Van Hollen, Cardin Revive Federal Support for Baltimore’s Red Line Transit Project

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (Both D-Md.) announced today that they secured language in the bipartisan infrastructure legislation currently being considered by the Senate that would expedite the Red Line rail project in Baltimore, should state and local leaders choose to restart it. In 2015, after federal lawmakers secured $900 million in federal investment for the East-West Red Line transit project for Baltimore City, Gov. Larry Hogan canceled it, rejecting the jobs, access and equitable growth the public transit project would have provided.

“Baltimore’s Red Line should be near completion now, almost ready for its first passengers. Instead, because Gov. Hogan rejected the $900 million federal investment we worked to secure, the project was blocked and our state has lost out on its massive economic potential. Since that time, we have continued to seek ways to revive the project and deliver the needed investments in Baltimore’s transit system and economic growth,” said Van Hollen and Cardin. “While the federal government cannot single-handedly bring this project online, we are committed to securing federal support to renew work on the project whenever the state and local officials signal they are ready to move forward again.”

The bipartisan infrastructure package under consideration includes $8 billion for Capital Investment Grants, the Federal Transit Administration program that had previously supported the Red Line project in Baltimore City. The bill includes language that would ensure consideration of projects previously in the program, such as the Red Line.

Senator Van Hollen is a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Senator Cardin is the Chair of the Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.