Washington Business Journal, Oct. 19, 2018:
We asked four business leaders what Metro should do to win back riders. Here’s what they had to say.
Read more here.
Category: CSG in the News
CSG in the news: Cyclist, pedestrian safety top priority of new D.C. regional transportation plan
Washington Times, Oct. 17, 2018:
Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, spoke in the public comments portion of Wednesday’s meeting to oppose the highway expansion projects.
“The never-ending widening embodied in this plan represents potentially billions of dollars in wasted money,” Mr. Schwartz said.
Visualize 2045 notes that 5.7 million people currently live in national capital area and projects the population to increase to 6.9 million by 2045.
Read more here.
CSG in the news: Will the ‘rethinking’ of the Washington region’s bus network lead anywhere?
Washington Post, Oct. 6, 2018
Some advocates and transportation officials say they expect Metro’s Bus Transformation Project to be a guide for such an overhaul. It will be difficult however, because bus service in the region is provided by as many as a dozen transit agencies, in addition to Metrobus. The multi-jurisdictional nature of the region also complicates any kind of regional approach.
The region needs commitments from the jurisdictions as much as from the service providers, said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. The jurisdictions control the roadways and are responsible for accessibility of bus stops, curbsides and traffic operation improvements that can contribute to better performance of buses. They decide whether to give up general traffic lanes for bus lanes and facilitate the implementation of a signal priority system that gives buses the right of way at traffic lights.
Read more here.
CSG in the news: We need to battle “cultural” obstacles to accessory apartments, say Hans Riemer and Tracy Loh
Greater Greater Washington, Oct. 3, 2018
Speaking of affluent, exclusive areas, Ward 3 Vision and the Coalition for Smarter Growth are hosting a forum on ADUs in Cleveland Park on Thursday, October 11. This follows others they have already held in Northeast DC and east of the Anacostia River, where there are a lot of opportunities for homeowners to add income and help meet the city’s housing need.
Read more here.
CSG in the news: Transit advocates decry Metro board’s ‘failure’ to take on ridership issue
Washington Post, Oct. 3, 2018:
A pro-transit coalition that backed Metro’s effort to secure $500 million a year dedicated funding from the region is calling out Metro leaders for their perceived inaction on the system’s lagging ridership.
In a lengthy missive Tuesday, the Coalition for Smarter Growth singled out the Metro board for its “failure” to commit to additional service, despite analysts and transit experts’ contention that ridership is largely responsive to train frequency. A story in Sunday’s Washington Post detailed how board members were not convinced that adding service was the best course for the system, which faces falling revenue and rising wages, along with a stated need for cutbacks to address decades of deferred maintenance.
“In Sunday’s Post story, the elected and appointed officials charged with the stewardship of our region’s rail and bus system refused to say that they would unite as a body to run more trains, more often, in order to increase ridership,” the Coalition wrote. “Such a move would follow the demands of riders, the recommendations of consultants, and well-known industry best practices.”
Read more here.
CSG in the news: D.C. Mayor Bowser Wants a 15 MPH Speed Limit
Streetsblog USA, Oct. 1, 2018:
“It is very evidently not a priority for the Mayor’s Office,” said cyclist Alex Baca of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, who broke her jaw and sustained dental injuries in a crash last year.
She added that Vision Zero has been little more than a “marketing effort” by City Hall.
“You’re not seeing DDOT really do anything that looks like Vision Zero in a measurable fashion,” she told Streetsblog.
For example, the city hasn’t moved to implement its Move D.C. Plan, which calls for 343 miles of bike infrastructure, 75 of which were to be protected bike lanes. In just one instance, a two-mile protected bike lane through the Shaw neighborhood has been delayed for nearly two years. The city has been changing and refining designs since 2016 related to pushback from churches over on-street car storage — often referred to as parking.
Read more here.
CSG in the news: When it comes to reversing the ridership slide, Metro’s leaders don’t have a plan
Washington Post, Sept. 30, 2018:
Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the pro-transit Coalition for Smarter Growth, said that while the region rallied around Metro’s SafeTrack program and understood the need for drastic measures, such as a preventive maintenance program, the time has come for Metro to restore some service — this coming year.
“There appears to be a very clear tie to less frequent service,” Schwartz said of the ridership problems. “Therefore, if I were on the board I would direct analysis of this, and ‘what would it take to restore more frequent service?’ and then to make the case to the localities and the states.”
Read more here.
CSG in the news: ‘Where is the urgency?’: DC Council, advocates critical of ‘Vision Zero’
WTOP, Sept. 27, 2018:
Advocates for pedestrian safety contested that D.C. officials routinely prioritize drivers over those who opt for other modes of transportation.
“You may not state it publicly, but your actions as a council and as a city demonstrate that your allegiance is to that constituency, not to the people who walk, bike or take transit on the roads that you control,” said Alex Baca, engagement director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Baca and other speakers argued that the “Vision Zero” tactic of enforcement and education through ticketing and fines doesn’t effectively curb dangerous driving behavior.
“You don’t change behavior by asking everyone to be nice to each other,” Baca said.
Read more here.
CSG in the news: Alexandria is already often waterlogged. How will it adjust to climate change?
Greater Greater Washington, Sept. 13, 2018:
On a recent waterfront walking tour hosted by Coalition for Smarter Growth, Executive Director Stewart Schwartz and Development Division chief at the Alexandria Department of Zoning Robert Kerns both stressed that revitalizing inaccessible public spaces and smarter growth go hand in hand. They say that while other stormwater control measures such as green roofs, rain gardens, and bioretention should be taken when possible, they aren’t sufficient to deal with the amount of water that floods Alexandria’s below-grade river pier.
Read more here.
CSG in the news: Would Amazon’s HQ2 really be good for Washington?
Washingtonian, Sept. 9, 2018:
“During the time they’ve been in the north end of downtown Seattle, both Amazon and the city have been able to maximize the number of people taking transit, walking, and biking and to minimize the number of auto trips. It’s good if they come here, if we continue to invest in transit in the region and in expanding transit. Also if it’s sited in a way that creates a good, walkable urban environment and has not just Metro access but a really strong transit network around it.
“We certainly made a very strong commitment—a historic commitment—this year with the $500 million in dedicated Metro funding. But it’s a bit of a mixed picture in terms of the level of commitment to transit beyond that. Looking at the glass half full, I’m hoping that if they announce for here, it will be a huge spur to doubling our efforts on transit in the region.”
Read more here.