We want to congratulate Tony Bridges on his appointment as Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). He brings extensive experience to the role: service as Chief of Staff at the MTA, sponsorship of transit-related legislation as a member of the House of Delegates, chairmanship of the Baltimore Regional Transit Governance and Funding Workgroup, and roles at the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and in the Governor's Office that give him an awareness of the agency's value, potential, and challenges. He also brings a personal connection to the workforce: his father served as President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, which represents many of the people who make the MTA run.
Mr. Bridges inherits an agency transformed under Administrator Holly Arnold. She rebuilt the MTA's capacity to deliver major projects and assembled an experienced, talented team that is actively advancing the Red Line, the BMORE BUS plan, and the Light Rail Modernization Program. That team — and the momentum it has built — is the MTA's most valuable asset, and retaining it is essential to delivering these projects on time.
This is a pivotal time for the agency. The FY 25-30 and FY 26-31 Consolidated Transportation Programs (CTP) finally bring down the backlog of the MTA's state of good repair needs after more than fifteen years of chronic underfunding. However, this progress may be in jeopardy.
Despite revenue increases passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2024 and 2025, MDOT is rumored to be proposing funding cuts in the FY27-32 CTP, even as the DMV Moves Coalition seeks significant additional funding for WMATA, county governments and Baltimore City seek restoration of Highway User Revenues, and the roads lobby continues to push costly highway expansions despite a substantial backlog of maintenance needs. Baltimore's transit riders have waited through decades of disinvestment. They must be prioritized first in the coming CTP.
The MTA's initiatives cannot come soon enough. The Light Rail Modernization Program is urgently needed as the agency struggles to keep existing cars, tracks, and power systems in working order. The Red Line and BMORE BUS would bring real service improvements to Baltimore transit riders after decades of fighting simply to maintain what we have. Advancing the Red Line toward a full funding agreement, launching BMORE BUS improvements, and keeping Light Rail Modernization on schedule must proceed without pause during this transition.
We applaud Governor Moore for moving decisively to name Mr. Bridges as Administrator upon Administrator Arnold's resignation. We will measure the success of this transition by whether these projects stay on schedule, whether the experienced team advancing them is empowered, and whether the coming CTP funds the work.
Mr. Bridges knows this agency, and he knows its riders. We stand ready to work alongside him and to advocate forcefully on behalf of the people who depend on transit to get where they need to go every day.
Brian O’Malley, President and CEO
Central Maryland Transportation Alliance
Jed Weeks, Executive Director
Bikemore