Landowner eyes transit options

Columbia, Md (Map, News) - Downtown Columbia might not be on the short list for planned Metro or light rail stops in coming years, but as the area develops, landowners want to make sure it is “transit ready.”

“If you don’t make provisions for these things, they are not going to happen,” said Gregory Hamm, general manager of Columbia for General Growth Properties Inc., the major landowner in downtown Columbia in Howard.

This could mean concentrating development around a point that would be a transit hub, he said. With residents in place willing to ride the bus or Metro, Columbia would be poised for transit.

General Growth is finalizing a deal with a consultant to study transit opportunities, Hamm said at a meeting held by resident activist group Transportation Advocates.

Hamm said GGP would release the name of the consultant next week. The company is working on its plan for downtown redevelopment, which will include hiring consultants and meeting with resident groups.

The consultants will examine existing transit, such as Howard Transit, and future options, Hamm said.

The results of a transit study could affect the completed studies on the roads and traffic, and the county and company have conducted traffic studies. The county’s study was included in the final framework — titled “Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision” — released last month, which is intended to guide the development of downtown during the next 30 years.

If buses and pedestrian connections reduce the number of cars on the road, the traffic impact might have to be reviewed, Hamm said.

County officials are in the middle of a five-year review of the county’s bus system, which is required to receive state and federal funds for public transportation, said Marsha McLaughlin, director of Howard’s Department of Planning and Zoning.

They are working closely with the company and their consultants as they determine the transit needs, she added.

Sharon Smith, deputy transit administrator for operations for the Corridor Transit Corp., which manages the county’s bus system, said she expected more details from GGP on transit and transportation in Columbia.

“All of this is very timely. We were hoping we’d have more information,” Smith said after the meeting.

“I’m really anxious to see what they come up with.”

GGP officials will announce next week a series of community meetings, which will be held before the company’s plan for downtown redevelopment is released in response to the final framework, Hamm said.

smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com

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