In another step to meet one of the core goals in the Red Line Community
Compact, the MTA has announced the creation of Station Area Advisory
Committees, or SAACs. Their purpose will be to ensure that stations—and
the areas around them—truly enhance the communities they are in and
make a safe environment for Red Line riders. Further, far from being
a closed-door process, the Community Compact decrees that teams
must represent the neighborhoods they serve. Therefore SAACs will
include community stakeholders (station area residents, businesses,
churches, organizations, and institutions).What some may view as just putting out a few station platforms
or choosing paint colors actually has the potential to reshape entire
neighborhoods. Stations, more than any other part of this project,
will be the face of the Red Line. How they look and how they feel
will have a huge impact on communities in the corridor and could
even influence if people choose to ride.These committees will be charged with deciding upon exact station
locations, choosing designs that reflect each station's unique character,
ensuring that stations support community plans and visions—including
development and redevelopment where appropriate, and addressing
new traffic patterns. All that, while also making sure that people can
easily bike and walk to stations and feel safe at night, makes for
no small list of tasks. Oh, and by the way, they get to name the
station stops.Committee: Each of the 20 stations will be assigned to a committee.
In some cases a committee may consider more than one station, but
this will depend on the level of interest expressed by the community.
To maximize participation and maintain manageable meetings each
committee will have 15 to 20 members. MTA is now accepting
nominations for committee members.Timeline: Beginning Fall 2010, these committees will meet every
4 to 6 weeks for approximately 15 months, timing the completion of their
design work to coincide with the start of the project's Final Design phase.For more information about the SAACs, the nomination selection process,
and to download a nomination form, visit the MTA Red Line website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please join us at one of Baltimore's many festivals to learn more about the
Red Line project. Representatives will be on hand to answer your questions.Sowebo Fest May 30, 2010
Sunday Farmers Market Under I-83 June 6, 2010
St. Nick's Greek Folk Festival June 10-13, 2010
St. Anthony Italian Festival June 12-13, 2010
Tour Dem Parks June 13, 2010
African American Heritage Festival June 18-20, 2010
Latino Fest June 26-27, 2010
