The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration was awarded $5 million in federal funding for the planning of the Patapsco Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge and trail to connect the Cherry Hill community to the Patapsco Light Rail Stop.

With the support of U.S. Senators Benjamin Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, the project was included in the FY24 Omnibus Spending bill, which was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden.

“Building a new pedestrian bridge isn’t just about connecting two points,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld. “It’s about creating pathways to safer communities supporting the governor’s mission to connect and protect Maryland’s citizens.”

Maryland’s New Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge

The bridge and trail have been designed to eliminate the need for residents of Cherry Hill to travel along unsafe pathways, including the light rail tracks, to access the Patapsco stop.

The proposed project will increase access for Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, and Lansdowne residents and provide safer, more convenient trips to employment, shopping, schools, and other services using transit.

The grant is critical to advancing the project toward full funding, with an anticipated cost of more than $15 million.

“This project means easier and safer access to transit for the residents of Cherry Hill, a community that has historically been overlooked for infrastructure investments,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold.

Connecting to Important Passenger Rail

The Patapsco Light Rail Station serves as a critical hub for regional transit service providing a connection to portions of Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Anne Arundel County as far south as Annapolis. Area residents using the Light Rail Station can access multiple bus routes including the CityLink Yellow and LocalLinks.

The agency is coordinating closely with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s complete streets plans for Patapsco Avenue and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s Patapsco Regional Greenway Phase Three segment, both of which would connect with the bridge.

Similarly, the proposed project will connect existing and planned bicycling facilities to public transit, including the Baybrook Connector on-street trail being developed just to the east of the project area by the Greater Baybrook Alliance.