ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the Moore-Miller Administration’s next step in advancing transit-oriented development across the Baltimore region to grow the state’s economy and lower housing prices. During a joint press conference with Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott and State transportation officials, the governor unveiled the Baltimore Region Transit-Oriented Development Strategy and announced the first step toward securing a development partner to develop the North parcel of the Rogers Avenue Metro Station.
“We have said from the beginning that if this is going to be Maryland’s Decade, it has to be Baltimore’s Time,” said Gov. Moore. “Part of making that real means making sure our investments in Baltimore’s Metro and Light Rail System lead to opportunity—opportunity to live near transit, opportunity to strengthen communities near transit, and opportunity to create work, wages, and wealth near transit. That is what it means to leave no one behind.”
The transit-oriented development strategy marks a continuation of the Moore-Miller Administration’s efforts to improve regional mobility through substantial investments in transit across the Baltimore region. The Maryland Transit Administration is advancing the nearly $1.4 billion Light Rail Modernization Program, which modernizes the Baltimore Central Light Rail Line from Hunt Valley to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport with new, modern, low-floor vehicles and upgrades all the light rail stations, systems, and maintenance facilities.
Governor Moore, Mayor Scott and state transportation officials also experienced Baltimore’s new Metro Subway cars on a ride from Rogers Avenue to Charles Center. The $400 million Metro Subway investment secured by Maryland’s congressional delegation supports the purchase of 78 new rail cars and an upgraded communications system that improves reliability and on-time performance.
“For generations, restrictive housing and transportation policies were intentionally used to limit opportunity and investment in so many of our neighborhoods. Today, the opposite is true,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Working with the State and public and private partners, we are intentionally anchoring housing projects near transit—just as we envisioned in Our Baltimore, a comprehensive development plan for the city. This strengthens our communities, attracts new residents, and creates opportunity for local businesses as we continue to drive Baltimore’s Renaissance forward.”
Following his Metro Subway ride to Downtown Baltimore, Governor Moore convened a roundtable in partnership with the Greater Baltimore Committee and Greater Washington Partnership, who jointly lead Baltimore’s Transit Future—a coalition of business and civic leaders advocating for regional transportation investment. Elected officials and business leaders from across the Baltimore region discussed the importance of working in partnership to advance transit-oriented development and connect Marylanders to economic opportunity.
The Governor expressed the need for partnership between the state, localities and businesses in order to fully realize transit-oriented development’s potential impact—including over 5,000 new housing units and almost $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenue from developing state-owned land alone.
“As a civil engineer, I’ve seen how infrastructure shapes opportunity,” said Lt. Governor Aruna Miller. “Transit-oriented development is how we make that opportunity real—building communities where people of all abilities can live, work, and thrive, all within reach.”
“Transit-oriented development helps connect residents to jobs, housing, and opportunity,” said Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. “When there are more options for those things, our communities grow. Baltimore County is proud to partner with the state and our regional neighbors to move this work forward and ensure we’re creating places where people can live and work.”
“Transit-oriented development is not just a land use strategy, it is an economic growth strategy,” said Greater Baltimore Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Anthony Thomas. “The most promising markets are leveraging this approach—or building better versions of it. By aligning public incentives with transit, we can accelerate development, create jobs, lower costs for workers, and activate the infrastructure that already exists across the Baltimore Region.”
“Transit-oriented development works best when strong transit access is paired with the conditions that make places more competitive for investment—housing, safety, connectivity, and amenities,” said Greater Washington Partnership Chief Executive Officer Kathy Hollinger. “When those elements come together, station areas are better positioned to attract employers, support jobs, and strengthen long-term growth. The Partnership is committed to advancing this work alongside the Moore-Miller Administration, MDOT, and the Greater Baltimore Committee.”
Local elected officials and business leaders also received a briefing on the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Baltimore Region Transit-Oriented Development Strategy. The strategy was built through partnership and engagement with local partners and is a roadmap for increasing new investment and development around Baltimore’s Metro and Light Rail network. The strategy identifies key policy and financial tools, offering an actionable vision for how the state, local jurisdictions and private partners can work together to create vibrant, walkable communities near transit while expanding housing options, generating jobs, and connecting residents to opportunities across the region.
“Realizing transit-oriented development on State-owned land will be a catalyst for development across the Baltimore region,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. “Transit-oriented development expands housing options and grows our economy. We’re pleased to bring Governor Moore’s vision to fruition and work with local communities, elected leaders and businesses to transform the areas around transit stations into more vibrant and better-connected communities.”
Governor Moore also announced the first step toward advancing the Baltimore region’s transit-oriented development strategy, with the Maryland Department of Transportation issuing a Request for Qualifications for a Joint Development opportunity at the Rogers Avenue Metro Station. The effort aims to develop nine acres of state-owned land currently being used for a parking lot. The project will aim to turn the parking lot—which generates neither state nor local tax revenue—into an asset that increases transit ridership, increases housing supply, maximizes the return on State transportation infrastructure investment, and supports local community needs
“Transit-oriented development puts transit at the heart of our communities and creates vibrant, walkable spaces where people can live, work and connect,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. “By aligning development with our transit investments we are expanding access and growing economic opportunity.”
Transit-oriented development supports the Moore-Miller Administration’s State Plan to grow Maryland’s economy and create affordable housing. The full potential of transit-oriented development requires close coordination and sustained partnership with local jurisdictions, private developers and communities, and the Moore-Miller Administration is committed to working with all partners in order to streamline housing investments near transit stations and unlock the full development potential of State-owned land.