The Duke Street Transitway is a critical part of a sustainable future for Alexandria. As the city and region grow, we need to move more people sustainably. Center-running dedicated bus lanes, wider tree-lined sidewalks, and a safe and convenient east-west bike route along Duke Street are an investment in Alexandria’s future.
Category: Better Public Transit
COMMENTS: Serious concerns about the K Street Transitway
We are enthusiastic supporters of your bold bus priority program, and the vision for the K Street Transitway project that you shared in 2019. However, we wish to express our great concern about the changes to the K Street Transitway design reflected in the semi-final 65% design stage.
TAKE ACTION: Prince George’s needs safer streets and better transit for livable communities
Maryland Department of Transportation will present its six-year transportation budget plan to Prince George’s officials this Thursday. The project list has some good projects, including the Purple Line, Metro, walk and bike safety, and support for transit-oriented development along the Blue Line Corridor. But also plans a lot of bad spending for road expansion that will fuel sprawling, traffic-generating development in the remaining rural areas of the county, and a continued failure to redesign existing roads to make them safer.
LTE: Opinion: NVTA regional transportation plan unaffordable and ineffective
Prior to midnight Monday, September 19 comment deadline, twelve non-profit organizations submitted a joint letter urging the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to reject its proposed $76 Billion TransAction 2045 long-range transportation plan.
CSG COMMENTS: NVTA TransAction Plan
We urge you to review and consider the joint letter of 12 Northern Virginia organizations regarding TransAction 2045. These are not new concerns – we have pointed to the shortcomings for some time. We also urge you to reject this TransAction plan and create a new more effective, affordable and sustainable plan.
NVTA TransAction Joint Letter
We write to you today in support of regional transportation planning that identifies cost-effective, sustainable, and equitable solutions to improve mobility and helps inform investments through NVTA’s 6-year program.
PRESENTATION: Creating Community Blvds & Avenues
We have the design and engineering tools to re-create arterials into dynamic streets that are safer and serve community uses like local businesses. We know that arterials make up a large share of serious crashes and deaths. But these conversions are rare. Why are they so rare? A new idea about how to change that.
MoCo Better Buses Letter on Ride On Reimagined Study Outreach
The Montgomery Better Buses coalition members and other signatories are excited about the upcoming Ride On Reimagined Study and its potential to greatly improve bus service in Montgomery County.
COMMENTS re: Draft 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the Draft 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Baltimore region. The TIP can be simply described as the list of regional transportation projects using federal funds over the next four years. However, we believe it is important to look at this document not simply as a collection of individual projects, but as a program that reflects our region’s transportation priorities.
TESTIMONY re: Washington Union Station Expansion Project
NCPC file number 7746
July 7, 2022
Thank you, Commissioners and staff, for your work on behalf of our great Capital City.
The 25-year-old Coalition for Smarter Growth advocates for walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all.
We enthusiastically support the updated and much improved plan.
When we last commented on the FRA’s plans for Union Station in January 2020, we affirmed our strong support for expanding rail service and the station, but shared significant concerns about the proposed retention of thousands of above ground parking spaces which undermined the entire design and facility.
Therefore, we are very pleased to see removal of the garage and the significant reduction in parking spaces. However, in our view 860 is still too many (we heard that 400 to 700 was possible and we urge the lower end of the range). Overwhelming focus must be on transit, pedestrian and bicycle access, as well as pick-up and drop-off.
Removal of the parking garage and placement of the parking underground allows for a truly transformative design with the amazing train concourse and much improved access to the trains, bus station, and pick-up and drop-off. It is a testament to the value of public input, of reducing the impact of cars, and of considering creative alternatives.
We like the location and design of the single level bus station placing it in a prominent location next to the train hall and encourage reaching operational solutions to meet demand.
We concur with the vehicle access points but ask you to ensure that the ramp on G Street and other vehicle access points not endanger safe ped/bike access.
The upper pick-up and drop-off roadway must allow for safe ped/bike access through well-marked crossings, traffic calming, and on scene safety monitors. Bicycle access to the station is important and the plan should include a well-located, secure, modern, and easy to use bike station similar to those in Europe.
We ask that you restore seating to both the Main Hall of the historic station and to the new concourses. People need comfortable places to sit while awaiting their trains and buses, and good seating contributes to a positive experience while using transit – helping rail service compete with driving. Please ensure that the historic Main Hall remains an active part of the
rail service operations – with a clear, easy connection to Metrorail and frequent bus service via Columbus Circle.
Finally, we commend your attention to the positive letter of support from ANC-6C who told me they were unable to attend in person today, and who worked closely with the planners to improve the design and circulation.
We urge your approval with appropriate recommendations for the issues we have highlighted. The Union Station Plan is very exciting – a great new vision for our region’s premier transportation hub.
Stewart Schwartz
Executive Director
(Testimony updated and amended for presentation at the NCPC hearing on July 7, 2022. Original comments submitted to NCPC are dated June 29, 2022)