ANNAPOLIS – Governor Martin O’Malley applauds today’s vote by the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) that will make it easier to create transit oriented development (TOD) adjacent to Metro Stations. Board members approved a measure that reforms WMATA’s rigid real estate guidelines that stifled TOD efforts throughout the system.
“Today’s vote is a great example of regional partnership in action,” said Governor O’Malley. “By working together, leaders from the different jurisdictions agreed that the creation of transit oriented development along the Metro system should be a goal in and of itself and that TOD should not take a back seat to other considerations. This step will make it easier for Maryland to realize its Smart Growth goal of creating quality development around Metro stations, particularly in Prince George’s County.”
With its action today, the WMATA board revised the Joint Development Guidelines that govern the agency’s real estate development efforts. The changes: Focus more on the long-term benefits of transit-oriented development, rather than any short term financial return;
Improve local government and community input, creating better projects that achieve local land-use goals;
Accelerate project delivery by streamlining the process, increasing flexibility for the agency and creating more certainty for the development community about potential projects.
Transit oriented development concentrates jobs, housing and retail around transit, reducing congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and sprawl. Over the next 20 years, population in Maryland is expected to grow by 1.1 million people. In theory, with effective TOD, that growth could be accommodated within a ½-mile radius of the state’s 111 existing transit stations.
Maryland’s WMATA board representatives supported today’s reform effort as part of a broader strategy to promote TOD in Maryland.
“This creates a more transparent and inclusive process that is a win-win for Metro, the local governments and the community,” said Elizabeth M. Hewlett, one of two Maryland members on the WMATA board. “This truly requires Metro to work jointly with stakeholders to develop projects that are desired locally and are consistent with local land use plans. Working together more meaningfully and cohesively upfront will maximize our potential and result in much better projects.”
Ms. Hewlett notes that adoption of the guidelines is particularly important for Prince George’s County, where there are about 2,500 acres of undeveloped land around the County’s Metro stations, only one of 15 stations has a joint development project underway, and quality transit oriented development is long overdue. In addition to supporting the WMATA effort, Governor O’Malley has introduced legislation in the General Assembly to make it easier to create transit oriented development at any transit station in Maryland.
Contact:
Rick Abbruzzese
Christine Hansen
Governor’s Press Office
410-974-2316
Jack Cahalan
MDOT
410-865-1025 |
