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House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. (D-Allegany) had pushed during the last General Assembly session to dedicate 1 cent of Maryland's 5-cent sales tax to mass transit, but his proposal went nowhere.

"I applaud a permanent funding source," Taylor said yesterday when told of Glendening's plans. "It's not enough for our current needs, but it's better than where we were before. We're not going to solve our transportation problem without raising taxes."

He said he could not predict how the state House of Delegates would react to the governor's proposal until the rest of Glendening's budget is presented to the General Assembly on Jan. 17. Glendening has already signaled boosts in spending for schools, higher education and health care for the poor.

                                     © 2000 The Washington Post
Metro board Announces the Selection of the Silver Spring Transit Center Developer

For Immediate Release:
April 19, 2001

Today, the Metro Board of Directors announced the selection of Silver Spring Metro, L.L.C., as the developer of the Silver Spring Transit Center and adjacent joint development project. The Silver Spring Metro, L.L.C., is a joint venture of Foulger Pratt Companies and Mid-City Urban, L.L.C. Members of the development team also include the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission; Williams, Jackson & Ewing, L.L.C.; and Marriott Residence Inn.

"The Silver Spring Metro, L.L.C., proposal is an outstanding example of transit-oriented development. With its provision for office, residential, retail, and hotel uses integrated with a multi-modal transit facility, this proposal also represents the best in 'smart growth' initiatives," stated Board Member Cleatus Barnett

"The success of Silver Spring's revitalization efforts hinges on accessible and efficient transit," said County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. "Foulger Pratt understands how important the Silver Spring Transit Center is to the future of Silver Spring, and I am confident they will help us create one of the finest inter-modal travel centers in the Washington region. The center will bring together Metrobus and Metrorail, Ride-On, MARC train, and cross country bus services in a convenient location in the heart of Silver Spring."

Since the mid-1990s, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA), and Montgomery County have been planning the development of a new MARC train platform and a multi-modal transit center at the Silver Spring Metro Station in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In addition, WMATA, in coordination with the county, recognized that the transit center site could also be used to attract additional development as a result of the renaissance that the Silver Spring Central Business District was undergoing.

So, in addition to the separate construction of a 190,000 square foot transit center at the station, the joint development proposal from Silver Spring Metro, L.L.C., includes 250,000 square feet of office space; 250,000 square feet of residential apartments; 50,000 square feet of retail space; a 150,000 square foot hotel; and 500 non-WMATA underground parking spaces.

The amenities planned for the Silver Spring Transit Center include 38 bus bays for Metrobus and Ride-On; 47 Kiss & Ride spaces; nine taxi spaces; a six-bay intercity bus terminal; improved bike and pedestrian connections; and hiker/biker trail enhancements and provision for the future Georgetown Branch Transitway as well as the new MARC train platform.

The estimated cost of the transit center is approximately $40 million, funded by a $33 million grant to the county from the Federal Transit Administration through the MTA and a $7 million contribution from the county. WMATA will bear no cost of the construction. After completion of construction, Metro will own and operate the Silver Spring Transit Center. WMATA will also work out maintenance agreements with the other users of the transit center facility.

Mass Transit Rules the Roads
Growth Surpasses Highway Use; D.C. Area Tops Average

By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 17, 2001

Mass-transit ridership grew faster than highway use for the third year in a row last year, according to new national figures, with people in the Washington region piling onto subways, buses and commuter

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