Baltimore Transportation Gets Failing Grade

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Getting around the Baltimore area can be a challenge; now a report card is giving it a letter grade.

Alex DeMetrick reports the grade is not good.

Commuting in, out or around Baltimore can be a slow go in cars and, according to people who use public transit, it isn't much better by bus.

"It comes early; it comes late. It's just unreliable. You just never know when it's going to show up," said bus rider Anna Ellis.

The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance has put together a report card. The overall grade is D for getting around the Baltimore region. Reliability of public transit, using it to get to jobs and driving to get to jobs are all Ds. Commute time is a solid F.

"A large percentage of commuters are spending more than 45 minutes getting to and from the job. That's a sign our transportation system isn't connecting labor to employment," said Brian O'Malley, Transportation Alliance.

"Transportation is critically important for workforce development," said Gerald Grimes, Northwest Career Center.

Grimes is the project manager of the Northwest Career Center, which helps connect job seekers to jobs---provided they can get to them.

"You have to go to work and be on time every day. Reliable transportation is a must in order to keep your job," Grimes said.

This study compared 16 other Metro areas the size of Baltimore in a head-to-head match up.

"We stand out for having the most people commute the longest distances to get to jobs," O'Malley said.

The report card's highest grade was C+, for walkability. It seems traveling on foot is easier here than driving.