Following a review of three alternative alignments for the Baltimore-Washington Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Project, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) of the Maryland Department of Transportation is recommending that the Amtrak parallel alignment be retained for detailed study in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) as the only "build" alternative. A "no-build" alternative will also be included in the DEIS. The I-95 parallel and the Baltimore Washington Parkway parallel alignments will not be studied further. This recommendation is subject to concurrence from various federal and natural resource and regulatory agencies.

The MTA has been studying three alternative alignments for Maglev in a 40-mile corridor from Baltimore to Washington with an intermediate station at BWI Airport. Three potential corridor alternatives underwent a screening process to determine which alternatives to retain for further study. Those corridors were the I-95 parallel, the Baltimore Washington Parkway parallel, and the Amtrak parallel.

Based on environmental and engineering analysis, public and agency comments, the MTA has recommended that only the Amtrak parallel be carried forward for further study as well as the "no-build" alternative. The screening process determined that the I-95 parallel alignment had unacceptable community impacts and significant engineering challenges. The dislocation and disruption impacts of this alternative on residences, businesses and minority and low-income communities is significant. It was also determined that the Baltimore Washington Parkway parallel alternative has significant impacts on parkland, known historic sites, wetlands and rare and endangered species.

The Amtrak parallel appears to be a feasible and constructible alternative that satisfies the purpose and need of the project at this time. Fewer environmental impacts are identified with this alignment than the two alignments that are being recommended to be eliminated from further study.