Department of Transportation s16

1 STATE OF MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2 MARYLAND TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION

4 BaltimoreLink Public Hearing

8 5201 Park Heights Avenue 9 Baltimore, Maryland 2115

10 January 19, 2017

16 DANYELL DIGGS, Hearing Officer

17 ELENI FLANNERY, Hearing Secretary

24 Proceedings recorded by electronic sound recording; 25 transcript produced by Free State Reporting, Inc.

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC. Court Reporting Transcription D.C. Area 301-261-1902

1 I N D E X

2 Page

3 Opening remarks by Danyell Diggs 3

4 Rules and procedures by Eleni Flannery 4

5 Speakers:

6 Councilwoman Middleton 7

7 Maxine Webb 10

8 Michael May 13

9 Valerie Smith 14

10 Jeanette Snowden 15

11 P. Freeman 19

12 April Coccagna-Graham 20

13 Minerva Eaton 22

14 Maria Johnson 24

15 Logan Mitchell 28

16 Michael Hairston 34

17 Beora Clark 38

18 Nate Singer 41

19 Logan Mitchell 43

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC. Court Reporting Transcription D.C. Area 301-261-1902 Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947 3

1 P R O C E E D I N G S

2 MS. DIGGS: Good evening. Let the record show

3 it is now 6 p.m. on the 19th of January 2017. I call to

4 order this public hearing, conducted by the Maryland

5 Transit Administration, as required by Title 7 of the

6 Maryland Transportation Article. The Maryland Transit

7 Administration, also known as MTA, is a transportation

8 business unit of the Maryland Department of

9 Transportation.

10 Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm

11 Danyell Diggs, the MTA's Deputy Director for the Office

12 of Planning, serving as the Hearing Officer this evening.

13 The Hearing Secretary today is Eleni Flannery. I welcome

14 you to the 14th and final public hearing and I thank you

15 for taking the time to attend. If you have not already

16 done so, please silence your cell phones now.

17 The purpose of this hearing is to accept

18 testimony pertaining to the Maryland Department of

19 Transportation's Maryland Transit Administration's

20 proposed service changes for the next phase of

21 implementation of the BaltimoreLink transit network

1 redesign. The proposed changes would become effective on

2 or about Sunday, June 18th, 2017. Full details of the

3 proposed changes are presented in a two-volume document

4 available at the registration table.

5 The role of the Public Hearing Officer and the

6 Secretary is strictly to take testimony. We are unable

7 to answer questions while this hearing is in progress.

8 Please address any questions you may have to the MTA

9 representatives just outside of this room.

10 The Maryland Transit Administration is

11 committed to ensuring no individual is excluded from

12 participation in, or denied the benefits of its transit

13 services and programs on the basis of race, color, or

14 national origin as protected by Title VI of the Civil

15 Rights Act of 1964.

16 Ms. Eleni Flannery will now state the rules and

17 procedures for this hearing.

18 MS. FLANNERY: Good evening. The procedures

19 for this hearing are as follows:

20 1. Individuals desiring to testify should

21 register in the lobby area.

1 2. Speakers are required to provide their name

2 and address. If representing a group, its name and

3 address should also be provided.

4 3. For this hearing, all statements should be

5 directed to the Hearing Officer and must be related to

6 the Subject matter of the hearing, as outlined in the

7 proposal.

8 4. Questions should be addressed to MTA

9 representatives outside of this room. The Hearing

10 Officer cannot respond to questions while the hearing is

11 in progress.

12 5. Speakers are required to limit their

13 statements to 3 minutes.

14 6. These proceedings are recorded by a court

15 stenographer.

16 7. Prepared statements or literature

17 pertaining to the subject of the proposal may be

18 submitted to the Hearing Officer or to the MTA Office of

19 Customer and Community Relations.

20 For those who prefer to submit comments in

21 writing rather than verbally, comment forms are available

1 at the registration table. MTA staff is available to

2 offer assistance. Comment forms can also be downloaded

3 by visiting www.BaltimoreLink.com.

4 Written statements may be submitted for the

5 hearing record, by:

6 1. Submitting to MTA staff at the registration

7 table;

8 2. Mailing to the address listed on the

9 comment form; or

10 3. Emailing comments to

11 [email protected] with "Written Testimony"

12 as the subject heading.

13 All testimony received by the February 21st,

14 2017, deadline will be considered before the proposals

15 are finalized.

16 MS. DIGGS: Notices regarding this hearing were

17 published in 2016 as follow: December 5th & 12th in the

18 Baltimore Sun; December 27th in The Jeffersonian;

19 December 28th - The Towson Times; December 29th - The

20 Dundalk Eagle and The East County Times; December 30th -

21 The Sun's Weekend, and El Tiempo Latino;

1 Notices published in 2017 include: January 4th

2 in the The City Paper; January 6th in the The Afro

3 American, The Sun's Weekend, The Baltimore Times and The

4 Jewish Times; January 9th in The Baltimore Sun; January

5 11th in The Catonsville Times and The Arbutus Times.

6 At this time, I would like to invite elected

7 officials to comment.

8 First on the list we have Councilwoman

9 Middleton.

10 COUNCILWOMAN MIDDLETON: Good evening.

11 MS. DIGGS: Good evening.

12 COUNCILWOMAN MIDDLETON: I'm Councilwoman

13 Sharron Green-Middleton. I represent the 6th District.

14 And I have a couple statements I want to add that have

15 come from my constituency, particularly in the 6th

16 District. Some of them are statements and some is

17 questions.

18 Number one, has the MTA considered extending

19 the Hamden shuttle from its current area at the Woodberry

20 light rail station up through Park Avenue to Green Spring

21 Avenue, North to Sinai?

1 This would pick up two major employers, Sinai

2 and Kennedy Krieger, and connect them directly with the

3 central light rail line along with the merchants in

4 Hamden and the rotunda. I am sure the employees could

5 benefit by having the option to commute via light rail,

6 thus reducing the parking demands at both institutions,

7 traffic on Green Spring; not to mention, increasing the

8 likelihood that some may venture over to Hamden, the

9 rotunda, or 33rd Street for lunch, dinner with this

10 direct connect.

11 Number 2, if the above route does not work for

12 some reason, why not extend the No. 31 from its terminus

13 at Sinai to Polly Western via Green Spring and West Cold

14 Spring Lane. Here again, it connects the central light

15 rail line with at least one of these two employees,

16 Sinai. And even if the Hamden shuttle is only extended

17 to Kennedy Krieger it provides the same net effect of

18 connecting both institutions. Under both scenarios you

19 also now connect KIPP, which is a school, to the central

20 light rail as well.

21 And Number 3, this is more long term but no

1 less important. Please, please, please find a way to run

2 a Penn station to Hunt Valley peak hour light rail train

3 by completing the northbound switch off of the Penn cert.

4 There are increasing number of passengers in

5 both the county and the city that are commuting in the

6 D.C. -- into D.C. from both points north. The MTA is

7 neglecting an opportunity to encourage people to use the

8 light rail when traveling to both points south of the

9 city by not investing in the small segment of rail.

10 These same commuters now clog 695 and 83 to

11 make people daily, who -- but for having to get off and

12 either walk or wait for the Penn shuttle to reverse its

13 Penn station, are discouraged from using the service.

14 The city is investing millions in the Jones Falls bike

15 trail which, along with the MTA's bike train, makes a

16 wonderful incentive for people to commute into D.C. And

17 by having these direct connects would only serve as an

18 encouragement.

19 And the very last thing, the No. 33 that picks

20 up students at Polly Western in the evening, we

21 definitely need more buses. Because some of those

1 students wait for an hour, hour and a half because the

2 buses are extremely crowded. And I get calls daily from

3 those students waiting, and you know it gets dark at

4 night. So that's extremely important for the safety of

5 the students.

6 And that's the end of my testimony.

7 MS. DIGGS: Okay. Thank you. Next we have

8 Ms. Webb. I think you're representing also the 5th

9 District.

10 MS. WEBB: Good evening.

11 MS. DIGGS: Good evening.

12 MS. WEBB: My name is Maxine Webb. I am the

13 community liaison for 5th District Councilman Isaac Yitzy

14 Schleifer. I'm also the president of the Glen

15 Neighborhood Improvement Association. And I would like

16 to say on behalf of all of Councilman Schleifer's

17 district, the key issues would be, please make sure that

18 transportation where there are senior buildings are

19 adequate. Because our elders are often -- some of their

20 buildings may have shuttle buses, some of them do not.

21 But often our elders are doing what they need to do via

1 public transportation. It is important for their bus

2 shelters to be clean and safe, well lit, and those buses

3 to run in a timely fashion, because many of our elders

4 can't stand for extended periods of time. That's number

5 one.

6 Also, where there are schools. As the

7 councilwoman stated, that is another concern to make sure

8 that our kids are safe while standing at the bus stops,

9 because some of them may be in extracurricular activities

10 and they may be coming home when it's dark. And, you

11 know, parents are concerned and we want our kids to be

12 able to function and do things after school, which keeps

13 them busy and out of trouble. And for the single

14 parents, they don't have to worry about where their

15 children are because they're doing something

16 constructive, but they do need to get home.

17 Also, where there may be shopping centers or

18 food stores, all of these things are important to all of

19 our residents that do not own cars. And we do have

20 single dads, single moms, who public transportation is

21 the only means of transportation that they have.

1 And, again, it's important that it's adequate,

2 safe and prompt. Because often when the buses are late

3 and they're not able -- you know, nobody is telling them

4 why a bus is late. We've got people who are being late

5 for work, and this is adding to more frustration. And

6 also making sure that they can link to light rail or the

7 subway in a timely manner. Because 15 minutes can turn

8 the day upside down when a single parent has to get a

9 child to daycare and then on to work.

10 So with those things, we know that you're going

11 to take all those good things under advisement. And

12 we're here if you all need us to come back and assistance

13 with anything to get the job done. And we thank you.

14 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. Next we have -- I

15 believe it's Mr. Max. And I'm not sure if you're --

16 MR. MAY: May --

17 MR. DIGGS: May. I'm sorry. You represent

18 city council district.

19 MR. MAY: Yes.

20 MR. DIGGS: Okay. If you'll let us know which

21 district.

1 MR. MAY: Well, I work for Councilwoman --

2 MR. DIGGS: Sure. Yep. State your name.

3 MR. MAY: Good evening. My name is

4 Michael May. I am a representative who works for

5 Councilwoman Sharon Green-Middleton of the 6th Council --

6 District. And as her representative or liaison I have

7 frequently -- or one of my primary responsibility,

8 obviously, is to attend the association meetings within

9 the 6th District.

10 And one of the concerns that I've heard

11 throughout the district, and the many meetings I've

12 attended, is that they would like for the MTA to have

13 more local -- more meetings like this one and have better

14 communication with the public where they feel as though

15 that they aren't hearing or getting any kind of

16 communication with respect to any new changes and/or

17 updates.

18 So for future reference -- again, this is

19 something the citizens have shared throughout what I've

20 heard at various meetings of the association is, that the

21 MTA is doing a better job of publically getting the word

1 out about any and all changes. That's it. Thank you.

2 MS. DIGGS: Thank you.

3 MR. WEBB: Sure.

4 MS. DIGGS: Are there any other elected

5 officials who would like to comment at this time?

6 Okay. When I call your name, please step up to

7 the microphone, state and spell your name and provide

8 your address for the record.

9 MS. DIGGS: Ms. Valerie Smith. Wait one

10 second.

11 MS. SMITH: Yes, my name is Valerie Smith and I

12 do sometimes catch the regular bus. And because I have a

13 disability sometimes the drivers refuse to, refuse to

14 pick me up, and I have to argue with them. And sometimes

15 there's no pathway. You have to go out in the street to

16 get to the bus stop. That's unsafe for not only for

17 elderly people who use walkers, canes, it's unsafe for us

18 also. So please, when you all do change the routes,

19 please make sure that there's a pathway for us to catch

20 the bus, for us to be safe and we be all right. Thank

21 you.

1 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. Next is Mr. Rice.

2 Please remember to state your name and spell

3 your name and provide your address for the record.

4 Is there a Mr. Rice? Sir, can you get to the

5 microphone. Yes. Thank you.

6 MR. RICE: McKinley Rice, 3055 Spalding Avenue.

7 MS. DIGGS: You want to provide your -- you

8 want to provide your testimony?

9 MR. RICE: (Not on microphone). No, I -- going

10 on.

11 MS. DIGGS: Okay. Thank you. Ms. Jeanette

12 Snowden.

13 MS. SNOWDEN: Good evening. My name is

14 Jeanette Snowden. I'm an Upton resident and I live at

15 704 Dolphin Street. Some of the things that I would like

16 to share with the MTA are, (1) I would like to see the

17 seating on the various buses and even the subway that

18 arrive -- if they could go to pleather or leather. We

19 have a large population of homeless people involved in

20 the city, and I don't think we have an adequate response

21 to their dilemma. And they don't always have access to

1 bathrooms and they're riding these public transportation

2 places, they are wetting that fabric. And it's very

3 unpleasant for someone who comes into the bus or the

4 subway to not be aware that that fabric is wet. So

5 that's a suggestion.

6 Number 2, and this is no disrespect to anyone

7 with a disability. If we're going to continue with a

8 public transportation system that accommodates those

9 people with wheelchairs, broken bones, whatever, I don't

10 understand the design. I don't understand why a person

11 using the transport system, you know, the bus, doesn't

12 have a large space where he or she's body is not exposed

13 in the aisle. I just think that's a very bad design. I

14 think the person should be adequately protected in a

15 space where they -- and not be -- as the present design

16 exists they sit maybe at the front with their -- I seen a

17 man with I don't even know what to call the contraption,

18 but it's holding the bone together because it's broken in

19 several places, ride the bus with his apparatus out in

20 the aisle way. The bus became crowded. I imagine that's

21 a tremendous pain with other clients who are riding the

1 bus bump him. I'm just expressing what I'm saying.

2 I would also like the MTA administrators be

3 required to ride the bus, the subway and the light rail

4 maybe once a week, maybe once a month. I would like to

5 see it be once a week, because I really don't think some

6 of them are really in touch with the issues that people

7 who ride it every day, you know, aren't experiencing. So

8 that they have a sensitivity to what people are seeing

9 and experiencing.

10 I would like the MTA police to get off of their

11 behind and do a better job -- I'm not trying to be

12 disrespectful. Do a better job of walking through the

13 platform. There are young people who are lighting up

14 little cigarillos, marijuana. They're not always -- not

15 always -- they're not always disrespectful, but sometimes

16 they don't, you know, they don't appreciate you saying,

17 people don't smoke that down here. But maybe the

18 presence of the police could, you know, remind them this

19 is not done in this space.

20 MS. DIGGS: Okay.

21 MS. SNOWDEN: I just --

1 MS. DIGGS: Actually your time is up.

2 MS. SNOWDEN: Okay. Thank you.

4 MS. SNOWDEN: Thank you for the opportunity.

5 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. I think -- I believe

6 it's Ms. Freeman. Is there a Freeman? Last name --

7 MR. FREEMAN: Freeman.

8 MS. DIGGS: Freeman. Okay. Mr. Freeman.

9 Sorry about that.

10 MR. FREEMAN: That's all right.

11 MS. DIGGS: I didn't understand the

12 handwriting.

13 MR. FREEMAN: Okay.

14 MS. DIGGS: If you could spell your name.

15 MR. FREEMAN: F-r-e-e-m-a-n. So I can go

16 ahead.

17 MS. DIGGS: Yup. Spell your name as well as

18 your address for the record.

19 MR. FREEMAN: Okay. Thank you. 3531 Haywood

20 Avenue, Apartment No. 1.

1 MR. FREEMAN: Yeah, piggyback off of what some

2 of the people said. Yeah, they do need somebody there

3 that's in an authoritative position like the police or

4 something like that. Some of the people that get on

5 that -- on the train, and sometimes the way they act is

6 just downright ridiculous; starting fights, doing things

7 that you wouldn't even do in the street and they're doing

8 it right on the bus.

9 Bus drivers don't say nothing half the time.

10 Half the time they're rude and nasty, you know, and

11 they're scared, you know. So, yeah, something needs to

12 be done about that definitely.

13 MS. DIGGS: Okay.

14 MR. FREEMAN: And the thing with the

15 disabilities thing, I seen many a times before where they

16 pass somebody by and told them that the lift wasn't

17 working or something like that, and then turn around and

18 get to the end of the thing and then all of a sudden now

19 the lift work. They done left somebody sitting out there

20 in the cold waiting for the next bus because that's what

21 they told them, oh I'm sorry you got to catch the next

1 one coming behind. That's not doing nobody no good.

2 And if you pay your money or whatever it is you do, you

3 should receive better service than that. Thank you so

4 much.

6 MR. FREEMAN: You all have a good evening.

7 MS. DIGGS: You too. The last name is Graham.

8 And I would just --

9 MS. GRAHAM: April -- butcher my last name,

10 it's Coccagna-Graham, April.

11 MS. DIGGS: Okay. And I just want to reiterate

12 that we want to make sure the testimonies are relevant to

13 the BaltimoreLink proposed network design for the

14 hearing.

15 MS. GRAHAM: My name is April Coccagna-Graham.

16 My address is 6518 Langdale Road. I am representing as a

17 private citizen. I am having a problem that -- with No.

18 55 eastbound bus to no avail. I may not use the proper

19 vernacular for this meeting because it's upsetting to me.

20 I have -- either the bus is supposed to come at

21 7:08, it does not come. Some days it doesn't show up

1 until 7:57. I've talked with a wonderful supervisor

2 named Mr. Melvin Stukes and I even left a message for his

3 supervisor, Ms. Patricia Giles (ph.), they know me well.

4 My daughter, who attends a magnet school, takes

5 this bus. The other day she was out there waiting for

6 this bus before 7:00 in 25 degree weather, and again the

7 bus still does not show up. They've even called the bus

8 yard, had a supervisor go out, the bus does not show up.

9 We provide the block number, we provide the vehicle

10 number, the bus still does not show up and it's left in a

11 loop.

12 My daughter is an A student in a magnet

13 program, honor student, and now she is being penalized.

14 The first from 6th grade to entering school she's been

15 late one time. This year she's been late eight times

16 because this bus has not shown up. And she is not the

17 only child that is getting to school late for this bus.

18 I've provided emails, phone numbers, have been

19 in contact to no avail. Talk to Mr. Stukes, ask him if

20 he knows who Ms. Graham is. I'm not rude, I'm not

21 screaming, I'm not hollering, I just want this bus to

1 show up within 10 minutes, 15 minutes. But to show up 45

2 minutes late, people are on this bus late for doctor's

3 appointments, late for school, late for anything.

4 They're late because the 7:08 bus doesn't show up. This

5 morning it showed up at 7:40 this morning.

6 What more can I do as a parent? I don't even

7 live in this area. I just drove 40 minutes to get here

8 to make this last meeting that Mr. Stukes just provided

9 me. I am going the extra mile. I'm not mad at anyone.

10 I don't want to see anyone reprimanded, I just want the

11 bus to show up within 10 minutes, because it is causing

12 her problems at school being in the magnet program.

13 I don't think anyone would like it if their

14 child stood out there for 45 minutes and possibly lose

15 her spot in a magnet program because she can't make it to

16 school on time. And I work. Please help. Please.

17 Thank you very much.

18 MS. DIGGS: I believe it's Ms., Ms. Eaton.

19 Please make sure your testimonies are relevant to the

20 proposed network design as it relates to this hearing.

21 MS. EATON: Good evening. My name is Minerva

1 Eaton, E-a-t-o-n. I'm the president of Hilltop 4100

2 Neighborhood Association.

3 First of all, I would like to thank you for

4 replacing the shelter at the Rodgers Avenue station, it

5 was vandalized three times, and in due time it was

6 replaced, so I thank you for that.

7 We have some major concerns about the Rogers

8 Avenue station and the route there, which is the 44 bus.

9 First, I would like to talk about the cleanup provided at

10 the station. The rats are taking over the station.

11 There's a lot of trash. I know that the -- works every

12 day, but it's not -- they don't do a very good job. And

13 one of my neighbors sitting right here, Ms. Edina Gordon

14 (ph.), she cleans up that area every single day no matter

15 what the weather. I would like for that area to be

16 monitored at least twice a day for cleanup, because it is

17 a heavily congested route, not only for seniors but with

18 school-age children.

19 Another area is the safety. We have a problem

20 with guys dealing drugs in that area near the -- under

21 the bridge, which is the CSX, which is right next to the

1 MTA stop. And also we have a little cubbyhole there

2 where they are dealing drugs. So MTA promised at a

3 meeting that I had that they were going to supply a guard

4 there, but we hardly ever see the guard there, and we

5 need somebody there 24/7.

6 Beautification, the row of plants that were

7 originally placed there, they are really dry rot from

8 weather or whatever. Kids pulling them away from the,

9 from the -- around the sides, so that needs to be fixed.

10 One last comment, the 44 bus, speeding on

11 Rogers Avenue. I live on Rogers Avenue and in the middle

12 of the night they -- the buses come so fast they're

13 shaking my house. We've had five houses, five ceilings

14 to collapse in the area. Something needs to be done. So

15 work with Hilltop 4100 Neighborhood Association, we'll be

16 glad to work with you on these issues. Thank you.

17 MS. DIGGS: I believe it's Ms. Maria Johnson.

18 If you could state your name and address for the record.

19 And remember that the purpose of this hearing is to

20 provide comments on the Maryland Transit Administration's

21 new Baltimore --

1 MS. JOHNSON: My name is Maria --

2 MS. DIGGS: -- Link network design.

3 MS. JOHNSON: My name is Maria Johnson and I

4 represent the Mount Washington Community.

5 MS. DIGGS: One second. We're going to adjust

6 the microphone for you.

7 MS. JOHNSON: Thank you.

9 MS. JOHNSON: Good evening and thank you. My

10 name is Maria Johnson, and I live and I represent the

11 Mount Washington Community, the No. 58 line. And I know

12 you're here about the BaltimoreLink, but as you can see

13 with the comments, it's not really going there because we

14 need MTA to come and just meet the people. Like this

15 little -- a lot of people just shared, come and get on

16 the bus with us, come to the bus stops, because there are

17 issues that have been unresolved for a long, long time.

18 I've been to many hearings, I have documented letters

19 that I take down to 6 St. Paul, you know, addressing

20 certain issues, you know, no-show buses, whatever. They

21 need to meet with us.

1 It is so -- it took me from 5:00 until after 6

2 to get here because the trains, you know, were having

3 problems, they were double-tracking metro, and I could go

4 on and on about that. But it's just that a lot of people

5 can't get to these hearings to express what's going on.

6 And you can see where these issues are just building up,

7 building up, building up.

8 The Baltimore Link, from what I understand what

9 it's doing with the elimination of all of these bus

10 stops, that is not going to resolve the problem, because

11 people need to get to and from work. We're not on

12 welfare, we go to work, we come home we take care of our

13 families. We're not out in the streets causing trouble.

14 And, you know, it's -- a lot of people don't need the

15 elimination of these bus stops, which take them longer to

16 get home, longer to pick up their children at daycare.

17 And, you know, it's not constructed correctly, it really

18 isn't.

19 MTA needs to come and meet with the people,

20 because a lot of people cannot get here. I know them. I

21 go to work with them, we come together. They have to go

1 home to their families. So this hearing, there would be

2 a lot more people here if -- I mean, I had to walk a long

3 way from the bus stop just to get here from the No. 54.

4 And I have an even longer walk in a transition just to

5 get back home.

6 So even though, you know, you want the

7 conversation and, you know, the statements to be, you

8 know compliant to the BaltimoreLink, you can see why it's

9 not happening because there's so many unresolved issues.

10 MTA needs to come and just ride with us, wait with us at

11 those bus stops and understand what's really going on,

12 okay? Thank you.

13 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. This concludes the list

14 of individuals who have registered to speak.

15 Let the record show that it is now 6:34 p.m. I

16 hereby recess this hearing until someone wishes to

17 testify or until 8:00 p.m. when we will adjourn. Thank

18 you.

19 (Off the record at 6:34 p.m.)

20 (On the record at 6:35 p.m.)

21 MS. DIGGS: Let the record show it is now 6:35

1 p.m. I hereby recommence this hearing and will now call

2 for statements from those who have registered. As your

3 name is called, please step up to the microphone, and

4 begin by stating your name and address for the record.

5 Mr. Logan Mitchell.

6 Mr. Mitchell: Good evening. My name is Logan

7 Mitchell, Sr. My address is 3324 Ingleside Avenue,

8 Baltimore, Maryland 21215.

9 I have four comments. They all concern the

10 BaltimoreLink and the current system. The MTA has placed

11 large BaltimoreLink posters on all subway trains, light

12 rail trains, buses, and inside of every subway station so

13 that the riders will see the info about the upcoming

14 change. Also put up the same type of posters to notify

15 the public about the MTA's future public hearings and

16 workshops. When I'm on the subway I don't see any of

17 those posters in the sections near each entry/exit door

18 where those posters could be housed. And I'm not too

19 sure about the light rail, I've never really seen

20 anything on there.

21 Hire 11th and 12th grade students from high

1 schools that have a work-study program, to have those

2 students refill the bus and train schedule racks in all

3 subway stations and on all buses that have schedule slot

4 holders behind the bus stop where you can stand.

5 I made mention last night at the meeting, for

6 two years whatever station I go to I can rarely find the

7 schedules I need. But there seems to be plenty of

8 schedules for buses on the opposite side of town. The

9 schedule for that particular station should be for buses

10 that come through that area and that station, with maybe

11 a few schedules for buses that connect to the ones that

12 come to that particular station. But it shouldn't take

13 two years to refill the appropriate schedules.

14 And the 2013 MARC schedule for the Penn line

15 should not be still put -- not still be put into the

16 schedule holders when there's a 2016 schedule out.

17 Because all of the MARC train schedules are now color-

18 coded and the date is very clear. So why are the people

19 who are putting the schedules up putting 2013 schedules

20 when last year 2016 schedules came out?

21 Advertise the MTA's Charm Card availability on

1 all subway trains, light rail trains, buses, and inside

2 of every subway station. Also make it known that they're

3 useable on the D.C. WMATA subway system and select D.C.

4 buses, as well as being useable. As well as the D.C.

5 SmarTrip cards are used on the Maryland MTA system.

6 I believe the SmarTrip cards have been in

7 existence for over 10 years and I understand that there

8 are boxes of those cards sitting in MTA storage, and only

9 4 percent of the population are using them. But if you

10 made no effort to tell the people about these cards --

11 and D.C. seems to have done a very good job. Because if

12 you go to D.C. you can use the Maryland Charm Card to go

13 through the D.C. system, but you can also buy a D.C.

14 SmarTrip card right at the vending machine.

15 Why is Baltimore always behind, a day late and

16 a dollar short in doing the same thing? If we can use

17 both cards, no both systems, with something that's been

18 in place for over 10 years there's no excuse.

19 Do I have time for one more comment about the

20 red lines? Kind of lengthy, but it's my idea. I’m no

21 transit engineer but I ride the system enough to figure

1 this stuff out.

2 Revisit the Baltimore red line and come up with

3 a short route plan that would be somewhat like the D.C.

4 streetcar that does not require any underground tunnel.

5 A great start and stopping point on that route on the

6 west side would be from the bus stop triangle that's

7 currently served by the westbound No. 23 and No. 40 bus

8 at the intersections of Poplar Grove Street, Edmondson

9 Avenue and West Franklin Street, which is now designated

10 for one-way traffic traveling westbound along with

11 Franklin Street toward Poplar Grove. The cutout would

12 have to be removed from the concrete barrier that

13 currently separates the east and west traffic lanes along

14 West Franklin Street to allow the train to cross over

15 onto the eastbound section of West Franklin Street after

16 departing the bus stop triangle.

17 Then travel on Mulberry Street past the West

18 Baltimore train station, pass underneath the former

19 Social Security Administration metro west buildings,

20 north side, south side, overhead enclosed walkway. Then

21 proceed down to Mulberry Street and Utah Street where we

1 turn left on Utah Street. Then loop back around to West

2 Franklin Street to return on the westbound trip back to

3 the bus stop triangle.

4 The train would travel along West Franklin

5 Street, then turn right onto North Franklintown Road at

6 the intersection of West Franklin Street and North

7 Franklintown Road across the street in the current Hess

8 gas station. Then turn left onto Edmondson Avenue at the

9 intersection of Edmondson Avenue and North Franklintown

10 Road.

11 Then proceed westbound up Edmondson Avenue to

12 the intersections of Poplar Grove Street, Edmondson

13 Avenue and West Franklin Street past the old Baltimore

14 Transit Company trolley storage facility at the corner of

15 Edmondson Avenue and Poplar Grove Street. It would then

16 turn left again at the bus stop triangle to begin another

17 eastbound trip.

18 The trains could run every 10 to -- every 8 to

19 10 minutes. And I can give you a copy of both of these,

20 and I provided the website that shows the exact street

21 views. It's called instantstreetview.com and you type in

1 just the street name and you can see the streets. And so

2 I hope that is helpful to you. Do you want me to give

3 that to you now?

4 MS. FLANNERY: Did you give that to Kevin last

5 night?

6 MR. MITCHELL: No.

7 MS. FLANNERY: No, okay, great.

8 MS. DIGGS: I was going to say, it might be

9 better --

10 MR. MITCHELL: Okay.

11 MS. DIGGS: Yup. Thank you, Mr. Mitchell.

12 MS. FLANNERY: Thank you. Great. Thank you

13 very much.

14 MS. DIGGS: Is there anyone else that

15 registered to speak and I may have not called their name?

16 If not, we'll go into recess.

17 Mr. Hairston.

18 MR. HAIRSTON: I'm sorry --

19 MS. DIGGS: Yeah.

20 MR. HAIRSTON: I need to get my notes.

21 MS. DIGGS: No problem. Mr. Hairston, if you

1 can state and spell your name and your address for the

2 record.

3 MR. HAIRSTON: Sure, Michael -- okay. My name

4 is Michael Hairston, last name H-a-i-r-s-t-o-n. Do you

5 need my full address?

6 MS. DIGGS: Whatever you want to provide.

7 Whatever you want to provide your address.

8 MR. HAIRSTON: Yeah, my address, 3019 Poplar

9 Terrace, West Baltimore.

10 Okay. I'm hoping that with this -- I got some

11 good information outside. I'm hoping that they simplify

12 the schedules. And what I would propose is that every

13 bus leave at it's like 20 after the hour, maybe 40 after

14 the hour, top of the hour, or for longer routes like say

15 the No. 40 or the No. 77, maybe they could leave every 30

16 minutes. And then on Sunday, I know it's slower, so

17 maybe most buses that are not that busy maybe once an

18 hour.

19 I take the bus now, the 64, trying to get to

20 Curtis Bay and it goes up there like three or four times

21 in the morning and then three or four times in the

1 evening. I think what they could do with a bus route

2 like that is maybe have you go from downtown instead of

3 going further out to Gilford Avenue. Just go from

4 downtown straight to Curtis Bay and maybe have it be once

5 an hour, maybe once every couple hours because a lot of

6 people work out there. It's hard to get around trying to

7 figure out when I get off and get back across that bridge

8 on Curtis Bay.

9 And also, if the drivers see a bus coming then

10 maybe they could be retrained to just wait a moment in

11 case someone needs that bus. Like, you may be riding

12 like the No. 13 and then I think -- the 13 down North

13 Avenue and then I think at Druid Hill and North Avenue

14 like the No. 5 may be coming. So maybe they could just

15 look out for that. If they see another bus coming, nine

16 times out of ten there may be at least one person who may

17 need that bus. And, like, I know this from personal

18 experience, if I miss a bus, depending on what

19 neighborhood I'm in, and I have to wait that could be the

20 difference between me getting home that night with all

21 the crime going on. I almost got robbed one day because

1 the bus left me. So that is very, very important, that's

2 very serious. Like, just riding acting like there's

3 nothing, that's everything.

4 And just a couple more real quick. I think

5 also all the buses should stop at maybe three different

6 locations along the routes could save two minutes. And

7 that way the schedule would work because on a Monday

8 morning when the school first starts the bus may take 20

9 extra minutes just because all the traffic and

10 everything. And that's going to be different than, say

11 Friday at 8. So to get from say Security Mall to

12 downtown that could be maybe 20 minutes one day, an hour

13 the next day. What I'm proposing is have those three

14 routes where the bus will always be there at that time.

15 And if it gets there a little early, wait a few minutes.

16 And it leaves from that point at that time and then it

17 drives to another point. And they should know where

18 other buses are coming that intersect, that way

19 everything can kind of coordinate little bit better, if

20 that makes sense.

21 And just three stops along the routes, like

1 three places that they will be at that time. And the bus

2 driver needs to leave on time, that way it doesn't get

3 out of whack. And if they're late in traffic then they

4 won't have to stop because that time has already passed,

5 and they're trying to catch up to get to the next key

6 link to stop.

7 Yeah, I think that's pretty much it. Just

8 better coordination and just all the different times on

9 those little time displays on the bus stops that they

10 have -- it's like 5:48, 5:58, no bus in this city runs

11 that frequently. They just need to have every bus just

12 leave top of the hour, 20, 40 or 30 minutes after top of

13 the hour and once an hour like on Sundays. You're not

14 going to need to run so frequently on a Sunday.

15 That's pretty much it. Just more coordination,

16 more compassion from the bus drivers.

18 MR. HAIRSTON: All right, thank you.

19 MS. DIGGS: I believe it's Ms. Clark. Okay.

20 Is there -- I think it's Beora?

21 MS. CLARK: Yes, I'm coming.

1 MS. DIGGS: Okay.

2 MS. CLARK: You want --

3 MS. DIGGS: Okay. Take your time.

4 MS. CLARK: Good evening. My name is Beora

5 Clark, C-l-a-r-k. I reside at 1931 McCulloh Street. My

6 question -- my comments are pertaining to this link.

7 Now the buses that are put into this book, the

8 buses that I ride are going to become a color. So when

9 are you going to let the people know that these buses are

10 going to become a color instead of a number?

11 And then the No. 8 bus -- no, no, the No. 36

12 bus, which I ride frequently is, according to this

13 diagram, they're going to move it up on Lombard Street

14 instead of running up Fayette and Baltimore Street the

15 way it goes now. It goes out to Riverview to Fayette

16 Street. It goes down to Northern Parkway and ending to

17 Baltimore Street. Now when are you going to let the

18 people know that these buses are going to move a whole

19 block away? You're going to be standing there on the bus

20 stop waiting for this bus that's not going to be there no

21 more. When are you going to put those information out?

1 Now if you're -- for people that's not like me

2 that want to be nosey and know about everything about

3 riding these buses. Now my ear is always open about

4 information. Now if I had -- if I hadn't known about

5 this link, what's happening to these buses, when was I

6 going to be knowing? I would be standing there on the

7 bus stop waiting for something that's not going to come.

8 So when are you going to put this information out to the

9 public and let them know that this is happening.

10 I ride the buses now. Sure you had the

11 information about these meetings, this schedule for these

12 meetings. You didn't tell people that certain things is

13 going to happen to this bus that you ride every day. So

14 I just wanted to know when. Because I came up here

15 really to see some visual to let me know how -- where I'm

16 supposed to be standing.

17 And like the lady said about the bus stop. Now

18 me, I have a cane, and the bus stops already, when you

19 have inclement weather we can't stand up in those bus

20 stops because the ice is very thick up there. So when

21 are you going to do something about these bus stops that

1 are on these bus lines, these new bus lines?

2 Are you going to make sure that the snow and

3 the ice is out at this -- out at these bus stops so we

4 can be there, or are these going to be -- these are going

5 to be perfectly new bus stops and then the ones that's

6 going to be discontinued. When are you going to let the

7 people know that these bus stops are not going to be --

8 going to be there any longer?

9 So that's what I have to say about these links.

10 So thank you very much.

11 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. Anyone else who's

12 registered and I may have failed to call your name?

13 So this concludes the list of individuals who

14 have registered to speak.

16 hereby recess this hearing until someone wishes to

17 testify or until 8:00 p.m. when we will adjourn.

19 (On the record at 7:33 p.m.)

21 p.m. I hereby recommence this hearing and will now call

1 for statements from those who have registered. As your

2 name is called, please step up to the m microphone, and

3 begin by stating your name and address for the record.

4 Mr. Singer.

5 MR. SINGER: Yes, that's me. I'm Nate Singer,

6 6202 Pearce Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21215, and I live

7 in the city of Baltimore.

8 I'd like to address one comment regarding the

9 specific route that travels up and down Park Heights

10 Avenue. I live near the corner of Strathmore -- West

11 Strathmore and Park Heights and I can catch -- currently

12 I can the subway from downtown. Get up to Reisterstown

13 Plaza Station and take either No. 60 bus, which goes down

14 Clarks Lane to Park Heights or the No. 58 bus, because

15 the same thing. It makes a turn on Park Heights toward

16 Glen Avenue, and each one is very convenient for current

17 alignment.

18 In the future I was told that the only way to

19 go to the area of Park Heights and -- Park Heights and

20 what's it called, Clarks Lane would be to get off at the

21 Mondawmin station; take the entire length of Park Heights

1 from Mondawmin all the way up to past Glen Avenue, which

2 is a long stretch, it's many, many stops and red lights,

3 what have you.

4 There's no -- there would be no easy system to

5 stop at either the -- station take a bus or to the Plaza

6 station and take a bus. It's going to increase the time

7 for commuting -- for those people commuting from upper

8 Park Heights neighborhoods drastically. It will increase

9 it by at least 15, 20 minutes a day each way.

10 So I'd like to have the MTA seriously look into

11 that and see if they can reestablish some linkage between

12 the Reisterstown Plaza station or even the Rogers Avenue

13 station for that matter, to have more direct service to

14 the Park Heights community, upper Park Heights community.

15 And I appreciate your assistance in this.

16 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Singer.

17 Okay. Give me one second. Is there anyone

18 else who's registered who would like to give a comment?

19 MR. Logan, do you want to come back up?

20 MR. MITCHELL: Yes.

21 MR. DIGGS: Okay.

1 MR. MITCHELL: This one I have made before. My

2 name is Logan Mitchell, Sr., but you don't have to put it

3 on the record because it was done on the 11th. But I

4 just want to run this mainly for the audience's benefit.

5 Also -- this you can put on the record. Bus

6 stops No. 5285 and 5134 are what I use to go and come

7 from work on the 44 and the 57 bus on Woodlawn Drive

8 where Woodlawn Senior High School, 7-Eleven, Woodlawn

9 branch library and the old Sam's Club where my employer

10 is now. With me having severe flat feet using a cane, if

11 you take those stops away that means I'll probably have

12 to get off at Dogwood and Woodlawn drive and walk that

13 distance to the building up the hill.

14 Now myself, and others who have disabilities,

15 would be disadvantaged especially during heavy snow and

16 sidewalks don't necessarily get cleared and you have to

17 walk out into the street with the traffic that seems to

18 want run up and down the road like it's an open country

19 road, and it's not. So please do not take away any stops

20 that are crucial to people in my position and younger and

21 older, because you will find that you will have a lot of

1 pissed off people who can make it very hard on the MTA.

2 Your drivers will suffer the biggest, bus,

3 light rail and subway because there's more people that

4 take the bus and have access to those drivers. And I'm

5 not saying that in a threatening way, but I'm letting you

6 know that this is a problem with bus drivers being

7 assaulted nationwide. So if you take away those crucial

8 stops, you will feel the brunt of it very quickly when

9 these phased takeaways of these stops are done.

10 Now back to the other agenda. I made this

11 comment on the 11 -- several comments and here we go.

12 Remain flexible making changes to BaltimoreLink

13 routes that turn out not to be effectively serving the

14 public once implemented.

15 Maintain the areas of the Martin Luther King,

16 Jr. Boulevard at West Baltimore Street from the Royal

17 Farms Arena and Charles Center subway station at North

18 Charles Street and West Fayette Street from City Hall,

19 War Memorial Plaza area to North Green Street and West

20 Fayette Street as the main downtown Baltimore light rail

21 subway transfer areas, since that area allows continuous

1 bus and rail transit connections within a reasonable

2 walking and non-walking distance due to at least 20 to 25

3 bus routes traversing that area.

4 Make the MTA Charm Card and the D.C. WAMATA

5 SmarTrip card useable on the Maryland MARC train via the

6 MARC Amtrak stations, the unmanned MARC station ticket

7 machines, and MARC train conductors since both cards are

8 already useable in both regions. Also make them useable

9 in all MTA mobility vehicles for the user/rider as well

10 as the user/rider's authorized traveling companion.

11 After implementation of the local link bus No.

12 34, now known as the No. 57, and the local link bus No.

13 31, now known as the 44, perform a three to six-month

14 rider survey on the local link No. 31 to see if it is

15 effectively maintaining a reasonable travel time

16 schedule, as it will be assuming the westbound travel

17 duties of the current westbound No. 44 and No. 57 buses

18 to Social Security and Security Square Mall since the

19 local link No. 34 will no longer assume the complete

20 current travel route of the No. 57.

21 Extend current Baltimore light rail service to

1 other areas of Baltimore City and beyond that may still

2 have existing railway tracks that are being partially or

3 not completely used as a way to extend service without

4 having to install all new tracks.

5 Plan for and complete a connection between

6 either the Baltimore subway and/or light rail with the

7 D.C. WMATA subway somewhere in the Maryland region to

8 give move rail service other than Amtrak and the MARC

9 train.

10 Implement the Baltimore region rail system plan

11 from August 2002. Look at reviving the Baltimore red

12 line by revising the now defunct plan to not include any

13 underground tunnels to be able to run the trains

14 completely above ground for a larger cost construction

15 savings measure.

16 And last, set up a public hearing at the Owings

17 Mills library 30 days after the implementation of the

18 MTA's BaltimoreLink in June 2017 and every other month

19 thereafter in August, October, and December 2017, to get

20 feedback on what is and isn't working so that fixes can

21 be initiated as soon as possible. That library location

1 is easily accessible to most, if not all, via the

2 Baltimore metro subway at Owings Mills subway station,

3 because that is the best transit vehicle that you have

4 out of all of them. And that completes my comments.

5 MS. DIGGS: Thank you. Are there any other

6 individuals who have signed up? Okay. Do you mind

7 signing up? Is that to give a testimony?

8 We don't have anybody else that's signed up,

9 registered to speak. We will go into recess.

11 hereby commence this hearing and will now call for

12 statements from those who have -- I'm sorry. I'm doing

13 the wrong one --

14 This concludes the list of individuals who have

15 registered to speak. Let the record show it is now 7:43

16 p.m. and I hereby recess this hearing until someone

17 wishes to testify or until 8:00 p.m. when we will

18 adjourn. Thank you.

21 p.m. and this concludes this public hearing. Thank you,

1 ladies and gentlemen for participating. The comments

2 you've provided are valuable and will be considered

3 before the proposed changes are finalized. Good night.

4 (Whereupon, the Public Hearing concluded at

5 8:00 p.m. on January 19, 2017.)

1 C E R T I F I C A T E

2 This is to certify that the attached

3 proceedings before the Maryland Transit Administration in

4 the matter of:

5 BaltimoreLink Public Hearing

6 PLACE: Baltimore, Maryland

7 DATE: January 19, 2017

8 were held as herein appears, and that this is the

9 original transcript thereof for the file of the

10 Agency.

13 ______Dominico Quattrociocchi, Reporter 14 FREE STATE REPORTING, INC.

FREE STATE REPORTING, INC. Court Reporting Transcription D.C. Area 301-261-1902 Balt. & Annap. 410-974-0947