The green line, which is currently called the metro subway has been flawed from the get go. First off, it's heavy rail making expansion down right impossible from a financial stand point, when it's above ground, especially in the county, its stops are impossible to get to, and Downtown it doesn't connect to the light rail which is only one block away. The MTA definitely shot themselves in the foot in this case.
Now lets break down these flaws logically and put ourselves in the shoes of the MTA back in the early 1980s during the planning stages of the subway heavy rail was the only option seeing as light rail didn't hit the scene until the 1990s and I'm also certain that this line was supposed to be part of a large system of rail lines that catered to the city and its inner suburbs. As far as lack of connectability, to the light rail you can blame the light rail planners for that because the subway came first and it was up to the light rail planners to integrate with the existing subway. As far as the county stops go the subway was planned under the impression that I-795 would extend inside the beltway through Sudbrook Park and meet Wabash Avenue at Patterson Avenue. Whether or not this would make for better county stops we will never know.
We do know one thing for certain, the green line needs improvements. These improvements won't take place until unbuilt transit lines have been built and the blue line is relocated from Howard St. to Eutaw St. improving the green line already. Like the red line the green line will be improved and expanded in phases and the MTA will have to pay for its mistakes from making the green line heavy rail because any expansion now has to be heavy rail.
Phase I consists of improving the existing underground portion from Mondawmin Mall to Johns Hopkins Hospital by adding more stops and relocating other ones. The TOD along this existing underground portion will make developers salivate.
Phase II consists of the dreaded northeast expansion from Johns Hopkins Hospital to the Middles River MARC station. The entire expansion will take place at once, using "ripping the band aid off quickly" so as not to prolong the financial pain mentality. It will serve northeast Baltimore, Parkville, Fullerton, White Marsh, and Middle River with easy access to Martin State Airport.
Phase III consists of improving the above ground portions of the green line west of Mondawmin Mall and rerouting portions of it to increase ridership in the county. The Wabash Avenue portion will be tunneled and at Northern Parkway it will make a sharp easterly turn to meet Reisterstown Road where it travel for the remainder of its length ending at Owings Mills with improved city and countys stops.
Well that's it, end of the line! (pun very much intended;)
