COMMUNITY COMPACT ANNUAL REPORT 2010
The Red Line—a $1.6 billion light rail project running east-west through the City of Baltimore and into Baltimore County—will be much more than just a new transport option. It will generate economic development, spark community revitalization, improve health and beautify Baltimore’s communities. The Red Line Community Compact represents a landmark agreement between the City of Baltimore, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and numerous local non-profit organizations to define the success of the project on such terms: those that benefit the community. Through a unique set of goals and strategies, the Community Compact aims to realize a holistic vision for a modern transit system in Baltimore.
From the very beginning, Baltimore City and its residents have been actively involved in the Red Line planning process. In order to implement the Compact, the City spearheaded establishing the Community Compact Steering Committee in 2009. This group is charged with executing the Compact and reporting on the status of each goal and strategy it identifies. In order to fully focus on each component, the Steering Committee was divided into four sub-committees. These sub-committees are: Economic Empowerment; Health & Environment; Neighborhood Investment / Transit-oriented Development (TOD); and Construction.
In this first year of implementing the Compact, each sub-committee identified short-term priorities and took actions to achieve those goals. The following represents a synopsis of key achievements accomplished during the last 12 months:
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) established a Red Line Economic Empowerment Office.
The Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore completed an economic study. Results showed that the Red Line will:
Generate $2.1 billion in economic activity in Baltimore City.
Create or support an estimated 9,801 direct construction and related jobs.
Engage the existing labor supply and create employment opportunities for residents of impacted communities.
Initiated a process for Baltimore City certified Minority/Women Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and city-based Maryland DOT (MDOT) certified MBE firms to become MDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certified.
Established partnerships with educational institutions to introduce new curriculum to prepare young people to work in the building trades. This includes an effort to transform Edmondson Westside High School by expanding curriculum and resources for technical education.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Achieving a sustainable Red Line requires a cohesive, shared attainment strategy.
Initiated a process for creating a set of Environmental & Safety Design Guidelines to address water quality, creation of green space, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, safety, and clean energy. Guidelines will be created through a joint effort of City, MTA, and community representatives and serve to inform MTA’s design team of the appropriate tools to achieve Compact goals.:
Of the 27 elementary and middle schools in Baltimore City that receive state Safe Routes to School funds, 15 are located in the Red Line corridor. Currently these schools are targeted for infrastructural improvements and safety programming.
NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT / TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
City agencies are marshalling resources to take advantage of current investment opportunities in the Red Line corridor. Within one-half mile of the West Baltimore MARC station, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is using:
$380,000 from the FY2010 capital budget to acquire vacant properties in the area bounded by the 1900 block of Lauretta and Edmondson Avenues.
$50,000 to develop a housing strategy for Harlem Park.
$150,000 allocated in the FY2011 capital budget to begin studies to redevelop the West Baltimore Ice House.
HCD, Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), and DOT have proposed a $1.8M Red Line community development fund that would be available in Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013.
Southeast CDC and Greektown CDC co-sponsored a new TOD plan.
Approximately 45 vacant properties have been stabilized in Harlem Park and coordination is underway with other West Baltimore communities to seek historic designation.
Initiated the process to establish multi-stakeholder Station Area Advisory Committees.
CONSTRUCTION
The State Legislature adopted SB-614 during the 2009 session. This law prohibits MTA from seizing any residence for Red Line construction if the acquisition results in involuntary residential displacement and achieves the goal to “Reject alternatives which require involuntary residential displacements.”
Community liaison criteria and job descriptions have been developed; results recommend that liaisons should:
be chosen from the communities along the corridor
be hired during Preliminary Engineering (PE) and stay on board until project completion
receive in-depth training
Download the Community Compact Annual Report 2011.
Download the Community Compact Annual Report 2010.
