Transit Hub Case Study: Mondawmin Station

By: Catherine Buhler, Kathleen Cary Rose and J. Luke Byrne

Executive Summary

The purpose of the Transit Hub Case Study is to identify and evaluate the four locations in Baltimore that are best suited for development into the first public Transit Hubs. Transit Hubs are terminals where several types of transportation connect, including pedestrian, bicycle, rail, metro, and automobile. This case study will envision how these hubs will function, with a focus on wayfinding, clean transportation, and better connections from mode to mode.

The Baltimore­Washington Electric Vehicle Initiative (BEVI) operates as an advocate for electric vehicles as well as clean, sustainable, and active transportation. Our primary focus is to facilitate discussion, education, economic development, public policy, and urban planning related to electric vehicles (EVs) in support of climate prosperity.

Mondawmin station is a well traveled Metro and bus station in Baltimore City, adjacent are many schools, a shopping mall and Druid Hill Park. Through research we have identified needs and solutions to advance Mondawmin as a major transportation hub for the city.

Issues and Findings: ­ The roads surrounding Mondawmin Station and Mall do not provide sufficient wayfinding and safe connections to the surrounding schools, park, and neighborhood for pedestrian and bicycle traffic ­ Bus connections are clearly displayed, but the station lacks real­time schedules, maps and wayfinding for riders that are unfamiliar with Baltimore and it’s metro and bus systems ­ Mondawmin Station and Mall each have large parking lots, yet no EV charging ­ There are bike lockers that can be rented on an annual basis, but no free bike parking

Solutions: ­ Safe street crossing from the Station and the Mall to nearby schools can be improved by enforcing lower street speeds, and timed traffic lights with pedestrian crossings in front of all school entrances ­ Improved and streamlined maps and wayfinding and real time schedules, to help riders connect to other modes of transit as well as walking paths to the schools and park ­ Install visible EV chargers in the MTA parking lot between the Metro Station and the Mall ­ Bike culture can safety can be improved with traffic lights, wayfinding to bike paths, and visible bike parking

Station Assets

Mondawmin Station is located in the NorthWest end of Baltimore at 2307 Liberty Heights Avenue, within Mondawmin neighborhood. Many commuters are funneled through the station’s surrounding streets Liberty Heights Avenue (26), Reisterstown Road (140), Swann Drive (129) and Gwynn Falls Parkway everyday. Mondawmin Station is on 10 different bus routes (1, 5, 7, ​ 16, 21, 22, 51, 52, 54, 97) that reach far throughout the city, and the Metro line which connects ​ Owings Mills to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, with 12 stops in between.

Key Amenities: Utilities: Touch and Go Ticket Center kiosks, routes and schedules board with free ​ pamphlets, emergency call center Assistance: MTA information/police with MTA employees available ​ Wheelchair Accessible: parking, curb ramps to bus stops, elevator to Metro ​ Seating: covered bus stops, limited cooperative benches by Metro tracks ​ Bike: bike lockers available to rent on an annual basis ($70, and a refundable $25 ​ deposit) Parking: 175 free parking spaces (MTA parking lot) ​ Drop off/pick up: roundabout for pick­ups and drop­offs, and bus traffic (entrance on ​ Liberty Heights Ave. and exit on Reisterstown Road) Public Art: Photographic montage by R. Thomas Gregory ​ ​

Nearby Resources: Mondawmin has many nearby resources that support its residents, and visitors. Within the neighborhood there are many schools, churches, delis and take­out restaurants as well as the Mondawmin Mall, and nearby Druid Hill Park. ­ Mondawmin Mall (over 100 vendors) ­ Shoppers (only full­service grocery store for Mondawmin and other nearby grocery store) ­ Target ­ Dunkin Donuts ­ Druid Hill Park ­ The Maryland Zoo ­ Botanical Garden ­ disc golf course ­ public pool ­ tennis and basketball courts ­ recreational trails ­ Schools ­ William S. Baer School ­ Gwynn Falls Elementary ­ Frederick Douglas High School ­ Baltimore City Community College ­ Coppin State University

Station Challenges

Lack of Amenities: Food: No food options ​ News: Vacant Newsstand ​ Utilities: poorly lit, vacant newsstand, no WiFi, no electrical outlets, no realtime tracking ​ available at station for buses or metro Assistance: there are generally MTA employees available underground in the metro ​ station, but not at ground level for assistance with buses Seating: very little seating, only cooperative benches ​ Bike: no bike racks, only bike lockers which cost money and must be rented in advance ​ on an annual basis, fast traffic on surrounding streets, and no bike paths do not support cyclists coming to/from the station Parking: no EV charging spaces ​ ​ ​ Wayfinding: limited number of maps, lacking signage to connect pedestrians and ​ cyclists to safe paths Pedestrian: especially unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists to cross streets at night to ​ reach the station

Discussion

Transit Connections: Mondawmin is a hub for local commuters, students and shoppers using the buses or Metro, and one of the highest traffic stations within Baltimore City. ­ The Metro runs every 8­15 minutes, while buses are far less frequent, most weekday Mondawmin bus routes run about every 15 ­ 45 minutes, weekend runs about every 30 ­ 60 minutes ­ The MTA station lot (175 spaces), and the mall lot offer ample free parking, encouraging riders to leave their cars at the station and connect to transit ­ There is no bike parking or bike lanes to help cyclists safely get to and from the station or be able to store their bikes securely

EV Charging Stations: Mondawmin Station currently has 175 free parking spaces, in addition the mall has a large free parking lot, yet there is no EV charging. ­ MTA has charging stations at select transit stations, no stops on the Metro line have EV charging ­ The nearest EV charging options are 2 miles away ­ There is no wayfinding to direct EV drivers to charging stations in the area

Bike Routes, Transit Connection Maps and Signage: Mondawmin Station lacks clear wayfinding to describe connections to biking and pedestrian routes to nearby destinations. ­ There is no real­time tracking for the buses or metro at the station, this is needed in particular for the buses as routes don’t run more often than 15 minutes and there are often delays (MTA does have an app for smartphones and a number to call for real­time info, but this is assumes too much about riders), real­time tracking should be readily available to all riders ­ Mondawmin Station is 0.3 miles from the nearest entrance to Druid Hill Park but there is no clear wayfinding for pedestrian, cyclist, or auto traffic to get there

Bike Challenges: Mondawmin Station’s bicycle culture is in need of improvement and further advancement. ­ The roads surrounding Mondawmin Station have fast traffic and are not suitable for biking ­ Bikeshare does not currently exist in Baltimore. In Spring of 2016, bikeshare is scheduled to arrive to the city, Mondawmin is not an expected bikeshare station despite Mondawmin being a high traffic bus and metro station

Recommendations

By using existing resources and adding to the current framework, Mondawmin can improve transit connections, enhance EV readiness, and create a safer infrastructure for clean, active transportation thus making Baltimore more adeptly connected. Mondawmin serves is a high traffic station for commuters, students and shoppers. Improved connections could promote Mondawmin into a hub that better serves its commuters while connecting visitors and residents to the many resources at Mondawmin Mall, Druid Hill Park, and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Transit Connections: ­ A Druid Hill shuttle that runs in conjunction with metro arrivals, from the Mondawmin Station to the Botanical Gardens, the Maryland Zoo, the public pool, and the disc golf course ­ An express bus to Penn Station ­ Bus, Metro, or bikeshare vouchers for customers that use WIC or food stamps at Shoppers

EV Charging Stations: ­ Install 1­2 EV charging stations in MTA parking lot or in the Mondawmin Mall parking lot by inviting the General Growth Properties (Mall owners) to join EV Everywhere workplace charging challenge ­ Install 1­2 EV charging stations at Druid Hill Park in the Maryland Zoo parking lot

Bike Routes, Transit Connection Maps and Signage: ­ Install smart LED lit crosswalks at: ­ Entrance to Frederick Douglas High School on Gwynn Falls Parkway (and a traffic light) ­ Liberty Heights Avenue and Reisterstown Road intersection in front of Mondawmin Station ­ Liberty Heights Avenue and Swann Drive intersection/entrance to Druid Hill Park ­ Make real­time tracking available at the station for the Metro and all bus routes (this will relieve riders during delays, and make their commutes more efficient) ­ Create maps that display the safest route to bike and walk to the station from surrounding areas of interest. ­ Install street wayfinding that guide automobiles, cyclists, and pedestrians to surrounding areas of interest ­ Design protected bike lanes, separated from pedestrian traffic on Liberty Heights Avenue and Gwynn Falls Parkway

Bikeshare and E­Bikes: ­ Make bikeshare prominent by installing docks centrally in the station, replace unused bike lockers with space for bikeshare docks (right next to the station police booth). Last­mile connections are lacking from Mondawmin Station and bikeshare would allow more people to ride transit. ­ Install bike racks with covered awnings on the other side of the Metro tower from the current bike lockers ­ Ensure that bikeshare docks are also located at nearby colleges, Baltimore City Community College and Coppin State University as well as sites within Druid Hill Park such as the Maryland Zoo and Botanical Gardens ­ Add Electric Assist Vehicles to the bikeshare fleet. Electric Assist Vehicles can be a provided option to those who do not feel confident riding a bicycle in the city, or for those who are not physically able to ride a normal bike. E­Bikes also help solve a common problem of bikeshare fleets being disproportionately ridden downhill, and needing redistribution. E­bikes could be particularly useful in the hilly Mondawmin area; if riders could easily ride bikes uphill with an added assist, there would be less need for redistribution. ­ Promote Electric Assist Vehicles by providing a battery kiosk bank to easily switch out pre­charged batteries.

Conclusion

With these recommendations the goal is to improve the efficiency and availability of connections from Mondawmin Station to other nearby hubs and to support clean transportation throughout Baltimore City. Developing this hub will benefit local commuters and it offers a path for tourism ​ ​ to expand, leading to economic growth outside of the Downtown/Inner Harbor area. Furthermore, Mondawmin Station can become a hub that efficiently connects transit riders to some of Baltimore’s best amenities.

References

­ MTA: http://mta.maryland.gov/metro­subway http://mta.maryland.gov/sites/default/files/Metro%20subway%206­10.JPG http://mta.maryland.gov/sites/default/files/MetroSubway9­14.pdf

­ Smart Crosswalk design: http://www.walkbikemarin.org/documents/Fact_Sheets/1805%20Saunders.pdf

­ Mondawmin Station Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/MONDAWMIN+STATION+%28METRO%29+nb/@ 39.318211,­76.652759,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c81b30a9f6ba01:0x5effdfc1 b8ff45dd

Appendices

Baltimore Metro Subway Map

Bus Route Pamphlets in Metro Station

Metro Ticket Kiosks in Metro Station

Ticketed Entrance to Metro Platform

Vacant Newsstand

Potential Screen to Display Real­Time Metro Tracking

Directions to Buses at Exit of Metro Station

Bus Route Wayfinding

Area Maps at Bus Station

Mondawmin Station Customer Information and Police Booth

Bus Station Above Metro Station

Bus Station (view from MTA lot)

Bike Lockers Adjacent to Police Booth

Bike Lockers

Crossing from Mondawmin Mall to Frederick Douglas High School on Gwynn Falls Pkwy.