Baltimore Metro SubwayLink

The Metro SubwayLink is a rapid transit line serving Baltimore, Maryland, and its northwestern suburbs, operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. The segment in Downtown Baltimore is underground, while most of the line outside the central city is elevated or at surface grade.[2] In 2022, the line had a ridership of 1,988,300, or about 4,800 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.

Not to be confused with Baltimore Light RailLink, a light rail system also in Baltimore.
Baltimore Metro SubwayLink
Metro Subway train entering the Reisterstown Plaza station, bound for Owings Mills
Overview
OwnerMaryland Transit Administration
LocaleBaltimore, Maryland
Termini
Stations14
Websitemta.maryland.gov/metro-subway
Service
TypeRapid transit
Depot(s)5801 Wabash Avenue[1]
Rolling stock100 Budd Universal Transit Vehicle cars[2]
Daily ridership4,800 (weekdays, Q2 2023)[3]
Ridership1,988,300 (2022)[4]
History
OpenedNovember 21, 1983 (1983-11-21)
Technical
Line length15.4 mi (24.8 km)[5]
Track length34 mi (55 km)[1]
Number of tracks2
CharacterUnderground, surface, elevated
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationThird rail, 700 V DC[5]
Operating speed70 mph (110 km/h)[2]
Highest elevation28 ft (8.5 m)[2]
Route map
I-795.svg
I-795
Northwest Expressway
Parking
Owings Mills
I-695.svg
I-695
Baltimore Beltway
Parking
Old Court
Parking
Milford Mill
Parking
Reisterstown Plaza
Parking
Rogers Avenue
Parking
West Coldspring
Parking
Mondawmin
 Penn–North
 Upton–Avenue Market
 State Center / Cultural Center
 Lexington Market
 Charles Center
 Shot Tower
 Johns Hopkins Hospital

History

The origins of the Metro Subway lie in the Baltimore Area Mass Transportation Plan published in 1965, which envisioned six rapid transit lines radiating out from a central city loop. Planning studies from 1968 proposed a rail transit system 71 mi (114 km) long.[2]

As the vision was translated into reality, the original concept was trimmed to a 28 mi (45 km) system in the Phase 1 plan, published in 1971. This plan involved two of the original six lines: a northwest line from Downtown Baltimore to Owings Mills and a south line to Glen Burnie and the airport. Phase 1 was approved for funding by the Maryland General Assembly in 1972. In response to lobbying by Anne Arundel County residents, the MTA eliminated the south line from Phase 1 plans in 1975; the Baltimore Light Rail was later built over much of the planned south line corridor.[2]

When the Baltimore Metro Subway opened on November 21, 1983, only the "Northwest" line of the 1965 plan had come to fruition. This 7.6 mi (12.2 km) segment provided service between Charles Center in Downtown Baltimore and Reisterstown Plaza in the northwest section of the city. On July 20, 1987, a 6.1 mi (9.8 km) addition extended the line from Reisterstown Road Plaza to Owings Mills in Baltimore County, much of it running in the median of Interstate 795. A further extension of 1.6 mi (2.5 km) from Charles Center to Johns Hopkins Hospital opened on May 31, 1995.[1][5]

Once the project was completed in 1995, the total cost for the Metro Subway stood at $1.392 billion.[2]

The current system is 15.4 mi (24.8 km) long, consisting of 6.2 mi (10 km) underground, 2.2 mi (3.5 km) elevated, and 7.0 mi (11.3 km) at grade level (with roadways separated). Eight of its 14 stations are underground at depths from 52 ft (16 m) to 112 ft (34 m) below street level. Its elevated stations stand from 25 ft (7.6 m) to 28 ft (8.5 m) above ground.[5]

When the system opened, it became the largest single user of Susan B. Anthony dollar coins in the United States.[6]

On February 11, 2018, the MTA announced a month-long closure of the entire system to complete emergency track repairs identified during a safety inspection. An aboveground portion of the system had already been shut down due to emergency inspections and repairs.[7] The system reopened on March 9, 2018.[8]

Farebox recovery in the system is only 28%. This is comparable to other similarly sized systems in the continental United States, but low by international standards.

The installation of underground cellular service in the Baltimore Metro subway tunnels began in September 2021 and is expected to be complete by June 2022.[9][10]

Route

The Metro Subway has a single line that is shaped like a reverse "J". Trains head south underground from Johns Hopkins Hospital, turn west as they pass under Baltimore's central business district, then north and ultimately northwest towards Owings Mills. The route leaves its tunnel northwest of Mondawmin station, entering an elevated structure that parallels Wabash Avenue and the Hanover Subdivision along the former Western Maryland Railway route. The route then enters the I-795 median, which it occupies all the way to the system's Owings Mills terminus.

Trains heading towards Johns Hopkins Hospital are referred to as "eastbound" trains, while trains heading towards Owings Mills are said to be "westbound".[11]

Schedules

A trip from one end of the line to the other takes about half an hour. Headways range from 8 minutes during daytime peak to 11 minutes late at night and on weekends. Trains run from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 6 a.m. to midnight on weekends.[11]

Fares
Main article: Current MTA Fares

These are the current fare prices for MTA buses, Light Rail, and Metro Subway travel.[12]

Type Full fare Senior/Disability Student Mobility
Single trip $2.00 $1.00 $1.50 $2.20
Day Pass $4.60 $2.30 - -
Weekly Pass $22.00 - - -
Monthly Pass $77.00 $23.00 - -
  • Note: People who qualify for paratransit services can use Metro Subway free of charge.

Connecting services

Most Metro Subway stations are served by a number of MTA bus routes. In 1984, just months after Metro first started operating, many feeder routes were created that were given the designation of a letter (M, P, or R) followed by a number. In 1987, many of these routes were renamed, and only the prefix "M" was used. Over the years, the number of M-lines had shrunk, as many of the routes were consolidated. In 2008, routes designated with the letter "M" were renamed to plain two-digit designations. Finally, on August 30, 2009, the last four were either renumbered or eliminated, with no routing changes made; they continue to act as feeder routes to the Metro Subway.

There is no direct connection from the Metro to the Baltimore Light Rail or MARC commuter rail. However, the Metro Subway's Lexington Market Station is a 200-yard (180 m) walk from the Light Rail stop of the same name, and the State Center station is about 1.5 blocks away from Light Rail's Cultural Center station. Baltimore Penn Station is about a one-half mile walk from State Center, and MARC Camden Station is about five blocks from Lexington Market Metro station.

Stations
Location Distance (mi / km) Station Connections
Owings Mills 0.0 (0) Owings Mills BaltimoreLink: 87, 89
Lochearn 3.6 (5.8) Old Court BaltimoreLink: 37, 83
5.4 (8.7) Milford Mill BaltimoreLink: 81, 85
Glen, Baltimore 6.1 (9.8) Reisterstown Plaza BaltimoreLink: 82
Arlington, Baltimore 7.1 (11.4) Rogers Avenue BaltimoreLink: 28, 30, 31, 34, 80, 82, 89
8.3 (13.4) West Cold Spring BaltimoreLink: 28, 82
Mondawmin, Baltimore 10.1 (16.3) Mondawmin BaltimoreLink: NAVY, LIME, YELLOW, 22, 26, 29, 82, 83, 85, 91
Penn-North, Baltimore 10.8 (17.4) Penn – North BaltimoreLink: LIME, GOLD, 85
Upton, Baltimore 11.3 (18.2) Upton – Avenue Market BaltimoreLink: LIME
Mount Vernon, Baltimore 12.5 (20.1) State Center / Cultural Center BaltimoreLink: LIME, YELLOW, 54, 73, 154, 410

Light RailLink (at Cultural Center)

Downtown, Baltimore 13.3 (21.4) Lexington Market BaltimoreLink: BLUE, 54, 71, 80, 94, 105, 115, 154, 320
Light RailLink (at Lexington Market)
13.8 (22.2) Charles Center BaltimoreLink: ORANGE, GREEN, SILVER, RED, PURPLE, 40, 51, 56, 65, 67, 71, 76, 78, 95, 103, 105, 164, 120, 150, 160, 310, 320, 410, 411
CCC: Purple
14.4 (23.2) Shot Tower BaltimoreLink: ORANGE, BLUE, PURPLE
CCC: Green
Middle East, Baltimore 15.4 (24.8) Johns Hopkins Hospital BaltimoreLink: PINK, GOLD, BROWN, PURPLE, 21, 56, 104, 105, 115, 120, 160, 310, 320, 411, 420
CCC: Green

Source:[13]

Performance

For fiscal year 2010, the MTA reported 95% on-time performance for the system. It averaged 3.0 passenger trips per revenue mile, with a total of 13.4 million passenger trips for the year. Vehicles operated at an average cost of $11.59 per revenue mile. Local buses, in comparison, performed at a cost of $13.57 per revenue mile.[14]

Rolling stock
Budd-built Universal Transit Vehicle as seen on the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink departing the Millford Mill station.

The line currently uses 100 cars manufactured by the Budd Company at their Red Lion plant in Northeast Philadelphia.[14] Most were delivered in 1983 with a supplementary set of essentially identical cars being purchased in 1986 for the line expansion. The cars, marketed by Budd as the Universal Transit Vehicle, are identical to those formerly used on the Miami Metrorail because the two agencies built their systems at the same time and saved money by sharing a single order.[2]

Trains draw power from the electric third rail. The cars are 75 feet (22.86 m) long, 10 feet (3.05 m) wide, and have a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Cars are semi-permanently attached in married pairs and joined up to form 4-car trains, which is the normal train length. 6-car trains are used during peak rush hours. Each car can hold up to 166 passengers (76 seated, 90 standing).[2]

The fleet had a significant overhaul between 2002 and 2005. Seats were reupholstered, and the floors were replaced. External destination rollsigns were replaced with LED displays; internal systems that display train destinations and upcoming stop announcements were also installed.

In July 2017, the MTA announced the purchase of 78 new railcars to replace the entire subway fleet. The cars will be built in Florida by Hitachi Rail Italy, formerly AnsaldoBreda, and will be similar in appearance to those purchased for the Miami Metrorail.[15][16] The railcars are set to be delivered in 2023.[17]

See also

References
  1. "MTA Media Guide 2010–2011" (PDF). MTA Maryland. August 2010. pp. 4, 9, 10. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  2. Scott M. Kozel (October 13, 2002). "Baltimore Metro Subway". Roads to the Future. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved June 28, 2002.
  3. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  4. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. Robert Schwandl. "Baltimore Metro Subway". UrbanRail.Net. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  6. Valentine, Paul W. (April 2, 1984). "Underground Coin". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  7. Campbell, Colin (February 11, 2018). "Entire Baltimore Metro system to close for a month for emergency repairs". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  8. Richman, Talia. "Riders relieved as Baltimore Metro Subway reopens after monthlong shutdown". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  9. Metro SubwayLink Cornerstone Plan (PDF) (Report). Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration. August 28, 2019. p. 36. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  10. Arnold, Holly (June 29, 2021). Franchise Agreement Report: Summary of Service Disruptions & Asset Conditions – Metro SubwayLink and Light RailLink (Report). Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration. p. 5. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  11. "Metro Subway". MTA Maryland. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  12. "Regular Fares". Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. "Metro Subway Schedule" (PDF). MTA Maryland. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  14. "2012 Annual Report" (PDF). MTA Maryland. p. 30. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  15. "Maryland Transit Administration". mta.maryland.gov.
  16. "MDOT MTA Wins Approval for $400.5M Purchase of Metro SubwayLink Railcars and Train Control System". Mass Transit. July 31, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  17. Arnold, Holly (August 19, 2022). "Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
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