Red Line - Baltimore Region Transit Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Environmental Process

20. What requirements must be met to obtain federal funds for the Red Line?

The primary source of federal capital funds for transit projects is the Federal Transit Administration Section 53-09 New Starts program. This is a discretionary capital grant program where projects from throughout the country can request up to 80 percent federal share of the construction costs of major transit projects, such as a new rail transit line, extension of an existing line or construction of a bus or transit guideway. Because requests for these funds are so numerous, projects from around the country compete against one another. In recent years, Congress has limited the federal share to 50 percent and nearly all project requests for federal assistance are in the area of 50 percent.

The agency sponsoring a locally selected transit project submits a "New Starts Criteria" package to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of the process to get the project into the "funding pipeline." This package is developed after an Alternative Analysis is completed and a locally preferred alternative is selected. This happens prior to entering the Preliminary Engineering phase. The package provides information describing the proposed project as well as information on a number of criteria that are used to rate the project against others from around the country that are in competition for the limited pool of Section 53-09 New Starts funds. These criteria include:

Mobility improvements (travel time savings; low-income households served)
Environmental benefits (changes in pollutant and "greenhouse gas" emissions and regional energy consumption)
Operating efficiencies (operating cost per mile)
Cost effectiveness (transportation system user benefits)
Transit supportive land-use patterns, policies and programs
Local financial commitment

Each project receives a rating in every category - high, high-medium, medium or medium-low. The first five criteria constitute the "project justification group" and ratings from them are rolled up into an overall project justification rating (see figure below). The financial commitment criteria, constituting three sub-categories, is rated separately.

Then the two ratings (project justification and financial commitment) are combined to give the FTA an overall recommendation for the project, which it submits to Congress for funding consideration - Highly Recommended, Recommended, Not Recommended or Not Rated. A project must receive a medium or better financial rating to be recommended for funding, regardless of the strength of the project justification rating.

Importance of Cost-Effectiveness and Financial Commitment:

The two primary drivers of the rating process are cost effectiveness and financial commitment.

The lower the cost per hour of user benefit, the better the project's rating. The FTA sets thresholds for each rating level. Here is how this works. Cost effectiveness is measured in terms of cost per hour of user benefit. You take the annualized cost of the New Starts project compared to a "baseline" service level and combine that with the additional annual net operating cost, plus annual capital expenses. Then you divide that number by the transportation system user benefits as expressed in terms of hours of travel time saved relative to a baseline service level for all users of the transportation system: current transit riders; travelers who switch to transit from autos, and highway system users.

The local financial commitment rating focuses on the availability and reliability of local funding sources for capital construction, operating and maintenance costs as well as the overall amount and share of project costs sought from Washington. Maryland has historically rated very well in these areas. The third sub-category is the percent of the total project costs funded locally. Until recently, this category did not figure into the rating but now a project's financial plan must include 50 percent or more local funding of the capital cost in order to get a financial rating of medium or better.

In order to be eligible to submit a "Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering," a project must emerge from the Alternative Analysis phase with a locally preferred alternative that is in the state's fiscally constrained long-range plan and with a rating of Recommended or Highly Recommended.

During the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase, the project will undergo detailed planning and preliminary engineering, complete federal and state environmental impact statements and prepare project management and financial plans. At the completion of the PE phase, the New Starts Criteria for the project is updated and re-submitted for a new rating and recommendation.

Once a project finishes the PE phase and receives a New Starts rating from FTA, it submits a "Request to Initiate Final Design." In this phase, final construction plans are developed, and property acquisition, construction and equipment procurement occur. A key element of this phase is negotiating a "Full Funding Grant Agreement" (FFGA) between the sponsoring agency and FTA on the amount and payout schedule for the federal share of funds. Then construction can commence.

21. What is a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)?

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Red Line project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The purpose of an EIS is to provide a full evaluation of the environmental issues surrounding a proposed action and to inform decision-makers and the public of reasonable alternatives that could avoid or minimize adverse impacts. The Draft EIS (also known as a DEIS) consists of a printed report for public review and comment which will:

Identify and explain the purpose and need for improvements in the corridor
Develop and describe the alternatives for the proposed action being considered
Identify the environmental and community effects of each alternative and measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate adverse impacts of the proposed action
Describe agency and public coordination efforts
Serve as the basis for a decision
Allow opportunities for public and agency input

22. What is the current status of the transit planning phase? How many more years of planning are needed before construction?

Currently, detailed technical studies of alternatives are being completed. This includes estimates of how many people would use the Red Line and resulting regional costs, impact and benefits. The detailed analyses are scheduled for completion in early 2008. The results of those analyses will then be incorporated into the DEIS, which is scheduled for publication in Spring 2008. Following distribution of the DEIS, a public hearing will be held approximately one month later. After all comments are received, the Locally Preferred Alternative will be determined and a Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering will be submitted to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This is a key initial step in applying for federal funding for the Red Line.

Once the Locally Preferred Alternative is determined, further design will be performed in response to public comments and concerns and to avoid, minimize or and mitigate detrimental impacts. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) documents this further analysis and better defines the Red Line. After the FEIS is published and distributed, a Record of Decision is issued. As its name implies, the Record of Decision is the official document specifying what has been selected for final design. It is anticipated that the Record of Decision for the Red Line will be issued by the end of 2010. This will end the planning and preliminary engineering phase of the Red Line.

After the planning phase comes the design phase in which all specifics will be defined. This is done to a much greater detail than during the planning phase because it will form the basis for all construction bids. Presently the schedule anticipates that design for the Red Line will be completed approximately two years after the planning phase (when the Record of Decision is issued). For the Red Line, construction should start within three to six months after bids are accepted.

In summary, people should start seeing evidence of construction in 2012.

23. When will the DEIS for the Red Line be completed?

The DEIS for the Red Line is scheduled for release in Summer 2008 following completion of detailed studies of alternatives. When the DEIS is distributed, multiple copies will be available in public libraries in both printed and electronic form. Copies will be distributed to agencies and organizations throughout the corridor. The DEIS will also be available for viewing and downloading from the project website.

24. Will there be a Public Hearing on the Red Line project?

Following publication of the DEIS, a Public Hearing will be held to solicit comments on the Red Line project. Please note that public informational meetings on the Red Line project are held periodically. The next scheduled public meeting will be held in the Fall of 2007. The dates, times and locations of public meetings and the Public Hearing will be announced well in advance of the events.

25. When is the Public Hearing likely to take place?

The Public Hearing will be held after the DEIS is published and distributed, currently scheduled for Fall 2008. It is anticipated that the hearing will be held over several days at varying times of day to allow for ample opportunity for those who would like to give testimony. Specific dates and times for the hearings will be announced on local radio and television as well as in local and community newspapers.

26. Will I be able to get a copy of the DEIS for the Red Line?

Copies of the Red Line Project DEIS will be available for review at public locations, such as local libraries, during the public comment period following release of the DEIS. Copies of the DEIS will be delivered to organizations throughout the corridor. We plan on having CDs and printed copies of the DEIS available at those locations. The DEIS also will be available on-line for those with computer access.

27. How can I offer official comments on the project?

There are many ways individuals and groups can submit official comments on the Red Line Project. You can:

Attend a public meeting or hearing and complete a project comment form
Write to the MTA and address your letter to Red Line Corridor Transit Study, MTA Headquarters, 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Call 410-767-3754
Visit our website at www.baltimoreredline.com
E-mail us at redline@mtamaryland.com
Check your community organization's meeting calendar to find out when MTA speakers will be there

28. What is "Environmental Justice"? How does it relate to the Red Line Corridor Transit Project?

Inadequate access to information and decision-making increases the potential that a specific group of people could be adversely affected by a transportation project and increases the likelihood their needs or concerns will not be fully addressed. Since 1964, policies have been developed to ensure that environmental justice is achieved in federal projects. This ensures the civil rights of minority and low-income populations are protected and that the decision-making process for a transportation project is free from discrimination.

Environmental Justice (EJ) is a term coined in Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-income Populations, dated February 11, 1994. In general, this presidential order requires that if an agency's program or activity uses federal funds it must strive to achieve environmental justice by:

Making a meaningful effort to involve low-income and minority populations in the decision-making process, and
Evaluating the impact - favorable and adverse - of a project's activity on a minority or low-income population's health and environment

This Executive Order served to amplify provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which generally states that no group shall be discriminated against on the ground of race, color or national origin. Further related requirements were issued in Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, requiring project outreach to include people of limited English proficiency.

All of these provisions promote a public involvement strategy for transportation projects that targets minorities, low-income and limited English proficiency communities, as well as communities of the same national origin and/or religious affiliation, aging populations and the disabled.

As part of the Red Line study, the MTA has committed to achieving environmental justice so that everyone is provided an opportunity to get involved in the decision-making process. Early on, the study team began gathering demographic data about the neighborhoods within the Red Line study area with the purpose of understanding where minority, low-income and other unique populations exist.

Ongoing community outreach efforts give the MTA an opportunity to inform the public on the status of the study while remaining sensitive to concerns, understanding issues and addressing questions at the individual and neighborhood level. Red Line public involvement and environmental justice outreach activities include:

Speaker's Bureau Meetings/Neighborhood Events/Community Meetings
Open House Public Meetings
Community Advisory Council
Newsletters in English and non-English versions
Study Area Resource Hubs

Each of these outreach activities has the same goal - to establish and maintain two-way, open communication between the study team and community members, including minority and low-income populations. The MTA is committed to implementing environmental justice principles to improve the Red Line study for everyone involved.