Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition

The Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition (BTEC) is engaged in a petition campaign to adopt an amendment to the Baltimore City Charter that will allow for the creation of a Baltimore Regional Transportation Authority. Similar to the U. S. constitution, a City Charter lays out the form and structure of the government, and establishes protocols for its operation. To amend the Baltimore City Charter, a majority vote must approve the change by voting “Yes” on their ballot in the upcoming election.  In order for the Baltimore Board of Elections to include amendment questions on the next ballot, the campaign is required to submit 10,000 signatures from registered city voters by August 1 before Election Day. This is to demonstrate that there is sufficient public interest in the question.   CLICK HERE for more details on how you can sign the petition! In 2022, BTEC organized a ballot petition campaign which resulted in submitting approximately 15,000 petitions to the Baltimore City Board of Elections for ballot access. Only 10,000 petitions were required, and despite evidence in our favor, the Board of Elections rejected our application. BTEC is now conducting another petition campaign for ballot access and our goal this time is to secure 20,000 petitions!! BTEC urges you to stand with them in advocating for better transportation in the Baltimore region. HOW YOU CAN HELP - A CALL TO ACTION  Gather petitions from family, friends and neighbors. Gather petitions from faith group, community association, sports team, etc.  Volunteer for a petition tabling event. Help coordinate a BTEC presentation to a group. Follow BTEC on Facebook and/or Twitter and share their social media posts on your social pages. ***** Sources: BE/CDN Weekly Update, June 6, 2023. https://moretransitequity.com/petition-campaign/

 Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition Event 

The 2023 Commemoration of the Red Line will be on June 24th

Saturday, June 24, 2023. 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location Disclosed after RSVP•*, Baltimore, MD 21230

The Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition (BTEC) will hold a Downtown Walk at the Harbor to celebrate and mark the 8th anniversary of the cancellation of the Red Line Light Rail Project. There will be complementary music, buffet, non-alcoholic drinks, and alcoholic drinks. You must be aged 21 or older to drink alcoholic drinks in Maryland.

RSVPs are accepted until June 20, 2023. 

For more information and/or questions, contact btec.moretransitequity@gmail.com.

Please note that the Harbor venue and its bathrooms are wheelchair accessible. 

"The Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition is a resolute, community-led organization advocating for equitable, reliable transit that improves quality of life and the environment. Our anti-racist work was born out of Governor Hogan’s decision to cancel the Red Line project in 2015. That decision – a quintessential example of structural racism in the region – spurred many of the original Red Line planning committee members to action. Shortly after the governor canceled the project, these members gathered with others in the community to form our coalition. BTEC’s first major initiative was to submit a Title VI administrative complaint to the US Department of Transportation on the grounds that the decision violated the federal government’s anti-discrimination laws established by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. When that complaint was summarily dismissed by the Trump administration in 2016 (without comment), we continued to seek other avenues to develop equitable transit in the region."

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Sources:

Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition, Newsletter, June 3, 2023.

https://moretransitequity.com/.

 Opportunity to Comment  on Maryland's Transit Funding Recommendations

FEEDBACK SOUGHT ON TRANSIT GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS BMC's Transit Governance and Funding Workgroup is seeking comments through Friday, December 23 on a draft set of recommendations for the future of transit in the Baltimore region. BMC's Board of Directors established the Transit Governance and Funding Workgroup in July 2022 with the objective of preparing recommendations regarding the management of transit in the Baltimore region. The workgroup has reviewed options detailed in a 2021 Baltimore Regional Transit Governance and Funding Study and is preparing a formal recommendation to the BMC Board of Directors, Maryland General Assembly and Governor. Additionally, the workgroup reviewed funding associated with the Locally Operated Transit Systems (LOTS) program, seeking to increase equity and transparency in the distribution of those funds. After the first meeting in September, the workgroup convened monthly to discuss and build consensus around a set of recommendations. These meetings have included opportunities for public comment virtually and in-person. Now, members of the public are welcome to comment on these draft recommendations by December 23. A final report will be released in January. See the full recommndations at publicinput.com/transitworkgroup   Baltimore Metropolitan Council, on behalf of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, Howard County and Baltimore County, is conducting a multimodal transportation study for Ellicott City in Howard County and Oella in Baltimore County to address parking, wayfinding, and multimodal access. You're invited to help shape the future of transportation in historic Ellicott City and Oella on Thursday, December 8 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Roger Carter Center (3000 Milltowne Dr. Ellicott City, MD 21043) for a public meeting on the Transportation in Historic Town Centers project.  As part of the process to develop this study, the project team has developed an existing conditions and analysis report and initial recommendations and they will have an open house format with lots of ways to share your comments.   Learn more at publicinput.com/historictowncenters