A group of state lawmakers wants to make equity a required part of any transit project or program decision.
Still smarting from a decision to cancel construction of the Red Line light rail project in Baltimore, lawmakers said more focus is needed on those who use public transportation — specifically low-income workers and minorities.
Sen. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore City) said some Marylanders live in a system of “transportation apartheid” and called for all transit projects to be reviewed through a lens of equity before implementing or canceling them. Photo by Bryan P. Sears
“People in Baltimore City and other places in the state are living in the equivalent of transportation apartheid,” said Sen. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore City), sponsor of Senate Bill 19. “This is a civil rights issue. Too often when it comes to equity issues, we talk the talk, but we refuse to walk the walk. This bill would change that.”
If passed, the bill requires the Maryland Transit Administration to perform a series of reviews before announcing major transit changes, including conducting an equity analysis. The agency must also complete a cost-benefit analysis and meet with affected communities. Those analyses and hearings must happen before announcing any major change in service or reducing or eliminating a transit project.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Bryan P. Sears over at Maryland Matters
