Red Line – Sandy Rosenberg

Governor Hogan Vetoes Bill to Revive Red Line Despite Bipartisan Federal Support

May 27, 2022 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

A 21st Century transit system for the Baltimore metropolitan region is essential. The bipartisan federal infrastructure bill paved the way for essential federal funding for the Red Line.

I introduced House Bill 632, Baltimore East–West Corridor – Transit Study – Requirements, which would have required updated studies and surveys of the proposed system. HB 632 would also provide that no one will lose their home in order to construct a new rail system. We would not repeat the dislocation families for the Highway to Nowhere.

Governor Hogan’s veto of this legislation rejects an important step towards working for a cleaner and more prosperous future for the Baltimore region.

In anticipation of the Governor’s veto, I asked the individuals below for their response.

Statement of Donald C. Fry Regarding Governor Hogan’s Veto of Legislation to Fund New Red Line Light Rail Study

“It is disappointing that the Governor has chosen to veto legislation that would take another serious look at building a new light rail line to connect the east and west sides of the city. Delegate Rosenberg and state legislators worked hard to come to a consensus to pass the bill this year.

It is important to keep in mind that federal transportation officials have previously given the green light for an east-west transit connection, the Red Line, and backed it with a pledge of $900 million in federal funding. The Greater Baltimore Committee championed the project then and has been extremely supportive of this new legislation.

When Congress took bold steps to pass an infrastructure bill our Congressional members, led by Senators Cardin and VanHollen successfully inserted language that directed that the Red Line could move back into the approved project list pending state action. The veto of the legislation delays the potential for this important transit project that would benefit Baltimore City and the region economically, socially and culturally.”

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s support for the Red Line is simple: transit reduces air and water pollution, which improves the health of people and the Bay. A new East-West transit corridor in Baltimore would provide residents with clean and accessible transportation options after decades of concentrated vehicle traffic, and the pollution from it, impacting lower-income communities and neighborhoods of color.”

-Erik Fisher, Maryland Land Use Planner, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

“We are disappointed to see, once again, that Governor Hogan is denying Baltimore City residents critical transit investments that are essential to addressing racial and economic inequities and reducing vehicle pollution.”

– Josh Tulkin, Director, Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter

Session Summary: Abortion, Public Safety, Pimlico Race Track, Handguns, Red Line, Voter Access

April 12, 2022 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

At this year’s General Assembly session, as the Supreme Court considered the fate of reproductive rights, I was a leader in expanding access to safe abortions. Additional crime-fighting resources will be provided in 41st District neighborhoods.

Senator Jill Carter, Delegates Dalya Attar, Tony Branch, and myself obtained construction funds for the Ambassador Theatre; Enoch Pratt Library Park branch in Park Heights; the intersection at Northern Parkway and Falls Road; Cross Country Elementry/Middle School; Ahavas Chaim; Allendale Recreation Center; and Hillside Park in Roland Park.

As a legislator, my policy and moral judgment is that abortion is a medical and moral decision for a woman to make in consultation with her physician and any others that she chooses. The voters of Maryland agreed in 1992, approving by a 62-38% margin the law that protects a woman’s right to choose.

Unlike other states, which are restricting legal and safe abortions, this year’s General Assembly broadened access to the procedure, reducing the medical risk to a woman.

After a triple homicide, I joined my 41st District colleagues in working to increase police presence in Howard Park. With more funding for police in the Governor’s budget, we will secure this protection in more neighborhoods. We have also reduced the hours of operation of problem liquor stores.

A person who carries a gun will use it. That’s the lesson I learned from the acquittal of 18-year old Kyle Rittenhouse.

Under Maryland law, individuals seeking to carry, wear, or transport a handgun must apply for a permit from the Maryland State Police and renew it annually. Appeals are now heard by administrative law judges, who already decide appeals from decisions by several state agencies. I played a key role in the passage of this legislation in 2019.

However, our system is jeopardized by a Supreme Court case where a similar New York law is expected to be found in violation of the 2nd Amendment. I will work with Attorney General Brian Frosh to determine how Maryland can protect us from handguns after this case is decided.

It was my idea for the Maryland Stadium Authority to evaluate whether Pimlico could remain the home of the Preakness. In May 2016, that study concluded that a rebuilt facility could host a Triple Crown race. I will continue to work with the communities surrounding the race track, the horse racing industry, and my legislative colleagues to make this site a major asset for the Park Heights community and the Baltimore region.

At this session, the General Assembly made it clear that design, architecture, engineering, and permitting for this redevelopment are to begin by September 1. We also appropriated $10 million dollars to begin the work at Old Hilltop. The Preakness will continue to be run at Pimlico while construction is underway.

In his first year in office, Governor Hogan withdrew state funding for the Red Line. He called it a “boondoggle.” In the bipartisan infrastructure bill, federal funding to revive this mass transit system was made possible by Senators Cardin and Van Hollen and Congressmen Mfume, Ruppersberger, and Sarbanes,.

I successfully introduced House Bill 632 to require an update of studies and surveys on this needed system. My legislation will also prohibit anyone’s home from being condemned to build the Red Line, unlike the case with the “Highway to Nowhere,” the unfinished interstate in West Baltimore.

For over two decades, opioid manufacturers unleashed a scourge of addictive and deadly pills. Maryland joined the lawsuit against them. Our portion of the $26 billion-dollar settlement is approximately $492 million. We obtained a higher share than our population would indicate because the opioid crisis has hit Marylanders harder than in other states.

Under my legislation that passed last year, this money will be used for a variety of authorized opioids abatement programs, such as treatment for substance use disorders and overdose reversal medicines. Two bills that I successfully introduced this session provide for the allocation of these funds among the state and local governments and create an advisory council that will include people who have firsthand experience with opioid addiction and recovery.

Expanding access to the ballot and preventing deceptive attempts to affect the outcome of an election are among my highest priorities. I introduced legislation to expand early voting to the Sunday before Election Day. This issue will be studied.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was a public defender before she became a judge. The origin of the public defender: the Supreme Court held in Gideon v. Wainwright that a criminal defendant has a constitutional right to counsel. Providing a lawyer in civil proceedings, like rent court, for a person who can’t afford an attorney extends the Gideon principle.

Last year, the legislature enacted a right to counsel in eviction cases. This year, we funded it. I was a leader in both of these efforts, introducing legislation and creating our budget strategy.

Maryland is a national leader in preventing lead poisoning because all properties built before 1978 must have a lead inspection at each change of occupancy. However, a landlord’s failure to comply with this law is not an issue of fact in an eviction case. That evidence can be introduced because of legislation that I introduced this session.

Thanks to my parents, I was able to enter public service with no academic debt. It has meant a great deal to me as a legislator to create public service internships and fund loan forgiveness programs. This year, I expanded service opportunities that match 21st century needs of participants and communities with legislation that Senate President Bill Ferguson and I jointly introduced. A Maryland Civilian Conservation Corps is one example.

Our goal is to attract talented young people to the state and entice others to stay here and be part of the work force, by offering in-state tuition to students who perform a service year.

This is an election year. I will be running with my colleagues, Senator Jill Carter and Delegates Dalya Attar and Tony Bridges.

I hope that we have earned your support.

Moving forward

February 21, 2022 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

Several of my bills are moving forward – in different ways.

Both Senator Hettleman and I introduced legislation requiring that money received from a violation of the housing provisions of Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act be used to provide legal counsel for tenants facing eviction.

Her bill got a favorable committee report. That gives a boost to my mine.

In his first year in office, Governor Hogan withdrew state funding for the Red Line, a light rail system from the Johns Hopkins campus in East Baltimore to the Social Security complex in Baltimore County.

Those are two of the biggest employment sites in the metropolitan area.

He called it a “boondoggle.”

Federal funding to revive the Red Line was made possible by our Congressional delegation. Senators Cardin and Van Hollen and Congressmen Mfume, Ruppersberger, and Sarbanes added language to the bipartisan infrastructure bill requiring the Department of Transportation to “provide full and fair consideration to projects that seek an updated rating after a period of inactivity following an earlier rating and evaluation.”

Those five federal legislators have also written a letter supporting my bill to require our state government to update its studies and surveys on this needed mass transit system. My bill got a favorable report from the Baltimore City delegation. I’ve been told that my Baltimore County colleagues will take similar action.

I’ve offered amendments to two of my bills. These compromises would improve the situation that my legislation addresses.

If these amended bills don’t meet my objective, I hope the voters will send me back to Annapolis to finish the job.

Now the work begins

November 8, 2021 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

All infrastructure is local, as Speaker Tip O’Neill might say.

What impact will the Biden infrastructure law have on Baltimore City and the neighborhoods I represent?

I started emailing our professional staff in Annapolis on Saturday morning.

The Red Line could be reconsidered under specific language in the new law.. What steps does the General Assembly need to take to help bring that about? I was already drafting a bill before this weekend.

Infrastructure improvements are needed for the new housing awarded in the Park Heights community, several blocks south of Pimlico Race Track. Is the new bill a source of funds, or is the more likely source the Build Back Better legislation, next on the Congressional agenda?

Aging water pipes are a source of lead poisoning. There’s money in the bill to replace these pipes. What’s the best way to get this done in Baltimore?

Money is allocated for specific projects. In Washington, there are called earmarks. In Annapolis, we call them worthy legislative initiatives. Is the Ambassador Theatre in Howard Park funded?

The bill has passed the Congress. Now the work begins at home.

It’s never too early

October 8, 2021 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

You need to start working on your bill months before you introduce it.

I’m currently in the drafting stage.

Bills that failed last session need to be revised.

Under House Bill 499, if a property owner violates the consumer protection law, any monetary penalty would be deposited in a fund for rental and housing assistance.

Last session, House Bill 18 created a right of access to legal counsel in certain eviction cases.

I’m modifying HB 499 to reflect that.

Before Gov. Hogan nixed the Red Line, I passed a bill mandating a study of the impact of the Red Line on adjacent communities.

The infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills in Congress could revive an East-West transit line.

Last night, the City met with the neighbors of Druid Hill Park to discuss how to make the streets adjacent to the park more neighborhood friendly.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-baltimore-druid-hill-traffic-plan-20211008-3x2mhtt3ojbg3ecgkihkhhcnie-story.html

I’ve asked that a similar study be required for the Edmondson Avenue corridor and other areas in my bill for next session.

Will Roe v. Wade survive?

With a restrictive Mississippi law before the Supreme Court this fall, Roe is in danger.

As you likely know, Maryland voters approved on referendum a law that wrote the Roe protections into our law.

That statute should be unaffected by the Supreme Court’s decision.

Nonetheless, access to reproductive health care, regardless of income, needs to be addressed.

I’m working with several colleagues on a bill draft.

The Road to Nowhere To a 21st Century Mass Transit System

September 18, 2020 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

The road to nowhere was paved with the dislocation of hundreds of families.

Many of those people who were forced out of their homes in the Franklin-Mulberry corridor moved a mile north to Edmondson Village – in the 41st District.

I knew about that before I went to my first meeting about the Red Line at Edmondson Senior High School.

It was there that I first heard a constituent say she did not want to experience that again.

She drove the point home for me.

“We will sweat the details about how the Red Line would affect your neighborhood,” my legislative colleagues and I said at many neighborhood meetings.

We introduced and passed a bill prohibiting the dislocation of any families along Edmondson Ave.

There were no plans to do this. We made sure of it.

Governor Hogan pulled the plug on the Red Line five years ago.

Cynthia Shaw, president of the Lyndhurst Community Association, recently told the Baltimore Sun that she had convinced her skeptical neighbors that the Red Line would connect them to the rest of the region, not take their homes.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-pol-red-line-five-years-20200911-b2d3knvbpngdrirbc44fd55pti-story.html

There will be a new administration in Annapolis in two years.

We need to work with Mrs. Shaw and many others to plan for the redevelopment of the communities throughout Baltimore City and Baltimore County that would benefit from a 21st Century mass transit system.

Staying on top of what’s going under ground

March 23, 2015March 23, 2015 | by delsandy | featured, Sandy's 2015 Legislative Diary | No Comments

You can get a lot done with your laptop and knowledgeable staff.

The Red Line would run through the neighborhoods in the Edmondson Avenue corridor of the 41st District.

A Sun editorial yesterday indicated that the tunnel under Cooks Lane is a potential target for cost savings.

Cooks Lane is only two lanes wide on each side, and in many places it’s just one lane because of residential parking. Several years ago, we worked with the community to have the line run underground instead of on the surface.

I asked the General Assembly’s budget staff to find out the status of the tunnel.

The Mass Transit Administration replied:

“We’ve not yet started to consider cost savings for Red Line, so I can’t confirm or deny [whether Cooks Lane tunnel will be impacted]. Eliminating either tunnel or otherwise changing an aspect of the project that would change the environmental or community impacts [and] would require” [approval from two federal agencies]. “This could delay construction by several years.”

On behalf of my 41st District colleagues, I shared this information with the neighborhood president, assuring him that “We will do our best to keep the tunnel in the plans if the line goes through Cooks Lane.”

All politics and tunneling are local.

The Work Back Home

November 8, 2013 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

I sweat the details.

Four schools in the 41^st District will be renovated in the first year of the $1 billion plan that will eventually transform every school in the City.

Senator Lisa Gladden, Delegates Jill Carter, Nathaniel Oaks, and I have attended planning meetings with students, their family members, and neighbors at Arlington and Pimlico Elementary/Middle Schools, Lyndhurst Elementary, and Forest Park Senior High. 3,000 square feet in each facility will be designed for community use.

A certain portion of slots revenue is allocated for economic and community development in the neighborhoods surrounding Pimlico Race Track.

In Northwest Baltimore, we’ve worked with neighborhood leaders to help them determine how $1.5 million will be spent. Parking for patrons of the Reisterstown Road Enoch Pratt Library branch, improvements to Luckman and Northwest Parks, and construction of the Hatzalah Community Center are some of the uses to which this money will be put.

Major renovation of Park Heights has also begun with this money, and Liberty Heights neighborhoods will benefit when the Baltimore City facility opens next year.

Our economy and our environment require a 21^st Century mass transit system. On its way from Social Security in Woodlawn to Bayview Hospital in East Baltimore, the Red Line will run through the Edmondson Avenue corridor.

Where stops are located and the safety of pedestrians crossing Edmondson Avenue are crucial details. So are jobs. At our urging, a job forum will be held at the Westside Skills Center on Saturday.

After the bill passes in Annapolis, there’s a lot of work to do back home.

Number one in a hurry

March 14, 2012 | by delsandy | Sandy's 2012 Legislative Diary, Uncategorized | No Comments

I was going to ask a question about the Red Line.

The proposed mass transit line runs through the heart of the Edmondson Avenue neighborhoods I represent.

The hearing was on the Governor’s gas tax bill, and I was going to make the point that the Red Line could not be built unless we had additional revenue.

Then Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake testified that if the City does not receive more funding this session, it “will likely be forced to close as many as 15 bridges to traffic within the next two to three years.”

I raised my eyebrows.

The Mayor noticed.

“That was not a skeptical response,” I told her and the audience. “It was an ‘Oh, wow!’”

Baltimore would no longer rank 16^th on the list of congested metropolitan areas.

We would be number one in a hurry.

The devil is in the details, as it is with most legislation, but a 21^st Century transportation system is an investment we must make.

My Key Issues:

Tag: Red Line