Improving transit options in southern Maryland is an ongoing effort for the MTA and has been the subject of several studies over the past two decades. The most recent, the Corridor Preservation Study, was completed in 2010. Its purpose was to define a high capacity transit alignment along the MD 5/US 301 corridor from the Branch Avenue Metrorail station to Waldorf - White Plains.
The Corridor Preservation Study:
- Examined the physical feasibility of a high capacity transit system in the MD 5/US 301 corridor
- Recommended the locations of potential transit stations, parking and other facilities
- Evaluated five alternatives, nine alignment options and six beltway options
- Selected Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the technologies to analyze further
The study evaluated five alternatives, nine alignment option and six beltway options; identified an alignment for use in county planning documents; and identified Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the technologies to analyze further. The Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Study is building off of the results from the Preservation Study and other previous studies.