The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) submitted the Red Line transit project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A favorable decision by the FTA would permit MTA to begin final engineering on the Red Line and move forward with acquiring property needed for construction.

It is expected that the FTA will issue its Record of Decision by March 1, 2013 following a 45-day public review period ending in January. The FTA is reviewing the document under expedited procedures previously announced by the Obama Administration.

The purpose of a FEIS is to identify and address issues raised by agency and public stakeholders throughout the project development phase.

The Red Line is estimated to cost $2.5 billion. The 14.1 mile Light Rail line will have 19 stations between Woodlawn, Downtown Baltimore and Johns Hopkins Bayview; five of the stations are underground from the University of Maryland Biopark to Fell’s Point. Expected ridership by 2035 is more than 50,000 passengers per day. The project is estimated to create 9,800 direct construction and related jobs during the six-year construction period.