Category: Better Public Transit

CSG testimony to Prince George’s House Delegation for 2024 session

Overall, CSG urges the delegation to act through legislation, administrative oversight, and budget oversight to prioritize transit, and redirect highway capacity expansion projects to sustainable multimodal transportation solutions. We also urge support for Rental Housing Works to ensure Prince George’s has the resources it needs for its robust affordable housing program.

CSG comments on Ride On Reimagined

A majority of riders also specifically identified more frequent service as a higher priority for them than shorter distances to bus stops: “When given the choice, most prefer shorter waits between buses more than they want shorter walks to the bus stop.”

For this reason and according to Ride On Reimagined’s own survey data we believe that frequent bus service should be a higher priority than on-demand (Flex) service. Plans for future bus service should reflect the fact that a majority of riders have identified frequency as their top priority.

CSG in the News: “Ride On Reimagined” will bring Montgomery County’s buses into the 21st century — if it’s funded

“And this is something that we’ve been working with WMATA on.” Carrie Kisicki, Montgomery Advocacy Manager, at the Coalition for Smarter Growth, mentioned two important routes in the draft plan, 170a from Bethesda to Germantown, and 102a from Silver Spring to Germantown, with connections to White Oak and Aspen Hill. “The Express routes will be run 7 days a week at high enough frequencies to provide truly useful upcounty-downcounty connections,” she explained, providing service to areas with great need.

Comments on MDOT Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) Tour FY24-29, Prince George’s County

As a member of the statewide Transform Maryland Transportation Coalition (TMTC), we ask MDOT to flex 50% of the federal funds, as allowed by federal law, from the Surface Transportation Block Grant and National Highway Performance Program formulas towards needed investments in eligible transit, safer streets, bicycle, and pedestrian projects, and transit vehicle electrification.

CSG in the News: As Va. officials review SMART SCALE, some regional planners worry about shifting priorities

October 2, 2023 | Virginia Mercury | Nathaniel Cline

“We certainly think there’s a lot of focus on highway road expansion statewide and no focus on climate change impacts with this approach,” said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

CSG in the News: Metro’s Financial Crisis Demands Leadership from D.C. But the Prospect of New Taxes is Making Politicians Skittish.

“I think they’re frustrated with having to lead the way, but I do think it is so much easier for the District to lead on this,” says Stewart Schwartz, the executive director of the influential Coalition for Smarter Growth and a veteran of many Metro funding debates.