When you think cool communities, you might think of vibrant neighborhoods with great streets and parks, coffee shops, bars and restaurants, a variety of stores and other activities. But these communities also offer the opportunity to help reduce the warming of our climate, while reducing oil consumption and transportation costs. Where we build and how we build our neighborhoods will make a real difference.
Category: Resources
Prince George’s County: Letter to Chairman of the Planning Board
We request that the board not approve the DSP as proposed but request a full revision of the “Commons at Addison Road” in order that ensure the project conform with transit- and pedestrian-oriented design standards in the Approved Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment for Addison Road Metro Town Center and Vicinity (ARM).
Request to WMATA Jurisdiction Leaders to Give Their Fair Share to Metro
A letter from the Coalition for Smater Growth urging regional leaders to contribute funding to help ease WMATA’s FY2011 deficit and avoid further fare increases and service cuts.
DC: Metro Budget Hearing Testimony
Our core position on the Metro budget proposal is to oppose the severe service cuts. In a joint campaign with partner conservation and transit advocacy groups, www.fairshareformetro.com, we advocate for $74 million in additional funding from the Metro jurisdictions. This will fund the $40 million unaccounted for and avoid the $34 million in service cuts. If the public is being asked to pay higher fares, then they should not also be asked to endure severe service cuts as well. It is fair to ask for the jurisdictional member governments to provide the additional funding.
Fairfax County: Draft Plan for Tysons Corner Redesign
Fairfax County is in the midst of an evolution, where the focus for future growth will of necessity be transit stations and commercial corridors. Places that will evolve into mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable, bikeable and transit oriented communities. This is the best way to protect suburban neighborhoods, to accommodate population growth and changing demographics (including downsizing empty nesters and retirees), to address traffic, and maximize the energy efficiency and competitiveness of the county. We hope that the experience from the Tysons Corner process will result in new and enhanced public planning processes, and multidisciplinary staff teams for re-planning the commercial corridors of the county.
From Mean Streets to Main Streets
Walkable neighborhoods are not only more vibrant and convenient, but safer, too. In this 2010 presentation, CSG Policy Director Cheryl Cort shows how missing sidewalks create hazardous walking conditions for pedestrians and lead to more traffic fatalities, as evident in local data. She argues that streets need to be more pedestrian-friendly, especially in high-demand areas with lots of traffic.
DC: Skyland Shopping Center
We support the redevelopment proposal for the Skyland Shopping Center. We welcome this mixed use development that provides a modest amount of below market rate housing. Our chief concern is that the project is excessively over-parked – wasting resources on too much parking that could be used for more productive uses.
Maryland Transportation Authority Response to ICC Tolling FOIA
Response by Ronald Freeland, Executive Secretary of the Maryland Transportation Authority, to a Freedom of Information Act request by CSG, Audubon Naturalist Society and Community Research on ICC tolling forecasts.
Maryland State Highway Administration Response to ICC FOIA
The November 19, 2009 response by Neil J. Pederson, Administrator for the Maryland State Highway Administration, to a request for ICC tolling forecast data by CSG, Audubon and Community Research.
Request for ICC Toll Revenue Forecasts
A Freedom of Information Act request by the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Community Research and the Audubon Naturalist Society submitted to the Maryland Transportation Authority on October 23, 2009