Community Partner : Maryland Transit Administration Peer Mentor : Awoenam Mauna-Woanya Site Supervisor : Teddy Krolik
What is the Maryland Transit Administration ? The Maryland Transit Administration ( MTA ) is a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation , and one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States . MTA operates Local Buses ( CityLink and LocalLink ), Commuter Buses , Light RailLink , Metro SubwayLink , Maryland Area Regional Commuter ( MARC ) Train Service , and a comprehensive Paratransit ( MobilityLink ) system . MTA also manages the Taxi Access system , and directs funding and statewide assistance to Locally Operated Transit Systems ( LOTS ) in each of Maryland ’ s 23 counties , Baltimore City , Annapolis , and Ocean City .
• Assisted coordination and participated in outreach for North Avenue Rising and launch of Transit App
• Researched and reported on various projects including one for Chicago Transit
• Visited and interacted with bus operators from all four bus divisions in the city
• Learned and used software such as ArcGIS , Google Fusion Tables , and Remix to assist with various projects
• Assisted with data management for outreach contact information
• Organized and updated an office wide World Cup competition
“ Journey ’ s End ?”
At the start of week two , I finally received my MTA badge and I remember how excited I was to flash it in front of bus operators to ride for free . Little did I know that donning that little lanyard essentially made me public enemy # 1 in the eyes of Baltimore citizens ; or at least that is what it felt like at first . Whether I was on a bus , on some street ( probably North Avenue ), getting my hair cut , or even at the CSC with fellow CIIPers , wearing that little lanyard gave everyone around me the permission to voice their frustration with the public transit system ( pretty much BaltimoreLink ).
Every single one of these interactions are what made my experience with the MTA ’ s Office of Planning : Office of Engagement an incredibly impactful one . I began my summer exploring the idea of transportation as a social justice issue and this office was the perfect way to develop my opinion and ideas about it . I had the opportunity to see how planners think about problems and how they work to involve community members in proposals . I saw how difficult it is to get the community involved with various projects because it takes a certain level of flexibility to be able to make it to a community meeting . I struggled to decide how to support bus operators having learned the difficulty of their jobs , while having some sour experiences with them myself . I learned from different perspectives about how access to reliable transportation can act as a gatekeeper between socio-economic classes . I learned how far we are from reaching “ peak transit .” I was guided through my exploration of these ideas by my wonderful coworkers who were open about their work and their experiences . Everyone shared with me why they believed their work mattered and to me , those were some of the most meaningful encounters .
I am beyond grateful to have spent a second summer as part of CIIP . As a peer mentor , I advanced my own narrative as a Baltimore citizen and in doing so , I have come to understand the city in more comprehensive way . I write this last “ blog post ” with bittersweet feelings about my time with CIIP coming to an end . However , I am thankful for the impact is had on my journey and the people I worked with .
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