The Baltimore Transit Alliance (BTA) was an initiative of the
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Greater Baltimore Committee was formed to revitalize Baltimore City by businessmen in 1954. Developer James Rouse chaired the urban renewal subcommittee.
In 1955, the committee pushed for legislation to build the Jones Falls Expressway.
GBC p ...
, bringing together businesses and non-profit organizations to advocate for better public transportation in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. The BTA's priorities included construction of the
Red Line, a new east–west
light rail line through Baltimore and the Green Line, an extension of the existing
Baltimore Metro Subway
The Metro SubwayLink is a rapid transit line serving the greater area of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, and is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. The segment in Downtown Baltimore is underground, and most of the line outs ...
; enhanced transit connections between Baltimore and
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
; improved local bus service in the Baltimore region; and regional cooperation among the local jurisdictions that comprise the region.
The BTA was formed in 2004, and is governed by a board of advisors that includes both business and non-profit representatives. Its first major success was to convince the
Maryland Department of Transportation
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is an organization comprising five business units and one Authority:
* Maryland Transportation Authority (Transportation Secretary serves as chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority)
* M ...
to provide funding for the planning and engineering phases of the Red Line, and to convince the region's Congressional delegation to authorize the project for federal funding. The BTA has also pressed the
Maryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Baltimore-Washingt ...
to keep the project on schedule and has acted as a liaison between MTA and community representatives.
In 2007, BTA's board voted to separate from the GBC and operate as a standalone organization under a new name, the
Central Maryland Transportation Alliance The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance (CMTA) is a coalition of Baltimore area business, civic and nonprofit groups intent on improving travel within Central Maryland, which consists of Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore City and the surrounding j ...
, which was officially announced by Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon in October 2007.
External links
Baltimore Transit Alliance WebpageGreater Baltimore Committee WebpageCentral Maryland Transportation Alliance Webpage
Transportation in Baltimore