De’Andre Young
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Despite not knowing exactly what will happen in regards to what Gov. Wes Moore’s Red Line will actually be, The Maryland Department of Transportation reinstalled the Quicklink 40 rapid bus line in the development of the infamous east-to-west connection project.
The 40 rapid bus stretches from Westgate to Middle River, following a similar path as the CityLink Blue and Orange. The significant difference is that the Quicklink 40 has fewer stops than the traditional bus lines.
The idea of a rapid bus that can take passengers across town faster than that of a traditional bus should be something that enhances the experience of transit riders, right? Wrong, because in the context of the Quicklink 40, no one is riding.
When this correspondent rode the QuickLink 40, it was a bus with empty seats in both directions. This service could benefit the public if they knew about it, according to Danielle Sweeney, 55, an organizer with the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance.
Sweeney was critical of the Maryland Transit Administration and its ability to inform the public of what the express service actually is. “There are no schedules, there’s no map, there’s no promotional material,” Sweeney said. In connection to the Red Line, there are concerns that the state of Maryland may see another rapid bus as a viable option.
For Evan Gombert, 32, an administrator with the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition, rapid buses have the potential to genuinely impact passengers if the state chooses to go in that direction.
“Anchoring a city’s transit by bus in an auto-centric culture, as we see with Baltimore, results in stagnation,” Gombert said. “That’s what we also see if the decision is to lean into buses, more stagnation for the residents and communities of color of the region.”
In addition, Gombert outlined how the city’s lack of economic development is due to new bus lines mirroring the QuickLink 40 and that a Light Rail project would garner more investment. “We are not anti-bus, but we must make the necessary investment in anchoring our transit through rail,” Gombert said.
“Both having faults and are poorly maintained as it is,” according to Gombert, he emphasized the need to bind the city to rail transit with increased investment and the lack thereof given to current rail systems in Baltimore and the Metro.
The fate of the Red Line is still unknown to a certain degree degree but it is clear that the QuickLink 40 will be running to supplement transit when going from east to west and vice versa in the meantime.