Author: Jane Lyons

CSG Comments on Montgomery’s Resolution to Approve FY21 Transportation Fees, Charges, and Fares

Posted on by Jane Lyons
2020.04.28-Resolution-on-FY21-Transportation-Fares-FinalDownload

Resolution to Approve FY21 Transportation Fees, Charges, and Fares

Testimony for April 30, 2020

Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager

President Katz and Councilmembers, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on the Resolution to Approve FY21 Transportation Fees, Charges, and Fares. Please accept these comments on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities.

Firstly, we would like to thank the county for suspending Ride On fares thus far during the novel coronavirus crisis. This action has protected transit workers and riders. Transit continues to be an essential public service right now, ensuring that our front-line workers are able to get to work and that those without private vehicles are still able to get food, prescriptions, and other necessary goods.

Therefore, we urge the county to continue Ride On fare suspension throughout the duration of the public health emergency. Fare revenue this quarter is already nearly half of the budgeted fare revenue, and even under normal circumstances is less than 10 percent of total revenue in the Mass Transit Fund.

We also urge you to begin thinking about transit after COVID-19. There is an opportunity to “reopen” the county’s transportation network in a way that increases our climate resiliency, furthers racial and socioeconomic justice, and aids in our economic recovery. These functions cannot be achieved without transit. We don’t have to go back to the same congestion, dangerous roadways, and air pollution.

Further, once the immediate public health threat has been addressed, we will need to rebuild trust in public transit so that ridership may recover. To do that, transit must be attractive, easy, frequent, and safe. We urge you to consider:

  • Suspending Ride On fares in perpetuity;
  • Redesigning the Montgomery Ride On and WMATA bus network through a public process to improve service in a budget neutral way;
  • Expanding public employees’ telework allowances;
  • Rebalancing road space to prioritize walking, biking, and transit; and
  • Increasing routine bus cleaning.

Thank you for your consideration.

EVENT: Courageous Conversations on Housing, Land Use, and Racism

EVENT: Courageous Conversations on Housing, Land Use, and Racism

Posted on by Jane Lyons

What’s the history of your neighborhood?

We’re hosting a series of courageous conversations on housing, land use, and the history of redlining and segregation in Montgomery County.

You’ll learn about how federal and local housing policy and exclusionary development practices impacted who could live where. This history continues to impact socioeconomic outcomes today. These facilitated workshops are an opportunity to learn, listen, reflect, share, and brainstorm ideas about the future of land use policy.

These workshops are free, open to the public, and will be limited to 50 participants. Please only register for one workshop to ensure that more people have an opportunity to attend. Click on the buttons below to go to the registration page for your selected event:

Workshop #1 – East County

Saturday, August 15, 2020 @ 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The East County event is now full. You can also sign up for the waitlist!

Workshop #2 – Bethesda/Chevy Chase

Saturday, August 22, 2020, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The Bethesda/Chevy Chase event is now full. You can also sign up for the waitlist!

Workshop #3 – Upcounty

Saturday, August 29, 2020, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The Upcounty event is now full. You can also sign up for the waitlist!

All events will be held via Zoom (link and password will be sent prior to the event).

Thank you to Kaiser Permanente for sponsoring this workshop series. The workshops will be facilitated by Challenging Racism.

Images from National Archives (Mapping Segregation in Washington DC)

Testimony supporting Maryland tenant rights and protection legislation

Posted on by Jane Lyons

February 18, 2020

Environment and Transportation Committee

House Office Building, Room 251

Annapolis, MD 21401

HB 744, Landlord and Tenant – Residential Leases – Tenant Rights and Protections (Tenant Protection Act) (Support)

Testimony for February 18, 2020

Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager

Thank you, Chair Barve, Vice Chair Stein, and Environment and Transportation Committee members. This testimony is on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities. We are in favor of HB 744, a bill that establishes long overdue basic rights for tenants.

HB 744 is an omnibus renter’s rights bill which includes a requirement that security deposits be returned within 30 days, allowance for a tenant to terminate their lease if the landlord fails to make in-unit repairs within a reasonable timeframe, and an authorization for a tenant to terminate their lease without fear of future liability in cases where they have faced harassment and stalking, and must move for their safety.

Renters are a growing population in Maryland. Currently, nearly 40 percent of residents are renters. As this trend continues, it will only become more important to ensure that Maryland’s tenant protections are of a high quality. Home is the center of life and family security – the improvements to landlord-tenant law in HB 722 can make all the difference in someone’s life and to their family.

Right now, we’re behind. Maryland ranks 32nd for tenant rights. Strong tenant protections can mean the difference between a community being welcoming and inclusive, or not. Inclusive policies that protect more vulnerable community members are especially important as neighborhoods grow and change. Tenant empowerment helps residents stay in their neighborhoods and benefit from new amenities.

This bill is part of a larger bill package called “Homes for All,” which includes two other bills: HB 1149, which creates a program to finance social housing projects, and HB 1406, which legalizes the construction of multifamily housing in neighborhoods with higher incomes, an abundance of job opportunities, and access to public transit. Fixing the lack of affordable housing is critical to Maryland’s economic competitiveness, and the three bills together will increase the supply of affordable housing, improve access jobs, and provide greater security for renters, enabling them to focus on work and improvement, and their children to have the home security they need to do well in school.

Therefore, we urge you to support HB 744 and protect the rights of nearly 40 percent of Marylanders. Thank you for your consideration.