Category: Resources
CSG Comments on Thrive 2050 Draft Vision and Goals
April 15, 2020
Montgomery Planning Board
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Re: Montgomery Thrive 2050 Draft Vision and Goals
Dear Chair Anderson and Planning Commisioners:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide written comments on the draft vision and goals for Thrive Montgomery 2050. We understand that this is a challenging time due to the coronavirus crisis. The Planning Department’s quick shift to virtual meetings, community engagement, and public testimony is commendable, and we are pleased to see the department’s work plan continue on. We hope that this is an opportunity for the department to experiment with more inclusive, transparent community engagement strategies, which can then be incorporated into outreach going forward.
The Coalition for Smarter Growth strongly supports the draft vision and goals. The concept – a web of complete, mixed-use communities connected by vibrant transit and green corridors – is strong and builds off of the revolutionary “wedges and corridors” idea. We especially support the strong language around housing, including on ensuring affordability, diversifying the housing stock, and considering housing a right. We are also pleased with the vision of a county no longer developed around the automobile.
One significant critique of the draft is the language used in reference to transportation. We need to be firm about our commitment to public transit, walking, and biking as the future of transportation in Montgomery County. In recent years, the term “multi-modal” has come to be used as an excuse for continuing car-centric planning standards. If we’re going to significantly alter mode share over the next 30 years, it’s not enough to be multi-modal – we must be transit first.
As a component of our advocacy for Thrive, we have worked with the community to organize Montgomery for All, a grassroots group committed to ensuring that Thrive paves the way for an equitable, sustainable, prosperous future grounded in the principles of smart growth. We have created a platform with ten goals that we would like to see fully included and built upon in Thrive. Many of our goals are included in this draft, but could be stated more explicitly and expanded upon. Please see our specific feedback below, which addresses these concerns:
Thrive 2050 Vision:
• Convenient: We urge you to be stronger and more specific in the goals. “Most” or “many” does not create a bold vision for the future and can be ignored.
• Healthy: If we can set a goal that every resident lives within a 15 minute walk to a park, then we should also be able to set the same goal for the other components of complete communities, especially healthy food and frequent transit.
1. Complete Communities:
• Goal #1: The idea that makes the concept of “complete communities” work is a time constraint on how long it takes to access certain amenities without a car. This has been done by all other communities which have adopted this planning goal, including Paris (15 minutes), Portland (20 minutes), and Copenhagen (5 minutes). We recommend that Thrive adopt 20 minutes as a goal for accessing the required amenities of a complete community. This should become a guiding principle for all future master plans.
• Goal #4: Equal treatment does not necessarily mean equal outcomes or opportunity. The focus should be on equal outcomes, such as socioeconomic mobility and quality of life measurements, rather than on equal treatment.
2. Connectedness:
• Goal #2: We commend the goal of making government planning and decision-making processes accessible, transparent, and easy for all to understand and participate in. In addition, we’d like to see this goal explicitly state the importance of government actively going out into the community for engagement on major actions, rather than expecting the community to come to government.
3. Diverse Economies:
• Goal #5: One of Montgomery for All’s goals is to minimize the displacement of small businesses. Thus, we would like this goal to include the protection of small businesses in addition to identifying and removing barriers to establishment and expansion.
4. Safe and Efficient Travel:
• Vision:
o The vision should state that in 2050 heavy reliance on private vehicle “has shifted” rather than “is shifting.” It is essential to shift well before 2050 if the county is to meet its net-zero greenhouse gas emission goals by 2035.
o The frequency of transit is not mentioned in this vision. We know that the two major factors that drive transit use are frequency and reliability.
o We would like to see more about how to county envisions micromobility, autonomous vehicles, and ridesharing playing into the transportation system in 2050. These technologies, especially autonomous vehicles, have both potential positive and negative impacts. Thrive is the place to start thinking through how the county will manage those impacts.
o We urge that the vision include language stating that no new highways will be built, especially during our climate emergency or in the current and likely longer-term challenging budgetary environment.
• Goals:
o Goal #1: In addition to shifting mode share, we should also establish goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Both goals should be specific and measurable.
o Goal #4: “Multiple travel options” is often repeated throughout this document. However, we would argue that this vision is no different that our current transportation system. Residents may have the option to choose between a private vehicle and local bus service, but because of planning and policy decisions, the private vehicle options is much more attractive than Ride On. Well before 2050, public transit, walking, and biking not only need to be a competitive choices, but also need to be the modes of choice.
5. Affordability and Attainability:
• Goal #1: The safety of housing should also be a goal, in addition to type, size, affordability, and location.
• Goal #2: We would like to see stronger language than “most new housing,” and not only should new housing be in mixed-use locations, but locations that are complete communities.
• Goal #3: If the county is going to consider housing a right, then we need to set bolder goals than continuing our existing programs. Housing as a right should fundamentally alter how the county approaches housing.
6. Healthy and Sustainable Environment:
• Vision:
o By 2050, all vehicles owned and operated by the county should be zero-emissions. Similarly, biking, walking, and public transit should be the most common modes of travel.
o We would like to see more about net-zero energy buildings in the vision statement. Will all new buildings be net-zero? Were we able to retrofit existing buildings in an equitable way?
• Goals: We believe that more than three goals are necessary, given the complexity, ambition, and number of topics addressed in the vision statement.
7. Diverse and Adaptable Growth:
• Vision: We support the vision that regulatory mechanisms to support development should be nimble, focused on design excellence, and achieve measurable, equitable outcomes. However, we’d like to see equity in diverse and adaptable growth explored further and defined in this context.
• Goal #3: We strongly support this goal and ask that the adequate public facilities ordinance, capital improvements program, taxes and fees, and review and permitting processes all be reviewed and considered when developing policies and actions for Thrive.
8. Culture and Design: No comments.
Sincerely,
Jane Lyons
Maryland Advocacy Manager
Coalition for Smarter Growth
RELEASE: Streets for People – for Health and Safety During COVID-19 and Beyond
For immediate release
April 15, 2020
Contact: Stewart Schwartz
703-599-6437 (cell)
stewart@smartergrowth.net
Streets for People – for Health and Safety During COVID-19 and Beyond
Today, the Coalition for Smarter Growth urged local governments to take action to provide more public street space for people walking and biking and using other modes of micro-mobility. “If health authorities permit people to be outside, provided they ensure a minimum of 6-foot physical spacing, then local governments need to provide more space for people to walk and bike safely,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
“In many communities, people are finding that the sidewalks are too narrow and that they need to walk in the streets to maintain safe physical distance. Some neighborhoods need but lack nearby parks, meaning that public space on the streets becomes particularly important. In the suburbs, many streets completely lack sidewalks,” said Schwartz. “This is not just about walking for health. It’s also about creating safer places for essential workers who need to get to work by walking, biking, or taking the bus, and about people who need to pick up or have delivered food and medicine,” said Schwartz.
“With the leadership of our local elected officials, we believe action can be taken to close streets to car traffic and expand areas for safe walking and bicycling. We know other cities around the U.S. are doing so, including Oakland, Boston, Minneapolis, and Denver. DC, Baltimore, Richmond, and our suburban jurisdictions can and should take similar action,” said Schwartz.
“Meanwhile, with car travel down dramatically, we can not only see how much public space we have given over to motor vehicles, but also how much pollution is generated by driving,” said Schwartz.
According to INRIX, personal vehicle trips are down over 40% nationwide, and roads in DC and the surrounding suburbs are noticeably less trafficked. Meanwhile, metropolitan regions around the world are seeing major reductions in air pollution, including particularly harmful PM2.5 particulate pollution from vehicles that can lodge deep in the lungs. PM2.5 pollution has long contributed to a number of chronic respiratory illnesses, and a Harvard University study suggests a causal connection between PM2.5 air pollution and deaths from coronavirus. “This should spur action coming out of this crisis to address driving and pollution,” said Schwartz.
“The crisis gives us the opportunity to envision and create a world with less traffic, noise, and dangerous air pollution. We hope it inspires people and our elected officials to see the livability advantages in creating an extensive network of dedicated, protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, trails and greenways, and dedicated bus lanes. Combine these with rapid electrification of bus fleets and personal vehicles, and our communities will be cleaner, healthier, quieter and more livable,” concluded Schwartz.
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A bit of good news for future sustainable commutes
DC Council Votes Unanimously for Flexible Commuter Benefits
On April 7, 2020, the DC Council unanimously voted to support flexible commuter benefits! The law, promoted by CSG and our supporters, will give workers the option to walk, bike and take transit to work using the value of an employer-subsidized parking space.
The Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act will allow employees who are offered a free or subsidized parking space to exchange the benefit for a transit benefit (with cash to make up any difference in value), for cash if they walk or bike to work, or for an enhanced health care benefit.
This bill will lead to more sustainable commuting. It will mean fewer vehicles on the road, which reduces traffic congestion, speeds up buses, and leads to fewer carbon emissions. Get the details here.
This decisive victory would not have been possible without the advocacy of supporters like you, so thank you for contacting your Councilmembers and advocating for these changes. While nonessential commutes remain on hold for the time being, workers in DC will soon be incentivized to enjoy a more sustainable ride to work with the new option to cash out their parking benefits.
Winning this bill will help us build a more equitable and sustainable DC. It would not have been possible without a sustained push by CSG and our allies and activists.
RELEASE: Advocates Cheer DC Council’s Unanimous Vote For Flexible Commuter Benefits
For Immediate Release
April 7, 2020
Contact: Cheryl Cort, Coalition for Smarter Growth
T. 202-675-0016, www.smartergrowth.net/parkingcashout
Advocates Cheer DC Council’s Unanimous Vote for Flexible Commuter Benefits
Employees will be eligible for walk, bike, transit commute benefits equal to an offered parking benefit
The Coalition for Smarter Growth celebrated today the success of its three-year campaign for flexible commuter benefits. “We are thrilled that today the DC Council voted unanimously for the Transportation Benefits Equity Act (B23-148). This new law will allow an employee who is offered a parking benefit by their employer to use the equivalent value of the parking subsidy for a transit, walk, or bike commute,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
“This bill incentivizes more sustainable commuting as commuters return to work on the other side of the current crisis. The importance of bicycle transportation has emerged in the crisis as an alternative to other modes, and this new law will help boost this option,” said Cort. Once workers can return to their daily routine, the new law will give many employees the opportunity to exchange a parking space for a bike (or walk or transit) commute. This could push DC’s current 18% walk and bike to work rate even higher, helping to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and crashes.
“We have worked on this issue for a number of years, with dozens of meetings, outreach to the community, and extensive negotiations. The final legislation involved many compromises. However, the core of the bill is intact, and will start making a difference with most employers who offer subsidized parking,” said Cort.
The Transportation Benefits Equity Act requires employers who provide free or subsidized parking to employees to offer those same employees alternatives that include:
- Employer-paid transit benefits;
- Taxable cash for employees who walk, bicycle, or ride in a carpool to work, or who take transit (where cash would make up any difference between the value of the parking and transit cost);
- Increased employer contribution to an employee’s healthcare benefit;
Employers also have the option to:
- Develop a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan to reduce vehicle commute trips toward the moveDC goal of 25% or less of employees’ commute trips made by car or taxi (assisted by and approved by DC Department of Transportation);
- Pay a sizable Clean Air Compliance fee to support TDM measures for each parking benefit offered;
- Cease subsidized parking.
The law includes the following exemptions:
- Employers that currently own the parking used for employees are exempt from this law.
- Existing leased parking: if an employer has an existing lease for parking provided to employees, the employer must comply with the new rules at the end of the current lease.
- Employers that do not provide subsidized parking are exempt.
- Employers with 20 or fewer employees are exempt.
One of the largest compromises given to employers was the full exclusion of currently owned parking. This means that essentially all major institutions, like universities, are likely to be exempt. While some of these institutions also lease parking, the bill exempts them if they are running shuttles to leased parking lots half a mile or more away, or if they have a Campus Plan with a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan already approved by DC Department of Transportation.
“The bill will provide flexible commute benefits to many downtown workers, likely reducing rush hour traffic. This can reduce congestion, speed up buses, cut pollution, and even reduce crashes,” said Cort. “It will keep DC in the forefront of cities implementing more sustainable transportation.”
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Photo credit: Elvert Barnes, Flickr
Conservation Cafe Webinar
Click here to watch the Conservation Cafe webinar held with Audubon Naturalist Society featuring eco-advocates from Northern Virginia, including our Northern Virginia advocacy manager Sonya Breehey.
Environment Virginia Webinar Presentation
A presentation given for Environment Virginia’s webinar Getting Virginia to Destination: Zero Carbon on the link between transit-oriented development and reducing carbon emissions in Virginia.
Full webinar available for viewing here.