"If all we do is get people from one place to another then the Red Line will not be a success - we must do more." --This message from Mayor Dixon has been the constant thread connecting economic empowerment and the Red Line project. For many, that means jobs!

Last fall, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation hired the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore to conduct an economic and job impact study. This study was called for in the Red Line Community Compact in order to gauge the real-life impact of the Red Line on Baltimore's economy. This month, the City has released the report, which projects the types of jobs that will be created and assesses the current labor supply. In order to focus on job creation for residents along the Red Line route, the study also specifically looked at the communities that will be directly impacted by construction.

Some of the study's major findings show that building the Red Line will:

• Stimulate Baltimore's Economy. The construction of the Red Line will generate $2.1 billion in economic activity in Baltimore City.
• Create Jobs. The construction of the Red Line will create or support an estimated 9,801 direct construction and related jobs, for a total value of $539.7 million in salaries and wages over the whole construction period.

  Some examples of jobs that will be created are:

• Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers
• Truck drivers - heavy and tractor-trailer
• Accountants, bookkeepers and auditors
• Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters
• Civil engineers, carpenters, office clerks

• Engage the Existing Labor Supply. The communities surrounding the planned Red Line route have a higher share of residents already employed in construction and transportation-related occupations than the City as a whole.
• Offer Opportunities at many levels. A large percentage (83%) of the jobs created or supported by the construction of the Red Line will not require degrees in higher education; only 17% will require a Bachelor's or higher level degrees.

So what's next? Now that we have a better idea of what the jobs are and how many there may be, we plan to work with the Mayor's Office of Employment Development and their partners to plan for outreach and training for potential workers. We also urge all women and minority business enterprises to apply for MDOT certification. Visit the State's MBE website to get started. We can make the Red Line construction a success for Baltimore-where people not only get from here to there, they also get jobs!

To view the study, visit our website at www.gobaltimoreredline.com.