermediate routes, and seemed to do a good job processing coverages, although UConn’s coverages were simple, slow and soft.
I saw this Michigan State vs Maryland game as a swing game on the schedule prior to the season. But considering how well Edwards and his receivers looked last week, and Michigan State’s sputtering start on offense, this game goes from being a swing game to uphill slog for the Spartans.

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Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school

Published

16 hours ago

September 6, 2024

Press Room

Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school

One teen shot another during a dispute in a Maryland high school bathroom Friday in what authorities called an isolated incident.

The victim, a 15-year-old student at Joppatowne High School, was in serious condition after being airlifted to a hospital, the Harford County Public Schools said in a news release, citing information it received from the county sheriff’s department.

A 16-year-old student whom police identified as the shooter fled shortly afterward but was caught minutes later nearby, according to the news release. Officials said no information would be released immediately about the weapon, which had not been recovered.

The state’s attorney has said the suspect will be charged, the release said, citing Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler.

Shortly after the shooting, the sheriff’s office asked people to avoid the area, but emphasized that the confrontation was an “isolated incident, not an active shooter.” A parent-student reunification center was established at a nearby church. More than 100 personnel responded to the high school about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore, Gahler said.

The fight happened two days after a shooter whom authorities identified as a 14-year-old student killed four people at a high school outside Atlanta. Wednesday’s attack renewed debate about safe storage laws for guns and had parents wondering how to talk to their children about school shootings and trauma.

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