The valiant defense of Fort McHenry during the end of the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814. Today, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is a 43-acre historic site at the end of the Locust Point peninsula in Baltimore, Maryland.

Due in large part to its historic importance 200 years ago, the site’s annual visitation has grown significantly in recent decades. While park leadership wanted to keep visitation levels on the uptick, it also wanted to reduce congestion and tailpipe pollution by replacing some visits by private automobile with visits by public transportation. To that end, park leaders called in experts from Volpe to help analyze transportation needs and recommend a game plan.

The Challenge

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is the only historic site of its kind accessible by car, public transit, and water. Annual visitation has grown from less than 300,000 before World War II to roughly 700,000 today. Visitors are likely to be tourists driving personal vehicles, causing traffic and parking congestion, air pollution, and wear and tear on the park’s roads.

The post-WWII infrastructure at Fort McHenry could not handle the steady increase in visitors over recent decades. Management had to weigh several fixes, including alternative transportation options and whether to replace or modernize the existing visitor center. Fort McHenry also needed a plan to mitigate overcrowding and congestion while protecting its natural and cultural resources.

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is a 43-acre historic site at the end of the Locust Point peninsula in Baltimore, Maryland. (Volpe Photo)

The Solution

The National Park Service (NPS) tapped Volpe to evaluate future transportation needs at Fort McHenry. Volpe planners have extensive experience in analyzing transportation options at unique sites, particularly federal lands in urbanized areas.

Early in the planning process, Volpe brought together city officials, museums, local business, nonprofits, and community groups. Volpe’s team analyzed transportation and visitation data, conducted stakeholder interviews, and identified transportation modes that would improve traffic flow and curb wear and tear on the site’s transportation infrastructure. 

Volpe produced an alternative transportation study that provided NPS and Fort McHenry management with the following recommendations for improving transportation at the site:

• Form partnerships with stakeholders.
• Implement a bus route directly into Fort McHenry.
• Allow more water taxi operators and improve dock facilities.
• Allow visitors to use an access road to relieve congestion.
• Implement facility improvements to encourage bike and pedestrian access.

In a follow-up shuttle feasibility study, Volpe analyzed a shuttle service that would connect south Baltimore with Fort McHenry. The analysis found that a shuttle with a dedicated route would relieve congestion and serve as a cost-effective alternative to connect tourists, residents, and businesses with the site.

The Impact

The studies that Volpe produced showed that alternative transportation, such as buses, bikes, and pedestrian access, can increase park visitors while mitigating safety concerns. Volpe’s work also demonstrated the value of collaborative efforts between organizations and the importance of bringing stakeholders together in the planning process.

Fort McHenry and the City of Baltimore have since introduced a high-frequency bus route that connects the inner harbor with Fort McHenry, nearby businesses, and tourist destinations, and a water taxi across the inner harbor. The atmosphere of inclusion that Volpe helped foster among stakeholders ensured that the final bus route was acceptable to the community.

For instance, as part of this process, Volpe and park leadership learned that one proposed bus route would have cut through the middle of a neighborhood, and residents there were opposed to more bus traffic on their streets. Since the final bus route was implemented, complaints about traffic are down and tourism to the park and neighborhood businesses has been boosted.