Subways, Trams, and Bikes

"We are going to get this right. You get only one shot with the Federal Transit Administration," he told the state House Appropriations subcommittee.

That is what John D. Porcari, the new Secretary of Transportation, said when referring to three major public transit projects that will not go forward to public hearings as planned.

• The Baltimore Metro Red Line, which will run from Woodlawn to the Fells Point-Canton area.

• The 14-mile Metro Purple Line connecting New Carrollton with Bethesda in the DC metropolitan area. This is the same line that would have a stop directly on the University of Maryland campus.

• And the Corridor Cities Transitway in Montgomery County's Interstate 270 corridor that would extend transit service past the Shady Grove Metro station into northern Montgomery.

The primary reason is for the Department of Transportation to collect more accurate information about transit ridership in the area. While this is good, I would rather have these projects expedited. Public Transit in Baltimore, just plain sucks. There's only one underground rail line and one light rail line and dozens of bus lines. Oh, and don't forget the threat of rising car ownership that contributing to global warming.