We are encouraged by your initiatives over the past two years to address Virginia’s land use and transportation challenges. Public support for better growth management remains at high levels, making your efforts to better link land use and transportation critically important. Your collective initiatives have included increased support for transit and freight rail, traffic impact studies, urban development areas, land conservation, stronger access management policies and changes to subdivision street standards.

Joining the renewed debate over transportation funding, the Virginia conservation and smart growth community released an open letter today to Governor Kaine, Lieutenant Governor Bolling, Attorney General McDonnell and all 140 members of the General Assembly. “The energy crisis and climate change make it more important that ever that we buy the right transportation system for the next 50 to 100 years,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

We strongly support the proposed ordinance, which proposes to establish a legal permitting process for accessory apartments. We commend the County for recognizing the potential of accessory units as an important opportunity to address the County’s tremendous housing shortfall–for households at all income levels. Accessory Dwelling unit permissions are recognized as a national best practice for mature, single-family housing neighborhoods like in Arlington.

A presentation given on May 20, 2008 which explains the benefits of transit-oriented development in Prince George's County.

In the midst of painful budget cuts and transit fare increases, the Montgomery County Council is on the verge of voting to spend $89 million, or $80,000 per space, for a 1,150 space parking garage in the heart of the walking and biking-oriented Bethesda Row district. The new garage will be adjacent to the Capital Crescent Trail and a block away from the planned South entrance of the Bethesda Metro station. The Council’s transportation committee voted for the garage on Friday, before sending the issue to the full Council.