- The passage of a multi-million dollar economic development fund in Prince George's County to be used to stimulate transit-oriented development (TOD) and revitalization.
- Regional action supporting a network of transit-oriented communities.
- Fairfax County's commitment to transit and TOD as the key to a sustainable and economically competitive future.
- Winning support for transit-oriented, walkable, and inclusive communities in D.C., Montgomery, Arlington, and beyond.
- Helping to organize one of the most successful Rail~Volution conferences ever, showcasing for a national audience the great strides made by our region.
2011 Year in Review
From the Richmond Highway to Rockville, Largo to Loudoun, Prince William to Petworth, and everywhere in between, the Coalition for Smarter Growth once again demonstrated its effectiveness and versatility in 2011.
We are proud to be the leading organization addressing where and how the Washington region grows, and we have continued to win real victories supporting the livable, walkable, transit-oriented communities that are key to our future economic and environmental sustainability (not to mention the best tool to deal with the traffic woes that afflict parts of our region).
This year we racked up an impressive record, including:
We also enjoyed a great year with our expanded and popular Walking Tours and Forums Program. Highlights included: a heavily attended series on TOD in Prince George's County; the National Association of Realtors highlighting their national survey showing a growing number of people seeking convenient, walkable communities; and a walking tour along the booming H Street neighborhood in northeast Washington, D.C.
But even as we have helped the Washington D.C. region make progress toward more sustainable patterns of growth and more energy efficient transportation solutions, we had to challenge the revival of 1950's era planning initiatives - like the Outer Beltway in Virginia. We have become watchdogs of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and its $3 billion in borrowed taxpayer funds, challenging their push to revive the Outer Beltway and other rural highways at the expense of our critical metropolitan transportation needs. These rural highways would revive the unsustainable land use that helped to get us into the fiscal mess we face today, and would undermine our cities, towns, and existing communities.
Based on the Virginia experience, we've also made the case that we shouldn't just throw money at the transportation problems in Maryland. The gas tax increase that is currently being proposed shouldn't go forward unless it is carefully linked to smart growth outcomes.
But despite these and other challenges we are proud of the progress our region makes every year. We intend to continue playing a central role in the greater Washington D.C. area helping communities as we lead well-planned campaigns to advance smart growth and sustainability. You are the backbone for our work -- your active involvement, advice, and financial support are essential.
Please read on for more 2011 highlights and a look ahead to 2012, when we will ask you to join us in a sustained and comprehensive campaign for the next generation of a regional transit network. Without investment in an
expanded transit network to support more efficient land use, our region's traffic will cost us our competitive edge.
Thank you for all of your support. Onward to 2012!
Stewart Schwartz
Executive Director
