The city of Baltimore, Maryland, is now served by one heavy and one light rail line in addition to commuter rail service to Washington, D.C. However, the lines do not share any common stations and do not function as a network. The larger objective of this research was to evaluate ways in which the Baltimore transit system could be better integrated and contribute more to community well-being, environmental quality, and economic prosperity for all socioeconomic and racial and cultural groups. An underlying goal was to improve the mobility of a wider range of Baltimore residents so that their employment choices would not be limited by an underdeveloped transit system. This outcome was addressed in the context of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the Livable Communities Initiative, and the state of Maryland's Smart Growth initiative. Only part of the larger agenda is presented here--the development of a community-based model for selecting and designing potential light rail line corridors in the larger system. The model used seven quality-of-life and livable community criteria--(a) potential to serve low- to moderate-income neighborhoods that have no direct access to public transportation (including bus access), (b) high concentrations of employment opportunities along the route, (c) highest number of intact commercial districts along the route, (d) proximity to dense population centers (within a 1/4-mi radius), (e) proximity to numerous community social or cultural centers (including schools and churches), (f) minimal physical environmental impacts, and (g) the most potential to improve the pedestrian environment.
Abstract