11-10-2025 4:04am

Towson Chosen For

Smart Growth America Selects Baltimore County for Community Connectors Program

Northeast Towson Improvement Association (NeTIA), working in partnership with the

Department of Public Works and Transportation, have been selected as one of just three community teams nationwide to participate in Smart Growth America’s 2025 Community Connectors program, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Beginning in October, Baltimore County will focus on a Complete Streets demonstration project—a best-practice approach that ensures safe, convenient access for all—near the intersection of East Towsontown Boulevard and Fairmount Avenue. The intersection serves as a critical connector, but also presents safety and connectivity challenges for residents and pedestrians in Historic East Towson.

The program helps small and mid-sized jurisdictions address divisive infrastructure—past projects that separated neighborhoods and limited access to opportunity—and improve safety along arterial roadways. Participating teams will engage in virtual learning sessions, an in-person workshop, and direct support to design and install a quick-build project, which allows communities to pilot street safety improvements and gather feedback before applying permanent infrastructure changes.

From the county press release:

“I’m excited that Baltimore County has been chosen for the Community Connectors program,” said Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. “This opportunity allows us to honor Historic East Towson’s rich legacy while continuing to shape a stronger, more connected future for our communities.”

Nancy Goldring, President of the Northeast Towson Improvement Association, says, “The Community Connectors Grant presents a unique opportunity to elevate the Road to Freedom Trail, tackling vital issues of walkability and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. This initiative invites our diverse communities to come together, fostering the creation of vibrant shared outdoor spaces that ignite creativity, strengthen connections, and cultivate lasting partnerships.”

Learn more about the changes this program will bring to Baltimore County on their website.

The Baltimore County Department of Planning and the Northeast Towson Improvement Association (NeTIA), working in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Transportation, have been selected as one of just three community teams nationwide to participate in Smart Growth America’s 2025 Community Connectors program, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Baltimore County team is composed of the Department of Planning, Department of Public Works and Transportation, and NeTIA, an organization dedicated to preserving the history of Historic East Towson, a historically Black community founded in 1829 by freed slaves. One of the oldest Black communities in the region, it stretches six blocks.

Beginning this month, the team will focus on a Complete Streets demonstration project—a best-practice approach that ensures safe, convenient access for all—near the intersection of East Towsontown Boulevard and Fairmount Avenue. The intersection serves as a critical connector, but also presents safety and connectivity challenges for residents and pedestrians in Historic East Towson.

The program helps small and mid-sized jurisdictions address divisive infrastructure—past projects that separated neighborhoods and limited access to opportunity—and improve safety along arterial roadways. Participating teams will engage in virtual learning sessions, an in-person workshop and direct support to design and install a quick-build project, which allow communities to pilot street safety improvements and gather feedback before applying permanent infrastructure changes.

The work will strengthen collaboration between community partners, County staff and local residents, which will build support for permanent changes and reconnect communities throughout Baltimore County.

“I’m excited that Baltimore County has been chosen for the Community Connectors program,” said Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. “This opportunity allows us to honor Historic East Towson’s rich legacy while continuing to shape a stronger, more connected future for our communities.”

Nancy Goldring, President of the Northeast Towson Improvement Association, says, “The Community Connectors Grant presents a unique opportunity to elevate the Road to Freedom Trail, tackling vital issues of walkability and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. This initiative invites our diverse communities to come together, fostering the creation of vibrant shared outdoor spaces that ignite creativity, strengthen connections, and cultivate lasting partnerships.”

The project will test safety improvements—such as traffic calming measures, enhanced crossings, and pedestrian-friendly design elements—that reduce speeding, improve connectivity, and restore a sense of cohesion for Historic East Towson.

The project area also lies along the proposed Road to Freedom Trail, a planned pedestrian and cycling trail that will commemorate the connected histories of the Descendant community of Historic East Towson and their origin at Hampton National Historic Site.

Steve Davis, Assistant Vice President of Transportation for Smart Growth America, believes “communities shouldn’t have to wait for years to make simple, commonsense changes to their streets to make walking along their streets safer and more convenient. Quick build projects help show what’s possible and create a groundswell of support for permanent changes they’ve had a hand in designing.”

Learn more about Smart Growth America’s 2025 Community Connectors program at https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/three-communities-selected-to-learn-about-and-design-quick-build-demonstration-projects/