MARC Officials Postpone Elkridge Visit Due to Heat

Temperatures in the mid-90s Tuesday derailed plans for transportation officials to hold a meet and greet outside Dorsey Station in Elkridge.

The “meet the management” event, hosted by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), was intended to give MARC passengers a chance to chat with transportation officials.

“People enjoy an opportunity to talk with the managers—to offer suggestions, to offer compliments,” said Terry Owens, MTA spokesperson. “We email alerts and a monthly newsletter, but it’s something else [for passengers] to see managers out there on the platform to greet them and listen to them.”

Owens explained that it's also an opportunity for the administration to get feedback on service or schedule changes. Officials may distribute literature about services as well.

On Tuesday morning, MTA announced that it had postponed the management’s Elkridge appearance. 

“Today we’re expecting heat near 100 degrees, and we felt it was most important for MARC personnel to be posted around the system to respond to any heat-related issues that might develop,” Owens told Patch. “So we decided to postpone.”

Rail owner CSX issued heat orders issued Tuesday morning for the Brunswick and Camden lines, meaning that those trains will have to go 20 mph below the speed limit. When temperatures on the tracks rise above 90 degrees, the rails can get kinks in them, said CSX, and it's important to slow down for safety reasons.

Passengers should anticipate 5- to 15-minute delays on trains with heat orders, said the MTA. As for meeting the management, passengers will need to hold on a bit longer. The tentative date for the “meet the management” event is Thursday, July 14, but officials said that’s subject to change.

“Our biggest concern is always the safety of our passengers and employees,” said Owens. “Each day, we make operational decisions based on that.”