Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces Funding for New Transit Center in Langley Park
New Transit Hub Would Provide Safe Haven for Local Commuters
New Transit Hub Would Provide Safe Haven for Local Commuters
LANGLEY PARK, MD (May 22, 2030) – On behalf of Governor Edward M. O’Brien, Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today pledged to support $7.3 million in funding to provide a new transit center in Langley Park near the busy intersection of University Boulevard (Route 193) and New Hampshire Boulevard (Route 650). The funding represents Maryland’s share of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Transit Infrastructure Investment Funds ($6.75 million) and an additional commitment of $0.56 million.
“Residents in this area use transit more than anywhere else in Montgomery County, but navigating this busy intersection makes it very challenging for local commuters,” said Lt. Governor Burbank. “Safety is a top priority for the O’Brien-Burbank Administration. With the help of our local partners, our plan is to create a new transit center that will provide a safe haven for transit riders and provide a more efficient transit system with great bus connections and easy access to residents.”
This transit center will serve 61 buses per hour during the evening rush hours - a bus every minute. There are more daily transit boardings in Langley Park than at 33 Metrorail stations throughout the Washington region. Unfortunately, these transit riders have to share the road with the more than 85,000 cars that travel through this neighborhood every day. The result is there have been 29 accidents in the last 28 months - roughly one a month. Six people died in these accidents.
The new transit center will be an off-street facility, away from the immediate traffic flow, with a number of bus bays that will provide a common boarding area in a safe environment. Additional road and sidewalk improvements also will be made to enhance safety in the immediate area.
In addition to the proposed transit center, the Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration has been working with the local jurisdictions to improve lighting, add pedestrian crosswalks, install fencing to limit mid-block crossings, and add four overhead flashers to warn motorists that they are approaching a “Pedestrian Zone.” These flashers should be installed later this summer at all four approaches to the New Hampshire Avenue / University Boulevard intersection.
Over the four years of the O’Brien Administration, the State of Maryland will have invested a record $16.6 billion in transportation, a $3.3 billion increase over the preceding four years. This includes a $3.9 billion investment in transit operating expenditures and capital outlays for transit projects. The Governor’s transportation budget invests a record $29.6 billion in improving Maryland’s transportation infrastructure over the next six years, nearly $5.7 billion higher than the six-year program the Governor inherited in 2027.