AASHTO Journal - Maryland DOT Issues Rail Station Development Plan

The Maryland Department of Transportation in partnership with the Maryland Economic Development Corporation or MEDCO recently launched a new joint strategy to spur development along the Maryland Area Rail Commuter or MARC Penn Line; laying out a vision for denser, mixed-use communities around transit hubs between Washington and Baltimore.

[Above image via Maryland DOT]

The agency said this new transit-oriented development or TOD plan provides a “blueprint” for unlocking economic opportunities at six train stops within the MARC’s Penn Line corridor. The plan offers the potential to create at least 2,600 new housing units, generate some $1.7 billion in annual retail sales, and yield more than $800 million in tax revenue for the state over the next 30 years.

“This strategic plan will not only help improve transit connectivity but will also lead to the creation of new jobs and more affordable housing options,” said Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland DOT secretary, in a statement.

“The Penn Line is a critical asset to the region,” he explained. “The undeveloped land around its core stations presents a prime opportunity for equitable and inclusive development that will yield numerous economic benefits to the region in decades to come.”

Officially entitled the “Penn TOD Strategy Plan,” the document presents market insight and recommendations for the development of 170 acres of undeveloped state-owned land around six Penn Line stations, with longer-term opportunities are also identified at the four stations north of Baltimore Penn Station: Martin Airport, Edgewood, Aberdeen, and Perryville.

The development envisioned by both agencies in the Washington-Baltimore corridor would help “reinvent” underutilized areas in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties; opening up office, commercial, and residential use opportunities adjacent to those transit rail stops.

“The MARC Penn Line provides a vital connection for those traveling in the Baltimore-Washington region” noted Holly Arnold, administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration; a division of the Maryland DOT. “Cultivating transit-oriented development near Penn Line stations is critical to increasing the use of transit and helping the state to achieve [its] climate goals.”