FAQs

This grant pursuit is seeking federal assistance to advance planning studies already completed. With additional funding, we can refine our project goals with community input, advance earlier planning studies to complete a more technical assessment, develop new design scenarios with public input, and provide more accurate information to develop detailed design plans that lead to construction. This study will also identify financing strategies to ensure project implementation is feasible both from a constructability perspective and a financing perspective.

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) is leading the grant pursuit in partnership with the Baltimore City Department of Planning, Baltimore Development Corporation, and Maryland Transit Administration. Additionally, the project team will coordinate with other Baltimore City agencies, elected officials, and stakeholders. The US Department of Transportation will become engaged should we be successful in winning this grant. Public participation is a primary goal and we will continue to engage with community members through a Stakeholder Advisory Committee, posting up to date project information online, and frequent public meetings throughout the planning process. Please contact us at DOT-Community@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 386-5256 to request a meeting or project briefing.

Scope of Work for the West Baltimore Reconnecting Communities Planning & Feasibility Study:

• Robust and Multi-faceted Stakeholder Engagement
• Topographic survey with metes and bounds
• Utility designations
• Infrastructure asset inventory and conditions assessment
• Environmental Inventory
• Traffic Analysis
• Market Analysis
• Purpose and Need Statement / Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including Equity metrics
• Conceptual Scenario Planning
• Assess Scenario Performances
• Financing Strategy
• Recommend Phasing and Next Steps

Additional Benefits we hope to add with this Planning Study:

• Community Social Events 
• Internships and apprenticeships for local residents
• Grants to support local non-profit programs

The grant application is being submitted in October 2022 and the award selection is expected to be announced in Spring of 2023. Pending DOT procurement, it is expected the project will begin in Summer 2023. The study will be 2 years long and should end by Summer of 2025 in time to pursue a design and construction grant in Fall of 2025.

Baltimore City is committed to continue working to deliver on promises made. Once this planning study is complete, we will continue:

• Ongoing Community Engagement
• Establish 3rd Party Management Entity or Community Development Corporation
• Design Competition and/or Design Build
• Project Financing Plan
• Environmental Review / NEPA Analysis / Regulatory Approvals
• Design and Engineering
• Phased construction of highway removal and new development

This project is a continuation of some previous planning efforts and the next step in achieving goals of community improvements, highway deconstruction, and redevelopment. We appreciate all the input community members have given during previous studies, and look for continued input as we move forward together. This project will not look at redeveloping properties outside the current roadway right of way so no new properties will be taken. However, community enhancements and benefits will be incorporated into the project including streetscape beautification and repairs, complete streets amenities for people walking, biking, scooting, riding transit, or driving, and environmental improvements with recreational amenities, flood reduction, and landscaping. We want the proposed redevelopment to be community-oriented offering amenities and services that strengthen and support local neighborhoods without displacing any of the existing community. We are also looking for opportunities to provide internships for local students to partner with us on the planning and design, and local businesses to partner with us for meetings, catering, and services.

Baltimore City is committed to supporting the communities of West Baltimore. We are already working closely with the Maryland Transit Administration to improve transit service and provide community enhancements in West Baltimore and with Amtrak to build a new West Baltimore MARC Station as part of the B&P Tunnel replacement project. We are committing additional capital dollars as part of our required match for a federal grant, and will invest the money in improvements to West Baltimore whether this grant is awarded. We will work with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and community members to identify priority enhancements.

Please share your thoughts on our public survey or contact us at DOT-Community@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 386-5256 to request a meeting or project briefing.