COMMUNITY CLIPS*
Smart Growth News
for the Washington, DC Region

August 5, 2005

In this issue:

• Federal Transportation Bill Heavy on Earmarks
• Traffic: It Was East-West Then and It's East-West Now
• Northern Virginia Residents Rank Transit as #1 Priority
• Metro Riders Advisory Board Proposed
• Reality Check Lecture at National Building Museum
• National Inclusionary Housing Conference

Federal Transportation Bill Heavy on Earmarks

The federal transportation bill passed by Congress July 29 provides $286 billion to states and localities for all forms of transportation. The law also sets transportation policy for the country, guiding how money can be spent, what issues must be addressed and public participation in the process.

In general, Congress stayed the course on existing federal transportation policy by keeping faith with the core principles set fort in the landmark 1991 ISTEA law. In reaching a final agreement, Congressional transportation leaders often drew upon the best features of the House and Senate proposals as the STPP coalition recommended.

However, an all time high of $22 billion in earmarks, nearly 10% of the federal funding, represents a lobbying frenzy, not a rational prioritization scheme within a public process at the state and local level.

Read CSG's statement and a list of projects earmarked in the bill.

Traffic: It Was East-West Then and It's East-West Now

Analysis by Smart Mobility, Inc., a nationally recognized transportation consulting firm, shows that proposals for two major highways around Manassas National Battlefield would fail to address the primary east-west traffic problem and would likely increase traffic.

To give perspective to the issue, Civil War re-enactors donned their Confederate and Union uniforms to mark the 144th anniversary of the 1st Battle of Manassas. In that skirmish, Union Troops were soundly defeated and forced to retreat. As they sought to return to Washington along the Warrenton Turnpike (Route 29), they collided with a traffic jam of carriages of Congressmen and others who had driven out to Centreville to watch the fight.

Traffic jams were east-west then, and they are east-west now. Smart Mobility's report shows that moving forward with the proposed Battlefield highways would divert scarce transportation funding from higher priority needs. Read the summary and the full report.

Northern Virginia Residents Rank Transit as #1 Priority

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority released a public opinion poll August 2, 2005 looking at transportation priorities of Northern Virginia residents as part of their efforts to create a regional transportation plan. By nearly a 2 to 1 margin, transit outranks roads and highways as people’s number one priority. View the full report.

Metro Riders Advisory Board Proposed

Metro has announced plans to create a Riders Advisory Board that promises to finally give transit users a greater voice in issues related to the management of the system. The new board would include six representatives each from Virginia, Maryland and the District. These members would represent a diverse group of bus, subway and paratransit riders, including commuters and occasional riders.

The Sierra Club has voiced concerns that the proposal calls for the WMATA General Manager to appoint a staff member to support the new board, which could lead to a conflict of loyalty. For more information on the new board, read WMATA's press release and the proposed bylaws. Learn more about Sierra Club's concerns in The Common Denominator.

WMATA is accepting public comment through August 16, 2005. Read how you can take action.

Reality Check Lecture at the National Building Museum

Len Forkas, chair of ULI Washington’s “Reality Check” event last February, will discuss the results of this unusual convocation of government, business, and civic leaders who created a development vision for the Washington, DC region 25 years from now. Thursday, September 15, 2005 12:30 - 1:30 pm. Admission is free. Registration not required. For directions, see NBM's website.

National Inclusionary Housing Conference

A National Conference on Inclusionary Housing will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC October 5-7, 2005. National experts will participate in panel sessions on subjects including passing effective inclusionary housing ordinances (coalition building, policy issues, overcoming objections); program administration (best practices nationwide, working with the development community, asking the experts); and the latest research and findings on Inclusionary Housing. The conference will include tours of successful DC Metro area inclusionary housing communities. Lean more.

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Rebecca Perring, Virginia Organizer for the Coalition, came up with the winning name. Enjoy your ice cream, Rebecca!