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Symposium Summary and
Presentations
“By Choice, Not By
Chance: Transportation for the Baltimore Region”
Held April 24, 2007
Baltimore, MD
Neil Muldrow,
president of the Baltimore Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, led off
the proceedings. He thanked the participants
and the many sponsors supporting the program.
One of those sponsors, Pierce Flanagan of P. Flanagan Co., presented
a brief slide show indicating how the company founded by his grandfather advanced
Baltimore’s Transportation infrastructure in the late 19th century.
LINK
Ann P. Canby,
President of the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, presented the
opening Keynote address. Her comments
noted some of the success stories in regional transit development across the
U.S. She also highlighted the new planning
factors (e.g. energy consumption, greenhouse gases, an aging population) and
significant indicators that should now be used in transportation planning.
LINK
Professor Richard Lloyd, Director of the Institute of Architecture and Planning
at Morgan State University, served as moderator of the Community Perspectives
panel.
Arlene Fisher (Baltimore City) reported on the concerns of her West Baltimore neighbors
with regard to planning for the east-west Red Line proposed to run through
Baltimore. Many of those neighbors
lived through the construction of “The Road to Nowhere” that ripped apart
their community more than a generation ago. LINK to Map
Jay Hierholzer (Anne Arundel County), representing the BWI Business
Partnership and the Corridor Transportation Corporation, noted particular
challenges the Baltimore-Washington corridor will be facing with the thousands
of new jobs associated with the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.
Maureen Cannon (Baltimore County) manages the Baltimore Collegetown
Network shuttle bus system, supported by several of the area’s colleges and
universities. The shuttle satisfies
social and education-related travel needs of students not now meet by Baltimore’s
public transportation system. LINK
Hon. Dean Minnich ( Carroll County), an able,
last-minute substitution on the program, remembered days as a journalist in
Asia and Europe when he managed quite well without an automobile, He contrasted that to the current
auto-dependent lifestyles of his suburban constituents.
Jay Springer
(Harford County) discussed the importance of the land use-transportation connection.
He also reminded the audience of the importance of paying attention
to pedestrian needs and to the details of supplying transportation infrastructure.
LINK
Jud Malone
(Howard County) presented maps highlighting the incredible amount of cross-hauling
involved in suburban commuting, with particular attention to his home county.
He also discussed the importance of dense development in appropriate locations,
in order to support high-capacity public transportation. LINK
Tom Wilcox
of the Baltimore Community Foundation introduced the luncheon Keynote speaker,
Clive Rock, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, for the Greater Vancouver
Transportation Authority, known as TransLink. This regional entity presents a unique approach
to planning, financing and operating a a comprehensive,
multi-modal transportation
system. LINK
Joseph T. “Jody” Landers, executive vice president of the Greater Baltimore
Board of Realtors, served as moderator for the afternoon session, which had a
lineup of policy and technical experts.
Former Maryland Delegate Anne S. Perkins and recently-appointed
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) deputy administrator Henry Kay both participated in the preparation of the 2002 Baltimore
Regional Rail Plan. They indicated
to the Symposium attendees what the strategic issues were now in 2007.
LINK
Ron Hartman,
now with Veolia Transportation and a former administrator of the MTA, described
the role that his company plays in forming public-private partnerships in
operating urban transportation systems. LINK1(PDF
file) LINK2(PowerPoint)
Foster Nichols, a rail transportation expert with PB, described the significant opportunities
and challenges associated with the Baltimore region’s passenger and freight
rail infrastructure. LINK
The symposium was closed by Jody Landers and Bryce Turner, President of the Baltimore District Council of the
Urban Land Institute. Participants were
urged to complete a form indicating their preferences regarding the NEXT STEPS in advancing the Baltimore
Region’s transportation aspirations.
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