Baltimore Greens, have you heard about the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition (BTEC)? They are currently hard at work on an initiative to give communities like ours more say in choosing the transportation projects that work for us and our neighbors!

As many of you know, Baltimore’s public transit systems are in poor shape because the state refuses to abandon its segregationist policies in public transportation and to allocate the funding the region needs to implement change. What’s more, these state-run systems focus their service on white and wealthy neighborhoods, while low-income persons of color (POC) neighborhoods are left cut off from the rest of the city. This unequal service means people in these neighborhoods have to wait longer for buses and have double the commute times as residents of other neighborhoods in the city.  

BTEC is taking the first steps to create a Baltimore Regional Transportation Authority (BRTA), a governing body that would give city and county residents a say in the transit that serves them. The BRTA would replace our current state-run MDOT MTA. It would allow Baltimore to choose the budget and transit projects that best suit our needs.

For example, through a BRTA, the region can (and likely will) prioritize reviving the Red Line light rail project, which is projected to bring 10,000 jobs, dramatically reduced commute times, and $3.0-6.5 billion dollars of transit-oriented development to the region. 

To begin the process of creating a Baltimore Regional Transportation Authority, BTEC needs the signatures of 10,000 registered Baltimore City voters by August 1, 2022. 

You can download and sign the petition (pdf). 

Or, you can send an email btec[email protected] and they will mail you a paper copy of the petition with a postage-paid return envelope (Note that per state law, petitions are on paper only).