Category: Emails

Tell Councilmember Todd you support flexible commute options!

Posted on by Cheryl Cort
 We’ve got to convince Councilmember Todd to vote for flexible commuter benefits

For several years, we’ve been working on a bill at the D.C. Council for flexible commuter benefits. The bill would let anyone who gets a parking benefit from their employer to put the equivalent value towards their biking, bus, Metro, or walking commute. It’s a change that would give D.C. workers more flexibility and take cars off the road – at no additional cost to employers.

We are now at a political crossroads. To advance the bill out of the Council committee, we need one more vote – either Councilmember McDuffie or Todd (we’ve already got Councilmembers Cheh and Allen). Please help us encourage these Councilmembers to support the bill. Show your Councilmember that his constituents are paying attention and want flexible commuter benefits!

Click here to let Councilmember Todd know that you support this important bill.

What’s in the bill?

The Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act 2019 Bill 23-148 builds on the existing pre-tax transit benefit employers offer to employees at no cost. This bill requires that if an employee turns down a parking space offered by their employer, they would be provided the equivalent value for an alternative commute benefit – like riding transit, walking or bicycling.

B23-148 is largely the same as last year’s bill, applying to employers with 20 or more employees that choose to subsidize employee car parking. One change in the reintroduced bill exempts employers that own their parking spaces. While the Coalition for Smarter Growth is disappointed in this provision, overall, B23-148 is an important bill to reduce traffic and pollution, encourage more sustainable commuting, and give employees better transportation choices.

Email your councilmember today.

To win this groundbreaking commuter benefits bill, we need you! As a constituent of Ward 4 Councilmember Todd, let him know that you to support this bill.

Want to do more? Call Councilmember Todd‘s office 202-724-8052 and politely tell their staff (or leave a voicemail) that you support the commuter benefits bill (Bill 23-148).

Have questions on the policy, the details, or what else we have to say on flexible commuter benefits? Check out our factsheet here, and our issue page here, or reply to this email with your question!

 

Photo/credit Womanonbike_KevinKovaleskiDDOT_wordpress

Stop Gov. Hogan’s Toll Lanes at the MD Board of Public Works

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Protect MD taxpayers by putting the brakes on a rushed Beltway/I-270 P3 deal

Governor Hogan and MDOT Secretary Rahn are bulldozing ahead with their proposal for massive toll lane expansion on the Capital Beltway and I-270 – four new lanes on each highway at an estimated cost of $9 billion to $11 billion dollars. There are so many things wrong with this deal we won’t be able to tell you all of them.

A crucial vote will take place Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at the Maryland Board of Public Works: whether to authorize this for a Public-Private Partnership (P3) deal. This powerful body can say yes, no, or pull it off the agenda to allow for further review. Only the Governor, State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, and State Comptroller Peter Franchot sit on the Board, and Peter Franchot is the swing vote.

Take Action: Email Comptroller Franchot today and urge him to join Treasurer Kopp in putting the brakes on this project.

As Comptroller, Franchot has a responsibility to Maryland taxpayers and Franchot should vote to delay the vote pending more in-depth and independent review. The Pre-Solicitation Report includes clauses that put taxpayers at risk:

  1. If the toll road developer defaults on its commitments, and Maryland wishes to terminate – the state will still have to pay partial compensation to the developer’s lenders.
  2. If a court issues a ruling that blocks the project (such as for environmental impacts) the toll road developer must be compensated.
  3. Lawyers working for the state have hatched a complex scheme called the “MDTA notes” to get around legal obstacles that could impede the financing of the toll lanes. Not enough has been disclosed about this scheme for outsiders to judge whether it will work, whether it will put state taxpayers at risk, or whether it is even legal.

This proposed deal bears all the hallmarks of Virginia’s early disastrous P-3 deals, which included paying $300 million for a highway never built, and a tunnel deal with exorbitant tolls that required state payments to reduce the tolls. The main argument for doing a P3 per P3 supporters is to shift the risk to the private sector. That’s not happening here. See this critical report on the Virginia issues.

Take Action: Email Comptroller Franchot today and urge him to join Treasurer Kopp in putting the brakes on this project.

Meanwhile, Franchot shouldn’t take the Washington Post’s portrayal of its poll as indicating widespread support for the toll lanes. While 61% support the toll road at first, when people are next asked about their concerns, those concerns are overwhelming and very real:

  • 73% of people are very or somewhat concerned about the loss of homes
  • 69% of people very or somewhat concerned that the road will be too expensive to use
  • 68% of people very or somewhat concerned that the road will not reduce congestion

The Post never asked the important follow-up question – something like: “Upon reflection, if these issues are indeed the case, do you support or oppose the toll lanes?”

Secretary Rahn’s is playing on the real frustration with congestion. But new and expanded highways in metropolitan areas fill up in as little as five years. The general-purpose lanes will fill up again. In fact, the toll road operator depends on general-purpose lanes staying congested, and increasing capacity on the Beltway and I-270 will also lead to more congestion on connecting roads.

It’s never a good idea to start with your conclusion and then bias the whole process. But that’s what’s happening here and happened with Virginia’s early P3 deals. The Governor and Secretary have:

  1. Refused to study a smart growth alternative
  2. Rejected all transit alternatives
  3. Refused to complete the environmental and community impact analysis before they plan to solicit bids from toll road companies
  4. Failed to be transparent to our legislators and the public, blocking legislation that would protect the public and the environment

The most effective long-term response to traffic is smart growth – creating more walkable, transit-oriented communities (building out our Metro stations in Prince George’s and Montgomery), combined with more transit (Purple Line, MARC, Metro, Bus Rapid Transit), and demand management incentives like expanded transit benefits. This is the only way to handle our population growth without more traffic. The Council of Government’s Long-Range Transportation Plan study (see Phase II Executive Summary Table E3) showed that Balanced Land Use, Demand Management, Bus Rapid Transit networks, and Metro all performed better than toll lanes as regional solutions.

It’s time to stop the headlong rush into a bad decision and a bad deal.

Email Comptroller Franchot today!

Thank you,

Stewart Schwartz

Executive Director

Together, we saved the D.C. Affordable Housing Preservation Fund

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

D.C. Council restores money to the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund!

On May 28, 2019, the D.C. Council voted to allocate $11.5 million for the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund  – one of D.C.’s critical tools to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement. When we contacted you on Friday asking you to take action, it was because the D.C. Council had amended the Mayor’s proposed fiscal year 2020 budget and reduced the funding for the Preservation Fund from $15 million to zero.

Nearly 100 of CSG activists rose to the challenge, and thanks to your letters and comments, by the time the Council reconvened on Tuesday, they had restored $7.5 million to the Preservation Fund! In a final switch, the D.C. Council voted to take $4 million out of the Housing Production Trust Fund and put it into the Preservation Fund, resulting in a final allocation of $11.5 million. Restoring funding was a huge lift and we could not have done it without you!

While CSG is disappointed that this additional funding came from the Housing Production Trust Fund, which helps to fund the production and rehabilitation of affordable units, the Preservation Fund provides the money for the Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA). Giving tenants an opportunity to purchase their homes is a critical tool to prevent displacement, and we are confident this money will be put to good use. Last year, the Preservation Fund saved nearly 900 affordable homes across the entire city.

We are so grateful to everyone for taking action in the run up to a long weekend to ensure that this critical fund continues to support tenants and the District as they seek to buy buildings and preserve them as affordable housing.

Tell the D.C. Council to restore the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund – it’s our leading tool to combat displacement

Tell the D.C. Council to restore the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund – it’s our leading tool to combat displacement

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Two reports recently deemed D.C. the most gentrifying city in America. Yet, D.C. Council’s draft FY2020 budget proposes to eliminate one of our most effective tools that prevents displacement. This tool, the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund, provides quick financing to tenant associations and the District to buy apartment buildings when they go up for sale. But now, the D.C. Council’s draft FY2020 budget would eliminate funding for this crucial preservation tool.

Act today and tell the DC Council to restore funding to the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund. It’s on the front line of fighting displacement and preserving affordability.

D.C. is an expensive city and increasingly unaffordable to many residents. But we can make a difference in the policies and investments that we make. One of our most effective tools to prevent displacement is the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund.

This vital tool leverages private dollars to provide timely financing to low-income tenants who are determined to remain in D.C. In just two years, the fund is already preserving nearly 900 homes all over the city. Building on this success, the Mayor’s FY2020 budget proposed $15 million for the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund, up from last year’s $10 million.

Map of Preservation Fund-assisted buildings provided by LISC, www.liscdc.org

But the D.C. Council’s proposed budget would zero out this essential loan fund. The loss of this money will leave many tenant association and District deals that could preserve affordable housing and prevent the displacement of long-time residents unfunded.

Before the Council votes next Tuesday, May 28, let Chairman Mendelson and the D.C. Council know that you support the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund and want to ensure it continues to help D.C. residents stay in their homes and preserve affordable housing.

Want more information? See: DC is on track to cut this affordable housing preservation tool.

UPDATE: Due to all of our strong advocacy, on Friday, May 24, the D.C. Council budget added $7.5 million to the Preservation Fund. While this is an enormous improvement, we are still seeking funding at least on par with last year’s budget of $10 million, if not the Mayor’s proposed increase to $15 million. Click here to take action.

 

Smart Growth Events — March-April

Posted on by Stewart Schwartz

Hi Friend!

Happy Spring! We have a lot of big news and events to share!

On April 23 we’ll be honoring Rushern Baker, former Prince George’s County Executive with our Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award, and the DC-area League of Women Voters with our Sanders-Henn Community Hero Award. We hope you will join us at Tico restaurant in DC from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for delicious food, great company, and to celebrate these amazing indivduals and thier leadership on smart growth. Sign up to sponsor or buy your individual tickets. We hope to see you there!

We’re hiring for two great positions — Communications Manager and Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager. Learn more here and apply at jobs@smartergrowth.net.

It’s shaping up to be a big year in advocacy for smarter growth and we welcome your involvement. With town, county, and state legislative elections in Virginia, we are teaming with partners on a Healthy Communities Platform to call for transit-oriented communities with safer streets for walking and bicycling, more transit, more affordable housing, parks and restored streams.

 

Never before has it been more important for our region to focus growth in walkable, mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented communities. We have just a decade to significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions, and we can’t do so without major reductions in driving. These dynamic communities also improve access to jobs and opportunity, allow for improved health and human interaction, and are a far more effective approach to addressing our transportation challenges than massive highway expansion.
We hope you will join us in supporting smarter growth and healthier communities in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia at these upcoming events and hearings.

Upcoming Events

Wharf Phase II Kick Off Celebration and Family Fun Day

Sat, March 30, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

The Wharf — 600 Water Street, SW, Washington, D.C.

 

Northern Virginia Housing Expo 

Sat, March 30, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Washington-Lee High School, 1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington

A free public event for first-time homeownership, rental opportunities and resources throughout Northern Virginia: location options, being prepared for buying or renting, understanding and improving credit scores, senior housing options, condominium governance, improving energy efficiency, and more. For more information check here.

 

Beer+Transit Networking Event

Mon., April 1, 2019, 6:00 p.m.

Busboys and Poets, 450 K St NW, Washington, D.C.

The Rail Passengers Association presents a Beer+Transit networking event as part of the 2019 #RailNationDC Spring Advocacy Conference. Guest speaker is Joe McAndrew, Director of Transportation Policy at the Greater Washington Partnership. Tickets are $12.00.

 

MPC Annual Spring Lecture: Robert Sampson “Urban Neighborhoods and American Life”

Wed, April 3, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

American University, School of International Service Founders Room, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

Professor Robert J. Sampson of Harvard University will deliver the Metropolitan Policy Center’s fifth Annual Spring Lecture. He is the Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University. A reception will follow the lecture. RSVP here.

 

The Climate Crisis: Impacts and Solutions

Tues, April 9, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

GMU Founders Hall, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington (Virginia Square Metro)

Talk by Jay Fisette, former Arlington Board member and managing partner for DMV Strategic Advisors, presenting Al Gore’s compelling slide deck and leading a panel discussion. Hosted by EcoAction Arlington, Coalition for Smarter Growth and Encore Learning. Attend and join us in emphasizing the importance of smart growth for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

ACT April Meeting: What’s the Future of the Bus?

Tues., Apr. 9, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Dan Malouff (GWU professor, Alexandria planner) will be speaking on the future of bus transit.

 

Prince William Supervisor Candidate Forum on Climate and Sustainability

Mon, April 15, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Chin Park Regional Library, 13065 Chinn Park Drive, Woodbridge, VA

Hosted by the Greater Prince William Climate Action Network and other partners. Prince William has some of the highest rates of driving in the region and scattered land use — meaning even bigger steps are necessary to find land use and workable transit solutions. (CSG is a 501(c)3 and does not endorse or work on behalf of any candidate for office.)

 

Stand up for Smart Growth

Events listed under D.C, Maryland, Virginia, and regional below.

District of Columbia

Protected Bike Lanes for 20th/21st/22ndStreet NW– Public Meeting #3

Sat, April 13, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens, 2425 N Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

Attend this open house to learn about and comment on DDOT’s recommended alternative. Learn more about D.C.’s protected bike lane studies here.

Maryland

Montgomery Council work sessions on Accessory Dwelling Units

Planning, Housing & Economic Development Committee

Thurs, April 4, 9:30 a.m.

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 19-01 would make ADU’s easier and more affordable to build. Read more here and see a fact sheet here. You can submit comments by email here.

 

Montgomery Planning Open House on Rock Spring Master Plan Design Guidelines

Thurs., Mar. 28, 2019 at 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD

The Rock Spring Master Plan envisions this 535-acre office park, as walkable, mixed-use community with new housing and retail, and a central circulation spine for a future BRT.

Virginia

PEC Community Meeting on the Loudoun2040 plan

Wed, March 27, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Middleburg Community Center, Middleburg, VA

The latest in a series of information sessions on the Loudoun2040 comprehensive plan, what’s at stake and how to get involved. Learn more here.

 

Eisenhower East Small Area Plan 2019 Update Open House

Wed, March 27, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Eisenhower Center III Office Building, 2331 Mill Road, 6thFloor

The city is evaluating flexibility of land uses, building heights, potential additional development, retail, and ped/bike issues. Attend to encourage improved placemaking, retail, and pedestrian and bicycle features to enhance Alexandria’s highest density Metro-oriented center. Learn more here.

 

Oakville Triangle and Route 1 Corridor Vision Plan Update for Virginia Tech Innovation Campus

Mon, April 1, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Oakville Triangle warehouse, 444 Swann Ave, Alexandria

The first in a series of meetings about Virginia Tech’s planned Innovation Campus. For additional information, visit the project webpage and the City’s National Landing webpage.

 

Richmond Highway (Route 1) Urban Design Guidelines Pop-up Studios

Thurs, April 4, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Sat, April 6, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Mount Vernon Plaza Shopping Center 7648 Richmond Highway (behind McDonalds)

Share your ideas at Pop-UP STUDIOs showcase pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and building design ideas for the Richmond Highway corridor.

 

Arlington’s Plan Lee Highway Design Studios

Every other Fri, April 5, 19, May 3, 17, 31, from Noon to 3:30 p.m.

Russell Building, 4620 Lee Highway, Suite 208, Arlington, VA

An opportunity for residents, business owners, and community members to view the latest study materials, meet with project planners, ask questions and share ideas.

Regional

2019 NLIHC Housing Policy Forum: Seizing the Moment for Bold Solutions

Wed., Mar. 27, 2019 at 8 a.m. through Fri., Mar. 29, 2019 at 5 p.m.

525 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20001

Join affordable housing advocates, thought-leaders, policy experts, researchers, housing providers, low income residents, and leaders from Capitol Hill to advance bold solutions to homelessness and housing poverty in America.

 

CSG In Action

Workforce housing:  Last week, on the heels of Mayor Bowser’s proposal to increase funding for affordable housing, we issued our report: Making Workforce Housing Work: Understanding Housing Needs for D.C.’s Changing Workforce, urging D.C. to increase the total supply of housing, and target housing support toward working households at 50% of area median income and below. We recommend the city dramatically increase funding for its Local Rent Supplement Program and Housing Production Trust Fund, and use Inclusionary Zoning, Planned Unit Developments, and other zoning tools to produce more housing that is affordable. See our post in GGWash.

 

Amazon:  We filed testimony in support of the local Arlington incentives for Amazon’s location in Crystal City/Pentagon City, while urging laser focus by the county and state on affordable housing preservation and expansion, including a doubling of the county’s housing trust fund. We noted that the state/local transportation package is very progressive in focusing on transit, walk and bike modes and urged Amazon to achieve a 65% non-auto mode share.

 

Bus Transformation Project: We are serving on the Executive Committee for this regional study on how to improve bus service. Public meetings are coming later this spring. In the meantime you can find all study documents here.

Coming Up: A book talk, a brown-bag lunch, and Bus to Work Day

Posted on by Alex Baca

Happy February! Read on for upcoming CSG events and public meetings where your voice is needed in support of people-friendly streets and neighborhoods.

Upcoming Events

Book Talk: Christof Spieler: An Opinionated Atlas of U.S. Transit
Tues., Feb. 5, 5:30-8 p.m.
Smith Public Trust

Join us and Island Press for a talk with Houston-based community leader, urban planner, and transit enthusiast Christof Spieler, whose book Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of U.S. Transit profiles 47 metropolitan rail and bus systems. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong; at this talk, he’ll give a brief presentation and answer questions. Cash bar available. This event is free, but please register here.

Brown-Bag Lunch: Making Workforce Housing Work
Thurs., Feb. 7, 12-1:30 p.m.
West End Library Meeting Room

Join Somerset Development Company project manager Patrick McAnaney, Enterprise Community Partners Mid-Atlantic State & Local Policy Director Melissa Bondi, and CSG Policy Director Cheryl Cort to discuss the results of a new research paper about workforce housing in D.C. Workforce housing policies and subsidies are intended to fill the gap between what workers earn and what they can afford—but those that exist don’t fully account for the fact that eight of the 20 most common types of jobs in D.C. earn well below what it costs to afford rent or own a home in the city. We’ll discuss the numbers behind workforce housing, and possible solutions. Bring your lunch! This event is free, but please register here.

Save the Date: Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award reception
Tues., April 23, 5 p.m.
Tico

Save the date for CSG’s annual Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award reception! We will return to Tico, on 14th Street in D.C., to honor smart-growth champions in our region. More information and ticket sales coming soon.

Stand Up for Smart Growth

The following public meetings and open comment periods are great opportunities to tell decisionmakers that you’d like people who walk, bike, and take transit to be prioritized in projects.

D.C.
Bus to Work Day
Mon., Feb. 4
14th and Buchanan streets NW
Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd has introduced legislation to designate Feb. 4 as Bus to Work Day in D.C., coinciding with National Transit Equity Day. Councilmember Todd will be taking the 7:45 a.m. 59 bus to work from 14th and Buchanan streets; join him by taking the bus for your commute, too. Learn more here.

Rock Creek East I Livability Meeting
Wed., Feb. 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library
Learn more here; register here

20th/21st/22nd Street Cycletrack
Comments open until Wed., Feb. 13
Learn more and submit comments here, or email megan.kanagy@dc.gov

D.C. Council Oversight Hearings

  • DDOT Performance Hearing: Mon. Feb. 25, 11 a.m.
  • DDOT Budget Hearing: Thurs., April 11, 11 a.m.
  • Office of Planning Performance Hearing: Thurs., Feb. 28, 11 a.m.
  • Office of Planning Budget Hearing: Tues., March 26, 11 a.m.

More information for budget hearings here and performance hearings here

Maryland
Montgomery County ADU Regulation Hearing
Tues., Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
3rd Floor hearing room, Council office building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville
ZTA 19-01 would remove certain regulations on ADUs to make them easier and more affordable to build. Read more here, and see a fact sheet here. You must sign up to testify at this meeting, or you can submit comments by email to County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov

Virginia
Plan Lee Highway Kickoff Meeting
Tues., Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
Washington-Lee High School
Learn more here

West Falls Church Economic Development Project Town Hall and Council Meeting
Town Hall: Sun., Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
City Council: Mon., Feb. 25, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Community Center, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church
Learn more here

Loudoun 2040 Comprehensive Plan Work Sessions
Thurs., Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14, and Feb. 28
Dulles Room, Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg
Learn more here

And, stay up to date with what’s going on with Amazon here.

Regional
Metro Budget Open Houses and Hearings
Thurs., Jan. 31
Greenbelt Library, 11 Crescent Road
Open house at 6 p.m., public hearing at 6:30 p.m.

Tues., Feb. 5 (rescheduled from Jan. 29)
Metro HQ, 600 5th St. NW
Open house at 5:30 p.m., public hearing at 6 p.m.

More information here. If you missed the Jan. 30 open house in Alexandria, or can’t attend the above meetings, take the online survey.

CSG In the News

Executive Director Stewart Schwartz was quoted in Alexandria Living‘s coverage of the Embark Richmond Highway plan (for more on the plan, read Greater Greater Washington):
“Overall, it’s a very positive vision for the future for really the oldest corridor in the county, “ said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a DC-based advocacy group. “It would create walkable, transit oriented-communities with a network of streets, strong bicycling infrastructure… [and] green ecological corridors running through it.”
Engagement Director Alex Baca was on The Kojo Nnamdi Show to discuss regional housing needs and how to make housing affordable for different generations.

In Case You Missed It

Smart-growth supporters—like you!—raised over $152,000 during our annual year-end campaign. Over 30 percent of our budget comes from individual contributions, and we can’t thank you enough for your gift. If you’d like to give to the Coalition for Smarter Growth, smartergrowth.net/donate is always open.

Thanks, and we hope to see you soon!

Support a livable, walkable D.C. region today!

Photo by Flickr user MW Transit User