Author: Elena Sorokina

RECAP: Silver Spring Rapid Transit Open House

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

On Wednesday, February 26, Communities for Transit and the Coalition for Smarter Growth debuted a new public meeting format during our Silver Spring Rapid Transit Open House. The meeting, attended by 44 local residents, contained a short presentation with videos to show different road treatment options and station features.  Following the presentation, attendees were invited to visit different kiosks around the room, where eight large information boards were placed, in order to learn more and ask questions about the matters of RTS that were most important to them. The Seventh State blogger, David Lublin, describes his take on the Open House and the RTS plan, including our new RTS Map, designed like the WMATA Metro Map.

To read original article, please click here. 

Photo courtesy of Communities for Transit.

ANCs Push for 16th Street Bus Lanes

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

An effort is underway to have local Advisory Neigbhorhood Commissions (ANCs) pass nearly identical resolutions urging more progress on proposed dedicated bus lanes on 16th Street NW.

ANC 2B/Dupont Circle passed the resolution (available here) at its last meeting on February 17th, by a vote of 6-0 with one abstention. On February 20th, the Transportation Committee of ANC1B/U Street voted to recommend the full ANC approve a similar resolution. The recommendation was passed by a voice vote with no audible objections. ANC1B will probably vote on the resolution at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, March 6, at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets).

ANC2B Commissioner Kishan Putta (district 04) and Cheryl Cort, Policy Director of theCoalition for Smarter Growth, appeared before the ANC1B Transportation Committee to urge they endorse the resolution. Cort said the purpose of the resolution was to urge the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to move forward on the long series of public consultations and studies (e.g., air quality approval, environmental assessment) necessary before the lanes can become a reality.

“We’d like them to go through the whole process,” Cort said.

The committee discussed the exact definition of a dedicated bus lane. Such a lane, in this case, would also allow bicycles and right-turning cars and taxis.  If not turning right, taxis would be forbidden from the bus lanes.

ANC1B Chair James Turner (district 09), although not a member of the Transportation Committee, was present at the meeting. He said he wouldn’t support the resolution, because it does nothing to address the congestion problems of buses that pass through his district, for example, buses that travel on 14th Street, 11th Street, and Georgia Avenue. Cort replied improved 16th Street service would draw off riders currently taking 14th Street buses, relieving congestion.

The ANC1B version of the resolution will have some additional language in it pointing out that bus demand has exceeded capacity on both 14th Street and Georgia Avenue buses as well.

Putta has been campaigning vigorously to get the bus lanes moving forward, most recently testifying at a D.C. Council hearing on February 20.

He has also been working hard to inject the issue into the April 1 D.C. primary elections, often asking candidates for their views at public events.

Putta says D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser (Ward Four) has declared herself in favor of the bus lanes, after initially expressing skepticism about the proposal. Other candidates from the city council — Jack Evans (Ward Two) and Tommy Wells (Ward Six) — have also expressed their support. In addition, both candidates in the Ward One City Council primary — Jim Graham and Brianne Nadeau — have told Putta they support the proposal.

“DDOT itself did a study last year recommending a rush-hour bus lane.  Now they need to make it formal and implement it,” Putta said.

The 2013 DDOT study found that bus lanes could reduce commute time by 30%, Putta said.  They could also increase total bus capacity by 10% because buses could be reused faster.

Read the original post on SALM >>

RELEASE: Strong majority of Montgomery voters support county’s plan for a Bus Rapid Transit Network, according to new poll

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

A poll commissioned by the regional advocacy organization Coalition for Smarter Growth found strong support among Montgomery County voters for investment in a new Bus Rapid Transit network (BRT). After listening to a list of positive and negative perspectives on Montgomery County’s planned BRT network, likely Montgomery voters expressed support for the system by a margin of 71 to 22 percent.

STATEMENT: Coalition for Smarter Growth on new commitments to long-term Metro funding

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement today applauding DC Mayor Vincent Gray, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe for their announcement today committing $75 million toward Metro’s Momentum plan to significantly improve the Metro system in the coming decades: “The Coalition for Smarter Growth commends the Governors and Mayor for committing an initial $75 million to Metro’s Momentum – funding which will buy more rail cars to support more 8-car trains. While we would have liked to have seen more funding this year, we are pleased to hear of verbal commitments to draft and sign a multiyear agreement to fully fund Momentum. We urge completion of an agreement as soon as possible.”

RELEASE: Another Potomac River Bridge Study?

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

Coalition for Smarter Growth, Piedmont Environmental Council Sierra Club – Virginia Chapter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Contact: Stewart Schwartz, CSG, 703-599-6437 (C)
Chris Miller, PEC, 540-347-2334

Another Potomac River Bridge Study?
Proposed Legislation Could Inject a Hot Potato into Congressional Race

Proposed legislation by Delegates Tom Rust and Randy Minchew threatens to throw a hot potato into the middle of the pending race to succeed Congressman Frank Wolf, igniting a repeat of the neighborhood outcry that followed past bridge proposals. Citing an in-house study quietly initiated by the former Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton, the bill (HB1244) would effectively endorse continuation of the Connaughton study and encourage VDOT to recommend a location or locations for new bridges, if needed.

The bill is currently before the House Appropriations Committee which could hear it Friday, February 7th.

The patrons are proposing that the state spend additional staff resources on the study even though the State of Maryland has reiterated its opposition to new bridge crossings in an October 2012 letter to former Secretary Connaughton. Moreover, in 2012, the House Rules committee rejected a similar bill, HJ131, after having confirmed that the State of Maryland remained strongly opposed to new Potomac River bridge crossings.

“Back in 2000 and 2001, after Congressman Wolf funded a federal study of new bridge crossings, the proposed alignments were found to have significant community impacts and generated a firestorm of community opposition,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. Congressman Wolf had the study discontinued, noting that because of existing land uses a new bridge and connecting highways could not be built without significant impact on neighborhoods in the path.

A subsequent “Origin/Destination Study” study in 2003-2004 by VDOT tracked every license plate crossing the American Legion Bridge and those entering and exiting the Beltway from every entrance/exit between Route 50 in Virginia to Georgia Avenue in Maryland. The results showed that very few vehicles were making the so-called “U-shaped” commute from Reston and beyond to the Rockville/Gaithersburg area and vice versa. The vast majority of commutes needed to use the American Legion Bridge and Beltway or were making strictly radial (in-out) trips.

“Based on past studies, we are convinced that these bridges would waste scarce transportation dollars, have no effect on congestion on the Beltway and other major highways, harm water quality and the historic C&O Canal and open up the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve and other rural land to development,” said Douglas Stewart, Transportation Chair for the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. “This region has made a strong commitment to transit and transit-oriented development including investment in the Silver Line and Tysons Corner. Outer Beltways undercut that investment, diverting private development to areas that are far removed from infrastructure and amenities, generating significant new traffic,” said Chris Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council.

In their letter the State of Maryland makes clear that they to not intend to “revisit the years of debate over new crossings of the Potomac River” and instead want to focus on potential improvements to existing crossings including the American Legion Bridge, the Route 301 Henry Nice Bridge and transit on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Since 2012, Fairfax County and Montgomery County elected officials and staffs have been discussing how to improve transit in the American Legion Bridge corridor.

“We believe the proposed studies are unnecessary, wasteful and a diversion of time and attention from fixing the American Legion Bridge corridor and other key commuter corridors with multimodal solutions,” said Schwartz. “The region should continue its focus on implementing key transit projects like the Silver Line, Purple Line, Montgomery County Rapid Transit Network, streetcars and mixed-use transit-oriented development. The benefits will be significant in terms of maximizing transit, walking, biking and carpooling and reducing the number and length of vehicle trips region-wide.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington D.C. region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies needed to make those communities flourish. To learn more, visit the Coalition’s website at www.smartergrowth.net

 

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Testimony to Montgomery Co Council on FY15-20 Capital Improvements Program Transportation Budget

Testimony to Montgomery Co Council on FY15-20 Capital Improvements Program Transportation Budget

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the FY15-20 Capital Improvements Program. My name is Kelly Blynn and I am speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the leading non-profit group advocating for transit and walkable communities in the DC region, which counts thousands of supporters in Montgomery County.

STATEMENT: re Harriet Tregoning

Posted on by Elena Sorokina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
CONTACT: Stewart Schwartz, (703) 599-6437 – cell
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement today reacting to the announcement that the Director of the DC Office of Planning, Harriet Tregoning, has accepted a position at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the Obama administration, effective February 24: 

“Harriet Tregoning is a visionary leader and the District of Columbia has benefited tremendously from her service during the past two administrations. Effective planning combines strategic thinking, an inclusive approach with the community, an understanding of where people and technology are going to be in the future, and putting good policies and plans in place to anticipate those future needs. Harriet has shined in her ability to do so.

New neighborhood plans, an extensive and progressive draft update to the DC zoning code, and the Sustainable DC plan are among her achievements. In addition, she made a significant contribution to smart growth in our region, playing a central role in the development of the Region Forward plan – focused on a transit-oriented future, winning a federal grant for bus priority corridors, and focusing the first regional transportation priority plan on transit, walking, and bicycling.

DC in the coming decades will be a much more inclusive and sustainable city than it otherwise would have been and Harriet’s leadership has been central in making that happen We’re sorry to see DC and region lose her but we’re excited to see what she’ll achieve at HUD.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington D.C. region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies needed to make those communities flourish. To learn more, visit the Coalition’s website at www.smartergrowth.net.

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State Transportation Priorities Letter – Establishing a new transportation projects priority list to meet Prince George’s and Maryland’s goals

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

Dear Executive Baker:
We the undersigned smart growth, environmental, transportation and civic organizations working in Prince George’s County urge you to make the most of the new opportunity offered by the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013 to invest in a County that is truly smart, green and growing.

RELEASE: Advocates urge Prince George’s County and state to target funds to transportation projects supporting smart growth

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

Prince George’s County and regional smart growth advocates sent a letter today to Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker urging him to rethink transportation priorities to fulfill the County’s efforts to foster transit-oriented economic development.

Testimony Re: The Public Oversight Roundtable on Parking in the District

Posted on by Elena Sorokina

We want to commend this committee and the Mayor for advancing a commuter benefits provision in the Sustainable DC Act which would allow workers to opt for pre-tax transit commute benefits or enable workers to receive a transit rather than parking commute benefit offered by his or her employer. We are eager to continue to work with the committee to refine this bill to cover most employers since compliance does not cost the employer anything, and to add a “parking cashout” provision which gives walk and bicycle commuters the option to cashout a parking subsidy if one is provided by the employer.