The Green Line is a proposed
mass transit
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
line for the
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
area in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. It is still in the planning stages and its construction is not guaranteed.
Concept
In March 2002, the Baltimore Region Rail System Plan Advisory Committee, an independent commission appointed by Transportation Secretary
John D. Porcari, developed suggestions for new lines and expansions of existing lines as part of a long-term regional rail system plan for the Baltimore area. The committee applied a unified branding scheme for the
existing lines and the proposed new lines, identifying each line by a color, as the
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,[Google Books search/preview](_blank) and many other transit agencies do. In the committee's report, the existing
Baltimore Metro Subway
The Metro SubwayLink is a rapid transit line serving the greater area of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, and is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. The segment in Downtown Baltimore is underground, and most of the line outs ...
was renamed the Green Line, and was to be extended northeast of its current terminus at
Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 ...
, past
Morgan State University
Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known ...
and Good Samaritan Hospital in the northeastern part of the city, and ultimately on to
White Marsh in
Baltimore County
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
.
The proposed extension of the Metro Subway was taken up by city and state officials as one of two proposals, from the advisory committee's long-term plan, that would be actively pursued (the other being the
Red Line). Although the report used the name "Green Line" to refer to the entire expanded Metro Subway, the term is currently being used to refer to the extension under consideration. As the existing Metro Subway is currently marked in green on the Baltimore Regional Transit Map, it's possible that the term might someday refer to the entire line.
Extension from Hopkins to Morgan State University
The current Green Line study focuses only on the 4-mile section of the proposed line from Johns Hopkins Hospital to Morgan State University. While an extension of the existing Metro Subway might seem like the most logical mode for this line, the expense of building several miles of underground heavy rail
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
might make the project untenable. Therefore, the ongoing scoping process is also considering
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
and
light rail options as a possibility for this corridor.
Alignment Alternatives
. Baltimore Green Line. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
Proposed stations
North to south, from Johns Hopkins Hospital Station:
Current status
Selection of a "locally preferred alternative" from the various transit options under consideration was originally scheduled for "Spring 2009 - Winter 2009." However, a selection was not announced during 2009 and the project schedule had still not been updated by the end of Summer 2010.[Project Schedule](_blank)
. Baltimore Green Line. Retrieved August 26, 2010. , project planning for the Green Line is on hold for the foreseeable future. No funding was allocated for the line's planning as of fiscal year 2011.[MDOT 2011 CTP](_blank)
MDOT FY2011-2016 Consolidated Transportation Program. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
See also
* Red Line - a proposed rail line from Woodlawn, in Baltimore County (west), to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (abbreviated JHBMC or Bayview; formerly Francis Scott Key Medical Center and Baltimore City Hospitals) is teaching hospital trauma center, neonatal intensive care unit, geriatrics center, and is home to the Johns ...
in Baltimore City (east).
* Yellow Line - a proposed rail line from Hunt Valley to Columbia Town Center.
* Charles Street Trolley - a proposed trolley line in northern Baltimore, backed by a non-MTA group.
References
{{MTA Maryland
Baltimore Metro SubwayLink
Maryland Transit Administration
Proposed railway lines in Maryland
Light rail in Maryland
Bus rapid transit in Maryland