Category: Press Releases

STATEMENT: New “Roadmap” Report on Regional Economy has Key Omissions

Posted on by acustis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2015

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz
(703) 599-6437
stewart@smartergrowth.net

WASHINGTON DC — Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz today issued the following statement in response to the release of a new report on the DC region’s economy, “Roadmap for the Washington Region’s Future Economy.”

“The report has many good ideas including the need for more housing and especially more affordable housing, but it fails to bring all of sectors to the table. In particular, the non-profit community, which is particularly strong in the Washington DC region and includes many working on the housing issue, wasn’t a part of the process.

“Groups like the Coalition for Smarter Growth, affordable housing providers, Casa de Maryland, the Urban Institute, and others, who have much to offer, were not a part of the conversation in contrast to their inclusion in the Council of Government’s Region Forward vision planning. As a result, the report didn’t address issues that might be identified by non-profit organizations working in the community. For example, the significant challenges presented by the east-west economic divide in the region, and the significant number of jobs not accessible by transit, are not addressed.

“The report makes some mention of the benefits of urban development but doesn’t adequately emphasize the importance of creating walkable, transit-accessible urban centers for attracting next generation workers and companies.  At a time when knowledge workers can move anywhere and are increasingly attracted to regions with easy access to nature and outdoor recreation, the report doesn’t address the economic benefits of protection of parks, open space, and recreational areas. The combination of vibrant walkable urban centers and nearby open space and recreation has become critical for attracting the next generation workforce.

“The Coalition for Smarter Growth has longstanding concerns about the intentions of the 2030 Group which pressed for this ‘Roadmap‘ effort. The 2030 Group was formed in the wake of and to a significant extent in opposition to Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments‘ Region Forward compact among all 21 COG jurisdictions. Region Forward established a framework for regional growth, sustainability and equity, with a particular emphasis on transit and transit-oriented development.

“Bob Buchanan, leader of the 2030 Group, has failed to give credit to Region Forward and other significant areas of regional cooperation. In forum after forum in the suburbs, Buchanan and the 2030 Group have focused on advocating for the Outer Beltway with new upriver Potomac bridges, and pressing for an appointed regional transportation authority to select projects like an Outer Beltway.

“The Coalition for Smarter Growth strongly opposes a regional authority of appointed officials who would be unaccountable to the voters and more focused on picking mega-projects than on the comprehensive approach to land use and transportation adopted by Region Forward. We oppose the Outer Beltway, because it would worsen the east-west economic divide, undermine sustainable transit-oriented development, and increase sprawling development.

“Where the 2030 Group is focused on an Outer Beltway, the Coalition for Smarter Growth and most elected officials are focused on investing in transit and the vibrant, urban transit-oriented centers that are so much in demand by the new generation workforce and companies.

“We’d like to see the non-profit community at the table and the discussion brought back under the umbrella of the Council of Governments. There are some big regional growth, housing, equity and transportation issues to discuss – as the report makes clear, but we need everyone at the table.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC 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 and investments needed to make those communities flourish. Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

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RELEASE: Politics are Frustrating Good Planning and Long-term Solutions for I-66

Posted on by acustis

NORTHERN VIRGINIA — “The swirling and politicized debate over what to do with I-66 is frustrating good planning and long-term solutions,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “On one hand, many are seeking to derail a good demand management solution for inside the Beltway; on the other hand, planning for expansion of I-66 outside the Beltway is sailing along even though it takes us further away from the long-term solution we need to address the underlying cause of high traffic volumes.”

RELEASE: Business, Labor, Riders, Urbanists Join In Call to Fix Metro

Posted on by acustis

WASHINGTON, DC –Six major organizations representing business, labor, transit riders, and urbanists joined today to outline principles that the region should follow to restore Metro to good health. In a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser and Governors Larry Hogan and Terry McAuliffe, the groups said that the regional transit agency needs a strong General Manager backed with commitments of political support, organizational authority, and funding.

RELEASE: Smart growth advocates support plans for HOT lanes and transit on I-66 inside the Beltway as a good idea

Posted on by acustis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     
September 11, 2015                                                                                      

Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, CSG, 703-599-6437

NORTHERN VIRGINIA – Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz said today that the Virginia Department of Transportation’s package of solutions for I-66 inside the Beltway – including rush hour tolling – is the most efficient and cost-effective way for Northern Virginia resident to improve traffic and provide more reliable commutes on one of the region’s major arteries.

Noting the concerns heard from some outer-jurisdiction legislators in Virginia, Schwartz also said that the proposed toll prices are fair and even cheaper in comparison with the total cost of other transportation options in the region, such as parking at an end-of-the line Metro station and riding in to DC or driving on the newly opened 495 HOT lanes.

“We believe that the package of solutions proposed by VDOT is the most cost-effective and efficient approach to addressing I-66 congestion as soon as possible, and for maximizing the number of people who can commute through the corridor during rush hour, while also guaranteeing a much more reliable trip for everyone,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

VDOT’s package of solutions to growing congestion on I-66 inside the Beltway is based on variable tolling in both directions for single-occupant vehicles during the morning and evening rush hour periods. Two-person carpools would travel for free, and when I-66 converts to three-person carpools, they would travel free. Outside of rush hours, the highway would be free for all users.

The toll revenue would be publicly owned and used for transit, road and other improvements in the corridor, benefiting all users including drivers. Preliminary estimates by VDOT indicate a peak toll during the most congested times of $8 to $9 inbound in the morning/outbound in the evening, and $1 to $3 outbound in the morning/inbound in the evening.

“We’ve checked comparable pricing for Metro in the corridor and the peak tolls on the privately controlled 495 and 95 HOT lanes,” said Schwartz. “We found that the potential highest tolls on I-66 inside the Beltway are competitive and reasonable. They’re also a much better deal that the public is receiving with the 495 and 95 HOT lanes, because public ownership allows us to invest the revenues in express buses and other transit services that will further improve conditions for those who drive.”

Toll and Metro Comparisons:

  • VDOT estimate of peak toll on I-66 inside the Beltway: $9.00 (.94 cents per mile for 9.6 miles)
  • Metro from Vienna to Metro Center: $10.30 (includes parking $4.85 + Metrorail peak fare $5.45)
  • Metro from W. Falls Church to Metro Center: $8.95 (includes parking $4.85 + Metrorail peak fare $4.10)
  • I-495 HOT lanes, “maximum dynamic toll” to date: $15.05 ($1.08 per mile for 14 miles; equates to $10.37 on I-66)
  • I-95 HOT lanes, “maximum dynamic toll” to date: $20.90 (.72 cents per mile for 29 miles; equates to $6.91 on I-66) 

Sources: 1) WMATA and 2) Transurban data from March Quarter 2015 .Transurban’s quarterly report includes   the “maximum dynamic toll” for that period. To get the numbers above, we have assumed the “maximum dynamic toll” was applied to a vehicle traveling the entire length of the respective HOT lanes.

VDOT’s Proposal for I-66 inside the Beltway

  • High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes will operate in both directions, but only be in effect during peak hours (am/pm). Carpools will not pay tolls. HOV2 will convert to HOV3 when the HOT lanes are opened outside the Beltway.
  • Unlike other northern Virginia HOT lane projects, the I-66 inside the Beltway HOT lanes will be publicly-owned. So, instead of net toll revenues going to private profits, they will fund transit to move more people, more quickly, further reducing congestion.
  • Transit investments could include Metro railcars for 8-car trains, and buses on I-66, Route 50 and Route 29.
  • Investments could also be made in pedestrian and bicycle connections to transit stations and work destinations.
  • Road widening from the Beltway to Ballston, but not beyond, could be considered in the future, but not before determining whether the HOT, HOV, and transit package have done the trick.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports the proposal for these additional reasons:

  • The package of HOT, HOV, and transit can be implemented much faster, and at much less cost than widening.
  • The alternative of road widening, particularly through the narrow I-66 corridor between Ballston and the Roosevelt Bridge, would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and result in years of traffic delays during construction, if it were even feasible.
  • Unlike widening, this solution will not impact homes, neighborhoods, parks, and the heavily used commuter bike trail.
  • Unlike widening, which would simply attract more cars that in turn would crowd connecting streets from Constitution Avenue out to the Beltway, this package would provide funding to expand and encourage more transit use and carpooling.
  • While some have worried the tolls might divert cars to other corridors, the option to pay a toll for a faster single-occupant trip on I-66 could instead shift cars back to I-66 (i.e. those who use parallel roads during rush hour today because I-66 is both congested and currently limited to carpoolers in at least one direction).

“The VDOT proposal is a creative and fair approach that will maximize benefits for all commuters in the most cost effective and efficient manner. We are confident that if it is looked at objectively, it is the best approach for I-66 inside-the-Beltway, providing congestion relief much sooner and at far less cost than widening, moving far more people and doing so much more reliably,” concluded Schwartz.

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC 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 and investments needed to make those communities flourish.  Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

Please note: this version corrects an error in an earlier version which had reversed the toll amounts for I-495 and I-95. That error has been corrected.

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RELEASE: New report identifies key ways to make Montgomery County’s bus rapid transit succeed

Posted on by acustis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2015

CONTACT
Pete Tomao, Coalition for Smarter Growth
202-675-0016
pete@smartergrowth.net

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — In 2013, the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a plan for an 81-mile Rapid Transit network based on modern bus rapid transit. Today, appointed citizen task forces are working with county and state staff and consultants to design the network’s first three corridors. But the success of the system depends on getting the details right in order to provide high-quality, frequent, reliable and rapid service.

A new report, “Best Practices in Rapid Transit Design,” provides a roadmap for what’s needed to make Montgomery County’s Rapid Transit System a success.

DOWNLOAD OR VIEW THE FULL REPORT [PDF]

RTS-Best-Practices-thumbnail

The report, released jointly today by Communities for Transit and the Coalition for Smarter Growth, draws lessons from successful bus rapid transit systems throughout the US and Canada. “As of 2015, there are more than 30 bus rapid transit systems in operation across the US and Canada and more than 25 others in planning. Many have been running since the early 2000s, and have greatly exceeded expectations for ridership and service,” said Pete Tomao, the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Montgomery County Advocacy Manager. “In Eugene, OR, for example, the Emerald Line has doubled transit ridership in the corridor it serves.”

“Our report is designed to assist the citizen task force members, elected officials and staff in their deliberations,” said Tomao. The report identifies and describes over a dozen features of successful bus rapid transit, including:

  • dedicated lanes for vehicles to bypass traffic
  • frequent and reliable service
  • stops spaced farther apart than local buses
  • 10’ general travel lanes
  • comfortable stations
  • offboard fare collection
  • level boarding
  • easy, safe access for people walking and bicycling
  • real time arrival information.

“BRT systems can produce travel time savings of up to 25% compared to other transit and can move far more people between home, work, school and services along our crowded arterial corridors than can single-occupant vehicles,” said Tomao. “The county’s ability to manage growth and traffic, and to attract the next generation workforce and companies, depends on investing in a well-designed system that attracts passengers because of its quality, efficiency, speed, and reliability.”

“In our research, we’ve found that successful systems around the country consistently share the same features, which we outline in our report and which we hope will be incorporated into Montgomery’s system,” Tomao concluded.

Earlier this year, Montgomery County appointed citizen task forces for each of the network’s first three bus rapid transit corridors: Route 355, Viers Mill Road, and Route 29. The task forces began meeting in Feb 2015 and are split into five groups — MD 355 North, MD 355 South, US29 North, US 29 South, and Veirs Mill Rd. Key decisions include whether to provide dedicated right-of-way, street and station design, fare collection, stop locations and more.  The corridor task forces are separate from the Transit Task Force appointed to recommend how to finance the system and who should operate it.

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC 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 and investments needed to make those communities flourish.  Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

About Communities for Transit

Communities for Transit (CFT) educates the public on the planned & unanimously-approved Rapid Transit System for Montgomery County, MD. CFT focuses on community outreach to build awareness of the compelling case for rapid transit as an effective response to our unsustainable traffic problems.  Learn more at communitiesfortransit.org

 

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RELEASE: Annual Congestion Report is Flawed, Biased, and Ignores Smart Growth Solutions

Posted on by acustis

WASHINGTON DC — Once again, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has issued its annual congestion report and has ranked the Washington DC region number one for congestion. “TTI’s annual congestion report is great for grabbing headlines, but the report is deeply flawed and biased in not accounting for the congestion avoided by hundreds of thousands of DC area residents due to our smart growth policies and transit investments,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “The report exaggerates congestion, underplays the major declines in driving by large demographic groups, and ignores the wide ranging economic, social, and environmental benefits of smart growth policies and transit, pedestrian and bicycle investments.”

STATEMENT on WMATA leadership failures by Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz

STATEMENT on WMATA leadership failures by Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz

Posted on by acustis

WASHINGTON DC — In view of the report by Acting General Manager Jack Requa yesterday regarding WMATA’s significant failures with regard to rail track repair that led to the recent derailment, the Coalition for Smarter Growth calls again for unified action by our elected officials and priority hiring of a General Manager who is an experienced and successful manager, a transit system veteran, and above all, a leader who can build morale and personal commitment among staff, demand and generate top performance, and create a culture of safety, positive customer service, and pride.

RELEASE: Housing advocates commend DC Council resolution urging action to expand affordable housing production through Inclusionary Zoning

Posted on by acustis

Today, housing advocates applauded nine DC Councilmembers for introducing a resolution encouraging the DC Zoning Commission and Mayor Bowser to strengthen a promising market-based affordable housing program. At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, along with eight of her colleagues, introduced the resolution. The measure encourages the Zoning Commission and Mayor Bowser to act to strengthen the city’s Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) program, which sets aside a certain number of permanently-affordable units in most new residential construction.