Construction crews will break ground October 6 on a $50 million overhaul of Baltimore’s 20-mile east-west bus corridor, kicking off a multi-year project that promises dedicated lanes, safer crosswalks, and faster commutes for riders on the CityLink Blue and Orange lines. The work will unfold in phases through 2029, with individual bus stop upgrades expected to take roughly three to five days per location.
The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration announced the start date for the RAISE East-West Transit Priority Project, according to Baltimore Fishbowl. The project spans 20 miles, running from eastern Baltimore County through downtown Baltimore into western Baltimore County, and is designed to improve speed, reliability, and safety for riders, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Construction crews will work mostly during weekday daytime hours, stepping outside that window only when necessary, per the same report.
A Corridor Linking Jobs Across the Region
The 20-mile corridor connects the Fox Ridge community in eastern Baltimore County to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in western Baltimore County, expanding transit access to more than 180,000 jobs, according to data cited by USDOT. Major employment hubs along the route include CMS, the Social Security Administration, and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The project will improve access to Johns Hopkins Bayview and points east, and to CMS in the west, the Baltimore Fishbowl report notes.
Federal backing for the effort traces back to a $22 million USDOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant awarded in 2021, matched by $18 million from MDOT and $10 million from the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, according to Conduit Street. Maryland’s congressional delegation supported the federal grant, the Baltimore Fishbowl report states.
Where the $50 Million Is Going
The investment supports dedicated bus lanes, bus stop enhancements, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements, and transit signal priority technology, per MDOT MTA project planning documents obtained through RAISE Baltimore. Dedicated bus lanes are a central part of the project. The project scope calls for at least 10 lane-miles of dedicated bus lanes along major corridors including Edmondson Avenue, Fayette Street, and Eastern Avenue, intended to help buses bypass vehicular congestion during peak travel hours…