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This month's newsletter is about 1,075 words long, or a 5-minute read.
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BRTC Newsletter for September 2026
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About the BRTC
The Baltimore Regional Transit Commission (BRTC) works to improve public transit in the Baltimore region. The BRTC provides input and support to transit providers and strives to improve service and make it more accessible for all.
The BRTC will sunset at the end of September, with its responsibilities transitioning to the new Board of Directors for the Baltimore Core Transit Service within the Maryland Department of Transportation. As a result, this is the final edition of the BRTC's Newsletter.
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BRTC Meetings
The BRTC’s final public meeting is scheduled for Friday September 25th.
- When: Friday September 25th from 10 am to 12:30 pm
- Where: Baltimore Metropolitan Council,1500 Whetstone Way, Suite 300, Baltimore, Maryland 21230
- Online Option: Register for Zoom invite
Materials from past BRTC meetings, including agendas, recordings, and presentation handouts, are available online.
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Commission News
The BRTC’s Final Annual Report, covering the Commission’s work from 2023 through 2026, is scheduled for publication in October. The report will provide a comprehensive record of the BRTC’s oversight, planning, policy, and public engagement work, while summarizing key findings on the major funding, infrastructure, service, workforce, and governance challenges facing transit in Central Maryland. It will also identify priorities and ongoing work that should carry forward after the BRTC sunsets, along with recommendations for the new transit governance bodies and the General Assembly.
Anyone who would like to be notified when the report has been released and is available should send a request to brtcnewsletter@publicinput.com.
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Engagement Opportunities
MTA Hosts Virtual Meetings on East-West Transit Priority Project
On Tuesday September 22, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) will hold two virtual community meetings on the East-West Transit Priority Project, with sessions from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. The meetings will cover construction beginning in October along the CityLink Blue and Orange corridors, including transit signal priority, bus-lane treatments, safer crossings, accessible ramps, improved bus-stop lighting, and bicycle connections. Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions about the project and construction schedule.
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Community Meeting to Focus on Maryland Transportation Funding
The No Boundaries Coalition and Central Maryland Transportation Alliance will host a public transportation meeting on Thursday September 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Baltimore Unity Hall, 1505 Eutaw Place. The meeting will help residents understand Maryland’s proposed transportation budget, how transportation funding decisions affect local communities, and ways the public can advocate for transportation priorities.
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MDOT Brings Draft Transportation Program to the Baltimore Region
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) will continue its annual statewide tour this fall to gather public input on the draft FY 2027-2032 Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP), the state’s six-year capital budget for transportation. Baltimore City and Baltimore County meetings are scheduled for September 30, while Anne Arundel County’s meeting will take place October 5. The meetings give residents and local officials a chance to learn about proposed investments in transit, highways, aviation, ports, and other transportation programs and to provide input on regional priorities.
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Howard County Hosts Transit 101
Howard County will host a Transit 101 event on September 30 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Bain 50+ Center. The event will introduce residents to local transportation options, including Regional Transportation Agency bus service, county transportation programs, car-free travel resources, and Age-Friendly transportation planning. Attendees will also have an opportunity to see a transit bus and speak with transportation experts about available services.
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Provider News
MTA Launches New Commuter Bus Service to Tradepoint Atlantic
On August 31, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) launched the new 411T Commuter Bus, providing a direct, one-seat connection between White Marsh, Golden Ring, Essex, and the Tradepoint Atlantic employment center in Sparrows Point. The new route serves major employers across the campus, including Amazon, Under Armour, FedEx, Floor & Decor, and Royal Farms, giving workers a new transit option for reaching one of Baltimore County’s largest job centers. The new service operates 365 days a year, with service beginning at 5 a.m. and continuing past midnight to accommodate a range of work shifts.
Baltimore City Wins $10.9 Million for Harbor Connector Improvements
In August, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the Baltimore City Department of Transportation nearly $11 million through its FY 2026 Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program to modernize the fare-free Harbor Connector. The funding will replace the system’s three diesel ferries with new hybrid vessels, support the purchase of a fourth hybrid ferry, and improve ADA accessibility by providing vessels with deck heights better matched to Harbor Connector landings for riders using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. The investment comes as Harbor Connector ridership reached nearly 350,000 passengers in fiscal year 2026, its highest level since 2017, strengthening a service that connects waterfront communities including Locust Point, Canton, and Fells Point.
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Transit Events
Transit Choices September Meeting
Transit Choices will hold its next virtual meeting on Thursday, September 24, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The meeting will feature Michael McDaniel, President and CEO of Harbor Boating, Inc., with an update on Baltimore’s maritime transportation network and lessons from Sail250, along with Sean Burnett, Chief of Planning for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, who will present the Downtown Rise Mobility Investment Strategy and its plans for improving walking, safety, and mobility in the Central Business District. Anyone who would like the Zoom link should reach out to robin@transitchoices.org.
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This Month in Transit History
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September 9, 1997 - Baltimore’s Light Rail extended 4.5 miles north from Timonium to Hunt Valley on September 9, 1997, adding five new stations and expanding rail access to the growing Hunt Valley employment and commercial area. The extension was part of a major year of Light Rail expansion, with new branches to Penn Station and BWI Airport opening later that December.
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September 15, 1911 - The station now known as Baltimore Penn Station opened as Union Station in 1911. It was the third station built on the site: an 1873 wooden depot was replaced in 1886 by a three-story brick station, which was demolished in 1910 to make way for the grand stone station that stands today, designed in the classical Beaux-Arts style then popular for major American train stations and civic buildings.
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