Testimony for the Alexandria Commercial Add-on Tax for Transit, Bicycle and Pedestrian Investments
April 16, 2011
The Coalition for Smarter Growth and our partner group the Audubon Naturalist Society support the proposed commercial add-on tax for transit, bicycle, pedestrian and local street needs. This critical
funding will:
1) Be dedicated to our high capacity transit, and bicycle and pedestrian needs.
2) Increase Alexandria’s economic competitiveness by attracting the knowledge workforce that today is seeking urban, walkable and transit accessible communities. This mobile workforce could live anywhere in the world today, but is choosing places that are vibrant, diverse, walkable, and sustainable.
3) Provide more affordable, safe, and convenient travel options for everyone, but will offer particular benefits for lower-income households.
4) When combined with Alexandria’s commitment to well-designed, mixed-use development, offer more transportation options to avoid traffic, while mitigating traffic.
5) Knit together Alexandria’s east and west and north and south.
6) Offer more energy efficient transportation, reducing our oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing our sustainability and contributing to our national security.
7) Meet our transit and non-motorized investment needs in a state which for too long has underfunded
these needs.
Alexandria has taken great strides over the past few years in its commitment to mixed-use, transitoriented development, to a safe and robust bicycle/pedestrian environment, and to creating a more sustainable and energy efficient city. By providing critical funding for supportive transit, bicycle and pedestrian investments the city will ensure that we have the infrastructure to support our economic growth in a sustainable way.
Thank you.
Stewart Schwartz Neal Fitzpatrick
Executive Director Executive Director
Coalition for Smarter Growth Audubon Naturalist Society