Baltimore Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Transportation== [[File:BaltimoreLightRail.JPG|thumb|A [[Baltimore Light RailLink]] train stops at [[Convention Center station (Light RailLink)|Convention Center station]], just west of [[Baltimore Convention Center]] on [[Pratt Street]]]] Baltimore has a higher-than-average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 30.7 percent of Baltimore households lacked a car, which decreased slightly to 28.9 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Baltimore averaged 1.65 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Car Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map|journal=Governing|date=December 9, 2014 |url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html|access-date=May 3, 2018}}</ref> ===Roads and highways=== [[File:2019-07-15 13 34 07 View south along Interstate 395 (Cal Ripken Way) at its junction with Interstate 95 from the overpass for the ramp from Interstate 395 southbound to Interstate 95 northbound in Baltimore City, Maryland.jpg|thumb|[[Interstate 95 in Maryland|I-95]] northbound in Baltimore]] Baltimore's highway growth has done much to influence the development of the city and its suburbs. The first [[limited-access highway]] serving Baltimore was the [[Baltimore–Washington Parkway]], which opened in stages between 1950 and 1954. Maintenance of it is split: the half closest to Baltimore is maintained by the state of Maryland, and the half closest to Washington by the [[National Park Service]]. Trucks are only permitted to use the northern part of the parkway. Trucks (tractor-trailers) continued to use [[U.S. Route 1 in Maryland|U.S. Route 1]] (US 1) until [[Interstate 95 in Maryland|Interstate 95]] (I-95) between Baltimore and Washington opened in 1971. The Interstate highways serving Baltimore are [[Interstate 70 in Maryland|I-70]], [[Interstate 83|I-83]] (the Jones Falls Expressway), I-95, [[Interstate 395 (Maryland)|I-395]], [[Interstate 695 (Maryland)|I-695]] (the Baltimore Beltway), [[Interstate 795 (Maryland)|I-795]] (the Northwest Expressway), [[Interstate 895 (Maryland)|I-895]] (the Harbor Tunnel Thruway), and [[Interstate 97|I-97]]. The city's mainline Interstate highways—I-95, I-83, and I-70—do not directly connect to each other, and in the case of I-70 end at a park and ride lot just inside the city limits, because of [[highway revolts|freeway revolts]] in Baltimore. These revolts were led primarily by [[Barbara Mikulski]], a former [[United States senator]] for Maryland, which resulted in the abandonment of the original plan. There are two tunnels traversing Baltimore Harbor within the city limits: the four-bore [[Fort McHenry Tunnel]] (opened in 1985 and serving I-95) and the two-bore [[Baltimore Harbor Tunnel|Harbor Tunnel]] (opened in 1957 and serving I-895). Until [[Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse|its collapse in March 2024]], the Baltimore Beltway crossed south of Baltimore Harbor over the [[Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)|Francis Scott Key Bridge]]. The first interstate highway built in Baltimore was [[Interstate 83|I-83]], called the Jones Falls Expressway (first portion built in the early 1960s). Running from the downtown toward the northwest (NNW), it was built through a natural corridor over the [[Jones Falls|Jones Falls River]], which meant that no residents or housing were directly displaced. A planned section from what is now its southern terminus to I-95 was abandoned. Its route through parkland received criticism. Planning for the Baltimore Beltway antedates the creation of the [[Interstate Highway System]]. The first portion completed was a small strip connecting the two sections of I-83, the Baltimore-Harrisburg Expressway and the Jones Falls Expressway. The only [[United States Numbered Highways|U.S. Highways]] in the city are US 1, which bypasses downtown, and [[U.S. Route 40 in Maryland|US 40]], which crosses downtown from east to west. Both run along major surface streets, US 40 utilizes a small section of a freeway cancelled in the 1970s in the west side of the city, originally intended for [[Interstate 170 (Maryland)|Interstate 170]]. State routes in the city travel along surface streets, with the exception of [[Maryland Route 295]], which carries the Baltimore–Washington Parkway. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) is responsible for several functions of the road transportation system in Baltimore, including repairing roads, sidewalks, and alleys; road signs; street lights; and managing the flow of transportation systems.<ref name=bcdot>{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Transportation.aspx |title=Home |publisher=[[Baltimore City Department of Transportation]] |access-date=January 21, 2011 }}</ref> In addition, the agency is in charge of vehicle towing and [[traffic camera]]s.<ref name=bcdot2>{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Transportation/VehicleTowing.aspx |title=Vehicle Towing |publisher=[[Baltimore City Department of Transportation]] |access-date=January 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref name=bcdot3>{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Transportation/TrafficCameras.aspx |title=Traffic Cameras |publisher=[[Baltimore City Department of Transportation]] |access-date=January 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127061625/http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Transportation/TrafficCameras.aspx |archive-date=January 27, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> BCDOT maintains all streets within the Baltimore. These include all streets that are marked as state and U.S. highways and portions of [[Interstate 83 in Maryland|I-83]] and [[Interstate 70 in Maryland|I-70]] within Baltimore's city limits. The only highways in the city that are not maintained by BCDOT are [[Interstate 95 in Maryland|I-95]], [[Interstate 395 in Maryland|I-395]], [[Interstate 695 in Maryland|I-695]], and [[Interstate 895 in Maryland|I-895]], which are maintained by the [[Maryland Transportation Authority]].<ref name="Baltimore City HLR 2005">{{cite web| title=Highway Location Reference: Baltimore City |publisher=Maryland State Highway Administration |year=2005 |url=http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2005_BALTIMORECITY.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714044312/http://www.marylandroads.com/Location/2005_BALTIMORECITY.pdf |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> ===Transit systems=== ====Public transit==== [[File:Charm City Circulator Vanhool 1101.jpg|thumb|Charm City Circulator Van Hool on the Orange Line]] Public transit in Baltimore is mostly provided by the [[Maryland Transit Administration]] (abbreviated "MTA Maryland") and [[Charm City Circulator]]. MTA Maryland operates a comprehensive [[MTA Maryland bus service|bus]] network, including many local, express, and commuter buses, [[Baltimore Light RailLink|a light rail network]] connecting [[Hunt Valley, Maryland|Hunt Valley]] in the north to BWI Airport and [[Glen Burnie station|Glen Burnie]] in the south, and a [[Baltimore Metro SubwayLink|subway line]] between [[Owings Mills, Maryland|Owings Mills]] and [[Johns Hopkins Hospital]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtamaryland.com/ |title=Maryland Transit Administration |publisher=Maryland Transit Administration |access-date=April 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405053628/http://www.mtamaryland.com/ |archive-date=April 5, 2007 }}</ref> A proposed rail line, known as the [[Red Line (Baltimore)|Red Line]], which would link the [[Social Security Administration]]'s headquarters in [[Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland|Woodlawn]] to [[Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center]] in East Baltimore, was cancelled in June 2015 by former Governor [[Larry Hogan]]. In June 2023, Governor [[Wes Moore]] announced the relaunch of the Red Line project.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://redlinemaryland.com/ | title=redlinemaryland.com | publisher=Maryland Transit Administration | access-date=July 31, 2023| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230731180130/https://redlinemaryland.com/| archive-date= July 31, 2023 }}</ref> The Charm City Circulator (CCC), a [[shuttle bus service]] operated by First Transit for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, began operating in the downtown area in January 2010. Funded partly by a 16 percent increase in the city's parking fees, the Circulator provides free bus service seven days a week, picking up passengers every 15–25 minutes at designated stops during service hours.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/charm-city-circulator | title=Charm City Circulator | date=August 10, 2020 | publisher=Baltimore City Department of Transportation | access-date=July 31, 2023}}</ref><ref name="CCC City Paper">{{cite news| url=http://www2.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=20397| title=The Charm City Circulator is more than a cool free bus| author=John Barry| work=Baltimore City Paper| date=July 7, 2010| access-date=March 31, 2011}}</ref> The Charm City Circulator consists of four routes, the Green Route runs from City Hall to Johns Hopkins Hospital via Fells Point, the Purple Route runs from 33rd Street to Federal Hill, the Orange Route runs between Hollins Market and Harbor East, and the Banner Route runs from the Inner Harbor to [[Fort McHenry]].<ref name="CCC Baltimore Sun">{{cite news| url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-charm-city-circulator-routes-back-20230119-tf3pf2jr3faalh52yw6zkf2p74-story.html| title=After vendor transition, Baltimore's Charm City Circulator routes being restored to normal frequency| author=Dan Belson| work=Baltimore Sun| date=January 18, 2023| access-date=July 31, 2023}}</ref> Baltimore has a [[water taxi]] service, operated by [[Baltimore Water Taxi]]. The water taxi's six routes provide service throughout the city's harbor, and was purchased by [[Under Armour]] CEO [[Kevin Plank]]'s Sagamore Ventures in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2016/10/12/first-of-sagamores-new-water-taxis-hits-the-water.html |title=First of Sagamore's new water taxis hits the water |date=October 12, 2016 |newspaper=Baltimore Business Journal |access-date=June 22, 2017 |first=Jonathan |last=Munshaw }}</ref> In June 2017, the BaltimoreLink bus network redesign was launched. The BaltimoreLink redesign consisted of a dozen high frequency, color-coded routes branded CityLink, running every 10 to 15 minutes through downtown Baltimore, along with changes to local and express bus service, rebranded LocalLink and ExpressLink.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-baltimorelink-launch-20170619-story.html|title=Some bumps in the road for bus riders as BaltimoreLink hits city streets|last1=Richman|first2=Colin |last2=Campbell |first1=Talia|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=June 22, 2017|date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> ====Intercity rail==== [[File:Baltimore Pennsylvania Station corrected.jpg|thumb|[[Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore)|Baltimore Pennsylvania Station]] in Baltimore, the seventh-busiest rail station in the nation]] Baltimore is a top destination for [[Amtrak]] along the [[Northeast Corridor]]. Baltimore's [[Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore)|Penn Station]] is one of the busiest in the country. As of 2014, Penn Station was ranked the [[List of busiest Amtrak stations|seventh-busiest]] rail station in the [[United States]] by number of passengers served each year.<ref name="Fact Sheet">{{cite web |title=Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2014 State of Maryland |publisher=[[Amtrak]] Government Affairs |date=November 2014 |url=http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/MARYLAND14.pdf |access-date=May 6, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126202551/http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/MARYLAND14.pdf |archive-date=January 26, 2015 }}</ref> The building sits on a raised "island" of sorts between two open trenches, one for the Jones Falls Expressway and the other for the tracks of the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The NEC approaches from the south through the two-track, {{Convert|7660|ft}} [[Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel]], which opened in 1873 and whose {{convert|30|mph|abbr=on|-1}} limit, sharp curves, and steep grades make it one of the NEC's worst bottlenecks. The NEC's northern approach is the 1873 [[Union Tunnel (Baltimore)|Union Tunnel]], which has one [[single track (rail)|single-track]] bore and one [[double track|double-track]] bore. Just outside the city, [[BWI Rail Station|Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Thurgood Marshall Airport Rail Station]] is another stop. Amtrak's ''[[Acela Express]]'', ''[[Palmetto (train)|Palmetto]]'', ''[[Carolinian (train)|Carolinian]]'', ''[[Silver Star (Amtrak train)|Silver Star]]'', ''[[Silver Meteor]]'', ''[[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]]'', ''[[Crescent (train)|Crescent]]'', and ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' trains are the scheduled passenger train services that stop in the city. [[MARC Train|MARC]] commuter rail service connects the city's two main intercity rail stations, Camden Station and Penn Station, with Washington, D.C.'s [[Union Station (Washington, D.C.)|Union Station]] as well as stops in between. The MARC consists of 3 lines; the Brunswick, Camden and Penn. On December 7, 2013, the Penn Line began weekend service.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-04/local/41740904_1_weekend-service-penn-line-rafi-guroian | newspaper=The Washington Post | first1=John | last1=Wagner | first2=Dana | last2=Hedgpeth | title=Weekend MARC trains between D.C. and Baltimore will start Dec. 7, O'Malley announces | date=September 5, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131118204549/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-04/local/41740904_1_weekend-service-penn-line-rafi-guroian | archive-date=November 18, 2013 }}</ref> ===Airports=== [[File:Kbwi.jpg|thumb|The interior of [[Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport]], Baltimore's international commercial airport]] Baltimore is served by two airports, both operated by the Maryland Aviation Administration, which is part of the [[Maryland Department of Transportation]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.marylandaviation.com/ | title=Maryland Aviation Administration | publisher=Maryland Aviation Administration | access-date=April 5, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070405093832/http://www.marylandaviation.com/| archive-date= April 5, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> [[Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport]], generally known as "BWI", lies about {{convert|10|mi|0}} to the south of Baltimore in neighboring Anne Arundel County. The airport is named after [[Thurgood Marshall]], a Baltimore native who was the first African American to serve on the [[Supreme Court of the United States]]. In terms of passenger traffic, BWI is the 22nd busiest airport in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bwiairport.com/en/about-bwi/factsfigures/genpassengerstats |title=General Passenger Statistics |publisher=Baltimore/Washington International Airport |access-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106203412/http://www.bwiairport.com/en/about-bwi/factsfigures/genpassengerstats |archive-date=November 6, 2016 }}</ref> As of 2014, BWI is the largest, by passenger count, of three major airports serving the [[Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area]]. It is accessible by [[Interstate 95 in Maryland|I-95]] and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway via [[Interstate 195 (Maryland)|Interstate 195]], the [[Baltimore Light Rail]], and Amtrak and MARC Train at [[BWI Rail Station]]. Baltimore is also served by [[Martin State Airport]], a [[general aviation]] facility, to the northeast in Baltimore County. Martin State Airport is linked to [[downtown Baltimore]] by [[Maryland Route 150]] (Eastern Avenue) and by MARC Train at [[Martin State Airport (MARC station)|its own station]]. ===Pedestrians and bicycles=== Baltimore has a comprehensive system of bicycle routes in the city. These routes are not numbered, but are typically denoted with green signs displaying a silhouette of a bicycle upon an outline of the city's border, and denote the distance to destinations, much like bicycle routes in the rest of the state. The roads carrying bicycle routes are also labelled with either bike lanes, sharrows, or Share the Road signs. Many of these routes pass through the downtown area. The network of bicycle lanes in the city continues to expand, with over {{convert|140|mi}} added between 2006 and 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-01-22/entertainment/bs-b-0122-baltimore-bikes-20140121_1_downtown-baltimore-penny-troutner-nathan-krasnopoler|title=Wheels of Change: Baltimore's bike crusade|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|author=Andrew Zaleski|date=January 22, 2014|access-date=September 2, 2014}}</ref> Alongside bike lanes, Baltimore has also built [[bike boulevard]]s, starting with Guilford Avenue in 2012. Baltimore has three major trail systems within the city. The [[Gwynns Falls Trail]] runs from the Inner Harbor to the I-70 Park and Ride, passing through [[Gwynns Falls Park]] and possessing numerous branches. There are also many pedestrian hiking trails traversing the park. The [[Jones Falls Trail]] runs from the Inner Harbor to the Cylburn Arboretum. It is undergoing expansion. Long-term plans call for it to extend to the [[Mount Washington (Baltimore Light Rail station)|Mount Washington Light Rail Stop]], and possibly as far north as the Falls Road stop to connect to the Robert E. Lee boardwalk north of the city. It will incorporate a spur alongside Western Run. The two aforementioned trails carry sections of the [[East Coast Greenway]] through the city. The Herring Run Trail runs from [[Maryland Route 147|Harford Road]] east, to its end beyond Sinclair Lane, utilizing Herring Run Park. Long-term plans call for its extension to [[Morgan State University]] and north to points beyond. Other major bicycle projects include a protected cycle track installed on both Maryland Avenue and Mount Royal Avenue, expected to become the backbone of a downtown bicycle network. Installation for the cycletracks is expected in 2014 and 2016, respectively. In addition to the bicycle trails and cycletracks, Baltimore has the Stony Run Trail, a walking path that will eventually connect from the Jones Falls north to Northern Parkway, utilizing much of the old Ma and Pa Railroad corridor inside the city. In 2011, the city undertook a campaign to reconstruct many sidewalk ramps in the city, coinciding with mass resurfacing of the city's streets. A 2011 study by [[Walk Score]] ranked Baltimore the 14th-most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/cities/|title=2011 City and Neighborhood Rankings |publisher=Walk Score |year=2011 |access-date=August 28, 2011}}</ref> ===Port of Baltimore=== {{Main|Port of Baltimore}} [[File:Baltimoreharborview.jpg|thumb|The [[Inner Harbor]] in Baltimore]] [[File:Washington Monument, 1849, from Federal Hill 1a.jpg|thumb|The [[Port of Baltimore]] with the [[Washington Monument (Baltimore)|Washington Monument]] in the background in 1849]] [[File:The Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore).jpg|thumb|[[Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)|Francis Scott Key Bridge]] crossing the [[Port of Baltimore]] in 2015]] The port was founded in 1706, preceding the founding of Baltimore. The Maryland colonial legislature made the area near [[Locust Point, Baltimore|Locust Point]] as the [[port of entry]] for the [[tobacco]] trade with England. Fells Point, the deepest point in the natural harbor, soon became the colony's main ship building center, later on becoming leader in the construction of [[Baltimore Clipper|clipper ships]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.baltimoremd.com/monuments/sea01.html| title=Fells Point: The Port of Early Baltimore| author=Christopher T. George| work=Baltimore A Link to the City| access-date=March 16, 2011}}</ref> After Baltimore's founding, mills were built behind the wharves. The [[California Gold Rush]] led to many orders for fast vessels. Many overland pioneers also relied upon canned goods from Baltimore. After the Civil War, a coffee ship was designed here for trade with [[Brazil]]. At the end of the nineteenth century, European ship lines had terminals for immigrants. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad made the port a major [[transshipment]] point.<ref name=Stover>{{cite book | last = Stover | first = John F. | title = History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | publisher=Purdue University Press | year = 1987 | location = West Lafayette, IN | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IEPCqQErPHAC&q=History+of+the+Baltimore+and+Ohio+Railroad&pg=PP1 | isbn = 978-0-911198-81-2}}</ref>{{rp|17,75}} The port has major [[roll-on/roll-off]] facilities, as well as bulk facilities, especially steel handling.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mpa.maryland.gov/content/types-of-cargo.php | title=Types of Cargo| publisher=Maryland Port Administration | access-date=January 19, 2011}}</ref> [[Water taxi]]s operate in the Inner Harbor. Governor Ehrlich participated in naming the port after [[Helen Delich Bentley]] during the 300th anniversary of the port.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.teslasociety.com/bentley.htm | title=Governor Ehrlich Names Port of Baltimore After Helen Delich Bentley | publisher=Tesla Memorial Society of New York | access-date=January 5, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100104174645/http://teslasociety.com/bentley.htm| archive-date= January 4, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> In 2007, [[Duke Realty]] Corporation began a new development near the Port of Baltimore, named the Chesapeake Commerce Center. This new industrial park is located on the site of a former General Motors plant. The total project comprises {{convert|184|acre|km2}} in eastern Baltimore City, and the site will yield {{convert|2800000|sqft|m2}} of warehouse/distribution and office space. Chesapeake Commerce Center has direct access to two major Interstate highways ([[I-95]] and [[Interstate 895 (Maryland)|I-895]]) and is located adjacent to two of the major Port of Baltimore terminals. The Port of Baltimore is one of two seaports on the U.S. East Coast with a {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} dredge to accommodate the largest shipping vessels.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mpasafepassage.org/safe.html| title=Safe Passage| publisher=Maryland Port Administration| access-date=January 19, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320042637/http://www.mpasafepassage.org/safe.html| archive-date=March 20, 2011}}</ref> Along with cargo terminals, the port also has a passenger cruise terminal, which offers year-round trips on several lines, including Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas and Carnival's Pride. Overall five cruise lines have operated out of the port to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, while some ships traveled to New England and Canada. The terminal has become an embarkation point where passengers have the opportunity to park and board next to the ship visible from Interstate 95.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100202643.html |title=Baltimore Port to Open Year-Round for Cruise Traffic |work=Washingtonpost.com |date=October 4, 2009 |access-date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> Passengers from [[Pennsylvania]], [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[New Jersey]] make up a third of the volume, with travelers from Maryland, [[Virginia]], [[Washington, D.C.]] and other regions accounting for the rest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100202643_2.html |title=Baltimore Port to Open Year-Round for Cruise Traffic |work=Washingtonpost.com |date= October 4, 2009|access-date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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