Author: Jane Lyons

RELEASE: CSG and partners launch a pro-transit coalition to counter Maryland’s I-495/I-270 widening

Posted on January 3, 2020October 19, 2021 by Jane Lyons

Press-Release Download

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, January 3, 2020

CONTACT:

Jane Lyons, Coalition for Smarter Growth

jane@smartergrowth.net | (202) 675-0016

Lindsey Mendelson, Maryland Sierra Club

lindsey.mendelson@mdsierra.org | (240) 706-7901

Maryland Advocates React to Hogan-Franchot Agreement and

Launch Coalition to Change Direction of State Transportation Policy

MARYLAND — Following today’s announcement of an agreement between Governor Hogan and Comptroller Franchot and in advance of Wednesday’s Board of Public Works vote, 18 non-profit and community advocacy organizations launched a new coalition to change the direction of state transportation policy. The groups share a concern for protecting the environment and communities, and more effectively addressing the state’s transportation problems — through transit, transit-oriented development, and demand management strategies.

Formation of Maryland Advocates for Sustainable Transportation (MAST) follows public outcry against Governor Hogan’s and former Secretary Rahn’s ill-conceived and harmful plans to expand the Capital Beltway and I-270. The outcry prompted a delay in the December Board of Public Works vote to approve a hastily revised Public-Private Partnership (P3) proposal for the highways. A premature vote is now scheduled for January 8th.

The coalition is calling on the Governor and incoming secretary to reverse course on the administration’s misguided highway expansion plan and to steer the state toward better solutions. MAST members sent a letter to Administrator Slater calling on him to change MDOT’s approach to transportation policy if he is confirmed by the Maryland Senate.

Reliable, transit and land use focused solutions — MAST supports transportation solutions that effectively address the climate crisis and our transportation problems, rather than exacerbate them. These integrated solutions include expanding reliable transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure; using transportation demand management; encouraging more transit-oriented land use with affordable housing; and a maintenance-first approach to road and bridge infrastructure. This approach will allow Maryland to grow without increasing driving, traffic, and greenhouse gas emissions.

MAST will support a bill to increase capital investment in the Maryland Transit Administration, which has a deferred maintenance backlog of $1.5 billion and is facing funding cuts by MDOT, and another bill that addresses the weaknesses in the state’s P3 law.

Flaws in the I-495 and I-270 proposal: MAST joins with state legislators and local elected officials and planners who have identified significant shortcomings in MDOT’s toll lanes proposal, including:

Faulty P3 process and lack of transparency — MDOT’s P3 process for I-495 and I-270 has been flawed from the outset, including being rushed ahead of the environmental review process and the lack of objective alternatives analysis. MAST calls on MDOT to release their financial analyses, toll projections, and traffic modeling for independent review.

Failure to account for induced demand and increased air pollution — Research and experience shows that adding highway capacity inevitably leads to more vehicles on the road and more pollution from those vehicles, with expanded highways filling-up in as few as five years. MDOT’s study fails to consider an integrated transit-oriented development, transit, and demand management alternative.

Financial risks — The early Virginia experience shows that poorly structured P3 deals carry heavy financial risks, with taxpayers shouldering the bill when tolls cannot cover the costs of the project as planned or other problems occur.

Environmental harm — The highway expansion proposal would take valued park land, streams, and rivers in a number of locations; exacerbate stormwater runoff; require the loss of a number of homes; and directly affect 1,000 or more private properties.

“It is unlawful to proceed in securing implementation partnerships and contracts without completion and consideration of Environmental Impact Studies and related mitigation,” said Audubon Naturalist Society Executive Director Lisa Alexander.

“Transit and walkable, transit-oriented development are not only more effective in reducing vehicle trips, they attract jobs and residents. Marriott’s move to Bethesda Metro and Amazon’s move to Crystal City/Pentagon City are a testament to the value of transit-oriented development,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth.

“Maryland has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, yet toll lanes will fuel more long-distance commuting, which increases driving, emissions, air pollution, water pollution, and traffic,” said Nancy Soreng, League of Women Voters of Maryland.

“Sustainable transportation solutions also spur more economic development and increase opportunities for socioeconomic mobility,” said Kimberly Brandt, Director of Smart Growth Maryland.

“The state must work together with local jurisdictions to find transportation solutions that are good for local residents, good for the environment, and good for Maryland taxpayers” said Brian Ditzler, Chair of Maryland Sierra Club.

Presently, 18 organizations have signed MAST’s principles statement. Follow the coalition by visiting MAST on Facebook and Twitter. A MAST website is now in development.

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Maryland Advocates for Sustainable Transportation (MAST) is a coalition of 18 non-profit and community advocacy organizations pushing for more sustainable alternatives to highway expansion. Signers of the coalition’s principles statement include: 350 Montgomery County, Audubon Naturalist Society, Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition, Bike Maryland, Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Corazón Latino, Friends of Sligo Creek, Greater Farmland Civic Association, Greater Greater Washington, Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), League of Women Voters of Maryland, Maryland Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Neighbors of the Northwest Branch, Rails to Trails Conservancy, Smart Growth Maryland, and Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

MAST Coalition Letter to SHA Administrator Slater

Posted on January 3, 2020November 2, 2021 by Jane Lyons

Letter-to-Administrator-Greg-Slater-from-MAST Download

ACTION: Tell Maryland to delay the I-495/I-270 widening project until after environmental reviews!

Posted on December 10, 2019October 19, 2021 by Jane Lyons

As you’ve probably heard, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to expand the Capital Beltway (I-495) and I-270 by adding toll lanes, and now wants to accelerate the project by passing amendments through the Maryland Board of Public Works.

Email Maryland’s Board of Public Works members today!

We don’t think this project should more forward until there has been a comprehensive alternatives and impact analysis under the National Envrionmental Policy Act (NEPA). Rushing the highway expansions and failing to complete the environmental review process first creates significant environmental, legal, and financial risks.

As the Virginia experience has shown, the 12-lane highways that result from adding four toll lanes are a massive, generational alteration of our landscape and come at high cost to homes and neighborhoods, people and health, and the natural environment. Maryland has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, yet toll lanes will increase driving and emissions.

Image: urbandispute, Flickr

Dan Reed’s Speech to CSG’s Smart Growth Social 2019

Posted on October 30, 2019June 9, 2022 by Jane Lyons

“Good evening! My name is Dan Reed, and I’m an urban planner at Toole Design Group and writer who’s been active in this community for over a decade. first off, I want to thank all of you for being here, for taking time out of your busy days to support the Coalition for Smarter Growth and all of the hard work they’ve done over the past 20-plus years to make this region a stronger, more sustainable, more equitable place and I’d also like to thank them for having me, and for moving up tonight’s event so you’ll have a chance to watch the big game at 9pm tonight — by which I mean the High Heel Race.

“At first I was going to make a slideshow but I remembered how restless I get when there’s a speaker at events like this, so instead I’ll tell you what my slides would be about, and I’ll keep it quick.

“A few months ago I was speaking in Montgomery County and someone in the audience told me that they’re 51 years old and have lived in 34 different places in their life. I was surprised by that, but I stopped to think about it and realized that, at 31, I’ve lived in 15 different houses.

“I’ve lived in 15 different houses, in DC, in Maryland, in Pennsylvania. I’ve lived in garden apartments and high-rise apartments and a Canada Dry bottling plant converted to condominiums and a rowhouse converted to apartments and dorm rooms and a 1950s group house where we put out bowls to catch the roof leaks.

“The average walkscore is 46. The lowest walkscore was 21, in Suitland, in Prince George’s County, where I came home to after I was born. My mother bought this bright yellow townhouse in 1984 when she was 23, a bank teller with a high school degree who decided to trade in her Trans Am for a Honda Accord and head back to school. The highest was 90, in West Philadelphia, a Victorian rowhouse with a big front porch where I lived when I quit a good job and left everything and everyone I had ever known to live in a new place and go back to school myself.

“A house can be many things. It is a shelter, a container for the people and things you care about, a platform for building a life, a launchpad for hopes and dreams, a fine tether to a better life. A house can be a choice: the choice to take a risk to take a job to leave a job to start a family to step out on your own to try on a new place to return to your home town.

“A house gave my mother’s family a chance in this country when they emigrated here from the Caribbean, as my grandparents sent their thirteen children one by one to a studio apartment in a Columbia Heights still reeling from the 1968 riots. A house gave my dad a chance in this city when he moved here after college from rural North Carolina, led by an article in Black Enterprise magazine saying this was the best place for a young black person to make a life.

“A house gave my cousin a second chance when he got out of jail and put his life back together in the split-level my parents bought in Silver Spring, the same house I moved back to after school, three times, each one unemployed with nowhere to go.

“Every day people in this city in this region pour their blood sweat and tears out just to afford to live here, to build a life or a career or a family. And every day the simple goal of having a container for the people and things you care about gets farther and farther away, as prices skyrocket and as commutes lengthen.

“The median home price in DC topped $600,000 this summer, and in the surrounding counties it isn’t much better. Home prices are three times what they were in 1990, and the Urban Institute found that nearly a half million households are at risk of displacement. They say we’ll need 374,000 new homes by 2030 to meet the chronic shortage of housing, a majority of which need to be priced for low- and moderate-income households.

“Meanwhile, the obstacles seem numerous. In Maryland, Montgomery County has effectively banned new homes in its most jobs- and transit-rich communities because of schools. In Virginia, real estate speculation in anticipation of Amazon’s HQ2 has raised concerns about displacement from working-class, inside-the-Beltway neighborhoods. And as DC mayor Muriel Bowser announced a plan to place affordable housing in all eight wards, thousands of homes are tied up in lawsuits from wealthy homeowners who care more about their needs than those of the community as a whole.

“Our housing crisis – the intertwined challenges of gentrification and displacement closer in, and disinvestment and sprawl further out – is really a social crisis, an economic crisis, and an environmental crisis. Instead of giving people more choices, we’re taking them away: if you’re on a budget, your choice is to pay an impossible sum to be near friends, family, school, jobs, and all of the things that make life good, or a punishing commute to the edges of the region for something you can afford.

“And that is nothing short of a tragedy. It shouldn’t be a luxury to have a place to live in a neighborhood where you can walk and bike safely, access your daily needs, send your kids to decent schools, and be near the people you care about. Not that long ago, it wasn’t a luxury here.

“Just as I learned of the stories how my family came to this area, I’ve watched as friends and family leave for places where life just seems easier. Many of my relatives have left the region, or are planning to. Our family friends raised a family in Prince George’s County and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina because their kids couldn’t afford to raise families here, and they didn’t want to miss out on their grandchildren.

“That’s why the work CSG does is so important. Each day, the hard working staff of this organization fights to make this region a place where people can afford to stay in the communities they care about, where people aren’t trapped in polluting, unhealthy car commutes, where our region can properly be the engine of social and economic opportunity that draws people from around the country and around the world to make their dreams come true. And they have built a community of supporters around this work.

“CSG has supported me throughout my career, going all the way back to 2012 when they graciously gave me a scholarship to travel to California to attend a transit conference. Over the past seven years, I’ve had the pleasure to work with Stewart, Cheryl, Jane, and many other current and former CSG staff who I all count among my friends, fighting for better transit, safer streets, affordable housing, and strong, accessible, diverse neighborhoods that give people – my people, my friends, my family – the chance to stay here.

“Fingers crossed, in three days my partner and I will be closing on house number 16, a townhome in East Silver Spring, where we’ll be close to our jobs (walking distance no less) and to all of the people we care about. For a long time I’d assumed it would never happen, that we would inevitably end up somewhere else, that every neighbor or elected official who railed against new people and new homes was a message that were didn’t belong here anymore, in the place where we grew up. I’m glad that I was wrong. I’m glad that we get to keep up the fight for everyone else who feels they don’t have a place here anymore, and I’m glad that CSG is here to keep up that fight. Thank you again, I hope you have a great night, and go Nats!”

CSG & partners call for progressive MCDOT director appointee

Posted on October 15, 2019October 21, 2021 by Jane Lyons

A copy of the letter below was sent on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 to the Montgomery County Council and County Executive. The PDF can be found here.

Dear Council President Navarro and County Councilmembers:

We thank and commend Al Roshdieh, the departing Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director, for his public service and the commitment he has shown to promoting sustainable, safe, multimodal transportation options. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

When considering an appointee for Mr. Roshdieh’s successor, we urge the Council to ensure that the next MCDOT director is a leader in implementing modern transit, green and complete streets that are safe for all users, and transit-oriented development. The next director must be committed to achieving the county’s Vision Zero and climate goals, reducing vehicle miles traveled, and making major shifts in mode share to transit, walking, and bicycling. We also believe the next director should pledge to be a frequent transit user.

Specifically, we ask that the next director be committed to the following priorities:

Hold MCDOT accountable to the county’s Vision Zero initiative.

People want to safely bike and walk in Montgomery County. However, in 2019 alone, more than 300 people have been injured or killed due to inadequate pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and the prioritization of cars on our roadways. This is up 14 percent since 2018, with 38 percent of crashes on county roads. Since the Vision Zero resolution was passed in 2017, at least 50 people have died.

MCDOT is the lead agency on many of the most critical pieces of the county’s Vision Zero initiative, and it is the responsibility of the director to hold the department accountable to those goals. This requires tough choices that will substantially cut traffic fatalities, such as remaking arterials and roads into streets that encourage walking and biking through road diets, including protected bicycle lanes, fewer and narrower vehicle lanes, tighter turn radii, pedestrian refuges, bumpouts and well-marked crosswalks and other infrastructure improvements.

Vision Zero implementation should be especially prioritized around schools, where children are at high risk of injury or death simply when trying to walk or bike to school. In addition, providing safe pedestrian and bicycle access to future Purple Line stations, and during construction, is essential. We also hope that the new MCDOT director will collaborate with the Planning Department to implement the Bicycle Master Plan and forthcoming Pedestrian Master Plan.

Commit to implementing the county’s planned bus rapid transit (BRT) network in a timely manner.

The groundbreaking of BRT on Route 29 and funding for preliminary engineering of BRT on MD-355 and Veirs Mill Road are steps in the right direction. MCDOT must continue to prioritize the creation of a gold standard BRT network. We need a visionary BRT system that addresses the county’s economic development, social equity, and greenhouse gas emission reduction challenges.

When designing BRT, MCDOT must prioritize dedicated lanes; off-board fare collection; frequent, reliable service; and stations with real-time travel information. These standards are essential for generating high ridership, improving the commutes of all users, and creating a key economic asset. Phase 1 of the planned BRT network alone is projected to bring in over $871 million in net fiscal revenue over 25 years.

Maintain and expand transit opportunities through RideOn and external collaboration.

Ride On has the second highest ridership of any suburban bus system in the country at over 22 million trips in 2017. MCDOT been innovative through programs like Ride On Extra, and can build upon those successes. We encourage the next director to support a redesign and upgrade of the combined Ride On and WMATA bus network to ensure service is frequent, reliable, equitable, and customer-focused. There may also be opportunities to better integrate with other transit services, like MetroRail, MARC, BRT, MetroBus, and TheBus.

The director will need to collaborate and coordinate with outside agencies to effectively expand transit opportunities, such as BRT routes and road diets on state roads and the construction of new Metro entrances. Transit opportunities will not grow without close collaboration with such agencies as the Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Further the county’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2035.

MCDOT must work to meet the mobility needs of residents throughout the county with environmental sustainability in mind. Meeting the county’s climate change goals requires transportation projects and programs that promote sustainable transportation options. Moreover, MCDOT should not support highway expansion projects, such as Mid-County Highway Extended, which incentivize single-occupancy vehicle trips and damage the natural environment. Finally, the director should strive to move all MCDOT vehicles towards electrification and continue to increase electric vehicle infrastructure.

In conclusion, the next director should have as a key objective creating a transportation system that supports the environment and people. We recognize that for the future director to implement these priorities, MCDOT requires support from the operating and capital budgets passed by the County Council. Therefore, we also call on the County Council to prioritize funding for these crucial projects.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Signed,

Jeffrey Weisner

President, Steering Committee

350 Montgomery County

Denisse Guitarra

MD Conservation Advocate

Audubon Naturalist Society

Julio Murillo

Government & Strategic Relations Specialist

CASA

Jane Lyons

Maryland Advocacy Manager

Coalition for Smarter Growth

Barbara Noveau

Executive Director

DoTheMostGood Montgomery County

Diane Hibino, Kathy McGuire

Co-Presidents

League of Women Voters of Montgomery County

Walter Weiss

Administrator

Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions

Michael DeLong

President

Montgomery County Young Democrats

Shruti Bhatnagar
Chair

Sierra Club, Montgomery County Group

Maurice Belanger

President

Takoma Park Mobilization

Johanna Wermers

Transportation Representative

The Climate Mobilization

Margaret Schoap

Organizer

Transit Alternatives to Mid-County Extended

Greg Billing

Executive Director

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

CC: County Executive Marc Elrich

Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montgomery_County_Transit_Ride_On_2017_Gillig_LF_Advantage_Diesel.jpg

Coalition Re-releases Fairfax Healthy Communities Platform

Posted on October 9, 2019June 13, 2022 by Jane Lyons

Coalition for Smarter Growth, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, Audubon Naturalist Society, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Friends of Accotink Creek, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Potomac Conservancy, Friends of Dyke Marsh, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, Fairfax County NAACP

Fairfax Healthy Communities: Sustainable, Inclusive, Livable

A Joint Vision for Fairfax County in 2019

We support a vision for Fairfax County that is sustainable, inclusive, and livable and urge candidates for local and state office in Fairfax County to support this vision and to commit to the implementation steps necessary to make this vision a reality.

We share a vision for Fairfax County where the County commits to:

Providing housing opportunities for people of all incomes, ages, and stages of life in every district in the county, investing in improving affordable housing and access to opportunity in communities where there are concentrations of poverty, and fostering greater racial and economic integration in single-family, low-poverty neighborhoods.
Ensuring transit, walking, bicycling and other modes of active transportation are well-funded, safe, convenient and accessible for people of all ages, giving residents more choices and reducing traffic congestion.
Creating vibrant, mixed-use, mixed-income transit-oriented communities which provide a range of housing choices and employment opportunities, while reducing vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled.
Fighting climate change by dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, transportation and other sources.
Restoring watersheds to ensure clean drinking water and healthier ecosystems.
Expanding parks and trail networks.
Ensuring access for all to affordable health care and healthy local food.
Taking specific steps to realize its One Fairfax commitment to racial and social equity, community involvement, and the 17 goals laid out in the One Fairfax policy.

A sustainable, inclusive, healthy, competitive, and fiscally sustainable future for Fairfax requires a fundamental shift in land use, transportation, housing and energy policies toward walkable, mixed-use, mixed-income, and transit-oriented and green energy communities, and the full engagement of the community in achieving this future.

Signed:

Coalition for Smarter Growth

Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions

Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance

Audubon Naturalist Society

Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling

Friends of Accotink Creek

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Potomac Conservancy

Friends of Dyke Marsh

Audubon Society of Northern Virginia

Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action

Fairfax County NAACP

* The above signatories are 501(c)(3) organizations. This platform is strictly educational and is being shared with all candidates and the public. By law, our organizations are strictly prohibited from participating in, or intervening in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

Montgomery County Homeowner ADU Workshop

Posted on September 26, 2019October 10, 2019 by Jane Lyons

Thursday, November 14, 2019 @ 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Silver Spring Civic Center, Ellsworth Room, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, MD 20910

RSVP here!

Are you a homeowner in Montgomery County interested in building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU, also known as a granny flat, accessory apartment, or English basement)? Are you confused or intimidated by the process? Then, this is the event for you!

Come at 5:00 to get one-on-one guidance on building, designing, permitting, and financing your ADU. If you would like to discuss specifics about your project, please bring the required information (blueprints, financials, etc.).

The workshop will kick-off at 6:00 pm, with an introduction from CSG’s Maryland Advocacy Manager Jane Lyons and a welcome from Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer, followed by short presentations on:

Zoning: Montgomery Planning Department
Licensing and code enforcement: Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Permitting: Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services
Financing: Fannie Mae
Design and building codes: Ileana Schinder, architect
Construction: Hopkins and Porter
ADU Programs for Low-Income Homeowners: John Paukstis, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland

The presentations will be followed with a question and answer session, moderated by CSG Maryland Advocacy Manager Jane Lyons with a panel of the above presenters.

The event is free, but registration is required due to limited space!

Travel Information: The Silver Spring Civic Center is located in downtown Silver Spring, with close proximity to the Silver Spring Metro station and many nearby WMATA and RideOn bus lines. If driving, the closest parking garages are Town Square Garage (801 Ellsworth Dr) and Wayne Avenue Garage (921 Wayne Ave).

This event is brought to you in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland and Ileana Schinder, PLLC.

Photo credit: buildinganadu.com

Smart Growth Social 2019 Sponsorship Guide

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Jane Lyons

SGS sponsorship info packet 2019

A busy fall: top issues and events in DC, MD, VA

Posted on September 5, 2019October 8, 2021 by Jane Lyons

Regional Campaigns

The Bus Transformation Study is out: We need more frequent, faster, and reliable service!

The final report of the Bus Transformation Study is out! Serving on the Executive Committee we ensured the study stressed the urgency of improving our region’s bus service, including installing priority bus lanes, route redesign for more frequent service, and lower fares. With MetroHero, we issued the first DC Bus Report Card, and a set of solutions to make our buses faster, more frequent and more reliable. We’ll be pressing elected officials to implement significant bus improvements, and we hope you’ll join us in this effort.

Regional Housing Needs: We need more homes, more affordable homes near transit

Yesterday, the Urban Institute and Greater Washington Partnership issued a report showing our region needs 374,000 more housing units by 2030 including 264,000 that are affordable for families annually making $54,300 or less. We need to say yes to more homes near transit, mixed-use redevelopment of commercial strip shopping corridors, accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, expanded housing trust funds, and inclusionary policies. Join CSG in making more affordable housing accessible to transit a top priority!

CSG In Action – District of Columbia

The DC Comprehensive Plan: The critical vote is coming up on September 17

For two years, we’ve been pressing for an updated citywide Comprehensive Plan that ensures we’ll have enough homes and affordable homes as our city grows. On September 17, the DC Council will take its final vote on the Plan. We are still fighting to make more housing a priority. We’ll need you to continue to weigh in. Here’s our call to action outlining priorities for the Plan. Look for a new action alert in your in-box soon.

Parking Cashout: We STILL need one more vote to make this happen!

Do you live in Ward 4 or 5? We need your help! If your employer offers you a parking benefit, we think you should have the option to cash it out and put the funds toward your biking, walking or bus/Metro commute. Unfortunately, our bill is stuck in the D.C. Council’s Transportation & Environment Committee. Contact Councilmembers Brandon Todd and Kenyan McDuffie and let them know you support B23-148, the Transportation Benefits Equity Act of 2019. Check out our factsheet here, and our webpage here.

CSG joins with UPO to launch “DC ADU”: to help low-income renters and homeowners

United Planning Organization (UPO) in August announced the launch of ADU DC, a pilot initiative to make accessory dwelling units (ADUs) more accessible to lower-income homeowners in DC. UPO is collaborating with CSG and founding corporate supporter Citi Community Development. DC ADU will help qualified homeowners build ADUs on their property; increase access to affordable and lower-priced housing in the District; and help homeowners with information about ADU development, zoning, permitting, design, and financing.

A Community Conversation: DC’s Housing Framework for Equity and Growth

Join in the conversation to be held on Saturday, Sep 21, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Ron Brown High School in Deanwood. RSVP. This is an important city initiative analyzing how we can produce more affordable and market rate housing in the District, including achieving a more equitable distribution of new affordable housing across the city. They will examine public policies and regulations, market forces, and community dynamics.

Benning Road Streetcar Project Public Meeting #1: September 19

On Thursday, September 19, 2019, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., DDOT will hold an open house to kick off the Benning Road Reconstruction and Streetcar Project. Check out plans for DC’s streetcar extension at the event to be held at the Department of Employment Services (DOES), 4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE (Minnesota Ave. Metro station).

CSG In Action – Maryland

Event: “Climate Emergency: Montgomery County Responds”

CSG is a co-sponsor and will be tabling at “Climate Emergency: Montgomery County Responds” on Saturday, September 14th at the Silver Spring Civic Center. Attend the town hall — with a panel of advocates and county officials, moderated by WAMU reporter Jacob Fenston — and then come say hi! Learn more and RSVP here.

Save the Date!: Homeowner workshop on building an accessory apartment in Montgomery County

Mark your calendar to join CSG on Thursday, November 14th from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at the Silver Spring Civic Center to learn about the process of building an accessory apartment! We will have presentations on zoning, permitting, licensing, financing, and more, as well as a Q&A session to help demystify the process. The workshop will be limited capacity, so keep an eye out for the registration link!

Montgomery General Plan: What does the county’s future look like?

Montgomery County is kicking off its General Plan update, Thrive Montgomery 2050, which will create a vision for how we work, live, and play. Planning Department staff are touring the county to get your feedback. You can also provide input via their online quiz. We believe the county has the opportunity to be a national leader in planning and implementing a sustainable, zero-carbon emissions, walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented future.

Subdivision Staging Policy: We need to end the housing moratorium

The Subdivision Staging Policy is the tool Montgomery County uses to ensure public facilities, like schools and transportation, keep pace with development. It’s also the policy that governs the county’s harmful housing moratorium, which is discouraging walkable, transit-oriented development. CSG is working to support revisions to the policy, and you can get involved by attending the county’s community workshop on October 7th.

Prince George’s County: The Westphalia kerfuffle and zoning for TOD

We supported the Prince George’s County Council’s steps to implement its newly adopted zoning code. The changes will improve public transparency and strengthen transit-oriented development. However, the Council took a step backwards when it arbitrarily redefined the Westphalia Town Center plan to allow a 19-acre warehouse with a sea of parking, declaring the warehouse appropriate for a walkable, mixed-use development.

We joined local residents in opposing the change and talked to the Washington Post about the importance of consistency for ensuring high-quality transit-oriented communities. The corporate end user, Amazon, backed out, and we’ll be teaming with local advocates to ensure more walkable, transit-oriented communities are the focus for the county’s growth.

495/270 Toll Lanes: Smart growth offers a better alternative

Governor Hogan’s highway plan threatens the environment without actually lessening traffic congestion. We’ve been pushing for a comprehensive approach to our regional transportation needs: advancing transit projects, managing transportation demand, focusing development in walkable, transit-oriented communities, and expanding affordable housing. These measures would not only reduce emissions but would do far more to reduce travel times than adding additional highway lanes. Look for our calls to action!

CSG In Action – Virginia

Seminary Road: The Council Votes September 14!

Thank you to all who signed our petition! If you haven’t yet signed in support of the safest option — Alternative 3, please do so. Meanwhile, don’t forget to send an email to the City Council ahead of their vote on September 14.

Seminary Road between Quaker Lane and I-395 is a high-speed, four-lane road without bicycle lanes or safe crossings despite the presence of neighborhoods, schools, and Alexandria Hospital. The City of Alexandria’s Seminary Road Complete Streets Project shows the best design option is Alternative 3, which adds two protected bicycle lanes, and converts to one through car lane in each direction with a middle left-turn lane. We urge you to email the Council in support of Alternative 3.

Merrifield Plan Update: Where’s the bus rapid transit?

Fairfax County is full steam ahead with a proposed Merrifield Comprehensive Plan Amendment that will transform the old Exxon-Mobil headquarters on Gallows, and Fairview Park across I-495, into a mixed-use community. The plan protects some open space and forests, establishes strong stormwater requirements, and recommends expanded bicycle and pedestrian networks.

However, it focuses on widening roads and numerous intersections, but lacks firm commitments or timeframes to expand public transit and build the bike/ped trail network. Completely missing is a much needed bus rapid transit link to the Dunn Loring Metro Station and Tysons. The Planning Commission hearing is September 11, and Board of Supervisors, September 24. Check out the staff report here and look for our alert on Monday.

Richmond Highway: Still fighting to get the design right

Fairfax County and VDOT are moving forward with plans to widen Richmond Highway and implement Bus Rapid Transit, but we are pressing them to design Route 1 to be safer and easier to cross — asking for narrower lanes, tighter right turns, and a design speed of 35mph instead of 45 mph. It would be even better for the road to be two through lanes in each direction instead of three — but VDOT and Fairfax won’t budge on that count. Learn the latest details and provide feedback at the Richmond Highway BRT public meeting coming up on September 17 at Bryant High School in Alexandria.

Event: Tour the Railroad Cottages in Falls Church on Saturday, September 21!

Join us for the first of two fall walking tours! The award-winning Railroad Cottages in Falls Church is next to the W&OD trail and within walking or biking distance of two Metro stations. They illustrate how we can gracefully provide more homes for people. Instead of three homes, 10 EarthCraft sustainable homes were approved in a cottage format around a central walking lane, with a commons building and covered bicycle parking. CSG supported the project and is working for safer walking and bicycling access to the West Falls Church Metro. We’ll post the registration page shortly.