Presentation of the Baltimore Metro System Presenter: Michael S. Davis Deputy Administrator, Transit Operations Division March 2, 2010
Topics Early Planning for Rapid Rail Transit System Overview Section A Design & Construction Section B Owings Mills Extension Section C John Hopkins Extension Station Architecture & Artwork Technical Aspects of Metro Railcars & Metro System Future Plans
Early Planning for RRT Planning for rapid rail transit for the Baltimore area began in the 1960s with an officially sponsored study that resulted in a report published in 1968. The report provided proposed line locations for a 71-mile-long (114.3 km) regional rapid rail transit system with six radial lines and a downtown hub. Due to funding limitations, further studies restructured the Baltimore design concept to a smaller 28-mile-long (44.8 km) system report called the Phase 1 Plan, published in 1971. Due to financial and political reasons Phase 1 was scaled back to a 15.5 mile double track system, which included a total of 14 underground and aerial stations.
System Overview Total construction cost - $1.392 billion Completed in three stages: Phase 1 Section A (Northwest Line): was completed in November 1983 and it extends northwest from downtown Baltimore. It consists of a 5.55-mile underground section and a 2-mile aerial section. Phase 2 Section B (Northwest Line extension): was completed in July of 1987 and operates at grade level. It extends for 6 miles. Phase 3 Section C (Northeast Line): was completed in 1996. It is 1.5 miles long and it operates Northeast underground from the city center. Our Metro Rail characteristics: Grade separated 15.5 mile long Dedicated inbound and outbound track Metro also has 3 maintenance buildings and an Operations building 14 mainline stations Powered by 750 VDC Third Rail
Section A Design & Construction Construction began in December 1976. Six underground stations were built by the cut-and-cover construction method. For the underground stations construction took place in the huge excavated trench below. The concrete station box was built in the trench, with the access shafts and escalators to the street.
Section A Design & Construction (Continued) The aerial line was built by driving steel piles to reinforce the foundations of the aerial structure, building footers, reinforced concrete column on each footer, a T-shaped reinforced concrete block on top of the column, steel girders on top of the piers, and finally placing a pre-cast reinforced concrete deck for track way on top of the girders. All underground stations have three levels - an entrance, a ticketing level, and a center platform for boarding trains.
Station Architecture & Artwork Stations have varied architectural designs like the one shown below by renowned New York artist Romare Bearden. Each of the nine Section "A" neighborhood stations was designed by a different architect and accented by its own signature artwork.
Section B Owings Mills Extension Section "B" of the Baltimore Metro is a 6-mile (9.6 km) extension which is entirely surface level. This extension cost was approximately $255 million, and opened in July 1987.
Section C John Hopkins Extension 1.5-mile (2.4 km) extension Opened May 1995 Entirely underground Cost $340 million Runs from the downtown Baltimore to world renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the state's largest employers
System Layout
Rail Cars Baltimore Metro car is the Budd Universal Rapid Transit Car (BURT). Original fleet was 72 cars in married pairs Expanded to 100 cars for the opening of Section "B Car is 75 feet long, 10 feet 2.5 inches wide, 12 feet high, 3 feet 6.5 inches floor height Weighs 76,000 lbs. 76 seats, 275 passenger crush load
Platform & Track Underground platform Aerial platform
Technical Aspects Train Control Train control system is made up of three sub-systems - Protection, Operation and Supervision. Protection sub-system is automatic and will provide a minimum of 2-minute headways (spacing between trains), and also provides over-speed protection. Operation sub-system is semi-automatic and it directs trains to start and stop, regulates speeds, spaces trains and routes them through crossovers and switches; and the train operator person opens and closes the doors, and as an alternative the train operator can operate the train manually. Supervision sub-system is semi-automatic and includes train dispatch, performance and routing.
Organizational Structure There are 57 management and 285 union employees that make up the eight major units within Metro. Project Management Office Facilities Maintenance Railcar Maintenance Systems Maintenance Operations Contracts & Environmental Services Transportation Maintenance of Way Facilities Maintenance responsibilities include the maintenance of the more than 1,476 major components in 14 stations and 5 Metro buildings. Railcar responsibilities include preventive maintenance, running maintenance, and heavy repair of the 100 vehicle fleet of Metro Railcars. Systems Maintenance responsibilities are wayside signals, switches, traction power, SCADA and fare collection. Station managers and all train operators are in the Operations department. Track, right of way, and all associated components are the responsibility of the Maintenance of Way department.
Metro Facts and Figures Weekday boardings are 47,000 on 241 trips weekdays. Saturday boardings are 26,000 on 147 trips. Sunday boardings are 13,000 on 147 trips. Peak headways are eight minutes. End to end travel time is 25 minutes. There are approximately 7,891 free parking spaces at seven stations. Many MTA bus lines serve the stations.
Metro Facts and Figures (Continued) FY 2008 Revenue - $13.9 million Operating Budget - $59 million Passengers Per Vehicle Revenue Mile 2.7 Operating Cost Per Vehicle Revenue Mile - $9.55
Proposed New Central Control Center
Future Plans Red Line is 14- mile tram line Mostly surface operation with subway through downtown Planning underway for 2019 opening Red Line
Red Line
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