With no foreseeable state or federal implementation funds, now is the perfect time for the governor to demand the MTA be more creative and start over. To their credit, the MTA recently reversed years of opposition to phasing the Red Line. But the option of phasing surface Light Rail through downtown Baltimore will prove as slow as the existing Howard Street Light Rail segment, and with no rational terminus. The MTA is relying on exclusive lanes and traffic signal preemption that have proved impossible to successfully implement. For comparison, Washington’s H Street Light Rail, a 2-mile segment that opened with much fanfare in 2016, is actually being dismantled as incompatible with the downtown corridor it was designed to serve. A similar fate would be expected for the proposed routes to Bayview through Downtown, Little Italy, Fells Point and Canton, a twisted corridor that MTA buses have barely tried to even serve.

Successful transit planning relies on providing speed and integration with land use and existing transit assets. Here is where the MTA’s new embrace of phasing can actually work to their advantage by recognizing the importance of two already-funded significant multibillion-dollar regional assets: the Frederick Douglass rail tunnel, which will also fund a replacement West Baltimore MARC station, and the existing Metro downtown tunnel that was built to accommodate a future East-West line. A new Red Line needs to directly link to these assets rather than stop several blocks away as currently planned by the MTA.

The MTA should rethink a new phased Red Line as a 2-mile extension of the existing Metro system that would begin at the new MARC station, use the “Highway to Nowhere,” and connect just north of the Lexington Market station. Properly integrated with Transit Oriented Development replacing the acres of surface parking in West Baltimore, this new transportation hub becomes the focal point for suburban and west Baltimore commuters to reach downtown Baltimore in six minutes, Hopkins Hospital in 10 minutes, and more importantly, the Washington labor market and their Metro system in under 30 minutes.

The Sun’s article correctly contrasts the relative costs of the MTA’s options but overlooked the comparison of the existing #40 bus line that already travels from Woodlawn to East Baltimore in 55 minutes, 10 minutes faster than the MTA’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit option. Spending almost a billion dollars on BRT to add 10 minutes of commuter time in a dense downtown doesn’t seem very rapid, much less a wise investment.

While downtown is realistically not suited for surface Light Rail or BRT, a West Baltimore BRT segment beginning at the new MARC station and extending to Woodlawn and the future Security Square redevelopment becomes ideal and cost-efficient.

Similarly, on the east side, phasing a future Metro extension to Hopkins Bayview on existing rail right of ways ultimately allows for the potential MARC station that Hopkins has desired for many years. BRT can then be extended to the expanding TradePoint Atlantic job center using I-695. Overall, a combined Metro/BRT trip from West Baltimore to Tradepoint would take as little as 32 minutes.

The governor’s campaign promises to restart the Red Line represented a significant commitment of anticipated state and federal resources that are now unrealistic. However, the need remains, and his Department of Transportation and MTA need to abandon their previous Red Line planning for a phased Metro system that will provide more immediate benefits, faster service and regional integration.

— Alfred W. Barry and Gerald Neily, Baltimore

Barry is a former Baltimore City assistant planning director and is the principal of AB Associates, a regional strategic planning firm. Neily is a retired Baltimore City transportation planner.

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

And, as an unfortunate complement to the road surface, embarrassing narcissistic graffiti is pervasive.

As an editorial in The Baltimore Sun several weeks ago pointed out, some local artists were invited to create picturesque murals to cover some of that graffiti (“Graffiti fight takes a welcome turn on the JFX,” May 4). I think I saw some of their efforts out of the corner of my eye. I think. The only problem is that, in traffic, I didn’t dare take my eyes off the road for even two seconds to admire the new well-intentioned colorfully illustrated walls since they run parallel to Interstate 83!  What’s the point?

However, you can’t miss those conceited unimaginative overpass eyesores. It’s obvious from the enormity of some that it had to have taken hours to paint while hundreds (if not thousands) of apparently unconcerned commuters passed beneath.

Maybe one day, some judge will sentence one or more of the culprits to pay off every last dollar that it cost the city to eradicate such vain “art” by having him work it off. Literally. After rectifying his own misdeed by eliminating the unsightly graffiti with a sprayer, he would then be offered a permanent job doing the same elsewhere. Thus, there would be hope that, with a steady paycheck, the graffiti offender would evolve to a graffiti defender.

What goes up must come down. However, with so many fresh egos forever waiting in the wings for their chance at spray paint immortality (even if it’s more like temporary notoriety) the onetime vandal’s city job would inevitably continue until he’s collecting Social Security.

— Joe Pachino, Baltimore

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

Tolentino even referred to the missed call as “egregious.”  My question? Do MLB umpires ever get fined or suspended for egregious blown calls?

Whoever was on duty for that debacle must be held accountable. Transparency requires it. I can more than understand and accept that missed judgement calls “are part of the game.” But to me, however, specific rule violations like this are a horse of another color.

Maybe in this day and age, human umpires are becoming  obsolete. The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system is technology’s foot in the door. There should have been several suspensions meted out for June 7 because those rule enforcers got it wrong.

— George Hammerbacher, Baltimore

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

Could it be that Marylanders welcome diversity? Could it be the state’s service economy needs their services? Perhaps it’s the blighted neighborhoods that need an infusion of civic pride and cultural rejuvenation.

According to Snow’s description of Maryland, nobody would want to live here. Yet be it the natural beauty, the weather or the residents, something makes us believe that our home state truly is “the land of pleasant living.”

Immigrants must sense this vibe.

— Eric Greene, Annapolis

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

From 1993 to 2025, Civic Works transformed 301 vacant lots across Baltimore into community green spaces that help provide residents with access to fresh produce. The organization has also placed 1,616 Baltimore residents in full-time jobs, helping them support their families. In addition, many homes have been rehabilitated, repaired and upgraded with energy-efficient improvements.

Civic Works has also mobilized volunteers to serve the community through projects such as tutoring and mentoring students and older adults. I have known Dana Stein, the executive director of Civic Works, for ten years. He is a person of the highest integrity and has an unparalleled commitment to public service.

Should you require any further information or documentation regarding Belair-Edison Community Association’ s partnership with Civic Works, please do not hesitate to reach out.

— Rita Crews, Baltimore

The writer is president of the Belair-Edison Community Association.

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

The Warrior Run plant stopped burning coal in June of 2024. Potomac Edison had paid $357 million to break its contract seven years early.

Maryland has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint 60%, based on 2006 levels, by 2031 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.

That leaves three questions for the Republican Party:

Do you know the climate crisis, an existential crisis for the world, affects Maryland?

Why would you cheer restarting an outmoded, heavy polluting energy source unused since June 2024?

And, finally, what could have been done to either lower consumer bills or foster the growth of modern, clean energy systems to meet Maryland’s commitment to carbon neutrality with that $85 million?

— Nick James, Baltimore

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

In Trump’s first administration, loyalty was the key factor in his appointments. Now it seems to be the only factor.

It is fair to ask whether there are not at least semi- competent Trump toadies he can appoint to important positions.

— Steven Grossman, Baltimore

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

As for the team, just when you think the O’s might be turning the corner, they starting losing again. This is a very inconsistent team that makes way too many mental mistakes.

— Bob Lancione, Towson

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

Further, Moody’s, a bond rating agency, “revised Baltimore’s outlook from stable to negative.” As of June 2025, Baltimore owed more than $83 million in bond debt interest between wastewater and other bonds. Yet the administration spends money all over Baltimore.

Our children and grandchildren will be responsible for paying these bonds. And now they want us to approve another $280 million in borrowing claiming “it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Yeah, not to them!

— Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.

Republicans in Maryland back President Donald Trump’s cuts to health care in his so-called “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act” but then complain when major loss of funding by the state requires cuts. Thousands will lose Medicaid coverage unless the state ponies up more money, but we don’t hear so much as a peep from Republicans.

This is the definition of hypocrisy.

— Alan L. Katz, Owings Mills

Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.