A safe and reliable transit system is critical for a strong economic recovery from COVID-19, improved transportation equity, and reduced traffic pollution. Marylanders need a strong public traffic system so that they get to jobs, food, healthcare, education, recreation, and other important destinations each day.
The burden of an unsafe and unreliable transit falls hardest on communities of color, low income communities, and people with disabilities who rely on mass transit. In Baltimore, nearly 1 in 3 residents primarily living in communities of color don’t have access to a car and can only access 9% of jobs within 45 minutes on public transit.
Investing in public transit provides critically needed transportation for those without cars and is an essential part of the state’s efforts to reduce climate, air, and water pollution by reducing Marylanders’ reliance on gasoline-powered cars. A person who commutes 20 miles daily round trip by car could lower their carbon footprint 4,800 pounds annually, equivalent to the emissions from 245 gallons of gasoline, if they instead made that trip each day on public transit. Electrifying our buses will further reduce transportation pollution and clean up our air.
In 2022, we joined with members of the Transform Maryland Transportation Coalition in pushing for a successful veto override of the Transit Safety & Investment Act, legislation which locks in annual capital funding minimums to address the Maryland Transit Administration's $2 billion maintenance backlog. This will help make the transit system more safe and reliable.
We are fighting to:
- Support the completion of the East-West Red Line Project in Baltimore.
- Support the construction of the Purple Line light rail project.
- Electrify our school buses, MTA’s fleet, and WMATA’s fleet.
- Push for more funding to increase the frequency and reliability of transit service throughout the state.
Take Action
Interested in volunteering? Send an email to Lindsey at transportation@mdiserra.org for more information on how to get involved.
Position Statements & Comments
Broad Coalition Celebrates Passage of the Maryland Transit Safety & Investment Act
Building the Red Line is Urgent & Necessary
18 Organizations Call On WMATA to Commit to 100% Electric Buses for Public Health, Climate Benefits
Legislation
See our work on transit and other transportation bills in the 2021 General Assembly here.
Sierra Club in the News
Opinion: State’s Economy, Environment and Equity Depend on Transit