Posted on 01/26/25
| News Source: FOX45
The future of the Red Line remains in question, especially with the new Trump Administration in place in Washington, and some leaders are starting to call for a pivot in plans.
Baltimore’s east to west public transit plan was canceled under former Gov. Larry Hogan, who called the light rail plan a “boondoggle” and sent federal funding back to Washington. In June 2024, Gov. Wes Moore revived the plan, and said federal funding would be more likely if then-President Joe Biden was re-elected.
Fast forward a few months, and candidates, and Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval Office and funding for the public transit plan is back in question. Congressman Kweisi Mfume, a Democrat from Baltimore City, cautioned that the funding wasn’t likely, at least for the next two years, citing the political winds in Washington aren’t favorable to similar projects.
“This issue with the Red Line is only an issue because the money isn't there and so I don't know to answer your question directly when it will be taken care of and when that money will be forthcoming, I can tell you in the next two years, it’s not going to happen,” Congressman Mfume said.
In Gov. Moore’s current budget proposal, he’s calling for $58.9 million for a Red Line study; something Congressman Mfume wouldn’t really opine on, but said it’s time to look at other alternatives.
“Well, as you might imagine, I don't want to try to tell Governor Moore what he ought to. He's the governor and I'm the congressman, but I continue to work with him and support him and the idea of finding alternative means to facilitate cross city transportation, I think is a wise idea until that money can be identified,” he said.
Congressman Mfume made it clear he supports the Red Line project, and said the people in the Baltimore region deserve an east to west transit option. But, he said Democrats need to flip the House to at least start looking at the possibility of funding for the plan.
In Annapolis, Senate President Bill Ferguson echoed that sentiment, and said he believes there needs to be a plan to help with the transportation needs of the region. Like Gov. Moore, Senator Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, said economic growth and prosperity of the region depend on people’s ability to move freely to where there are job opportunities.
But when asked whether he believes spending nearly $60 million on a study for the Red Line is an appropriate use of money, given the state’s nearly $3 billion deficit, Senator Ferguson said the project isn’t dead yet.
“I would say, not all hope is lost but it is a much harder road ahead. Until we know for sure, I think we should attempt to make sure that are trying to invest in that corridor,” he said. “In the case that a Red Line is not able to move forward, we still have to deal with this problem. I’m hopeful that the administration and Department of Transportation will use some of the funds allocated currently to look at solutions in case that the Red Line cannot move forward to really address the east-west corridor.”
Using the funding allocated in Gov. Moore’s budget for a Red Line study for alternative transit options is something Senator Ferguson said he would support, calling the current lack of options a “bottleneck for economic productivity.”
“It’s a massive project and until we know for sure, it makes sense to continue keeping the possibility alive. I think it’s going to be very hard,” he said. “This isn’t something we can flip the light switch on or off; this has big implications to call it off entirely.”
Between the next 30 to 60 days, the state should get a better idea of what funding plans would get support from the new Trump Administration, Senator Ferguson said. After that, more decisions can be made, he said.
When pressed on how long the state would wait and see if the money would come from the federal government, Senator Ferguson wouldn’t put a timeframe on the decision.
“We look for information, we wait to see where the early indications are with the new, brand new transpiration secretary for the US,” he said. “You know, stranger things have happened. People thought the Key Bridge wasn’t going to get fully funded.”
Meanwhile in Washington, Congressman Mfume said he and the other members of Maryland’s delegation are going to focus on working for the people in the state, and “stay plugged in with the Republicans and Democrats.”
While he made it clear his support for the Red Line is there, he doesn’t want there to be any illusions about what’s next.
“We've got to at least make sure that our bases are covered. And the first thing we want to do is not make false promises and. And so, I'm very, very hesitant to do that or to say what will in fact take place with the new administration,” Congressman Harris said.
“But I unless I'm reading the tea leaves differently, there's not going to be a willingness to support $6 billion in funding for the state of Maryland under this current administration, which is his prerogative.”