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MARYLAND ISSUES
Hogan's pubic/private highway plan: subtle and not so subtle racism
Hogan rolled out a massive highway program in an effort to quiet criticism of his cancellation of the Baltimore Ed Line light-rail project, a project that would have been critical for lower-income residents to access jobs. Unlike older rail lines in Baltimore, the Red Line was set to focus on transportation issues within the city rather than focusing on the suburbs. He also stripped important features of the still active Purple line and made it a public/private partnership. The racial discrimination implicit in cancelling the Red Line but not the Purple Line prompted a Title VI civil rights lawsuit, and a federal investigation under the Obama administration.