BRTC Newsletter for March 2026

Commission News

BRTC 2026 Transit Funding Priorities Campaign

The BRTC's 2026 Transit Funding Priorities Campaign launched in January and is underway as the Maryland General Assembly session continues. The campaign helps explain why strong, stable funding is needed to improve transit services across the Baltimore region, with a focus on core bus service, essential facilities, light rail modernization, and advancing the Red Line. Below, you can find links to the campaign website and a printable flyer with more details and the priorities and the transit plans they support.

BRTC 2026 Meetings

The BRTC has scheduled the dates for its bi-monthly meetings for this year: May 1,  July 17, September 11, and November 13. 

• When: Fridays from 10am - 12:30pm
• 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. 

Engagement Opportunities

Transportation 101 Applications Being Accepted

The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance (CMTA) is accepting applications for the 2026 spring workshop series. The spring 2026 class of Transportation 101 will meet on Wednesdays for seven weeks, beginning on April 29 and ending on June 10. Sessions will be held at the offices of Baltimore Community Foundation (11 E. Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore, MD 21202) from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. To help make participating a little easier, dinner and refreshments will be provided for each session.

CMTA believes that engaged and informed citizens are integral to building the region's transportation future. Graduates learn the basics of regional transportation issues, how transportation affects the quality of life, why investment matters, and how to carry out their own advocacy action plans. Applications are being accepted until April 8th and can be accessed at the link below. 

Upcoming Purple Line Community Advisory Team meetings

Purple Line Community Advisory Team meetings will take place from March 31 through April 28 at locations along the 16-mile Purple Line corridor, with virtual attendance options available. The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) created Community Advisory Teams (CAT) to give residents, businesses, and local organizations a way to learn about project progress and share feedback directly with project staff. The meetings will include updates on construction and testing of light-rail vehicles, as well as upcoming milestones, as the project moves closer to opening. All meetings are open to the public, though questions during the Q&A portion are prioritized for CAT members who represent communities along the corridor. 

Transit Provider News

Baltimore City Expands the Harbor Connector

Starting March 2, Baltimore City expanded its fare-free Harbor Connector water transit service. Route 2 now includes a new stop at Maritime Park in Fells Point and operates on a triangular route connecting Canton Waterfront Park, Locust Point, and Maritime Park, improving cross-harbor connectivity and allowing some riders to stay on the same boat without transferring. Route 2 runs on a weekday peak schedule, while Route 3 now operates weekdays from 7 am to 8 pm with boats every 15 minutes. The Harbor Connector is part of the Charm City Circulator network and helps reduce car trips while providing a free, environmentally friendly way to travel across the harbor.

Transit Benefit of the Month: Saving People Money

Owning and driving a car has become increasingly expensive, rising above average inflation rates. The average price of a new vehicle reached about $50,000 in 2025, with insurance, fuel, and loan costs adding even more to household transportation bills. Reliable public transit gives people an alternative to high car expenses and can save households more than $10,000 per year.

Transit also helps lower housing and development costs. Parking minimums and rules that require new buildings to include a set number of parking spaces can add $5,000 or more per space to construction costs. These extra costs are passed on to residents as higher rents and home prices.

Baltimore bus expansion gets more money, transportation officials say

The Baltimore region needs a seat at the table on transit

Baltimore City to add more traffic cameras to monitor bus lanes

This Month in Transit History

• March 21, 1948 - The Baltimore Transit Company ended service on the #6 Streetcar Line. This line, which operated in the median of the Hanover Street Bridge, was one of the first routes converted by the new owner, National City Lines, to rubber-tired transit. The 1948 conversion of the line was part of a larger, systematic shift from streetcars to buses in Baltimore during that era.

• March 27, 1976 - The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) opened the first segment of the Red Line running 4.6 miles. For its first two days of service, they offered free rides. The line introduced rapid rail transit to Washington, D.C., which would later expand into Maryland and Virginia as a backbone of regional commuting.