State-run buses and subway trains in Baltimore have breakdown rates far higher than systems in other cities.
"Maryland Transit Administration vehicles [in Baltimore] fail or break down far more often than in most other comparable cities, according to the most recent Federal Transit Administration data," writes Luke Broadwater.
State legislators are proposing $500 million of funding per year for the MTA over the next six years.
"One reason why Maryland has fallen behind other cities, [MTA CEO Kevin B. Quinn Jr.] said, is that several years ago the agency missed a deadline to make its annual purchase of new buses to replace those that are falling apart," reports Broadwater.
MTA officials say they have a $211 million plan to replace aging buses over the next five years. The agency also will fund a $160 million overhaul of the Light Rail train fleet and spend another $400 million to replace signals and railcars in the Metro SubwayLink system.
[Update: For reporting on how the Maryland Transit Administration is responding to the coronavirus, including one driver testing positive for the virus, see an article by Alex Holt, published by Greater Greater Washington on March 25.]
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