Dear Constituent,

In case you missed it, I was happy to announce late last week $6 million in federal funding has been awarded to Baltimore City’s Restoring Connections to Druid Hill Park Project. This announcement was made alongside Maryland Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen.  

The federal investment comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and will support redesign for Druid Park Lake Drive to reconnect West Baltimore communities cut off from Druid Hill Park following the widening of the roadway over 60 years ago. 

Druid Park Lake Drive is a 2.3-mile arterial roadway in Baltimore that divides several majority-Black communities from Druid Hill Park, a 745-acre site with the distinction of being one of the oldest public parks in the United States. 

Originally a two-lane residential street, Druid Park Lake Drive was widened in spite of community opposition between 1948 and 1963 to facilitate faster travel to and from the Baltimore suburbs. The result is the current, highway-sized roadway with limited crossings that cuts off local communities from the park – neighborhoods such as Auchentoroly Terrace, Reservoir Hill, Penn North, and Woodbrook.

With this $6,000,000 in federal funding, Baltimore City aims to provide the surrounding streets with a renewed sense of connectedness to Druid Hill Park through calmer traffic, increased tree canopy, and safety-oriented design elements to make the road safer for all users. 

The Maryland Zoo is a 135-acre park located in historic Druid Hill Park.  

Planning is also intended to embrace and reclaim the historic relevance of the area while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing boulevard enhancement.

This grant will return power to the people impacted by prior and bad transportation decisions and allow Baltimore City to begin public outreach and develop plans for a redesigned Druid Hill Park Drive. 

Learn more by CLICKING HERE. 

Sincerely,

Kweisi Mfume
Member of Congress