Route 1 Corridor Study Planned In Howard County

From HoCo: Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman today announced the launch of the “Rt. 1 Corridor Master Plan,” an effort that includes transportation, infrastructure, land use and economic development strategies to improve vibrancy and quality of life aspects throughout the Rt. 1 corridor.

The process will produce development and design scenarios and identify ways to implement them based on market realities. Land use and transportation analysis are at the core of the initiative, along with input gathered through a series of public engagement meetings.

The effort will build on previous Rt. 1 studies, such as the recent U.S. 1 Safety Evaluation, and broader projects such as HoCode Rewrite, the county’s zoning code update.

“The nearly 12-mile stretch of Rt. 1 in Howard County is home to many distinctive neighborhoods and diverse businesses,” said Kittleman. “We’ve worked to provide new public facilities but more needs to be done to realize the corridor’s full potential, such as providing diverse amenities and employment opportunities for residents.”

“The Department of Planning and Zoning will lead this effort and work with businesses and residents to find and implement innovative solutions along the corridor” added Valdis Lazdins, Director of the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning. “The initiative will key in on ways to integrate the many parts of a commercial corridor – including transportation, employment and community services.”

The Rt. 1 Corridor Master Plan will begin this month with stakeholder interviews and a business roundtable. Two public workshops are scheduled for November 14 and 15. A corridor analysis and conceptual design scenarios -- the preliminary results of this research -- are anticipated to be presented to the public by the consultant team, RKG Associates, in Spring 2019. The initiative is scheduled for completion in Fall 2019.

“The Rt. 1 corridor is a vital economic driver for the county,” said Larry Twele, Chief Executive Officer of the Howard County Economic Development Authority. “We are hopeful that the proposed plan will help encourage additional investment and opportunity in the area.”

The Rt. 1 Corridor Master Plan will be an amendment to the county’s General Plan, PlanHoward 2030, and will go before the Planning Board and the County Council for review and adoption.

RKG Associates is an economic, planning and real estate consultancy with offices in Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta, Dallas and Durham, NH. Founded in 1981, RKG is accomplished at assessing the economic, fiscal and operational aspects of development projects. RKG has worked with public and private entities and economic development agencies across the country in developing strategies for redevelopment, reuse and revitalization.

Additional information is available at www.howardcountymd.gov/route1. Community members interested in following the project, can sign up at https://goo.gl/m8euEz to receive email notifications.

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