NJT hosts 1st Industry Day (left) • Rahway launches senior housing project • Maryland plans for light rail • TOD in Tri-State • Athens rethinks transit (right top-to-bottom)
Article of the Week
Want to Develop Land? NJ TRANSIT has 8,000 Acres of Deals for You
Colleen Wilson, NorthJersey.com | April 22, 2026
Around 300 developers, planners, and officials attended NJ TRANSIT’s first Real Estate Industry Day, which highlighted 11 agency-owned properties for mixed-use and housing development. NJ TRANSIT’s LAND Plan estimates these projects could generate $1.9 billion in agency revenue over 30 years and $14 billion statewide.
NJ TOD News
ALLENHURST—Allenhurst’s Power Station Redevelopment Secures $49 Million Construction Loan for Townhomes and Apartments
Mario Marroquin, Jersey Digs | April 24, 2026
S3 Capital secured a $49 million construction loan to advance the Power Station redevelopment, which will include 28 townhomes and 23 affordable apartments. The development is within walking distance of Allenhurst Station on NJ TRANSIT’s North Jersey Coast Line.
RAHWAY—Construction Begins on 58-Unit Senior Housing Project in Rahway
Suzanne Russell, My Central Jersey | April 23, 2026
Rahway officials and Foresight Affordable Housing have started construction on a 58-unit affordable housing development for seniors. The project sits on a city-owned lot near the Rahway Train Station. Completion is expected in 2027.
What the MTA and NJ TRANSIT Can Learn About Rail from Japanese Train Systems
Jake Berman, Vital City | April 22, 2026
Jake Berman outlines three lessons from Japanese rail systems: improved technology, higher-quality trains, and integrating TOD as a core revenue strategy. These approaches can improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase ridership, and grow revenue for both the MTA and NJ TRANSIT.
Transit and Equity News
MARYLAND—Montgomery County Planners Want to Make Sure Everyone Benefits from the Purple Line
Carrie Sanders, Greater Greater Washington | April 23, 2026
Residents have expressed both eagerness and concern over affordability and displacement ahead of the Purple Line’s expected 2027 opening. Montgomery County planners have proposed strategies to maximize benefits and limit displacement, including encouraging infill development, requiring affordable housing, and expanding housing diversity.
WASHINGTON, DC—The NRP Group and Marshall Heights Break Ground on 109-Unit The Waymark Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Community
Staff, Multifamily Biz | April 23, 2026
The NRP Group and Marshall Heights Community Development Organization broke ground on The Waymark, a 109-unit affordable housing development with ground-floor community space and on-site job training services. The project sits near the Benning Road Metro Station and multiple bus routes. Completion is expected in 2027.
How States Can Build Housing Together: A Proposal to Create Joint Authorities
Peter Sabonis, Shelterforce | April 22, 2026
Peter Sabonis of Partners for Dignity and Rights calls for cross-jurisdictional partnerships to finance housing as federal support becomes less certain. He highlights strategies such as interstate housing finance agencies, interstate compacts, and independent joint authorities.
NEW YORK—$4B Affordable Housing Initiative Launches in New York City
Ryan Kushner, Smart Cities Dive | April 21, 2026
New York City launched a $4 billion initiative to create and preserve affordable housing using city pension funds. Since the 1990s, similar investments have supported nearly 200,000 housing units. The initiative will fund mixed-income housing construction and expand the Public Private Apartment Rehabilitation program.
WASHINGTON—King County Executive Zahilay and Partners Celebrate the Opening of Copperleaf, a New 235-Unit Affordable Housing Community in Northgate
Jeff Switzer, King County Metro | April 21, 2026
King County, BRIDGE Housing, and community partners have opened Copperleaf Northgate, a 235-unit all-affordable housing development in Seattle. Located next to Northgate Station, the site offers access to two light rail lines and nine bus routes. King County Metro provided the land through a 75-year ground lease.
Regional and National TOD News
Lot Lines: Transit Without TOD Is Just a Train
J. David Chapman, The Journal Record | April 23, 2026
J. David Chapman, a professor of real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma, argues that transit investment only succeeds when paired with TOD—walkable, mixed-use density around stations that integrates transit into daily life. Stations surrounded by surface parking, he writes, cannot capture these benefits.
PENNSYLVANIA—SEPTA and Swarthmore Borough Begin Discussing Commuter Lot Development
Lucy Tobier, Swarthmore Phoenix | April 23, 2026
SEPTA is working with Swarthmore Borough and Swarthmore College to advance a mixed-use development on a SEPTA-owned commuter parking lot. The project remains in early planning and would be the first partnership under SEPTA’s Transit Oriented Communities program.
Planning for Transit-Oriented Communities in the Tri-State Area
Marcel Negret, Regional Plan Association | April 20, 2026
Recent planning efforts and land use policies have advanced transit-oriented communities in the tri-state area. The Regional Plan Association argues that stronger regional and statewide coordination is now needed to move projects from concept to implementation and ensure success across communities.
The US Spends More Time and Money Building Transit Than Most Countries. Inefficient Community Engagement May Help Explain Why.
Christina Plerhoples Stacy, Gabe Samuels, & Yonah Freemark, Urban Institute | April 20, 2026
Transit projects in the U.S. cost about 50 percent more per mile than in peer countries, limiting system expansion. Urban Institute research points to several institutional practices, including cumbersome community engagement processes that extend timelines and drive costly design changes.
International TOD News
GREECE—City Sprawl Pushes Athens to Rethink Public Transit
Despina Konti, Kathimerini | April 22, 2026
The Athens Urban Transport Organization plans to expand the transit network by 283 miles and add 274 stations by 2045 to address congestion. The proposal includes 10.5 km (6.5 miles) of new dedicated bus lanes, reduced peak headways to 8 minutes, and expanded use of electric and low-carbon vehicles.
ITALY—Op-Ed: Italy’s Liberalization of High-Speed Rail Offers a Benchmark for Europe
Andrea Giuricin, The Parliament | April 20, 2026
After opening its high-speed rail market to competition in 2012, Italy has reduced ticket prices while increasing frequency. Andrea Giuricin, a professor of transportation at the University of Milano-Bicocca, argues that other European countries, including Germany, should emulate this approach to address similar challenges.