The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) – two of the region’s leading advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities – respectfully write to provide comment on the ongoing and disturbing traffic fatality and serious injury trends highlighted by TPB staff in their draft Annual Regional Transit and Highway Safety Targets report and presentation.
Category: Testimony & Letters
TPB Nov 2023 Board Comments
We ask TPB members to make safety investments for vulnerable road users a higher priority in your Visualize 2050 project submissions and in your local plans, budgets, and project designs. Please see our joint letter with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association in the meeting packet.
Testimony: Alexandria Zoning for Housing
We strongly support adoption of all eight Zoning for Housing proposals including the proposed zoning text amendments, housing master plan updates, and city policy updates. The city is to be credited for its extensive public engagement and the staff are to be credited for their detailed analysis of where the zoning code, plans and policies can be modified. In the end this is a modest package but one which will help to address the housing crisis.
CSG comments on state DOT draft Carbon Reduction Strategies
The Coalition for Smarter Growth respectfully asks your consideration of these comments as you refine your Carbon Reduction Strategies (CRS) prior to submittal to FHWA next month. These comments build on our October 17 letter to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.
State Carbon Reduction Strategies need to incorporate TPB climate goals, findings & strategies
At the Oct. 18 TPB meeting, state DOT’s will brief you on their draft Carbon Reduction Strategies. The states are required to consult with TPB on these plans before they submit them to the federal government next month. The Coalition for Smarter Growth encourages TPB members to closely review and provide feedback on these strategies.
Testimony: Annual Permit Allocation – Comments and suggested amendments
We believe we can do this while building more housing in the right places to address the overall need for housing, and to help make housing more affordable. Our land use policies and infrastructure investments need to incentivize and encourage private investment to build more homes that are connected to existing services, transit, employment centers, and other essential destinations. We also need to remove the many barriers that discourage this kind of investment.
Comments on MDOT Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) Tour FY24-29, Prince George’s County
As a member of the statewide Transform Maryland Transportation Coalition (TMTC), we ask MDOT to flex 50% of the federal funds, as allowed by federal law, from the Surface Transportation Block Grant and National Highway Performance Program formulas towards needed investments in eligible transit, safer streets, bicycle, and pedestrian projects, and transit vehicle electrification.
Letter: A better design for the Medical Center Drive/I-495 interchange
We support the exciting vision you have laid out for a vibrant, walkable Downtown Largo and Blue Line corridor. In order to achieve this vision, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) should wholly rethink their current proposals for a greatly expanded I-495/Medical Center Drive interchange.
CSG Testimony in Support of Providence Hospital redevelopment
September 29, 2023
Attorney General Brian Schwalb, District of Columbia
400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
RE: Providence Hospital – Support for mixed income housing and parks at former hospital site
Dear Attorney General Schwab::
Please accept this letter on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG). CSG is the leading non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. region, including DC and suburban Maryland, dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our 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.
We are writing to express our support for the proposed sale and redevelopment of the Providence Hospital site. We support the re-purposing of the now closed Providence Hospital with mixed income housing, parks and other amenities.
Specifically, we support the preliminary redevelopment plans for the 22-acre site to build about 450 townhouses and apartments. We are especially supportive of at least 20 percent of these homes as affordable, including family-sized townhouses. This would total about 90 rental and ownership affordable homes.
The development agreement exchanges the value of land for the high cost of demolition of the nine-story hospital building, with additional subsidies anticipated for the affordable homes. This is a reasonable agreement for the addition of affordable, mixed income homes at this site, along with community amenities.
The proposed redevelopment will provide a mix of greenspaces and playspace, along with other community benefits. This mix of new homes and greenspaces is well-located between the Fort Totten and Brookland Metro stations, and other public amenities like Turkey Thicket and many schools.
We look forward to supporting the refinement of this proposal as it advances through the development review process.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Cort, Policy Director
CSG comments on VDOT 495 Southside
The Coalition for Smarter Growth submits the following comments on the Preliminary Alternatives and Screening Evaluation presented by VDOT in September 2023 for its 495 Southside Express Lanes study.