Category: Resources

Twinbrook: Placemaking in Progress

Twinbrook: Placemaking in Progress

Posted on by acustis

The Twinbrook Metro Station opened in 1984 surrounded by 26 acres of parking lots for Metro commuters. Join us to learn how a walkable, mixed-use community is taking shape on the site of those surface parking lots.

Tour speakers:

  • David Levy, Chief of Long Range Planning and Redevelopment, City of Rockville
  • Lori Shirley, Planner Coordinator, Montgomery County Planning Department
  • Stan Wall, Director of the Office of Real Estate and Station Planning, WMATA
  • Jamie Weinbaum, JBG
  • Joe McClane, President of Cambridge Walk I HOA

Resources:

Amend B20-604, “Affordable Homeownership Preservation and Equity Accumulation Amendment Act of 2013”

Posted on by acustis

The “Affordable Homeownership Preservation and Equity Accumulation Amendment Act of 2013,” Council Bill 20-604, over time could reduce the amount of resources available for future housing needs by shrinking how much of the public’s investment in affordable housing is preserved. While the bill currently proposed would make several changes that would exclude many current affordable homeownership organization’s efforts, amendments to reverse these proposed changes have been agreed to by the key supporters of the bill with the Coalition for Non-Profit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED).

16th Street bus lane fact sheet

Posted on by acustis

How to get better bus service for 16th Street – Rush hour bus lanes – 16th Street NW buses are plagued by overcrowding and delays – A rush hour bus lane would greatly improve service – What would a rush hour bus lane on 16th street NW do? A dedicated bus lane operating during rush hour in the peak direction would keep buses from getting stuck in traffic. Buses in dedicated lanes would avoid traffic delays, move at increased speeds, and arrive on time. This means more reliable, regular service, and less overcrowding for riders.

Testimony to DC Zoning Commission on McMillan (Parcel 1)

Posted on by acustis

We wish to express our support for the healthcare building on Parcel 1 as part of the adaptive reuse of the McMillan Sand Filtration site. The scale of the medical buildings responds to the scale of the hospitals on the other side of Michigan Avenue, with the highest point closest to the similar height at Children’s Hospital. The healthcare building uses Cell 14 as an acre of open space next to North Capitol Street to buffer its massing from nearby rowhouse neighborhoods.

Better DC Buses: What does it take?

Better DC Buses: What does it take?

Posted on by acustis

New and innovative bus service has offered a better ride on DC buses, but many more improvements, like the 16th Street rush hour bus lanes, are still pending. Improving bus service is of vital importance to DC residents, since they rely more on riding the bus than on Metro.

Traffic congestion, constrained funding, and limited street space are all challenges to speedier and more reliable buses. For several years, better bus service has been planned, and sometimes implemented in DC and the region.

What’s the status of bus improvement plans, and what can we learn from other regions’ experiences? Together with ANC Commissioner Kishan Putta, CSG hosted Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Joseph Barr (formerly of NYC DOT), WMATA’s Jim Hamre, and DDOT’s Sam Zimbabwe, as well as DC Councilmember Mary Cheh.

Testimony to DC Zoning Commission on McMillan parcels 6 & 7

Posted on by acustis

We wish to express our support for the Master Plan and open space elements for the adaptive reuse of the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant. We have tracked the review process at the HPRB for the last year. This thoughtful plan restores all the major historic features, along with creating a new large park that celebrates the distinct historic elements and function of the former industrial site.

Testimony to the TPB re Climate Change and the CLRP Update

Posted on by Nick Ruiz

Over the past three years and particularly since last summer, the TPB has asked the staff to review CLRP updates for conformance with the goals of Region Forward, the COG Climate Report, Access for All, and the Regional Transportation Priorities Plan. The COG staff, elected officials and a wide range of stakeholders have committed significant time and resources into developing these plans and associated goals.

Letter to TPB Regarding the 2014 CLRP Update

Posted on by Nick Ruiz

Dear Chairman Wojahn and Members of the Transportation Planning Board:
Please accept the following comments on the draft 2014 update to the Constrained Long Range Plan (CLRP). The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) urges the Transportation Planning Board (TPB) to fundamentally reevaluate the entire Constrained Long Range Plan this year in order to meet the Council of Governments’ (COG) own goals, including addressing climate change and meeting ever-stricter air quality standards for human health. This reevaluation should include the ability to remove projects which do not support your goals, including allowing for shifting funds to transit and the internal connectivity needs of the mixed-use, walkable and transit-oriented activity centers to which you have committed.