The Corridor Pilot Is Wrapping Up
What if the secret to easing traffic isn’t one big fix, but a bunch of small, smart nudges — the right billboard, the right employer partner, the right nudge at the right moment? That’s exactly what Commuter Choice Maryland set out to test this year. From February to August 2026, we rolled up our sleeves along the MD 295 corridor, going all-in on a concentrated, hands-on approach to transportation demand management. The results show a pilot packed with lessons we can’t wait to put to work as we supercharge our statewide efforts. Some of those results are highlighted in this blog post and more can be found on our MD 295 web page and in the MD 295 Corridor Pilot Lessons Learned Webinar.
Why We Needed This
In March 2024, the collapse of the Key Bridge disrupted travel patterns across the Baltimore region. Commuters faced increased congestion and less reliable travel times, underscoring the need for more commuting options. This was especially true along the MD 295 corridor, which is home to a mix of employers, including schools, medical facilities, and state agencies. At the start of 2026, Commuter Choice Maryland launched the Corridor Pilot to target MD 295 between West Nursery Road and I-95 to concentrate multiple transportation demand management strategies and better understand how those strategies perform in supporting a shift to sustainable travel modes.
What We Did
After MDOT selected the corridor, Commuter Choice Maryland recruited and supported 11 Employer Advocates through monthly workshops, a biweekly digest, and one-on-one coaching. We hosted employer Lunch and Learns, participated in pop-up events and other community engagement opportunities along the corridor, and tested new marketing tactics—including billboards, geotargeted Spotify ads, and a sponsored newsletter—to reach commuters directly. Throughout the pilot, we surveyed employers and commuters and tracked program and regional data to evaluate impact.
- Employer reach: 82 employers contacted; 11 joined the pilot, representing 7,047 commuters.
- Commuter outreach: 25 events held and 700 people engaged directly.
- Marketing impact: 3.5 million billboard impressions.
- Digital engagement: 8.4% newsletter click-through rate and a Spotify ad click-through rate well above the platform average.
- Regional impact: a 20% increase in bus boardings and 7% increase in light rail boardings near the corridor during the pilot, both outpacing systemwide growth.
What We Learned
- Focused outreach works. Concentrating resources within a defined geography allowed Commuter Choice Maryland to test and refine tactics such as billboards, geotargeted advertising, and sponsored newsletters—creating a proven set of outreach strategies that can be applied more broadly.
- Educating commuters is high value. Up to half of survey respondents said they first learned about Commuter Choice Maryland’s programs through the pilot, demonstrating that marketing and outreach are powerful tools for increasing awareness and participation.
- Employers need hands-on support. Clear goals, ready-to-use materials, and a communications toolkit helped reduce barriers for Employer Advocates. Sustained engagement requires more than outreach alone—it depends on ongoing support and practical resources.
- Not every employer was easy to reach. Despite repeated attempts, some of the corridor’s largest employers remained difficult to engage—a reminder that email and cold outreach alone aren’t enough to reach decision-makers at bigger organizations. Future efforts will need to lean more on partnerships, referrals, and warm introductions from trusted local organizations.
- Behavior change takes time. Program registrations increased to two to three times pre-pilot levels, demonstrating strong interest in commuter benefits and services. Early regional travel data is also encouraging: transit boardings near the corridor grew faster than the region overall during the pilot. Plenty of other factors were likely at play too, but it’s a promising signal worth continuing to track as Commuter Choice Maryland evaluates the pilot’s longer-term impact.
How Commuter Choice Maryland Will Integrate These Lessons
The pilot validated that a targeted, hands-on approach is a valuable complement to the broader statewide strategy on reducing congestion, and we can’t wait to build on that momentum! Commuter Choice Maryland is transitioning the 11 newly-engaged employers into its ongoing Employer Partner Program, and the communications toolkit developed during the pilot is now available across our programs. Looking ahead, we will apply these tested outreach and marketing strategies more broadly, with real potential to make a meaningful impact on commuting across the Baltimore region, while continuing to track program participation and regional travel outcomes to better understand long-term impact.
Learn More
Interested in how these lessons are shaping the future of commuter outreach across Maryland? Watch our virtual webinar, “MD 295 Corridor Pilot: Lessons Learned & Looking Ahead,” where we shared key findings, discussed what worked, and discussed how these lessons will inform future Commuter Choice Maryland initiatives.
Melena View is a Commuter Choice Maryland Outreach Coordinator consulting with the Maryland Department of Transportation