Maryland

Maryland Issues New Complete Streets Policy
Projects on roadways maintained by the state DOT will have to comply with Complete Streets requirements as part of a broader effort to reduce traffic deaths in the state.

Maryland Passes New Vacancy Tax Law
The law allows local jurisdictions to set tax rates for vacant lots and properties to discourage speculation and stimulate development.

Maryland Housing Laws Address Housing Shortage, Establish Renter Protections
An ambitious housing package establishes a Renters Bill of Rights and removes barriers to increased housing production.

Montgomery County Approves ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ Zoning
A new zoning amendment facilitates housing construction on properties owned by faith-based institutions.

Maryland Could Cut Transit Funding, Citing Budget Gap
The governor says the state remains committed to its major transit projects, but may need to reduce service to meet a growing financial shortfall.

Baltimore Considers Public Restroom Project
The city is starting to develop a plan for adding more public restrooms downtown, where available bathrooms are scarce and historic buildings are being damaged by public urination.

Montgomery County Moves to Eliminate Parking Mandates
The council unanimously supported a proposal to remove minimum parking requirements near for developments near transit.

Report: Gas-Powered Lawn Tools Produce Emissions Comparable to Cars
A Maryland study recommends switching to electric tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the state’s climate goals.

Baltimore Could See a TOD Boom
Developers are calling on city leaders to support transit-oriented development amidst an influx of federal funding opportunities.

Opinion: After Rent Stabilization, More Action Needed to Make Housing Affordable
Montgomery County just passed a slew of regulatory and legislative changes aimed at improving affordable housing. One writer suggests several more.

EPA Awards $4 Million for Baltimore Composting Facility
The city wants to build the nation’s largest composting facility as part of its ‘zero waste’ efforts.

State Supreme Court Clears Way for Defunct Airport Redevelopment in Maryland
The legal controversies over a zoning amendment approved in 2019 went all the way to the top court in the state of Maryland, but by the time the court ruled, the Bowie City Council had already repealed the amendment in question.

Maryland Highway Widening Plans Moving Forward Under New Governor
Maryland Governor Wes Moore is differentiating his new administration from his predecessor’s, but some projects, like the widening of federal highways in the Capital Beltway, stay the same.

Feared Traffic Increase From New Bike Lanes Failed to Materialize
Data from a much-criticized bike lane project in Montgomery County shows no noticeable decrease in vehicle capacity and a sharp decrease in bike fatalities.

Maryland to Restart Planning for East-West Transit Line Through Baltimore
A plan for the Red Line, an east-west light rail line notoriously canceled by former-Governor Larry Hogan in 2015, is back on the table in Baltimore.

A Dirty Little Secret: Rising Property Values Are Incompatible With Affordability
Rising property values come with positive community development, but this shift can make neighborhoods inaccessible to low-income renters and fixed-income homeowners.

Rent Control Approved for Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council has approved a new law that sets limits on how much landlords can raise rents from year to year.

Baltimore 2050 Transportation Plan Perpetuates Auto-Centric Planning
The region’s long-range transportation plan fails to boost investment in transit, opting to fund road expansions instead.

Using Captured Methane to Power Buses
A new bioenergy facility in Maryland will convert captured methane to Renewable Natural Gas.

50 Years Later: Anacostia River to Welcome Swimmers
The Washington, D.C. region has accomplished a major environmental victory, cleaning up the Anacostia River enough for humans to swim in for the first time in five decades.
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