![[CLOSED] We’re hiring a Montgomery Advocacy Manager!](https://smartergrowth.net/wp-content/themes/guten/images/blank_blocks_img.png)
Our small but mighty team is looking for a Montgomery Advocacy Manager to achieve the following advocacy goals: walkable, inclusive transit-oriented development, more housing opportunities close to jobs and transit, strong affordable housing policies and investment, transit funding and better buses, and safer streets for walking and biking, while opposing highway expansion and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Category: Montgomery County
MoCo Better Buses Letter on Ride On Reimagined Study Outreach
The Montgomery Better Buses coalition members and other signatories are excited about the upcoming Ride On Reimagined Study and its potential to greatly improve bus service in Montgomery County.
All About Thrive #5: Thrive, more housing options, and safe streets are all popular
Recent Data for Progress polls about Thrive 2050, constructing new homes, and redesigning roads for safety over speed showed majority support for all three.
TESTIMONY re: Bill 22-22E – Landlord-Tenant Relations – Limitations on Rent Increases (Support)
The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports Bill 22-22E, which would limit rent increases to 4.4 percent for six months, and strongly urges you to develop and implement a long-term policy that protects tenants without hindering the construction of new housing. We also associate ourselves with the testimony of the Montgomery Housing Alliance, of which we are a member.
TAKE ACTION: Keep Upper Beach Drive for walking and rolling year round!
Submit your comments by August 11 to support a continued car-free Upper Beach Drive during the summer (proposed) but also make it year around too!
Register for our Diverse Neighborhoods webinar, on July 27!
Join us to learn about how the right policies and investments can allow neighborhoods to grow in a way that support racial and economic diversity. The DC region is one of the most diverse places in the country, but remains largely segregated. We’ll talk about the latest research, the policy implications, and why it matters to yo
All About Thrive #4: A county with more housing options
Today we’re covering what Thrive 2050 says about “missing middle” housing. This is the fourth installment in our “All About Thrive” email series.
CSG in the News: How a new transit network will improve transportation in western Montgomery County
“A lot of the job growth that we’ve seen is in the Great Seneca Science Corridor” is car-dependent, “so bringing better transit will help guide that growth in a direction that is more transit oriented.”
All About Thrive #3: A home for everyone, and new poll finds Thrive is popular
Thrive is popular! A new poll shows that Thrive has a majority of support from likely Democratic voters in Montgomery County, with the strongest support from Black and African American residents, people under 45, and renters. A total of 55% of survey respondents were in support, with only 21% opposed.
TAKE ACTION: The future of bus rapid transit in Montgomery County
CSG won Montgomery County’s 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Plan, which envisioned a new Flash bus rapid transit (BRT) system along major roadways. We’ve advocated to implement the plan ever since, and this past month we won actual construction funding for BRT on Veirs Mill Road and MD-355 between Germantown and Rockville! These, along with other routes, are moving forward with planning, design, and construction.
BRT is a higher quality bus service that operates more frequently; has limited stops; runs in a dedicated bus-only median or curb lane; and offers features like all-door boarding, wi-fi, and off-board fare collection. Montgomery’s first Flash route opened along US-29, although it doesn’t have dedicated bus lanes (working on that!).
See below for many, many opportunity to get involved and provide input on the upcoming BRT projects! When providing input, we’d urge you to share the following:
- Prioritize median, dedicated bus-only lanes — this is the gold standard for BRT and keeps buses fast, reliable, and out of traffic
- Routes should connect the places where the most people live and work
- Bus stops should be easy and safe to access for people walking and biking
MD-355 (Rockville Pike)
The MD-355 will connect Clarksburg, Gaithersburg, Rockville, North Bethesda, and Bethesda. The project is in the preliminary engineering phase and seeking feedback. Residents from anywhere in the county can take the feedback survey.
Visit the MD-355 BRT project website
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New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue BRT would connect Colesville, White Oak, Adelphi, Silver Spring, and other communities along the corridor. This route is in the study stages, and they need community feedback on station locations and other features. Register for the online meeting, and/or arrive anytime during the open house hours!
Visit the New Hampshire Ave BRT project website
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North Bethesda Transitway
The North Bethesda Transitway will connect the Montgomery Mall Transit Center to either the White Flint or Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station. The county want your input on the termini point and stop locations. Register for the June 9 or June 21 online open house, or attend the June 13 in-person open house.
Visit the North Bethesda BRT project website
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