Eric Costello
Candidate for: City Council, 11th District
costelloforbaltimore.com
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Describe your vision of a healthy, safe, and equitable transportation system for Baltimore city and what roles walking, biking, and public transportation play in that vision.
A healthy, safe, and equitable transportation system includes streets, sidewalks, and parks with access for everyone along with reliable and quality public transportation.
To meet Baltimore City’s adopted climate goals, we must shift at least 10% of current automobile vehicle miles traveled to active transportation and public transit. What is your plan to achieve this goal?
I continue to be supportive of every public transportation expansion project that has been proposed to date and will continue to do so.
What is your plan to continue to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on Baltimore City roadways each year?
I support additional ATVES options including red light and speeding cameras. This needs to be a priority for the City.
How often do you walk, bike or use public transit to reach daily destinations? If not often (or at all), what would make you more likely to use non-personal vehicle modes of transportation?
I bicycle for recreational purposes, but rarely.
In 2017, Baltimore City adopted the Separated Bike Lane Network Plan Addendum to the Bike Master Plan. This called for connecting 85% of Baltimore’s neighborhoods to safe, all-ages bike infrastructure by 2022. Less than 20% of this network has been built. What would you do to accelerate implementation?
I continue to be supportive of the implementation of cycle track infrastructure when DOT engages all stakeholders.
In 2018, Baltimore City received national recognition for passing the first equity driven Complete Streets ordinance in the country. This legislation contains a modal hierarchy prioritizing vulnerable road users and mandates best practices in roadway configuration and design. Are you committed to retaining this ordinance and the current practices and modal hierarchy it mandates?
Yes.
What is your position on The Red Line alternatives?
I am 100% in support of the Red Line, my position has been the same on this matter since coming into office in October 2014. I do not have a preference for which alternative is implemented and look forward to hearing from constituents as MTA ramps up outreach to the community.
What is your position on currently delayed all-ages bike infrastructure projects on Eutaw Place, Madison Avenue, and Sharp Streets? If supportive, how will you move these projects forward?
Please see my update from February 2023:
UPDATE: Proposed Eutaw Place Separated Bike Lane
BACKGROUND: Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed a separated bike lane on each side of Eutaw Place between Druid Hill Park and Dolphin Street. South of North Ave, the proposed lanes would be adjacent to the median (Eutaw Place Median Park). The separated bike lane would include the installation of pre-cast concrete curbing and is widely recognized as the safest method to protect cyclists.
If completed, the Eutaw Place bike lanes would connect the already constructed Druid Hill Park bike facilities to North Avenue Bike Lane and to the proposed MLK Jr. Blvd Sidepath.
The proposal would result in removal of parking spaces on southbound Eutaw Pl directly adjacent to Eutaw Place Median Park. Currently, parking is permitted all weekend long and outside the hours of 6AM-6PM, Monday-Friday. In addition, the project would eliminate parking on northbound Eutaw Pl directly adjacent to Eutaw Place Median Park. While that area has no signage presently, vehicles do park there during many of the large-scale events hosted by local institutions. Under the proposal, there is no reduction of parking on the existing curb lanes of northbound or southbound residential sides of Eutaw Pl.
To be clear, this plan essentially eliminates all parking against the Eutaw Place medians between North Ave and Dolphin St and does not impact parking on the residential side.
FUNDING: For the planning budget, Baltimore City DOT initially received a reimbursable planning grant from Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). The money has been expended on planning efforts and the City has been reimbursed by the State. The construction budget for this project is approximately $600,000, of which approximately $460,000 has been programmed to date in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget (meaning the funding is set aside and encumbered, or reserved), and the remaining $140,000 is expected to be requested by City DOT in the FY2024 CIP budget process. All of the grant money received from the state has been spent and properly reimbursed, so any rumors about funds being forfeited for this project are untrue.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: To date, DOT has conducted outreach to the Bolton Hill Community Association (BHCA), the Madison Park Improvement Association (MPIA), and The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Maryland (MWPHGLMD) (1307 Eutaw Pl). DOT has NOT conducted outreach to the Historic Marble Hill Community Association (HMHCA), the Marble Hill Improvement Association (MHIA), Estep Brothers Funeral Home (1300 Eutaw Pl), Baltimore Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (1207 Eutaw Pl), the City Temple of Baltimore (317 Dolphin St), and Unity Hall (1505 Eutaw Pl).
Strong communication and community outreach to our neighborhoods and institutions is critically important. Residents should be adequately informed of upcoming capital projects and their concerns should be taken into consideration. Institutions should be properly engaged so the City understands their operational needs, especially institutions that have existed in our neighborhood for over a century. I have asked DOT to ensure this outreach is meaningfully conducted in an expedited fashion.
NEXT STEPS: Once the above outreach is completed, DOT will schedule a larger community meeting open to stakeholders within and outside of the impacted catchment area. I look forward to working with the aforementioned stakeholders and advocates to ensure a project that works for everyone.
Do you support the proposed significant road diets on Conway, Light, and Pratt Streets as a part of the HarborPlace redevelopment, including replacing travel lanes with wider shared use paths?
I support what has been proposed in principle. There is a traffic study that has been completed and set to be released this month. Before making any commitments, I need to read and digest the traffic study.
What is your position on the MTA’s North/South Corridor alternatives? If a surface route is selected, are you committed to ensuring the route has 100% dedicated right-of-way, even if it may require significant parking removal? Are you committed to a parallel separated bike facility, even if it may require significant parking removal as well?
I support north / south corridor alternatives. I can't blindly commit to supporting an alternative without knowing which street and the specifics.
Agree or disagree?Do you support maintaining the city’s micro-mobility program that provides dockless bikes and scooters?
Yes
Would you support creation of a government subsidized bike share system?
Yes
Would you support local legislation to subsidize the purchase of e-bikes and membership for micro-mobility or bike share systems?
Yes. I led the effort to negotiate a pilot for this on behalf of Councilman Dorsey during FY2024 budget negotiations.
Are you committed to retaining every piece of separated bike infrastructure in the city that’s been built?
Yes
Cars are often longer than a single rowhome is wide. Households with multiple vehicles compete for parking in front of other neighbors’ homes. Do you support scaling residential permit parking fees to either the size of or number of vehicles in a household so those with more vehicles parked on city streets pay their fair share?
Yes. I led the research effort as a member of the Parking Authority's RPP Advisory Board as a community leader in 2013-2014 on this effort. I support tiered fees for a 3rd and 4th vehicle.
Do you support a citywide speed limit of 25mph on arterials and 20mph on neighborhood streets?
I support 20mph on neighborhood streets. For arterials, for most, I support a 25mph limit.
Do you support banning turns on red at all intersections that permit pedestrian crossing?
No
Do you support expanding automated enforcement to all roads that have high rates of crashes and speeding, not just near school zones?
Yes
Do you support legislation to create income-based traffic enforcement fine reductions or waivers locally?
I have never heard of this and would need to learn more.
Do you support allowing increased density adjacent to high-quality transit, grocery stores, Main Street districts, and in other high-amenity neighborhoods?
Yes
Do you support increasing Transit Oriented Development zoning to include all areas within a quarter mile of high-frequency bus routes and a half-mile of light rail and metro stations?
Yes
Minimum parking requirements are shown to increase housing costs while limiting potential density and making neighborhoods less walkable. Do you support removing parking minimums from new development?
Yes, but depending on the surrounding zoning. If completely surrounded by R-zones, this would create complications.
Do you support removing single family residential zoning categories, so that people can choose to build and live in a variety of housing options citywide?
No