Thanks to all who came to our January meeting! We caught up on what’s happening with the new County Council and how we aim to advance our priorities this year! We also discussed our top issues: transit-oriented development & zoning, complete streets, better transit, and housing opportunities for all.
Category: Maryland
Join Montgomery for All!
Last week, CSG’s grassroots team Montgomery for All kicked off a year of action with a gathering at Montgomery County’s first tiny house. If you are passionate about housing, land use, and transportation, and live or work in Montgomery County, join us!
TESTIMONY: Support co-locating affordable housing on public land
CSG strongly supports this bill, which will ensure the county is doing its due diligence to pursue opportunities to build affordable housing on public land, and with opportunities for input from the public and the Council.
LETTER: Oppose MC/PG 104-23 and MC/PG 105-23
We are writing to express our strong opposition to bills MC/PG 104-23 and 105-23. Both bills would reduce the oversight and appointment powers of the County Council, granting control over critical Planning Board appointments to a single individual, the County Executive, rather than the eleven members of the Council.
TESTIMONY: Support eliminating parking requirements near transit
I am speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth in support of Bill 106-23 to eliminate parking requirements within a quarter-mile radius of Metro and Purple Line stations.
[CLOSED] We’re hiring a Maryland Transit Advocate!
Our small but mighty team is looking for a Maryland Transit Advocate to help win major state transit investments, particularly in Prince George’s County. CSG’s advocacy goals for Prince George’s include securing state-level funding for improved, equitable bus transit and to support walkable, transit-oriented development.
EVENT: Better Buses for Prince George’s: What Does it Take?
On November 9, 2022, RISE Prince George’s and CSG hosted a discussion with Metro and Prince George’s County to talk about how we can get more frequent, reliable, and accessible bus service that better meets the needs of riders and residents in Prince George’s and our region. These transit providers are seeking input as they look to redesign the bus network and prioritize buses on local roads.
RISE Prince George’s Kyle Reeder moderated this session. Maryland Delegate Jazz Lewis provided opening remarks. From WMATA, we heard from Allison Davis, Metro’s Vice President of Planning, and Raka Choudhury, Director of Bus Priority. Joining us from Prince George’s Department of Public Works and Transportation was Semia Hackett, Associate Director of Transportation, and Efon Epanty, Chief of Planning and Innovation.
Materials
In a 9-0 vote, the Montgomery County Council says YES to Thrive
After over three years of advocacy, it’s done. On October 25, the Montgomery County Council passed Thrive 2050, which is now the new general plan for the county.
Voices from the Community: Pass Thrive 2050 Now!
Check out our new video showcasing four residents’ personal stories about living in Montgomery County and their hopes for the future. Gretchen, Paul, Yvonne, and Marion support Thrive 2050 and want to see the County Council embrace Thrive’s vision for the future.
COMMENTS: Thrive Coalition Sign-on Letter (Fall 2022)
September 30, 2022
Montgomery County Council
Council Office Building
100 Maryland Ave, 6th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
Re: Support for Thrive Montgomery 2050
Council President Albornoz and Councilmembers:
The undersigned organizations are excited for the County Council to strengthen and approve Thrive 2050 this fall. Thrive is the right direction and vision for Montgomery County.
Thrive — as currently written and with the inclusion of new chapters on equity, the economy, and the environment — will set the county on a new path toward more sustainable, inclusive policies that will help to spur our economy, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and break down the county’s east-west divide. Although it is a visionary document, that vision matters. The best way for us to grow is compactly in complete communities with a robust transit system, abundant housing for people of all incomes, and a natural environment and infrastructure that will help us to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
These are policies supported by our organizations and residents alike. In a statistically significant poll from Data for Progress, 55% of likely Democratic voters in Montgomery County expressed support for Thrive, with the strongest support from Black or African Americans, people under 45, and renters. In another poll, 61% of respondents supported the construction of duplexes, townhomes, and/or apartments in their own neighborhood and 76% supported redesigning roads to prioritize safety over vehicle speeds. Nspiregreen’s additional outreach also showed majority support across Thrive’s issues and policies.
But Thrive is only the beginning. We look forward to working with you, your successors, and the community over the next three decades to bring Thrive’s vision into reality. For now, our organizations urge you to make the amendments needed to make Thrive an even stronger document, and then to pass the plan by the end of this County Council term.
Sincerely,
Montgomery for All
Coalition for Smarter Growth
Action in Montgomery
Audubon Naturalist Society
Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County
Sierra Club – Montgomery County
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing
Montgomery Housing Alliance
HAND (Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers)
Washington Area Bicyclist Association
Enterprise Community Partners
Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland
Action Committee for Transit