Transit-oriented development (TOD) is tailored to the needs of specific communities, and there are as many methods of development as there are urban areas. TOD is one means of addressing a variety of issues ranging from traffic congestion, affordable housing, air pollution, and sprawl, by creating compact, walkable communities centered around high quality transit services. TOD fosters compact, walkable neighborhoods around transit stations, increases transit ridership by creating destinations within a short walk of stations, and offers residents a convenient commute to jobs, shopping and entertainment in the region.
- Downtown Business District – Charles Center, in Baltimore City, has seen a number of high-profile office and residential projects in recent years. Most of the residential development has transformed abandoned buildings into apartments.
- Urban neighborhood – Baltimore City’s Westside is being transformed with the rehabilitation of numerous historic structures. In addition to some office space, the neighborhood has seen a number of large apartment projects get under way.
- Suburban town center – In Odenton, retail, office, restaurant, and residential development has followed.
- Neighborhood TOD – Development around neighborhood transit stations vary from city to suburb, but in general, the emphasis will be on shopping, entertainment and housing.
- Commuter Town Center – A community connected to the downtown core by transit might see TOD take the form of a “Main Street” center, with retail, professional offices and multifamily housing. (Owings Mills)
To read more about the Maryland Department of Transportation's transit-oriented development efforts, click here.
Successes / In Progress
- Symphony Center: The MTA entered into a long-term lease agreement to develop this underutilized 6-acre site located at the Cultural Center Light Rail Station in June 2000. This Public-Private Joint Development effort resulted in the first successful TOD in the Baltimore region fulfilling the optimum of the TOD vision of mixed-use development, with the final component of a high-rise residential building completed in February 2005. This transit development anchors the West Side Re-vitalization efforts and offers a significant link to the opportunities at the State Center Complex / Metro Station one block to the East.
- Owings Mills Town Center: This 46-acre site offers a unique development opportunity and in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by MDOT/MTA in February 2000, and a long-term lease agreement for a TOD development was signed in 2005. With a proposed program of 230,000 SF Retail, 1 Million SF Office Space, 75,000 SF Restaurants, 500 residential units, a 250 Room Hotel and 100,000 SF for a community College and Library, this site will be the signature TOD of the Baltimore Region.
- Odenton Town Center - The Odenton Town Center is a 1,620 acre project in Odenton, Maryland strategically located in Anne Arundel County at the North/East corner of Route 32 and Route 175. This environmentally friendly Town Center is centrally located between Baltimore, Washington and Annapolis and is within walking distance to the Odenton MARC Rail/Amtrak Station as well as extensive retail amenities in the area.
- State Center - State Center is a 28-acre State office campus located in Baltimore’s Cultural Arts in the Midtown Benefits District.
Opportunities
- Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station: The Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) is working on a TP3 process for this 15-acre site in Northwest Baltimore. Several mixed use concepts that benefit transit use are under consideration. The property is near the Reisterstown Plaza Shopping Mall and Plaza. It is also adjacent to a District Court facility and the Seton Business Park. The Metro serves over 2,000 people daily, and it is a major transfer point for a number of MTA bus lines. MTA seeks a high quality transit oriented development for the property. It presents the opportunity to complement the "Town Center" functions at Owings Mills with community center functions appropriate to the community here. A broad mix of commercial, residential, and office uses are under consideration.
- Savage MARC Station: In response to a 2006 Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI), the Maryland Department of Transportation selected a master developer, Petrie-Ross Ventures, to negotiate exclusively for the rights to develop this 12+/- acre Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site.
- The Red Line: The MTA is currently involved in a Study to determine the identify and analyze potential alternatives for a new 12-mile, east-west Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail Transit line between Woodlawn and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus.
- BRAC: With Base Realignment bringing families to Maryland and employees to military bases, the opportunity for TOD around these sites is growing. Click here for more information on BRAC.