Charm City Circulator by BeyondDC licensed under Creative Commons.

With a primary election just a week away, it is still unclear who the next Democratic nominee for mayor of Baltimore will be. A recent poll found 22% of voters are still undecided, two front runners had 18%, with a third candidate right behind them with 15% of those polled.

While there are still over 20 candidates vying for the nomination, six candidates stand out. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon, City Council President Brandon Scott, former Treasury Under Secretary Mary Miller, former Baltimore Police Spokesperson T.J. Smith, former Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah, and incumbent Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young.

That recent poll found that Dixon, Miller, and Scott all stood out front. Vignarajah, Smith, and Young all trailed, with Vignarajah leading the second tier at 11%, and Mayor Young polling at a low 5%.

While the same poll found that a major issue for voters is handling the city’s crime problem, the mayor of Baltimore has responsibilities well beyond crime. A significant role that the mayor plays is managing transportation. This article will take a look at what makes each candidate stand out on transportation issues for the city of Baltimore.

Before looking at what each candidate is prepared to do about Baltimore’s transportation, however, it’s worth looking at what the candidates do agree on. It is a primary after all, and the candidates from the same party agree on a range of issues.

What the candidates agree on

A major sticking point for all six candidates is the creation of a regional transportation authority. Unlike most major cities, Baltimore’s transportation is overseen by the state Department of Transportation through the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). Each candidate agreed that the city should work to establish a Baltimore regional transit authority. Vignarajah leans away from this position slightly, saying that the authority should stop at City Hall so the mayor can “have no one else to blame.”

Another area the candidates agree on is an expansion of the Charm City Circulator. Dixon is keen to remind the other candidates that her administration created the free Circulator, which has been subsequently expanded under the Pugh administration. The candidates agree that the 10 minute headways should be maintained and service interruptions investigated.

The primary differences on Circulator claims was how to expand the system. Dixon is proud of the system she created, and prefers tweaks to funding mechanisms. Vignarajah advocates for rethinking the system away from marketing, as he claims the Circulator was designed by Visit Baltimore, one of Baltimore’s tourism promoters. Vignarajah sees the Circulator as an opportunity to create a free public transit system like Denver or Austin.

Scott proposes expansion specifically to West Baltimore and “transportation deserts.” Miller, Scott, and Young all advocate generally for a more equitable circulator system, with little towards specifics.

The last major area of agreement among the candidates is the implementation of the Baltimore’s Complete Streets Manual. With a draft of the Manual released this May (originally scheduled for April, but delayed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic), the manual will provide guidance on prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit.

While each candidate prefers a more equitable, accessible Baltimore for all its residents, they all have different methods for getting there.

Photo courtesy of candidate's campagin website Image licensed under Creative Commons.

Sheila Dixon

Mayor Dixon’s transportation plan is centered almost entirely around the Charm City Circulator. Dixon is proud of her administration’s work, and she hopes to “ensure that service quality meets the high standard we set when service began.” Dixon mentioned in a transportation forum the possibility of integrating college shuttle services into the Circulator network, as well.

Dixon is one of the few candidates outwardly expressing interest in bringing back the Red Line, the East-West rail project killed by Governor Hogan in 2015. Dixon believes that the city should take the lead in making the project a reality, saying “No one is going to hand us the project – we have to be aggressive in fighting for it.” She is open to new funding sources for the project.

Finally, Dixon plans to better leverage the power of City Hall with the surrounding counties and Annapolis. She believes that transportation issues are greater than simply Baltimore, and that coalitions should be built with the neighboring counties. While working with neighboring areas would be a priority, she also believes that the city should advocate for better management of buses by the MTA, rather than abdicating responsibility to individual citizens.

Photo courtesy of candidate's campagin website.

Mary Miller

There are two parts to Miller’s transportation plan that stand out: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and Student Access.

Miller is the strongest advocate for a Bus Rapid Transit system in Baltimore. This means she intends to expand the amount of dedicated bus lanes, as well as look into converting streets into busways. She intends to model potential busways in Baltimore after the 14th St. East-West busway in New York City. With this, she also plans to increase camera enforcement of bus lanes and use traffic signals to prioritize busses.

Additionally, Miller is the only candidate advocating for expanded public transit access for students. Her plan would allow for free student passes to all Baltimore City students. She also plans to eliminate weekend and time restrictions to expand daily access for students.

Photo courtesy of candidate's campagin website.

Brandon Scott

Brandon Scott’s transportation platform is centered on full implementation of Complete Streets and expansion of the Charm City Circulator.

Scott has championed the Complete Streets study during his time as City Council President and on the City Council. He believes the manual will be an important part of making Baltimore a more pedestrian friendly city. As part of the Complete Streets plan, Scott supports expanding traffic ticket camera programs outside of just school and construction zones. Revenue generated from traffic violations under a Scott administration would go towards “sustainable shared mobility options.” Additionally, Scott would increase the number of traffic enforcement officers in order to maintain safety in Baltimore’s public transit system.

Scott is also a proponent for completing the Baltimore Greenway Trail Network and the Separated Bike Lane Network in order to make Baltimore a more bike-friendly city. The Greenway network would create a 35-mile loop of trails through Baltimore connecting neighborhoods. The Separated Bike Lane Network would create a network of 77-miles of dedicated bike lanes throughout the city.

Photo courtesy of candidate's campagin website.

Thiru Vignarajah

Thiru Vignarajah has some unique ideas to solve Baltimore’s transportation problems, focusing his plans on access through data-driven analysis.

Vignarajah is a strong supporter for completing the Baltimore Greenways system, specifically advocating for the completion of the Gwynns Falls and Herring Run Trails. He touts this as a way to provide access to Baltimore’s greenspace to over 80% of its residents.

Vignarajah’s short term focus is on scooters and ride sharing services. Vignarajah plans to require scooters be distributed to “equity zones” (with no clear description of how to identify and equity zone). With this, he would require scooter companies to reduce prices in neighborhoods with limited access to public transportation options.

With reduced fares for scooters, Vignarajah goes further on ridesharing services. Rideshare companies would be required to provide reduced or free fares for trips out of or in “transit deserts.” These reduced or free fares would also apply to trips to essential services like grocery stores and pharmacies.

Long term, Vignarajah is thinking ambitiously with a “Next Generation New Deal.” Included are robust measures for public transit. Vignarajah envisions a more than $3 billion investment into public transit, envisioning an East-West Light Rail line, bringing back trolleys, and building the first leg of a high-speed bullet train to DC. Vignarajah is the only candidate with a long-term transportation plan this bold and stands alone in support of high-speed rail and revitalized trolleys.

Photo courtesy of candidate's campagin website

T.J. Smith

T.J. Smith’s transportation priorities are primarily geared towards pedestrian safety. Smith believes in investing in more traffic safety enforcement and increasing road quality so people can feel better about “the idea of using transportation methods other than cars.”

On a higher level, Smith advocates for overall system improvements for Baltimore based on recommendations from the Baltimore Regional Transit Needs Assessment. Specifically: real-time arrival information and clear signage, a universal fare collection system, increased system performance across public transit methods, improved safety and security, and new transit lines for better economic integration. Lastly, Smith emphasizes that there should be a more equitable access to transportation, without substantial increases to rent and housing prices.

Photo courtesy of candidate's campagin website.

Bernard C. “Jack” Young

Jack Young has the privilege of being the incumbent in the race, and is using that to tout his work on transportation during his time as mayor and City Council President.

As City Council President, he was a strong advocate for the Complete Streets Manual. A high priority of the Young Administration has been reducing pedestrian deaths, a major issue for Baltimore city. Young oversaw the passage of “Don’t Block the Box” legislation, increasing fines for cars stopped in intersections.

Young is a strong supporter of dockless scooters, overseeing the regulation of scooter companies in the city. He touts the city’s scooter regulations as “one of the best programs in the country.” Young is also a proponent of the Charm City Circulator, and has been working to increase the reliability of the system.

As election day approaches, Baltimoreans will have to decide who they want to be the next mayor. Dixon and Young advocate for supporting the existing transit infrastructure and expanding incrementally.

Miller and Vignarajah envision a significant revamp of Baltimore’s system, hoping to rethink how the city views public transit. Smith and Scott find a middle ground, envision bigger changes and stronger safety measures, without thinking too far outside of the box.

While each candidate has made their case on an array of issues, especially transportation, who will be the next person to occupy City Hall is anybody’s guess.