Email your delegates today to tell them that we should use public funds to implement effective, targeted strategies like those identified by the workgroup to make the planning process more equitable and accessible—not to fund another potential obstacle to affordable housing.
Author: Ayesha Amsa
CSG primer: the Visualize 2050 transportation plan
We believe that the Visualize 2050 draft list of major projects has too many highway and arterial road expansions that will increase driving and climate emissions. We will miss our region’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. Please submit your comments!
We’ve been working on something special!
The countdown has officially begun for this year’s Livable Communities Leadership Awards & Blueprint Premiere – and you’re invited! Help us honor Metro’s General Manager, Randy Clarke, and get the exclusive first look of our updated Blueprint for a Better Region.
Testimony: Brightseat Tech Park (Prince George’s, Support)
Data centers are a rapidly growing land use, and can often have negative impacts on adjacent neighborhoods and rural areas. In this case, we view this site as a suitable location. We see these benefits.
Testimony: WMATA Board
So, while we very much appreciate the proposed commitment of $480 million in additional funding by the jurisdictions and the temporary lifting of the artificially constraining 3% cost cap, it has been our hope that the jurisdictions would do more and fully close the gap to avoid the service impacts discussed at the hearings.
Testimony: SB 943 – Better Bus Service Act of 2024 (MD, Support)
We are excited about plans for tactical bus lanes on Georgia Avenue in Montgomery County, and Silver Hill Road in Prince George’s County. These projects are collaborations between the State Highway Administration, WMATA, and each county’s Department of Transportation. They reflect a shared commitment to providing better transit service to those who depend on it, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by attracting new riders.
Testimony: Faith Housing ZTA 24-01 (Montgomery County, Support)
The main objectives of this ZTA in our view are: 1) to meet our county’s housing need by providing an additional, affordability-focused pathway to build more housing; and 2) to reduce the existing barriers to qualifying institutions who seek to build housing. With that in mind, we believe the ZTA could even more successfully achieve these goals if projects were approved through the site plan approval process rather than the conditional use approval process.
Testimony: Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2024 (MD, Support)
The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act will ensure Maryland’s transportation investments are aligned with its climate change mitigation goals and provide numerous benefits to the state’s residents, workers and communities.
Testimony: Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024 (MD, Support with Amendments)
SB 484 would open up more opportunities to build needed housing, overcoming impediments for both market-rate and affordable home construction. We support this bill but suggest two amendments to strengthen it.
Testimony: SB 1123, School Facilities and Public Safety Surcharges and Report – Sunset Extension (Prince George’s, Support)
We want to express our strong support for SB 1123, which would extend the current 50% reduced school facilities surcharge for multifamily housing projects located close to Metro and MARC stations. It also states that Purple Line stations can receive the same treatment by the governing body of the county.