WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Kweisi Mfume, Dutch Ruppersberger and David Trone (All D-Md.), with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld, announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) $4,690,700 for the preliminary design and environmental work for the Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Funded through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE Discretionary Grant program, the study also will include Complete Streets and accessibility improvements between the station, the proposed TOD, and existing land uses. The lawmakers wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier this year in support of this federal investment.
“Integrating public transit at the planning stages of development means it is not an afterthought but a priority,” said the members of Maryland’s congressional delegation. “In Congress, Team Maryland worked together to ensure federal funds were available for projects like the Reisterstown Transit-Oriented Development that raise the quality of life for individuals, families and extended neighborhoods. We supported investing in this project to bring these dynamic changes to our communities.”
“To unleash Baltimore’s promise, we need to make it easier for Marylanders to travel from where they live to where opportunity lies,” said Governor Moore. “Greater investment in transit-oriented development will help us build stronger pathways to prosperity, especially for communities that have been historically left behind. By moving in partnership with Federal Team Maryland and the Biden-Harris administration, we are making Maryland more competitive and more affordable for all.”
“This federal grant will support the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Moore-Miller administration’s efforts to invest in the state’s underserved communities and improve access to equitable transportation, connecting Marylanders to jobs, education, shopping and other opportunities,” said Secretary Wiedefeld. “Thanks to the support from our federal delegation, the grant will enable MDOT to move forward with the design process to reenergize the area around the Reisterstown Plaza Metro Subway Station in Baltimore and turn it into a transit-oriented development with safe roads for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and drivers.”
The Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station Transit-Oriented Development will be a multi-modal, mixed-use destination with residential, commercial, and retail uses, according to MDOT. Not only would these uses contribute to enhanced community development for the area, but they would also help to reduce dependency on vehicles and promote the use of mass transit. Transforming Reisterstown Plaza from an underused park-and-ride lot to a vibrant community is critical for increasing walkability, sustainable growth and transit use.
Potential new development would bring together a mix of uses, including:
- New housing units, including workforce housing units. The development plan proposes a mix of rental and homeownership opportunities as well as senior housing;
- New retail to include sit-down restaurants, coffee shops with outdoor seating and office space;
- Park and community space; and
- A parking garage facility with dedicated spaces for transit users, including electric vehicle charging.
The 25.6-acre parcel, owned by the Maryland Transit Administration, is located at the intersection of Wabash Avenue and Patterson Avenue, next to the Social Security Administration site. Development on the Reisterstown Plaza site could be a catalyst for future development opportunities along MTA’s Metro Subway Line. There are approximately 179 acres of undeveloped property along the line between Johns Hopkins Station in East Baltimore and Owings Mills Station in Baltimore County.
The lawmakers worked to authorize the RAISE grant program at $7.5 billion over five years under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For fiscal year 2024, the program was funded at $1.5 billion. The infrastructure law has been delivering record federal investment in Maryland to strengthen our infrastructure — from transit systems to roads and bridges to water infrastructure, broadband connectivity, and more.
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