The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) unveiled a draft of the Statewide Transit Plan that aims to provide a roadmap for a comprehensive transit system.
Now the MDOT MTA is seeking public comment on the 50-year plan that includes long-term and immediate goals for the agency’s mission to provide transit across that state that is safe, efficient, and reliable.
“We are working to bring Maryland the best transit system in the nation. The Statewide Transit Plan is intended to establish the vision and benchmarks necessary to achieve that goal,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “It’s designed to serve as the roadmap for future transit development in the state. That’s why getting public feedback is so important to us.”
The public can comment on the plan through Feb. 18, 2022. The final plan is slated for release in summer 2022.
“MDOT is focused on delivering seamless transportation for all Marylanders across the state by integrating all forms of travel to get you where you need to go,” said Transportation Secretary Greg Slater. “Today, we are launching our first 50-year Statewide Transit Plan that outlines a vision for transit needs across the state for future generations. We developed this plan working with our regional and local transit partners and look forward to collaborating to create a true statewide transit system of systems.”
MDOT said the draft transit plan was developed to optimize the power of transit to work synergistically with other state goals, like improving economic opportunity, facilitating smarter community development, and protecting the environment. The plan identifies action items to accomplish in the next five years while defining goals for MDOT MTA to attain, as well as strategies to achieve them and future transit connections across the state. The plan is guided by seven goals that were crafted through statewide stakeholder feedback, including being an equitable, accessible, and affordable transit system, providing mobility between regions, connecting people to jobs and opportunities, and investing wisely and sustainably.