How does the Red Line relate to the idea of a streetcar serving Fells Point?
A Fells Point streetcar has been proposed as a local circulator system with fixed rail vehicles operating on tracks that run in lanes shared with other traffic, similar to Baltimore’s old streetcars. The system would run between downtown and the east end of Fells Point near Chester Street. These trolley vehicles would be similar to those running on the modern streetcar system in Portland, Oregon. Red Line vehicles would run in a lane dedicated to transit vehicles so that service would be more predictable and reliable. The Red Line would be used for short trips, as the trolley would, but it also would be used for longer trips within the region, giving its Fells Point patrons the opportunity to travel to destinations such as the Social Security complex in Woodlawn that are difficult to reach today without using an automobile. The two systems are mutually exclusive: You could build one or the other but likely not both.
