Miles SmithMaryland has announced a new grant program intended to increase connectivity and economic activity throughout the state by investing in high-density mixed-use mixed-income development projects near train stations.
The first round of funding of the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund includes $5 million to support local jurisdictions seeking to build equitable and inclusive development near transit hubs, the Maryland Department of Transportation said.
Local jurisdictions can apply for up to $1 million for planning, design or public infrastructure improvements. Eligible projects must have a direct connection or benefit to a site the state has designated for transit-oriented development.
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Nonprofit or private development partners are eligible to apply in partnership with a local jurisdiction for up to $1 million in gap funding for projects within a state-designated transit-oriented development.
Applications are due by April 8.
“With every grant awarded through this program, we will be fueling economic growth and building stronger communities across Maryland,” Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said. “By investing in transit-oriented development, we can ensure more Marylanders benefit from new opportunities, reduce congestion, grow our housing stock and build a greener, more sustainable Maryland.”
The TOD Fund was established by the Equitable Inclusive TOD Enhancement Act signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore in 2023.
The state’s goals for the fund include increasing transit ridership, supporting economic development, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing the efficient use of transportation infrastructure and increasing affordable and accessible housing opportunities.
The funding program is the first of its kind at the Maryland Department of Transportation to support the construction of transit-oriented developments across the state.
In October, MDOT released the Penn Line Transit-Oriented Development Strategy Plan, an effort to catalyze growth and further private investment along MARC’s busiest commuter rail line.
That month, MDOT and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development also signed an agreement to prioritize the resources and capacities of the two departments to accelerate the construction of development that catalyzes dense, mixed-use and mixed-income development within a half mile of transit stations.
Plans for development at the Odenton MARC Station in Anne Arundel County and at Baltimore’s Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station are also in the works, MDOT said.
Photo courtesy Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
