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Planning and Sustainability
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County Seeks Input for its Transit Vision Plan Survey
Please take a moment to provide your input on the next Prince Georges County Transit Vision Plan, to help us understand what issues are important to you, here in the City of Bowie. Read on...
This Department provides professional support through long-range special studies and recommendations on development proposals to the City Manager and the City Council. Staff also review development proposals, departures, and variances. Featured development projects can be found here.
A more recent focus of the department is the environment - preserving and protecting it through the City's Green Bowie initiatives led by the City's Sustainability Manager and Watershed Manager. Click the Sustainability tab below to learn more about these initiatives.
A growing focus is transportation-related efforts including trails, mass transit, complete streets, biking, and more. The Transportation Specialist is the lead on these efforts, and more information is available on the Transportation tab below.
The Department of Planning and Sustainability liaises with three committees that are tasked with advising City Council on a number of issues facing all Bowie residents. Those committees and a link to email the staff liaison are:
The Bowie Advisory Planning Board, staff liaison Joe Meinert
The Environmental Advisory Committee, staff liaison Tiffany Wright
The Green Team Executive Committee, staff liaison Erin Oxenford
Published Policies / Guidelines
Below you can find published policies from the Planning and Sustainability.
- Development Review Guidelines
- Site Design Guidelines
- Wildlife Habitat Management Guidelines
- Climate Action Plan
- Sustainability Plan
- Trails Master Plan (note: large file size)
Staff also creates two annual publications. Links to download them are below. The most current report is linked on the left.
| Current Report | Prior Reports |
|---|---|
| Development Sites Outline | 2011 - present |
| State of the Environment Report | 2008 - present |
Download a list of homeowner and civic associations around the city. Changes to any of the listings should be sent by email to Marianne Baird (or by phone, 301-809-3047).
Sustainability is one of the cornerstones of the Department of Planning and Sustainability. It is imperative for us to maintain development, planning, and outreach that inspires and works for all but not at the expense of our future or our resources. Sustainability can be defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs” according to the World Health Organization. It consists of three pillars: economic development, social development, and environmental protection, which it seeks to achieve in a balanced manner.
The Sustainability Manager and Sustainability Planner oversee our Green Bowie efforts including composting, food waste, home energy audits, the Green Bowie Veterans Day 5k, electric vehicle efforts, and more. Please visit the Green Bowie pages here.
If you are interested in watershed management in the City, learning about the annual stream cleanup, or ways to protect our watershed please visit our watershed management page here and contact the Watershed Manager with questions.
The Department also focuses heavily on transportation. This involves the City's extensive trail system, multi-modal access and complete streets, and public transit.
Commuting Options
Listed below are the commuting options from Bowie to Washington, D.C.:
- Metrobus to Metrorail - The closest subway stop is New Carrollton. Buses run from different stops in Bowie and from a park and ride lot near the intersection of Northview Drive and MD197 (near Bowie Town Center Mall).
- Drive to New Carrollton Metro Station and park.
- Vanpools - Vanpools run from all over the Bowie / Crofton area to downtown. They are run by various private companies. See the Commuter Connections website.
- Carpool Matching Service - This service links individuals together for carpooling. See the Commuter Connections website.
- MARC Trains - Commuter train service operated by the Maryland Transit Authority, runs between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. There is a stop, with parking, at Bowie State University for commuters.
WMATA's Better Bus Network
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has started the Better Bus Network initiative to rethink, redesign, and revitalize bus service to better serve the needs of customers in the region. This initiative will also coordinate service with priority investments, like bus lanes and transit signal priority across the region. In the redesigned network, the plan will continue to feature Bowie’s existing low frequency routes but will also create additional links to the existing network, including potential transit connections to Greenbelt and Laurel. This work will allow for public and stakeholder engagement before finalizing the network, and sending to the WMATA Board for approval. For more information, visit WMATA's project page or contact the City’s Transportation Specialist, Ridwan Coker, via email or at 301-809-3053.
Prince George's County Transit Vision Plan
The County has developed this five-year plan to improve transit and mobility services. This plan ensures sufficient growth and long-term sustainability that will improve livability for residents, employees, and visitors. For more information visit the County's TheBus page.