FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 5, 2013
CONTACT: STEWART SCHWARTZ, COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH
(703) 599-6437 (available for interviews)
Washington D.C. Region Number One for Congestion?
That’s Not News, What is News Are the Solutions
Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement today on the Texas Transportation Institute’s 2012 Urban Mobility report:
“Our congestion is a direct result of poor land use planning including the dispersal of corporate employers, the separation of homes from work, schools, stores and other services, and communities where the only option is to drive.
The real news is that the Washington DC region now offers more and more residents options to avoid congestion and more and more people are choosing those options. The District of Columbia is experiencing booming growth and people are flocking to transit-oriented neighborhoods in D.C., Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Hyattsville. Changing demographics and market demand are playing a big role as millennial and downsizing empty nesters are seeking these more convenient places where they can live closer to jobs and use transit, walk and bicycle.
Montgomery County has approved the White Flint transit oriented redevelopment and Fairfax County plans to grow Tysons from 17,000 residents to 100,000, with access to four new Metro stations. Even in suburban communities, “new urbanist” models like Kentlands and King Farm offer the possibility of walking for many daily trips or the option of a shorter car trip.
In a recent regional Transportation Planning Board Study with the Brookings Institution, their public survey showed that area residents are looking for more options to avoid driving and specifically cited transit and land use as priority solutions.
So, we know we have congestion — a product of an economically vibrant region — the real news is that the Washington DC region is beginning to lead the nation in offering effective alternatives and personal solutions to congestion — well-planned, walkable and transit-oriented neighborhoods and centers.
About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington D.C. region 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 needed to make those communities flourish. To learn more, visit the Coalition’s website at www.smartergrowth.net.
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