Baltimore’s Red Line Rail Project Back on the Table Thanks to New Governor

One of the most infamously anti-transit decisions of the past decade—Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to cancel the Baltimore Red Line system expansion—could be reversed by the incoming governor.

2 minute read

December 12, 2022, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Baltimore Rail

Pi.1415926535 / Wikimedia Commons

Maryland Governor-elect Wes Moore (D) recently promised to build the Red Line rail line planned for a 14-mile stretch in Baltimore. Moore’s predecessor, current Governor Larry Hogan (R), canceled the project in 2015.

Kriston Capps has the scoop on one of the most potentially momentous outcomes for transit to emerge from the November 2022 elections. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Gov.-elect Moore promised to raise the Red Line from the dead, and even build the project during his tenure.

According to Capps, prospects for the plan’s revival are good.

The recent election in Maryland follows a windfall of approvals for new federal spending on transit initiatives, namely through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. Democrats in Maryland have been eyeing the chance to revive the Red Line; senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin even added a line to the bill that would make past proposals eligible for renewed consideration, mentioning the Baltimore project by name.

Among transit advocates, Hogan will never shed the bad reputation created by the controversial decision to cancel the project. Capps explains the decision and the transportation priorities of the Hogan administration:

Just six months after taking office in 2015, the Republican governor hit the brakes on the 14-mile-long east-west light-rail line, declaring it a boondoggle and returning $900 million in guaranteed funding to the federal government. State funds earmarked for the project were spent on roads instead, mostly in rural and suburban areas, as well as on the Purple Line in the suburbs of Washington, DC

The decision provoked criticism in the media, a civil rights complaint, and continued negative deep into Hogan’s tenure. Moore told Capps that Hogan’s decision to cancel the project was “almost disqualifiable.”

Friday, December 9, 2022 in Bloomberg CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing