Maryland Ranks High on Transit Access, But More Work Remains

Maryland performs well in a new national transit access ranking, but the data highlights ongoing challenges around housing growth and transportation investment.

A new national analysis from the Urban Institute highlights how limited access to reliable public transit remains across much of the country. While many homes are located near some form of bus or rail service, far fewer are close to frequent, dependable public transit that residents can realistically use for daily travel. For Maryland, the findings connect directly to ongoing debates over housing supply, transportation investment, and transit-oriented development. The state has major transit assets, especially in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, but access remains uneven for many communities outside the most transit-served areas.

Even with those challenges, Maryland performs comparatively well. The state ranks ahead of several peer states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, and neighboring Pennsylvania. Maryland’s score is 2.6 percentage points higher than Massachusetts and 1.7 percentage points higher than New Jersey, two states that offer relatively close comparisons given their density, development patterns, and major transit corridors. Still, many policymakers would likely argue that 18.9 percent remains too low for a state as small and densely developed as Maryland.

The findings also reinforce why the Governor, General Assembly, and counties have increasingly focused on development in and around transit corridors. As Maryland continues to debate housing affordability and transportation funding, the central question is whether the state can better align development with transportation investments. If that coordination improves, Maryland may be positioned to increase its share of residents with access to frequent transit and move closer to, or potentially ahead of, nearby competitors such as Illinois and Hawaii.

Top 10 States: