Capitol Heights Metro station is poised to create a more walkable, mixed-use, people-friendly place. To transform this station, we’re supporting the redevelopment of the surface parking lot, relocation and reduction of kiss and ride spots, and relocation of the bus loop. In the place of the existing vehicle-oriented designs, we can create bus bays on urban streets and foster an overall more walk-friendly environment.  

This is the first step towards realizing the vision set out in the Prince George’s County Blue Line corridor initiative. Tell Metro you want this effort to move forward – submit comments by November 19. 

Give your feedback to Metro by Nov 19!

⭐Suggested talking points for Metro’s feedback form ⭐
(cut and paste)

I am excited to see Metro move forward with the proposed changes to redevelop the Capitol Heights Metro station. I’m eager to see new homes, retail, and vibrant public spaces added to the Metro station. These changes should also include taming the streets around the Metro station to make them safer and more accessible for people walking and biking. Overall, these changes will create a safer, more economically robust station area and community.

Here are some more specific comments:

• I agree it’s necessary to replace the surface parking lot, move the bus facilities and move and reduce the kiss and ride to 8 spaces to create a transformed, walkable place with new homes and businesses. 
• I encourage Metro to continue to work with the community, Town of Capitol Heights, and Prince George’s County to ensure that the design of the buildings, streetscape and transit facilities improve access to transit, safer streets for walking and bicycling, and better public spaces.
• I ask Metro to design bus facilities to provide both efficient bus operations while providing for safe and comfortable places to wait for a bus in close proximity to the Metro station entrance. These facilities should also support more pedestrian-friendly street designs. I ask that Metro reconsider the sawtooth curb bus bay design, and instead provide on-street parallel bus bays.
• Metro should engage with DC and Maryland to fix the unsafe, overly wide intersection of East Capitol Street and Southern Avenue (which is on the DC side). This wide intersection is a barrier for many people walking and biking to the Metro station.
• I ask Metro to work with local and state authorities to tame and narrow East Capitol Street (MD 214) with a road diet (removing a travel lane in each direction), and add protected bike lanes. On-street parking could also be provided and used by Metro riders. MD State Highway Administration’s  performance measures for roadways, which are focused on vehicles, are obsolete and ignore a multimodal approach. They also ignore Prince George’s policy for transit station areas.
• Narrowing and adding on-street parking on Davey Street have been recommended in past studies. Now is the perfect time to implement this changed design. Davey Street should be one travel lane in each direction, with protected bike lanes, on-street parking, bulbouts, and 15’ corner turning radii to slow turning vehicles and enhance crossings.
• On-street parking on Davey Street can provide parking for Metro riders if managed appropriately. On-street parking also helps slow down drivers to safer speeds.
• The design of all the streets in the area should be reconsidered to slow down traffic and make walking and biking safer and easier. Protected bike lanes should be planned for streets around and connecting to the station, along with safe connections to the Central Avenue Connector Trail.

As always, feel free to adapt these points based on your personal experience!

Submit your feedback to Metro by Nov 19th

Want to know more? Here’s the description from Metro.

Thanks for taking action! With your help, we can help Capitol Heights Metro station turn into a safer, more walkable, vibrant mix of housing and businesses with great places to catch the bus and Metro.