HBLR Northern Branch Extension plans (left); PATH’s $45B capital plan; NJ leads in new housing; WMATA breaks ground on West Falls Church; 1,500 applicants for Delhi TOD flats (right, top-to-bottom)
Article of the Week
NJ TRANSIT Announces Plans to Expand Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Service
Kerrie Joyce, The Hoboken Girl | November 18, 2025
NJ TRANSIT announced plans to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail 10 miles into Bergen County, adding seven new stations across five municipalities as part of its revived Northern Branch Project. The agency has issued an RFP to begin a new Environmental Impact Statement, with public comment to follow once the draft is released.
NJ TOD News
CAMDEN—State Seeks Redevelopers for Waterfront Property in Camden
Chris Fry, Jersey Digs | November 18, 2025
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is seeking proposals from developers to revitalize a long-vacant parcel on the North Camden Waterfront. Under the agency’s guidelines, proposals should include mixed-use elements that contribute to Camden’s economic development by expanding its municipal tax base and increasing local employment opportunities.
MORRISTOWN—Newly Approved ‘M Lofts’ to Bring 150 Rentals to Morristown as Key Development Continues
Joshua Burd, Real Estate NJ | November 18, 2025
The Morristown Planning Board approved SJP Properties’ M Lofts project, which may break ground as early as mid-2026. The development will add 150 residential units—20 percent affordable—near Morristown Station. M Lofts represents the final phase of the larger M Station project, which constructed 373,000 sq. ft. of high-end office space and attracted major employers such as Deloitte and Sanofi.
$45B Plan will Build New Newark Airport Terminals, Add Rail Service, But Tolls and Fares Will Rise
Larry Higgs, Lehigh Valley Live | November 17, 2025
The Port Authority unveiled a $45 billion capital plan that expands PATH service, rebuilds major facilities, including the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and funds these upgrades through fare hikes, toll increases, and the elimination of E-Z Pass off-peak discounts. PATH riders will see more frequent service beginning in 2026, if the budget receives approval at a December 18 PATH meeting.
Transit and Equity News
Abundance Agenda: States Adding the Most New Homes in 2025
Staff, Urban Land Institute | November 21, 2025
A Planera report finds that New Jersey leads the nation in new housing for 2025, nearly doubling last year’s approvals with 34,932 units and generating over $9 billion in construction spending. States such as Delaware, Florida and Massachusetts also posted major gains in construction activity, driven by strong permitting growth, rising construction spending, and dense development patterns.
MASSACHUSETTS—Study: Red Tape Hampering Accessory Apartment Construction in Massachusetts
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald | November 19, 2025
A Pioneer Institute study found that restrictive local regulations have obstructed ADU construction in Massachusetts despite statewide legalization in 2024. To ease barriers to ADU construction, the Institute recommends that municipalities reduce parking requirements, allow ADUs to be sold separately from principal dwellings, and remove special permit requirements for multiple ADUs on a single lot.
MARYLAND—Baltimore’s Rebooted Transit Project Can’t Come Soon Enough
Daniel C Vock, Bloomberg | November 18, 2025
Governor Wes Moore faces a steep uphill battle to fulfill his campaign promise to build the long-delayed Baltimore Red Line, which has experienced continuous roadblocks since its inception decades ago. Planned to connect some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods to downtown and suburban employment centers, the project now confronts soaring construction costs, tight budgets, and an increasingly hostile political landscape.
ARIZONA—Tempe Approves 400-Unit Affordable Housing Project Along Light Rail Corridor
Helena Wegner, Phoenix Business Journal | November 17, 2025
The Tempe City Council approved Dorsey Station, a 90 percent affordable, 400-unit development that will also add a long-needed grocery store along the light-rail corridor. The project replaces the Pollack Apache Center and advances the City’s push to restore affordable housing and healthy food access in a transit-oriented area.
Regional and National TOD News
Driving Economic Growth Through Land-Use Planning
Staff, AASHTO Journal, November 21, 2025
At the 2025 AASHTO Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, transportation leaders outlined how strategic investment in highways, transit, and multimodal infrastructure can drive economic growth, shape land use, and create new revenue opportunities for state DOTs. Panelists stressed proactive coordination with local governments and highlighted initiatives like Florida’s Moving Florida Forward program, which accelerates congestion relief while expanding access to housing, jobs, and transit-oriented development.
CALIFORNIA—Oceanside City Council Approves Next Steps for Oceanside Transit Center Redevelopment Project
Press Release, NCTD | November 20, 2025
The Oceanside City Council approved a nearly $100 million redevelopment of the Oceanside Transit Center, which will add 547 homes, a hotel, 30,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail, and major transit upgrades. The plan also relocates North County Transit–San Diego Railroad’s (NCTD) headquarters and enables 206 additional mixed-income housing units. It will now advance to the California Coastal Commission, with final review expected in 2026.
VIRGINIA—A Groundbreaking for New West Falls Metro Development
Nicholas Benton, Falls Church News-Press | November 19, 2025
WMATA and its development partners broke ground on a major project to transform 24 acres of underused West Falls Church Metro parking lots into a dense, mixed-use neighborhood. The development will include up to 892 homes and 1 million sq. ft. of new office, retail, and public space. The multi-phase development will improve transit access, add affordable housing, and open its first residences beginning in 2027.
Amtrak: A Year of Records
Press Release, Amtrak | November 18, 2025
Amtrak posted record ridership for the second consecutive year, carrying 34.5 million passengers in FY 2025, a 5.1 percent increase over the previous year. Revenue climbed 9 percent to $3.9 billion, putting the agency on track to achieve operational profitability by FY 2028. This growth has coincided with major network and capacity expansions, including the launch of the Mardi Gras Service along the Gulf Coast and the introduction of the NextGen Acela on the Northeast Corridor.
Breaking: Trump Admin Seeks to Decimate Federal Transit Funding
Kea Wilson, Streetsblog USA | November 18, 2025
The White House is pushing proposals to eliminate the federal Mass Transit Account and block states from flexing highway funds to transit, a move that would strip more than $30 billion annually from transit agencies. Experts warn the plan would deepen car dependence, fail to address the Highway Trust Fund’s massive deficit, and force states to absorb huge new costs to keep basic transit service running.
TEXAS—DART TOD Drives Dallas Investment
Marybeth Luczak, Railway Age | November 17, 2025
A University of North Texas study found that TODs within a quarter mile of DART light-rail stations have generated $18.1 billion in economic investment since 1999. In the last two years alone, DART TOD projects have produced $1.93 billion in total economic impact, created 5,295 jobs, and generated over $77 million in local and state taxes. DART has multiple projects underway to construct mixed-use developments on agency-owned parking lots.
International TOD News
INDIA—DDA Gets 1,500 Applications for 1,026 Flats in First Transit-Oriented Project
Staff, The Times of India | November 19, 2025
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) received nearly 1,500 applications for 1,026 flats in Delhi’s first TOD project next to the Karkardooma Interchange Metro Station. The DDA is promoting the mixed-use development, which features Delhi’s tallest residential tower, office space, hospitals and schools, as construction continues toward a planned 2026 completion.
FINLAND—Vantaa Council Gives Green Light to Revised Tram Line Plan
Staff, YLE News | November 18, 2025
Vantaa City Council approved revised plans for the construction of a city-spanning light rail line. Initially approved in 2023, the system has faced soaring construction costs, rising from an estimated $746 million to nearly $865 million, drawing heavy criticism from political opposition. When completed, Vantaa will be the fourth city in Finland with a light rail system.