Case Study
🚇 The Baltimore Red Line Relaunch
Client Profile
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The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is the state’s lead agency for public transportation, overseeing a network of bus, rail, and mobility services across Maryland.
In 2023, MTA relaunched the Baltimore Red Line, a long-anticipated east-west transit corridor designed to connect communities from Woodlawn to Bayview. The project represents a transformative investment in equitable mobility, economic opportunity, and regional connectivity.
To support this effort, MTA engaged PRR, Inc. to lead public engagement and communications for the relaunch campaign. Under the direction of Marshall Bell, PRR’s Public Affairs Director, the team executed a comprehensive outreach strategy that included pop-up events, open house meetings, multilingual materials, and strategic messaging.
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The Challenge
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The Baltimore Red Line had been stalled for nearly a decade. When the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) relaunched, it faced a complex landscape: lingering public skepticism, fragmented community trust, and a need to reintroduce the initiative with clarity and credibility.
The challenge was not only logistical but emotional: how to reconnect with communities that had felt overlooked, and how to build momentum for a project that promised transformative mobility but carried historical baggage. MTA needed a public engagement strategy that was inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in the lived experiences of Baltimore residents.
The Solution
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As Public Affairs Director at PRR, Inc., Marshall Bell led the communications and outreach strategy for the Red Line relaunch.
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Marshall managed a cross-functional team spanning three core practice areas: community engagement, language services, and creative studio.
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The team executed a robust public engagement campaign that included multiple pop-up events and open house meetings strategically located along the Red Line corridor - from Woodlawn to Bayview. These events created accessible spaces for dialogue, feedback, and education.
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Bell’s team also developed key messaging and talking points that reflected community concerns and aspirations, and produced written content for the project’s website, fact sheets, FAQs, flyers, and handouts.
Collaborating closely with MTA staff and other contractors, the team ensured that outreach efforts were aligned with broader strategic goals and responsive to the cultural and linguistic diversity of Baltimore’s neighborhoods.
The Results
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The Red Line relaunch campaign successfully re-engaged thousands of residents across Baltimore, transforming public perception and reigniting interest in the project’s potential.
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42 pop-up events and 9 open house community meetings fostered meaningful conversations and built trust between MTA and the communities it serves.
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Multilingual materials and culturally responsive messaging ensured that no voice was left out of the dialogue.
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The campaign elevated awareness of the Red Line’s benefits, including reduced commute times, expanded job access, and improved connectivity. It positioned the project as a cornerstone of Baltimore’s future mobility.
Beyond the numbers, this dynamic engagement strategy set a new benchmark for inclusive infrastructure communications and demonstrated how thoughtful outreach can turn skepticism into support and vision into action.
