Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Baltimore

Civil Rights Groups Challenge Maryland Gov. Hogan’s Red Line Cancellation

Back in June, newly elected Maryland Governor Larry Hogan unilaterally cancelled a transit expansion project that Baltimore had been planning for a decade, transferring the state's promised investment to road projects in more rural parts of the state.

Governor Larry Hogan canceled Baltimore's Red Line in June. Now civil rights groups are suing. Image: Railfanguides
Governor Larry Hogan canceled Baltimore's Red Line in June. Now civil rights groups are challenging him. Image: Railfanguides
Governor Larry Hogan canceled Baltimore's Red Line in June. Now civil rights groups are suing. Image: Railfanguides

Now a coalition of civil rights groups is challenging the decision on civil rights grounds, saying it amounts to discrimination against Baltimore's black residents. The Baltimore Sun reports that the Baltimore NAACP, the ACLU of Maryland, and the Baltimore Regional Initiative Developing Genuine Equality (BRIDGE) will file a complaint against the governor with U.S. DOT under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Hogan's decision to cancel the $2.9 billion Red Line light rail project came after months of evasiveness. The city had spent $230 million planning the 14-mile line and about $900 million in federal funding had been committed. Hogan has since proposed a $135 million system of busways as a substitute.

Legal challenges of this type are rare but not without precedent. The city of Milwaukee prevailed in a similar case in the 1990s, when governor Tommy Thompson cancelled a rail project in the city while proceeding with highway projects elsewhere. As a result of the case, the state was ordered to fund a transit project in the city. That agreement is the reason Milwaukee has been able to proceed with its streetcar plans without interference from Governor Scott "No Train" Walker.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Amtrak CEO’s Ouster Makes the Grassroots Fight For Rail More Urgent

"For all of our sakes, let’s hope against hope that whoever sits in that seat next believes in the mission of a nationwide network of passenger-rail service."

March 25, 2025

Does the Media Help Create the Traffic Violence Crisis?

Which came first: the chicken (deadly driving) or the egg (a culture that normalizes it)?

March 25, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Off Track

Amtrak's CEO resigned in an effort to protect the passenger rail system from the Trump administration, the AP reports.

March 25, 2025

It’s Time For State DOTs to Step Up and Do a Better Job

As federal support for active modes gets clawed back, state DOTs could play a more important role in America's transportation system — and a new report argues they need to innovate.

March 24, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Pedal Away

When you free yourself/ It's the chance of a lifetime

March 24, 2025
See all posts