BLUEPRINT

FOR TRANSPORTATION
REFORM
_____________________________________________________________________

CONNECTING BALTIMORE
TO JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY

Executive Summary
Baltimore is a disconnected city. One recent study by a pair of Harvard economists
found that of the 100 largest cities in the United States, Baltimore is the city where a poor child
faces the worst odds of escaping poverty. The study then found that the single most important
factor that determines if a particular city is one where poor children are able to emerge from
poverty is commute time. Transportation is at once a question of social mobility, of public health
and safety, of job growth, and of civil rights. And yet, a recent report gave the Central Maryland
region a total grade of D for its transportation infrastructure, and a grade of D or worse on 8 of
12 indicators.
As Mayor, Elizabeth will develop a comprehensive and effective transportation system to
forge a more connected Baltimore.
To build a comprehensive public transit system, Elizabeth will:

Develop an East-West public transit connection.

Ensure that BaltimoreLink meets the needs of the city.
Work towards a multi-modal, easily transferrable transportation system.
Address last mile transit needs.
Employ modern technology on city buses.
Make the circulator efficient and sustainable.
Advocate for state level reforms.
Fully integrate the water taxi system.

To create a diversity of transportation options, Elizabeth will:

Launch a transportation voucher program.

Complete and implement plans for car and bike sharing programs.
Develop a pedestrian master plan.
Implement the Baltimore bike master plan.

To connect transportation policy with economic development, Elizabeth will:

Enact into law zoning reforms for a modern city, and protect key
transportation provisions in the package, including
Transit-oriented development zoning,
Optional in-lieu parking fees to support local transit, and
Neighborhood commercial zoning.
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 Create a Vision Zero pedestrian safety program.

Explore the use of demand-based pricing for downtown parking.
Encourage the use of car-sharing spaces in large lots.
To reform the Baltimore Department of Transportation, Elizabeth will:

Implement the audit recommendations.

Put in place better procedures to oversee transportation contracts.
Harness technology to improve services.
Improve community outreach and transparency.
Replicate Washington D.C.s potholepalooza campaign.

Introduction
Baltimore is a disconnected city.
The reality of Baltimore today is that where you come from matters. A child born in
Seton Hill has a life expectancy 20 years less than a child born in Roland Park.
Two neighborhoods, so close to one another, are in fact worlds apart.
One recent study by a pair of Harvard economists found that of the 100 largest cities in
the United States, Baltimore is the city where a poor child faces the worst odds of escaping
poverty.
The study then found that the single most important factor that determines if a particular
city is one where poor children are able to emerge from poverty is commute time. That is, the
cities where the most residents have long commutes to work are the cities where families are most
likely to find themselves entrenched in poverty from generation to generation.
And indeed, according to the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, 22 percent of
workers in the central Maryland region spend 45 minutes or more commuting to work. In peer
cities such as Seattle, San Diego and Charlotte, the figure is between 9 and 18. And the number
is far higher in certain Baltimore neighborhoods with the highest poverty rates, such as
Sandtown-Winchester and Upton/Druid Heights.
In a city where nearly 70 percent of residents in certain Baltimore neighborhoods do not
have access to a vehicle, abundant access to affordable public transportation gives Baltimores
citizens the basic freedom to reach the jobs that can pull them out of poverty, and connect to
places of worship, friends, education, and healthcare.
And in a nation where more than half of millennials say they would consider moving to
another city if it had more and better options for getting around, and 66 percent of them say that
access to high quality transportation is one of the top three criteria they would weigh, an effective
transportation system is essential to the long-term growth and sustainability of Baltimore, and our
ability to reverse decades of population decline.
Transportation is at once a question of economic mobility and opportunity, of public
health and safety, of economic growth, and of civil rights.
But a recent report from the CMTA gave Central Maryland region a total grade of D for
its transportation infrastructure, and a grade of D or worse on 8 of 12 indicators.
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We need to do better.
As Mayor, I will develop a comprehensive and effective transportation system to forge a
more connected Baltimore. I will build an effective public transit system, so that people without
cars can reach the jobs and other resources they need to succeed. I will draw on national best
practices to develop a comprehensive and innovative range of transportation options, so that
transportation is truly within the reach of all of our residents. I will implement transportationoriented development and zoning policies, so that we are making innovative choices in
development that advance our transit needs, and vice versa. And I will reform the Baltimore
Department of Transportation, so that we provide the leadership, transparency and service we
need to execute on this vision and serve the residents of Baltimore.
This is the third in a series of blueprints that I have been unveiling over the course of the
mayoral campaign. The first was on fighting crime, the second was on job growth, and others
will be released in the coming weeks. As always, these blueprints are interwoven: Our capacity
to develop an effective transportation system is intimately connected with our ability to develop
affordable housing and strong and healthy neighborhoods, to promote job growth and to reverse
decades of concentrated poverty and crime.
I invite you to read these blueprints on my website at www.embryforbaltimore.org and
email me your ideas and reactions at Elizabeth@embry4baltimore.org.
Together, we can connect our city, and break down the barriers that separate us from
jobs, opportunity, and each other.

Build a Comprehensive Public Transit System

A typical resident of Central Maryland can get to only 11 percent of the regions jobs in
under an hour using public transportation. And those who do ride transit endure an average
commute time of 55 minutes, which is the second longest among peer regions, according to a
report by the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance. An effective public transportation
system holds the promise to improve access to jobs, free up money in family budgets for other
needs, and improve public health and the environment. But it is apparent that we have a ways to
go in achieving this result. And even though much of our public transit system is in control of the
State, this is still an area where strong leadership for Baltimore is essential.
As Mayor, Elizabeth will:
Develop an East-West public transit connection. Although the Red Line itself is no
longer a reality, an east-west transit connection is a critical need for Baltimore City, where far
too many underserved communities lack access to transportation along this corridor. As
Mayor, Elizabeth will make this issue a priority, building an alliance of business leaders,
community members, and State and local representatives to advocate for the development of
an east-west transit network that builds on existing infrastructure and meets the needs of
Baltimore.
Ensure that BaltimoreLink meets the needs of the city. Elizabeth is dedicated to
correcting the flaws in the current BaltimoreLink plan, such as the lack of service on
Greenmount Avenue and Eastern Avenue, and the reduction of service on Harford Rd.
These vital arteries must be better served to ensure the success of the system. More generally,
Elizabeth will ensure that the new system is comprehensively modeled to guarantee that it
serves Baltimore and its workforce and related needs effectively, and that any modeling be
made publicly available.
Work towards a multi-modal, easily transferrable transportation system. The
Baltimore transit system presently is fragmented across the the bus, metro, light-rail, watertaxi, and (upcoming) bike-share systems. Citizens should be able to easily and quickly
transfer from one mode to another to reach their destination. As Mayor, Elizabeth will
advocate for a free transfer system between all modes, and single fare cards for bus, watertaxi, light-rail, metro, and bike-share services.

Address last mile transit needs. Only about a quarter of all jobs in the metropolitan
area are located in Baltimore City, which means that many Baltimore residents need access
to some form of transportation to the remaining jobs outside of the city. However, many of
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these jobs are in areas that were designed for cars and are either inaccessible or poorly
accessible on public transit routes. Residents who rely on public transit often have difficulty
completing the last mile of their commute to these scattered jobs. As Mayor, Elizabeth will
develop a comprehensive strategy to address the last mile problem, including through the
installation of bike share stations at transit stops, and working with Uber or other demandbased transit providers to offer options for getting commuters to jobs.
Employ modern technology on city buses. As Mayor, Elizabeth will demand that
accurate GPS technology is installed on MTA buses as soon as possible. She will also identify
intersections on high volume routes where signal priority for buses will be most effective, and
ensure that bus lanes are properly enforced to allow buses to move efficiently through the
City. Finally, she will advocate for the deployment of the same, next generation buses that
other cities such as New York are offering, including wi-fi and USB ports for passengers.
Make the circulator efficient and sustainable. The Circulator is a vital aspect of our
public transit system. However, many of its lines are duplicative of existing MTA service. As
Mayor, Elizabeth will work with the MTA to ensure that the Circulator and MTA lines are
deployed efficiently, expanding the overall system without additional expense. And she will
seek to improve the finances of the Circulator through partnerships with institutions and
businesses, and funds raised by a parking in-lieu system.
Advocate for state level reforms. Elizabeth will advocate for administrative reforms at
the State level, such as the creation of an MTA oversight board, to allow Baltimores State
Representatives greater influence over transportation decisions. And she fully supports recent
efforts to repeal the fare box recovery mandate, which deters much-needed investment in our
transit system. She will also seek to strengthen partnerships between the MTA Police Force
and Baltimore City police to reduce thefts and violence on public transportation.
Fully integrate the water taxi system. Baltimores Harbor Connector and Water Taxi
system is an invaluable asset to both tourists and commuters. As Mayor, Elizabeth will
strengthen and streamline the system; installing digital signage at all landings and developing
a next taxi app; placing bike share stations and bike racks at or near landings to better
connect the system to the rest of the City; and study the idea of streamlining the service by
combining the Harbor Connector and Water Taxi into one service separated by different
fare-cards.

Create A Diversity of Transportation Options

More than thirty percent of Baltimore residents do not have access to a car, the sixth
largest percentage in the nation. As a result, it is essential that we do what we can to create a
diversity of affordable, alternative transportation options for our residents. This means ensuring
that existing transportation choices are within the financial means of our residents. But it also
means developing a set of transportation policies that encourage alternate modes of
transportation such as walking and biking and that meet the many needs of the city. And there is
no doubt that we can stand improvement in this area: According to one independent set of
analyses, our city receives a 66 out of 100 for walkability and a 56 out of 100 for bikeability
among major cities, placing us well behind regional peers such as Washington D.C., Philadelphia
and Boston.
As Mayor, Elizabeth will:
Launch a transportation voucher program. Over half of the households in Baltimore
spend more than 45 percent of their household income on combined transportation and
housing expenses. That is a larger percentage of households than in other cities such as
Washington D.C. these cities may have more expensive housing, but they do a better job of
providing affordable transportation options to their residents. Our society rightly places a
high priority on providing affordable housing options, but does far less to support access to
transportation to connect them from their homes to jobs. Seattle recently launched an
income-based transit fare as a central pillar of their economic development efforts, and
experts have called for cities to take steps to help low-income residents purchase cars. As
Mayor, Elizabeth will pilot a new voucher program to help low-income workers achieve
access to transportation options.
Complete and implement plans for car and bike sharing programs. Baltimore
has put out bids for car and bike sharing programs, and as Mayor, Elizabeth will ensure that
the city follows through on these efforts. Bike shares can increase the number of bicycle
commuters and address the crucial problem of transporting transit passengers the last mile
to and from their destination. Nike has taken an active involvement in the Portland bike
share system; a similar partnership with Baltimore companies could expand the breadth of
Baltimores program and ensure its financial stability. Likewise, San Francisco and
Washington DC have both implemented municipal car-sharing programs that complement
private services such as Zipcar. Unlike Zipcar, which requires cars to be returned to their
original space, the program would allow drivers to use vehicles for one-way trips and drop
them off at any metered spot or public parking the City limits, and require that some of the
stops be in food deserts.
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 Develop a pedestrian master plan. Elizabeth will create a comprehensive plan for the
development of a better-connected, pedestrian friendly City. She will follow Seattles
example in the development of a pedestrian master plan, which will connect neighborhoods
and enhance pedestrian connections between transit stops, such as between the State Center
metro and Cultural Center light-rail stops.

Implement the Baltimore bike master plan. By implementing the Baltimore Bike
Master Plan, Elizabeth will oversee the addition of over 100 miles of biking facilities over the
next 15 years, including the long-delayed installation of a cycle track on Maryland Avenue.
Elizabeth will move bike projects forward quickly and effectively by hiring additional DOT
staff to work on bike and pedestrian issues, and by developing a systematic process to work in
partnership with the State and Federal authorities.

Connect Transportation Policy with Economic Development

Transportation is intimately connected with the future of economic development in the
city, and we can be far smarter about how we approach this connection. Much of this debate is
taking place now through the reforms in the Transform Baltimore initiative, a much needed
initiative to reform an antiquated zoning code. But the Transform Baltimore effort has slowed to
a near halt in City Council, without the political will to push it forward, and some of the most
important transportation-oriented reforms are under assault. At the same time, the City needs
other initiatives to design the city in a manner that is more conducive to smart transportation and
economic development policies.
Se will:
Enact into law zoning reforms for a modern city, and protect key transportation

provisions in the package. The citys zoning ordinance was last overhauled in 1971, and
its old and clumsy provisions are designed for a different era. Transform Baltimore, a
common sense reform package that would streamline redevelopment and make it far easier to
launch new businesses, has been languishing in City Council for almost three and a half
years, and shows no signs of emerging soon. As Mayor, one of Elizabeths first priorities will
be to (reintroduce if necessary) and complete the enactment into law of Transform Baltimore.
She will also use the power and influence of the Mayors office to preserve key provisions in
the code that are essential to the transportation future of the city:
Transit oriented development zoning. A Transit Oriented Development zoning
designation will exempt improvements close to transit stations from parking
minimums and allow for high density, mixed-use development closely connected to
transit. Such a designation will create a better environment for moving forward key
development projects, such as those at the State Center and surrounding Penn
Station.
Optional in-lieu parking fees to support local transit. Optional in-lieu parking fees
allow developers to choose to build fewer than required parking spaces and instead
contribute a fee dedicated to supporting public transit in Baltimore City. This would
give developers the option to save money on sites where providing all the required
spaces would be difficult or extremely expensive, while simultaneously growing a fund
for services like the Circulator or a bike share system. Such a measure would be a
vital source of funding for local transportation.
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 Neighborhood commercial zoning. In years past, corner lots in Baltimore

neighborhoods held grocery stores, delis, or butchers. Too many of these lots now lie
vacant, and small businesses cannot return to these locations due to the current
residential zoning designation. A neighborhood commercial zoning designation
allows for small, pedestrian oriented businesses in these lots. The designation will
encourage walking, biking, and give neighborhoods an opportunity to thrive.
Create a Vision Zero pedestrian safety program. As Mayor, Elizabeth will develop a
vision zero pedestrian safety program similar to those recently put in place in San Francisco,
New York and Boston to reduce Baltimores 700 pedestrian traffic injuries each year to zero.
A vital aspect of the plan will be to expand Baltimores Safe Routes to Schools program,
which has successfully created safe routes for children around many City schools. The plan
will also seek to educate drivers, strengthen penalties for dangerous driving, and develop safe
streets by adding cross-walks, removing visual barriers at intersections, increasing streetlighting, and lowering speed limits.

Explore the use of demand-based pricing for downtown parking. Studies have
shown that up to 25 percent of traffic in high congestion areas are vehicles circling looking for
parking space. Washington DC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles have successfully
implemented innovative pricing systems to combat this problem, in which parking spaces are
priced by demand, such that off-peak pricing is cheaper than peak hours. Demand based
pricing could both reduce congestion and lower overall parking prices. In Los Angeles,
parking prices were lower overall at 60 percent of parking spaces, and they were higher at
only 27 percent of them. Overall, the system reduced congestion in the city by 10 percent.
Encourage the use of car-sharing spaces in large lots. Car-sharing companies
provide a valuable alternative for families and individuals without access to a vehicle.
Elizabeth would support measures to require car-sharing spaces in developments that build
over twice the number of parking spaces required, and for allowing car-sharing spaces to
reduce the number of required spaces by a 2 to 1 ratio in zoning districts that include
minimum parking requirements.

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Reform the Baltimore Department of Transportation

A scathing performance audit recently revealed that the Baltimore Department of
Transportation could provide no evidence of policies, procedures, internal controls or
accountability for multiple measures of agency performance, and could not explain how well
they had performed even basic functions such as light repairs. In fact, the audit found evidence
that the Department had been dramatically over-reporting its performance, in areas such as the
number of streets that met roadway lighting standards. And compared to peer cities such as
Washington D.C., our city can do far more to communicate information to residents and
respond to their concerns.
As Mayor, Elizabeth will:

Implement the audit recommendations. The recent DOT audit found that the agency
has failed to properly track and cataloging its performance in areas such as street lighting and
street repairs. In some areas, the actual data from the Citys 311 system contradicted DOTs
reported performance. Elizabeth will implement the audit recommendations by developing
useful performance measurements linked to DOTs mission and strategic goals, and ensuring
that these goals are met.

Put in place better procedures to oversee transportation contracts. As Mayor,

Elizabeth will reform the way in which the Department of Transportation conducts business.
One recent report that sought to explore the problem of cost overruns on transportation
projects concluded that it was impossible even to identify the prevalence of the problem due
to the lack of data and transparency on those projects. As Mayor, Elizabeth will implement a
series of reforms to improve the transparency of contracting under the Department of
Transportation, and provide annual reports to the public on performance on transportation
and other infrastructure contracts.
Harness technology to improve services. Baltimores current open data portal is
disorganized and not easily accessible. Elizabeth will appoint a chief data officer to expand,
preserve, and streamline our open-data system. In particular, Elizabeth will create tools to
better access transportation data, such as interactive maps to track auto accidents, pedestrian
injuries or pothole repairs. She will create competitions to encourage developers to utilize
DOT data to create apps and tools to better serve Baltimore citizens. Finally, she will seek to
harness technology to improve transportation outcomes in the city, such as through mobilebased parking services.

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 Improve community outreach and transparency. To better connect DOT to

Baltimore citizens, Elizabeth will strengthen community outreach and communication,
including implementing stronger social media efforts. Washington DC DOT communicates
with almost 30,000 residents daily regarding its transit work; Baltimore City DOT reaches
only a third of that number. A priority of Elizabeths DOT will be to effectively
communicate about major projects during the planning stages, ensuring they are built in
partnership with the community.

Replicate Washington D.C.s potholepalooza campaign. Each year, Washington

DC holds a month-long Potholepalooza campaign, during which DDOT encourages
citizens to report as many potholes as possible via twitter or through 311, and to track how
long it takes for them to be filled. DC has filled over 36,000 potholes since the first
Potholepalooza in 2009. Elizabeth would emulate this campaign in Baltimore. Such a
collaborative effort between the agency and residents builds trust, opens lines of
communication, and encourages efficiency within DOT.

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