Are there any plans for what to do about the built portion of the US 40/former Interstate 170 spur? Although I am not a proponent of freeway removal, perhaps I could live with this one being eliminated, since it probably doesn't do much to augment Baltimore's road network.
Quite a lot to fill it or eliminate it. Doesn't make sense to do so. They didn't finish I-70. Baltimore declined regardless.
When it comes time to rebuild the bridges, guarantee they'll fill instead.
There were plans to build a light rail along the ROW, but the project lost state funding as the governor was opposed. (Baltimore Red Line) I also thought the project was wasteful, mainly because it called for an E-W subway one-block away from the exising heavy rail subway line. A far more sensible plan would have been to have the line run from Social Security, stop at the I-70 park and ride, run into Baltimore along the US 40 freeway corridor and then merge into the existing light rail line to Howard St. The neighborhoods on the east side of town should have a separate light rail system that feeds into the Hopkins Hospital or Shot Tower subway stations (and then have people transfer to that to reach Downtown). That being said, if the red line were funded to be built, that would spur new development along the US 40 corridor.
Here are one planner's ideas for the corridor:
https://baltimoreinnerspace.blogspot.com/2006/05/franklin-mulberry-plenty-of-room-for.htmlhttps://baltimoreinnerspace.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-low-line.htmlThere were closures of the US 40 freeway a couple years ago to study the area in anticipation of the red line and to increase the parking area for the MARC commuter train station (at the west end of the freeway). Traffic had to take the parallel Franklin and Mulberry one-way pairs. No appreciable traffic increase because of this. So, yes, if the US 40 freeway were removed, there would be no ill effects on local traffic, since Franklin and Mulberry (with well timed signals) can handle the load. There is a good argument to remove the freeway even without the Red Line.