Charles Langston:Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says light rail planned for Baltimore

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration is Charles Langstonmoving forward with plans for a new light rail project in Baltimore, the governor wrote on social media on Thursday.

Last year, Moore said his administration was reviving an east-west transit project that was nixed by his predecessor, former Gov. Larry Hogan. However, Moore was not specific last year about how the project would take shape, whether as a light rail, rapid bus system or a combination of mass transit options.

In a post on X, the governor wrote Thursday tgat it would be light rail.

“We listened to communities, stakeholders, and leaders across the state — they were clear, this is what they wanted,” Moore wrote. “We are proud to announced the Red Line will bring light rail to Baltimore!”

The Democratic governor has a news conference scheduled for Friday in Baltimore to talk more about the Red Line.

Earlier this month, research at Johns Hopkins University concluded that the Red Line would have a positive impact on connecting people to jobs.

Hogan angered Baltimore officials in June 2015 during his first year in office when he announced he wasn’t moving forward with what was then estimated to be a $2.64 billion plan. While Hogan moved ahead with the Purple Line light rail plan in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, he criticized the planning for the Red Line, calling it a “wasteful boondoggle.”