EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0778*
HOUSE BILL 778
R2 2lr1563
CF SB 514
By: Delegates Solomon, Bartlett, Brooks, Carr, Chang, Charkoudian, Charles,
W. Fisher, Fraser–Hidalgo, Hill, Hornberger, Kerr, Korman, Lehman,
J. Lewis, Love, Luedtke, Rogers, Shetty, Smith, Terrasa, Thiam, Watson,
Williams, K. Young, and P. Young
Introduced and read first time: February 3, 2022
Assigned to: Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Transportation – Investment Program – MARC Rail Service 2
(Maryland Regional Rail Transformation Act) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Transit Administration to establish certain 4
investment programs for enhancing certain rail lines and services operated by the 5
Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail service; requiring the Administration to 6
advance certain rail projects in a certain fiscal year; requiring the Administration to 7
conduct a certain study; and generally relating to the Maryland Area Regional 8
Commuter rail service and the enhancement of rail services. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Transportation 11
Section 7–311 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 14
Preamble 15
WHEREAS, The Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail service connects 16
Baltimore and Washington, D.C. to many of Maryland’s suburban communities; and 17
WHEREAS, The State must advance the Maryland Transit Administration’s MARC 18
Cornerstone Plan and other MARC improvements to unlock a truly regional rail system 19
that reliably services more Maryland communities and connects to Virginia and Delaware; 20
now, therefore, 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23 2 HOUSE BILL 778
Article – Transportation 1
7–311. 2
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 3
INDICATED. 4
(2) “MARC” MEANS THE MARYLAND AREA REGIONAL COMMUTER 5
RAIL SERVICE. 6
(3) “MARC CORNERSTONE PLAN” MEANS THE PLAN ESTABLISHED 7
BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO TRANSLATE THE ADMINISTRATION ’S TRANSIT VISION 8
STATEMENT INTO STRATEGIC PRIOR ITIES, POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND INITIATIVES 9
FOR MARC RAIL SERVICE. 10
(4) “TRANSIT VISION STATEM ENT” MEANS THE ADMINISTRATION ’S 11
OBJECTIVE TO PROVIDE SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND RELIABLE TRANSIT ACCESS ACROSS 12
MARYLAND WITH WORLD –CLASS CUSTOMER SERVI CE. 13
(B) (1) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL ESTABLISH INDI VIDUAL 14
INVESTMENT PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE THE MARC CORNERSTONE PLAN AND 15
OTHER MARC IMPROVEMENTS BY PROVIDING INCREMENTAL ENHANCEM ENTS 16
FOR: 17
(I) THE BRUNSWICK LINE; 18
(II) THE CAMDEN LINE; 19
(III) THE PENN LINE; 20
(IV) NEW REGIONAL SERVICE BETWEEN PERRYVILLE, 21
MARYLAND AND NEWARK, DELAWARE; 22
(V) NEW REGIONAL RUN –THROUGH RAIL SERVICE TO 23
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA; AND 24
(VI) EXTENDING THE BRUNSWICK LINE TO BETTER SERVE 25
WESTERN MARYLAND. 26
(2) EACH INVESTMENT PROGR AM ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH 27
(1) OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL: 28
(I) COMMENCE IN FISCAL YEAR 2023; 29 HOUSE BILL 778 3
(II) INCLUDE A REVIEW OF EXISTING RAIL OPE RATIONS, 1
INFRASTRUCTURE , AND RIGHT–OF–WAY INFORMATION TO C ONFIRM EXISTING 2
CONDITIONS; 3
(III) INCLUDE RAIL SIMULATI ON MODELS FOR EACH O F THE 4
CURRENT CORRIDORS SE RVED BY MARC AND AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR NEW 5
SERVICE; 6
(IV) IDENTIFY FUTURE OPERA TING SCENARIOS THAT CAN 7
IMPROVE SERVICE , INCLUDING NEW MIDDAY , WEEKEND, EVENING, 8
THROUGH–RUNNING, AND BIDIRECTIONAL SE RVICE; 9
(V) DEVELOP CONCEPTUAL LE VEL IMPROVEMENT PLAN S TO 10
ENHANCE MARC’S SERVICE OVER TIME, INCLUDING: 11
1. CONCEPT PLANS FOR HIG HEST–VALUE 12
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPRO VEMENTS IDENTIFIED B Y THE SIMULATION MODELS; 13
2. NEW STATIONS OR STATI ON ENHANCEMENTS ; AND 14
3. IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHAN CE ACCESS TO JOBS AN D 15
HOUSING IN NEIGHBORI NG JURISDICTIONS; AND 16
(VI) IDENTIFY A 5–YEAR PRIORITY SET OF CAPITAL PROJECTS 17
AND ACTIVITIES TO IM PLEMENT PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS TO BE F UNDED IN THE 18
CONSOLIDATED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. 19
(3) IN FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EVERY FIFTH FISCAL YEAR 20
THEREAFTER , THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL UPDATE EACH INVESTME NT PROGRAM 21
ESTABLISHED UNDER TH IS SUBSECTION. 22
(C) IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL ADVANCE THE 23
FOLLOWING RAIL PRIOR ITY PROJECTS AS PART OF THE INVESTMENT PROGR AMS 24
REQUIRED UNDER SUBSE CTION (B) OF THIS SECTION: 25
(1) IN COORDINATION WITH THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, VIRGINIA, 26
THE VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS, AMTRAK, AND CSX, DEVELOP A SERVICE AND 27
OPERATIONS PLAN FOR MARC THROUGH–RUNNING TO ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA; 28
(2) IN COORDINATION WITH DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA , THE 29
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (SEPTA), AND 30
AMTRAK, DEVELOP A SERVICE AN D OPERATIONS PLAN FO R MARC, SEPTA, OR 31 4 HOUSE BILL 778
AMTRAK TO RUN COMPETI TIVE TRANSIT SCHEDUL ES BETWEEN PERRYVILLE, 1
MARYLAND AND NEWARK, DELAWARE; 2
(3) COMPLETE 30% OF THE DESIGN FOR A NEW ELKTON INFILL 3
MARC STATION ON THE PENN LINE; 4
(4) COMPLETE 30% OF THE DESIGN FOR A NEW BAYVIEW INFILL 5
MARC STATION ON THE PENN LINE; 6
(5) COMPLETE 30% OF THE DESIGN FOR : 7
(I) A THIRD TRAC K BETWEEN ROCKVILLE AND GERMANTOWN 8
ON MARC’S BRUNSWICK LINE TO BETTER SERVE WESTERN MARYLAND AND 9
EXISTING COMMUNI TIES SERVED BY THE L INE; AND 10
(II) GERMANTOWN STATION IMPROVEMENTS ; 11
(6) COMPLETE 15% OF THE DESIGN FOR A FOURTH TRACK ON THE 12
PENN LINE; AND 13
(7) HIRE THREE FULL–TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) STAFF AT A COST OF 14
APPROXIMATELY $450,000 ANNUALLY BEGINNING I N FISCAL YEAR 2023 FOR THE 15
ADMINISTRATION ’S PLANNING AND CAPIT AL PROGRAMMING TO EN SURE THE 16
ADMINISTRATION HAS AD EQUATE STAFF RESOURC ES TO LEVERAGE FEDERAL RAIL 17
FUNDING. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That : 19
(a) The Maryland Transit Administration shall conduct a MARC Cornerstone 20
Plan Implementation Study. 21
(b) The study shall assess and present for public review: 22
(1) the total expected cost to implement: 23
(i) the entire MARC Cornerstone Plan; 24
(ii) Maryland–Virginia through–running rail service; 25
(iii) Maryland–Delaware through–running rail service; and 26
(iv) Western Maryland MARC extension programs; 27
(2) the total expected cost of the first 5–year capital program for Brunswick 28
Line, Camden Line, Penn Line, Maryland–Virginia through–running, Maryland–Delaware 29 HOUSE BILL 778 5
through–running, and Western Maryland extension rail services; 1
(3) the Administration’s workforce needs to efficiently implement the 2
MARC Cornerstone Plan, Maryland–Delaware through–running, and Western Maryland 3
extension rail services, including a staffing and compensation comparison between MARC 4
and peer regional railroads throughout the United States; and 5
(4) efficient and achievable methods by which the rail capital investments 6
and services identified and analyzed under this subsection should be funded. 7
(c) In developing the study, the Administration shall consult with regional 8
private entities, including leading employers, labor representatives, transit rider advisory 9
committees, and regional planning boards. 10
(d) (1) On or before December 1, 2022, the Administration shall submit to the 11
Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General 12
Assembly an executive summary and report of its findings and recommendations from the 13
study. 14
(2) The Administration shall post the executive summary and report 15
required under paragraph (1) of this subsection on the website of the Administration. 16
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2022. 18