You have a chance now to speak out against wasteful road expansion and FOR smart growth, with better transit, safer streets for walking and biking, and also better maintaining the roads we’ve already built to handle climate change. With so much at stake, including our regional goals for climate, equity, safety and reducing sprawl, your voice is critical.
Author: Ayesha Amsa
TAKE ACTION: A townhouse ban is not the way to guide us to smart, equitable development
Prince George’s County Council is considering a bill to freeze new townhouse construction for 2 years. We agree that too much growth is occurring outside priority centers, leading to increased traffic and high infrastructure costs, while diverting resources from existing communities. But a townhouse ban is an overly broad, indiscriminate approach that overlooks the underlying problems of Prince George’s zoning: too much single family zoning across the vast acres outside the beltway, and not enough flexible residential and mixed use zoning inside the beltway.
COMMENTS: Implementing environmental justice goals for frontline communities near transportation sources
Nine major national and regional transportation, environmental, and environmental justice organizations today issued a statement on implementing environmental justice goals for frontline communities near transportation sources, such as major highways, rail yards, and ports. The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) will meet later this week to consider this and other comments as they advise federal agencies on new policy and programs.
CSG comments opposing the townhouse moratorium in Prince George’s County
While we oppose CB 52 as not the right approach, we wish to express our support for the concern expressed in the bill in terms of ensuring residential growth is directed to the right locations. We find the singling out of townhouses for blame unjustified when permissive single family zoning across vast acres outside the beltway “established communities” are the underlying problem. Most of the land outside the beltway is zoned for low density housing, causing growth and additional demand on urban infrastructure, and robbing reinvestment resources from existing communities.
Support for Takoma Metro station (amended June 13, 2023)
We are excited to support the transformation of the Takoma Metro station site, proposed in PUD case number 22-36. It’s past time to transform the Takoma Metro station and provide much-needed housing and enhanced public spaces in place of the sterile surface parking lot, passive open space, and large bus loop.
RELEASE: CODE RED/PURPLE – Time to slash region’s transportation emissions
“The CODE RED and now CODE PURPLE air quality alerts for our region must be a wake up call for our region’s elected officials,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of CSG. “Increased forest fires fueled by climate change are putting human health at risk on top of increases in severe floods, sea level rise affecting our region, more frequent drought affecting food production, and increases in insect-borne diseases.”
TAKE ACTION: Ask Alexandria City Council to support Duke St bus lanes, safer walking & biking
The project Advisory Group, representing a diverse mix of corridor stakeholders, last month voted overwhelmingly to recommend dedicated center-running bus lanes and improved walking and biking facilities as the best option to improve Duke St for all users. Council needs to hear from you, that you support this recommendation for a safer and truly multimodal Duke Street.
TAKE ACTION: Fill out the Housing for All questionnaire by June 19th!
You can help support expanded housing opportunities in Alexandria by filling out the City’s questionnaire, open through June 19.
Event Materials: MoCo Better Bus Feedback-Palooza
Check out our handout from the event!
CSG News: What a celebration!
Thank you to all of our supporters, volunteers, and sponsors for a great Livable Communities reception! It was wonderful to see so many old friends, meet new friends, and celebrate Mayor Justin Wilson and our Community Hero awardees – Bernard Holloway, Kyle Reeder, Tina Slater, Michelle Krocker, and Kim Hosen. Check out the pictures from the event, taken by Hugh Kenny of the Piedmont Environmental Council.