Transit-oriented development (TOD) is becoming one means to address a variety of issues ranging from traffic congestion to affordable housing, air pollution, and sprawl by creating compact, walkable communities centered around high quality transit services. This concept also has a direct benefit to transit operations by making it more useful to those who live and work along the system. It also offers residents a convenient commute to jobs, shopping and entertainment in the region. Maryland has great TOD potential, with more than 75 rail, light rail and subway stations, and dozens more proposed in the next 20 years. The State will support its investment in transit by attracting new homes and businesses to the station areas. Taking advantage of opportunities to create higher density transit destinations along our transit systems allows the State to put the land around the transit stations to a higher and better use, facilitating the return of these lands to local tax roles. Transit station areas also make excellent opportunities for public private partnerships and enhance State-owned or leased transit stations and parking areas, while enabling a private developer to create transit oriented development. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) provides an excellent opportunity to create higher density transit destinations along our transit systems, while also allowing the State to put the land around the transit stations to a higher and better use, enabling the State to return these lands to taxable areas for the State and County. These TOD opportunities are excellent public private partnerships to enhance State-owned or leased transit stations and parking areas, while enabling a private developer to create transit oriented development. Common features frequently found at TOD sites include: - TOD is pedestrian-friendly. The development often sits within a connected grid of streets that are easy to navigate. Pedestrians are made to feel safe with wide sidewalks, well-marked crosswalks, good lighting and narrow streets to slow car traffic. The street scene is made inviting with landscaping, attractive public spaces and interesting architecture.
- The tallest buildings are clustered immediately around the transit station, with the density of development tapering off as you get farther out.
- Parking should be carefully managed. The goal is to limit the number of parking spaces and encourage shared parking between different land uses that need it at different times of day or at different times of the week. Offices, for example, typically need parking during weekdays, while retail and entertainment venues more likely need it evenings or on weekends.
- Transit-oriented development should have high-quality transit service that includes, wherever possible, access to buses and rail. Many Maryland neighborhoods in the Washington metro area, for example, link residents to Metro stations with Ride-On buses.
There is no one-size-fits-all mold, and TOD will look different depending on where you find it. The mix of development, its density and how it is designed will differ based on location. FTA defines Joint Development as projects that are commercial, residential, industrial, or mixed-use developments that are undertaken in concert with transit facilities. They may include private, and non-profit development activities usually associated with fixed guideway (Rail or Busway) transit systems that are new or being modernized or extended. Joint development projects may also be associated with bus facilities, intermodal transfer facilities (e.g., bus to rail), transit malls, and Federal, State or local investments in local facilities (such as a bus terminal and tourist facility). FTA funds may be used to facilitate development that enhances transit; they may not be used for purely private development such as construction and permanent financing costs related to the design or construction of purely retail, residential, or other commercial public and private revenue-producing facilities. To be eligible for consideration as a transit-oriented joint development project under the Federal Transit Administration policy, the project: must include a transit element; must enhance the urban economic development or incorporates private investment including office, commercial, or residential development; and must enhance the effectiveness of a mass transit project, and the non-transit element is physically or functionally related to the mass transit project; or it creates new or enhanced coordination between public transit and other forms of transportation; or it includes nonvehicular capital improvements that result in increased transit usage, in corridors supporting fixed guideway systems.
MDOT can promote new development on its property in any one of the following three approaches: - through self-initiated Requests for Proposals (RFPs), where MDOT engages in pre-development planning to assess market potential and community objectives;
- through General Solicitations, where MDOT identifies properties with development potential and local government support and advertises for developers' proposals that meet transit oriented development principles; and
- through Transportation Public Private Partnerships (TP3s), where MDOT can receive unsolicited proposals for the development of its transportation facilities. Development proposals that meet transit oriented development principles may be submitted at any time on any property that MTA owns. To learn more about the TP3 Program, please review the TP3 Guidelines.
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