Almost eight years to the day that his predecessor canceled it, Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced Thursday he’ll resurrect the Red Line project in Baltimore — fulfilling a promise he made when he successfully campaigned for Governor last year.
The proposed east-to-west mass transit line from western Baltimore County through Baltimore and into eastern Baltimore County won’t appear soon, however, because the state must re-do much of the planning that was already done on the project almost a decade ago. That will start with an environmental study as part of the pitch to the federal government for funding. But Moore was undaunted by that as he spoke Thursday, telling city residents to get involved in the process.
“To everyone who’s out there, who’s been waiting and waiting, I say this - this is going to happen,” Moore told a press event at the West Baltimore MARC station.
Former Governor Larry Hogan canceled the Red Line just months after taking office in June 2015, calling it a ‘boondoggle’ and citing its more than $2 billion price tag. The Republican forfeited $900 million in federal funds set aside for the Red Line back to the federal government, and then spent state money slated for the project instead on roads, almost entirely outside of the Baltimore region.
Critics alleged race was one of the reasons for the cancellation, as the Red Line would connect many of Baltimore’s Black neighborhoods. Moore didn’t go that far in his remarks Thursday, but noted the move came just weeks after the civil unrest following the death of Freddie Gray.
“At a time when Baltimore was reeling from one of its most trying eras in history, it was very clear and the message was sent that Baltimore was not going to be a priority.”
The NAACP and ACLU of Maryland led a group which filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Barack Obama that Hogan’s decision violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They argued the Red Line would have benefitted predominantly Black neighborhoods and residents in Baltimore, and the road projects the state money instead went to were in mostly white areas. In 2017, DOT under President Donald Trump announced it was ending the investigation into the claim without releasing any findings.