The Maryland Transit Administration is at risk of forfeiting $213 million, money meant to rehab the light rail system because of the consolidated transportation plan.
The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance found out about the potential cut in a meeting Friday morning speaking with MTA Administrator Holly Arnold.
"She said we have about a year to figure it out but if we don't come up with an additional $380 million in funding for those necessary fixes and upgrades then we have to turn down the federal grant," said Brian O'Malley with the CMTA.
MDOT's budgeting plan doesn't give enough funding to the light rail program for the administration to keep the federal money.
This puts a large portion of the project in jeopardy.
"What it means for riders is that the system is running one car trains where it typically used to run two car trains at least and so after concerts and Orioles' games and so forth there's not enough room for passengers on a one car train," said O'Malley.
State Senator Cory McCray has been outspoken about Baltimore losing funding for public transit.
He said in a statement,
"As a longtime advocate for transportation safety and infrastructure improvements, I am deeply concerned about the potential loss of $213 million in federal funds needed to replace Baltimore’s aging light rail cars. It is critical that Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld, known for his commitment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), brings that same energy and focus to Baltimore's transit system. The Baltimore region deserves this level of dedication to ensure our transportation needs are met.
This isn’t just about transportation—it’s about the senior trying to reach a pharmacy for much-needed prescriptions, the young scholar commuting to school for an education, and the single mother relying on the light rail to get to work and support her family. These are the lives impacted when we fail to invest in a reliable transit system. Baltimore deserves a system that serves its people with dignity and meets their everyday needs.”
MTA told the Transportation Alliance it has about a year to come up with the funding.
Without the money the light rail could stay in the mediocre shape it's already in.
"This is not frivolous and expansion this is trying to maintain the system previous generations built and we're letting run into the ground," said O'Malley.
The issues could extend beyond the light rail.
Without the ability to maintain its current systems Maryland could be at risk of losing federal funding for the Red Line.
A project that likely can't be completed without money from congress.
"We are at risk, the federal government when we apply for a grant to help pay for the Red Line will look at and will score our application based on what they perceive as our ability to maintain and run the system we currently have, and if it looks like we can't and it looks like we're choosing to invest elsewhere and we're choosing not to invest in the maintenance of that, that will hurt our application," said O'Malley.
We have reached out to MDOT for a statement and will post it in this story when we receive one.
