Despite a 2021 TPB resolution to do a vastly different and improved plan, this new Visualize 2050 plan fails to move the needle in helping the region use safer, more affordable and sustainable transportation modes.
Category: News
Press Release: CSG Commends Council’s Approval of the University Boulevard Corridor Plan
The Coalition for Smarter Growth thanks the Montgomery County Council for voting today to pass the University Boulevard Corridor Plan.
CSG in the News: Planning commission approves Potomac Yard amendments to enable final development phase
“Between April 2024 and 2025, average home prices in Alexandria rose by 10.5 percent and in that time, over 93 percent of residents making below $50,000 per year are housing cost burdened,” wrote Becca Dedert of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
CSG in the News: Task force recommends increasing Metro funding, starting at $460M
Bill Pugh, speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, said the package represented “real progress.”
CSG in the News: Route 7 BRT planners welcome feedback at recent Culmore open house
October 20, 2025 | Scott McCaffrey | FFXNow
Among the open house attendees was Sonya Breehey, a Falls Church resident who was viewing proposals both as a prospective rider and as a staff member of the pro-transit group Coalition for Smarter Growth.
“This is really important — BRT is really an opportunity,” she said. “So many people ride the bus.”
Breehey also voiced hope that transit improvements would be complemented by pedestrian safety initiatives. A study conducted by the Coalition for Smarter Growth and the immigrant advocacy nonprofit CASA in 2022 found that much of the Route 7 corridor is decidedly unfriendly to those trying to walk or cross.
In memoriam: EYA founder Bob Youngentob dies at 64
CSG honored Youngentob with its Livable Communities Leadership Award in 2018. Youngentob was EYA executive chairman and helped shape some of Greater Washington’s best known communities, including Reservoir District and Riggs Park Place in D.C.
CSG in the News: Key vote on I-495 Southside express lanes project postponed to 2026 or beyond
October 15, 2025 | Scott McCaffrey | FFXNow
Critics of the toll lanes, however, believe once they are in place, it would be difficult — or impossible — to retrofit the bridge for transit.
Some of those critics lined up to make their case in advance of the TPB’s final discussion. Their concerns went well beyond the Metro question and to the core of VDOT’s efforts to date.
“Multi-billion-dollar decisions should not be made based on flawed and incomplete information,” said Bill Pugh of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, which opposed inclusion of the project. He accused VDOT of trying to push through a “conclusion-first” study justifying the project’s feasibility.
Press Release: Transportation Planning Board Votes to Remove Southside Express Lanes Project from Regional Plan
During a meeting at the Transportation Planning Board today, leaders from DC, Maryland, and Virginia voted to exclude the controversial Southside Express Lanes project from the regional plan Visualize 2050.
CSG in the News: Moore plans to ‘supercharge’ affordable housing. The crisis will still take years to resolve.
September 15, 2025 | Sam Janesch | The Baltimore Sun
“What people need to understand, what our legislators and decisionmakers need to understand, is we’re already years behind on making these changes,” said Carrie Kisicki, the Maryland advocacy director for the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition for Smarter Growth. “As fast as they can go into effect, it doesn’t mean our housing market or our housing crisis is going to be fixed in a year or two.” […]
“The problem is actually probably even more acute than we see in the state-level numbers,” Kisicki said, adding that some adults like her who live in the Washington area might consider less expensive options in northern Virginia rather than Montgomery or Prince George’s counties.
CSG in the News: The W&OD Trail is a Northern Virginia treasure at risk
September 11, 2025 | Sonya Breehey, Kevin O’Brien | Greater Greater Washington
The W&OD is a popular 45-mile linear park and trail, providing communities from Arlington to Purcellville a vital connection to active transportation, recreation, and conservation. Yet Dominion’s clear-cutting and a potential long-shot commuter rail proposal could significantly change this important corridor.
As we enjoy and celebrate the W&OD, let’s not be complacent or take it for granted.
Together with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, CSG co-authored an op-ed for Greater Greater Washington explaining why we must act now to protect the trail.
The op-ed has been supported by Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Friends of Holmes Run, FairfaxForward, Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, Nature Forward, and Bike Loudoun.
Get Involved: Sign the petition demanding that Dominion halt its clear-cutting plan and return to the negotiating table with NOVA Parks, and stay informed about the campaign.