Northwest Bus Wash Facility and MARC BWI Rail Station Projects
Recognized at MdQI Annual Conference
BALTIMORE, MD (February 23, 2021) - Led by recognition of its groundbreaking Northwest Bus Wash Water Reclamation Project, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) won three Maryland Quality Initiatives (MdQI) Awards of Excellence at the organization’s 28th Annual Conference, held virtually February 9-11. The MdQI awards recognize quality, collaboration and innovation in the areas of planning studies, programs and construction projects.
“We are truly honored to be recognized by leaders in the transportation industry for our hard work and commitment to improved transit for our customers while protecting the environment,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Kevin Quinn. “It’s especially gratifying that despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the agency has continued to move critical construction projects forward.”
MDOT MTA received two awards for its Bus Wash Water Reclamation System Project, which is located at the Northwest Bus Division in Baltimore. MDOT MTA engineered and constructed the water reclamation system, integrating an automatic self-cleaning filter and mesh system that is more reliable and requires less maintenance to operate compared to other systems. Since the system significantly decreases water consumption, the agency will be able to recoup the $291,000 project construction cost from water savings in less than three years.
A first-of-its-kind facility in the state, the Northwest Bus Wash Water Reclamation system captured honors in the Projects Under $5 Million category and the Green/Sustainability/Environmental Award. The project can be replicated at other MDOT MTA bus and train wash facilities to expand opportunities for environmentally friendly and efficient operations.
In the category of Projects Over $5 Million, the MARC BWI Rail Station was honored for its quality of design and construction. The station, located in Linthicum adjacent to the Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, serves both MARC Train and Amtrak customers.
The MARC BWI Rail Station is part of MDOT’s focus to build and maintain a balanced transportation network that broadens connections and provides a variety of up-to-date transit options. Its renovation and expansion included a new waiting area and restrooms, customer service area and canopies that offer protection at customer drop-off zones. In addition, new large windows provide easy viewing of oncoming trains and airport buses.
“These awards from MdQI are well deserved and much appreciated because they recognize the innovation, collaboration and excellence of our MDOT MTA team,” said MDOT Secretary Greg Slater. “It’s great to see the industry recognize these projects, which epitomize MDOT’s goal of providing excellent service to Marylanders while maintaining stewardship of our economic and environmental resources.”
The MDOT MTA honors were among 20 Awards of Excellence earned by Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) units at the MdQI conference. MDOT Maryland Aviation Administration and MDOT State Highway Administration each received six awards; MDOT Maryland Port Administration garnered one award; and the Maryland Transportation Authority received four awards.
MDOT MTA is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States. MDOT MTA operates LocalLink and commuter buses, Light RailLink, Metro SubwayLink, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train service and a comprehensive Mobility (paratransit) system. MDOT MTA’s goal is to provide safe, efficient and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. As a participating agency in APTA’s Health and Safety Commitment Program, MDOT MTA is dedicated to keeping our employees and passengers safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, visit mta.maryland.gov, check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/mtamaryland and follow us on Twitter @mtamaryland.
Media Contacts
Brittany Marshall
Office: 410-767-8367
Cell: 443-970-0424
bmarshall1@mdot.maryland.gov
Paul Shepard
Office: 410-767-3935
Cell: 443-622-4181
pshepard@mdot.maryland.gov
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