A summit was held on Saturday by the mayor to discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of the proposed Red Line.

The 12-mile transit line is planned to stretch east to west, from Security Square through downtown to Johns Hopkins Bayview. The aim is to connect with existing transportation — MARC, the Metro, and the light rail — to expand Baltimore’s limited public transit options. About 300 residents showed up to the Red Line summit, with some opposed to the plan in its current form.

The mode of transportation for the Red Line is still being debated, with the choices now narrowed to a light rail or rapid transit bus system. Many residents, however — particularly those living near the proposed Fells Point and Canton stops — fear that an above-ground system will detract from the historic character of their neighborhoods. These residents want the system to move underground, at least while it passes through their locale.

Said one Fells Point resident: “We don’t want a train rumbling through the neighborhood on the street. And we don’t want the congestion it might cause either.”

Although the bus system proposal doesn’t really excite me, I think another rail line (particularly one that connects to the existing lines) is necessary if Baltimore is to continue to grow as a city. The Red Line is in its final planning stages, with hopes for groundbreaking sometime before 2012. What are your hopes for the final plan?

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