Cardin, Mikulski announce $1.59 million to expand Baltimore’s Inner Harbor connector commuter boat service

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD), along with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, announced today a $1.59 million federal grant to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation to expand its cross-harbor commuter boat service to accommodate commuters and intra-city businesses. The funds are made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). “Moving people efficiently and rapidly through our most important commercial centers, like Baltimore, inherently requires greater use of and greater options for public transit.” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Transportation Subcommittee. “Expanding the capabilities of the Harbor Connector will takes countless cars off of our congested city streets and takes tons of pollutants out of the air we breathe. It is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for local commuters and businesses. I am proud to see this worthy project receive the federal investment it so greatly deserves.” “As Baltimore continues to grow and bustle, we must invest in new ways to move people and goods and reduce congestion on our streets,” Senator Mikulski said. “The Harbor Connector gets people to work and takes cars off the streets, leading to less air pollution and faster commutes for everyone. I’m proud this federal funding will now be used to expand its service and keep more Marylanders on the move.” “I want to thank Baltimore’s Congressional Delegation and specifically the offices of Senators Mikulski and Cardin for this vital federal grant to expand the Harbor Connector” stated Mayor Sheila Dixon. “This grant will greatly assist in providing another cleaner, greener mode of transportation in Baltimore.” This ARRA-funded grant will allow the City of Baltimore to purchase two new commuter boats and make needed pier improvements in Canton, Locust Point and Fells Point to provide more efficient passenger service across Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s official notice. The current Harbor Connector service, which is integrated into the downtown circulator bus service (beginning in August 2009), provides transportation opportunities to individuals who live and/or work in the South Baltimore Peninsula and in Canton.