Why isn Metro being studied for the Red Line?
Metro, or heavy rail transit, must be physically separated from its surrounding environment because of its power source, the electrified “third rail.” For the Red Line corridor, Metro would require significant tunnels or bridges for total separation from the surrounding environment, since at-grade rights-of-way do not generally exist except at I-70 and U.S. 40, east of the West Baltimore MARC Station. A Metro alternative from CMS to Patterson Park for the Red Line is estimated to cost between $2.2 billion and $2.6 billion, including construction of the alignment, stations, vehicles, maintenance and storage yard and other associated costs. To be competitive nationally for federal funding, a project of this magnitude would generally need to have 130,000 to150,000 trips per day. Currently Metro from Owings Mills to Johns Hopkins Hospital carries about 45,000 trips per day. Even if the project received federal funds, historically most projects have been capped at $500 million in appropriat
