The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed cutting the Charm City Circulator Banner Route for the second consecutive year. The free bus service connects the Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry. It goes through the Federal Hill, Key Highway, Riverside, and Locust Point communities.
Last year’s decision was met with resistance from the Locust Point Civic Association, Riverside Neighborhood Association, the Key Highway Community Association, Federal Hill Neighborhood Association, Councilman Eric Costello, the Maryland District 46 Delegation, and many local businesses. The decision was ultimately reversed and the Banner Route remained.
Councilman Costello is hoping to rally support to reverse the decision again this year. He is urging neighbors and stakeholders to attend DOT’s public meeting at the Baltimore Museum of Industry on August 31st from 6pm to 8pm.
Councilman Costello provided the following statement to SouthBMore.com:
I am disheartened by the recommendation to cut service to the Charm City Circulator, especially the elimination of the Banner Route and the Purple Route Extension. The Circulator has been a shining example of how public transportation should work with reliable, safe, and clean service. It has been wildly successful and has converted many car-reliant residents into regular Circulator riders.
While I firmly believe that eliminating these routes is short-sighted, I recognize the budget constraints and the lack of support in increasing the parking tax to fully fund the Circulator’s operations. Given that the system was to be funded on parking taxes and not on general funds, it is clear that either new funding source needs to be identified if parking tax rates cannot be increased.
As was the case last time severe cuts were proposed to the Circulator system, I will continue to work with the Administration, the City Council, and our State partners to identify funds to restore full operations. Auditing existing DOT services may also yield savings that could be used to restore Circulator services. In the end, I believe this system is valuable and necessary for the City’s continued growth. Absent an effective Maryland Transit Administration network, Baltimore needs to continue to find creative ways to move people throughout the city without relying on personal vehicles.
That said, there is a series of public meetings scheduled in which the Administration will be seeking input on potential cuts. It is imperative that supporters of the Banner Route attend the meeting on Wednesday, August 31, at 6:00pm, at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, at 1415 Key Highway. A strong showing will provide the best opportunity to restore service on this critical public transportation route servicing the South Baltimore Peninsula.
Crowd at a Banner Route Meeting Last Year
via http://southbmore.com/2016/08/16/attendance-requested-at-upcoming-public-meeting-about-charm-city-circulators-banner-route/
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