Category: Press Releases

STATEMENT: Greater Washington Partnership’s “Advancing our Region: Preface to a Blueprint for a Better Region” report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2017

CONTACT:
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director
stewart@smartergrowth.net
703-599-6437 (c)

Aimee Custis, Deputy Director
aimee@smartergrowth.net
202-431-7185 (c)

Statement on Greater Washington Partnership’s “Advancing our Region: Preface to a Blueprint for a Better Region” report

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Greater Washington Partnership released the report “Advancing our Region: Preface to a Blueprint for a Better Region.” Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, issued the following statement:

“The Greater Washington Partnership (GWP) report places a welcome emphasis on the critical importance of Metro and transit investments in general, including seeking better downtown to downtown higher speed rail connections. It notes how major corporations are seeking out Metro station locations to ensure transportation options and attractiveness to next generation employers, and the importance of addressing transportation if we are going to retain and attract next-generation employees.”

“We look forward to bringing our coalition of land use, conservation, housing, and transportation advocates to the table with the GWP. With over 20 years of experience on these interconnected issues at the local, regional, and state level, we have a lot to offer.”

“We will recommend from the outset that the GWP include and address the critical role of land use for addressing our transportation challenges. If we keep spreading out and separating homes from work and services, we will keep generating more and more driving and traffic.”

“The massive transportation needs wish lists that have been developed and are cited in the report, fail to address land use. They were generated without evaluating better ways to grow or accounting for the problem of induced travel (induced demand) which fills up new lane capacity in as little as five years. Therefore those wish lists and requested funding can’t be relied upon as a plan that we should implement.”

“The Coalition for Smarter Growth issued its own Blueprint for a Better Region in 2002 and we’ve shown versions of it hundreds of time in the years since. The vision we’ve promoted is one of a network of mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable, and transit-oriented communities linked by a restored and expanded transit network. The Urban Land Institute’s 2005 Reality Check conference and the Council of Government’s (COG) plan have validated this regional transit and transit-oriented development (TOD) vision, which COG adopted in its Region Forward plan. Today, elected officials in nearly every jurisdiction are advancing TOD — although in some cases not nearly fast enough.

Every resident who lives and/or works in a mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented community has the opportunity to drive less, and use other modes — helping the road network in the process. Moreover, people are increasingly attracted to the health and quality of life benefits of walkable places with good transit. And as the GWP report notes, so are corporations. These include Marriott, Hilton, Nestle, Choice Hotels, and Amazon.”

“So this land use approach should be a core part of the regional Blueprint. Again, we commend the Greater Washington Partnership for this initial report and we look forward to helping bring a range of stakeholders to the table with the GWP to shape a more sustainable, equitable, and competitive region.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth:
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. Learn more at smartergrowth.net.
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STATEMENT: Is Virginia Proposing the Best Site for Amazon? CSG statement on Washington region’s Amazon HQ2 bids

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth
(703) 599-6437
stewart@smartergrowth.net

WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Post reported today that Fairfax and Loudoun counties, with the support of Virginia Governor McAuliffe, intend to propose to Amazon the CIT site next to the Innovation Station on Metro’s Silver Line, while excluding Tysons and other options. Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, issued the following statement:

“While we appreciate that a Metro station site is being offered and that the CIT site provides proximity to Dulles Airport, the Coalition for Smarter Growth is deeply concerned both about the closed-door process and the failure to offer other Metro station locations worthy of consideration and by some measures better suited to absorbing this major employer. The public should have an opportunity to help shape the bids based upon the locations that offer the best combination of transit, and mixed-use walkable urbanism.

“It is a testament to the value of high-capacity transit like our Metro system, that Amazon is joining dozens of other large corporations in selecting transit station locations.  In our region alone, the companies include Marriott, Choice Hotels, Hilton, Nestle, and Capital One. But not all Metro stations are created equal, and not all have the attributes necessary to host this very large employer, particularly one showing a clear preference for good urbanism.

“We agree that in Virginia, Tysons should be a prime site on the table — with four Metro stations and Metro access to two airports, a planned grid of streets, and a plan for funding all of the features and amenities for a mixed-use walkable community. In contrast, the Innovation Station and CIT site are far behind in planning, the station area is divided by the massively wide Dulles Toll Road, and the site is so far out that it’s out of reach of a large proportion of the region’s workforce.”

“In addition, the state and localities should offer Potomac Yard/Crystal City, a transit community with at least three Metro stations (three with National Airport and four if you count Pentagon City), bus rapid transit, VRE, a grid of streets and strong walkable mixed-use network already in place, along with direct access to Reagan National Airport. Crystal City BID and landowners have been proposing direct pedestrian connection from a relocated VRE station to the airport terminal.

“Sites in DC might be too expensive or lack sufficient land area, except perhaps the RFK site or Poplar Point, but should be considered. As for Maryland, the growing urban neighborhood at New Carrollton has Metro, MARC, Amtrak, and good access to both BWI and Reagan National Airports; although like Tysons, it needs to implement a better street grid.  A Prince George’s location would help address regional jobs/housing imbalances, and imbalances in Metro and Beltway traffic flows.

“But the bottom line is that we need an opportunity for an open process with public input where the possible sites in the region are fully vetted to provide the best combination of transit options, urban mix of uses, walkability, and airport access, and that we don’t rush into a site which will impose more costs than benefits to our region. We know from the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission shift of tens of thousands of jobs, that these location decisions can have costly and negative effects on our transportation network and other infrastructure, if they are not fully vetted.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. Learn more atsmartergrowth.net.

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RELEASE: Governor Hogan’s highways-first approach to transportation will fail Maryland communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth
(703) 599-6437
stewart@smartergrowth.net

Governor Hogan’s highways-first approach to transportation will fail Maryland communities

MARYLAND — Today, Maryland Governor Hogan proposed to spend (at least) $9 billion to expand three of Maryland’s major highways in the Washington, DC metro area. The plans call to expand the entire Maryland portion of the Capital Beltway by four high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes – two in each direction. I-270 would also see a four-lane expansion. Maryland would also take over the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from the National Park Service, and add four additional HOT lanes as well.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth urged the Governor to pause and consider the full picture of land use and transportation issues affecting central Maryland before deciding on the best approach.“The Governor and Secretary Rahn risk wasting billions of tax dollars and family resources from Maryland residents with this massive set of highway expansions,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “The fiscally-prudent approach is to study and adopt reasonable alternatives that include land use solutions.

“Smart growth, demand management, and transit investments are the only fiscally-responsible long-term approach, but the big multi-national toll road construction consortiums have been hijacking our transportation planning process promoting massive toll lane projects,” said Schwartz.“The public ultimately pays with these public-private partnerships, through federally-subsidized loans, direct public payments, their tolls, and the impact to neighborhoods and the environment,” said Schwartz.

“A four-lane expansion of the Beltway would be hugely expensive and have a destructive impact on neighborhoods, tree cover, streams, and the environment in the path. For such expense and damage, expansion is only a short-term fix, as experience shows that even with HOT lanes, traffic will return to the general purpose lanes, and attract even more travelers,” said Schwartz. “Even with HOT lanes the number of vehicles on the combined HOT and general purpose lanes would expand and those additional vehicles would then exit onto already overloaded connecting arterials. That’s why we have to look at alternatives that provide options to driving for so many trips.”

The Coalition for Smarter Growth called for an objective study of a more sustainable long-term approach to include:

  1. Completing the first phase of the Purple Line and extending it all the way around to make a full set of connections to activity centers within and near the Beltway.
  2. Focus on the primary bottleneck at the American Legion Bridge, providing a near-term express bus in a dedicated lane in each direction tying into the I-270 HOV lanes.
  3. Advancing MARC commuter rail expansion plan with more frequent trains, expanded hours, and increased bi-directional service.
  4. Investing in smart growth – mixed-use, walkable, transit-oriented communities at Metro stations, MARC stations, and other hubs with frequent transit, as well as reinvestment in the City of Baltimore.
  5. In the DC region, addressing the Beltway means addressing the jobs/housing imbalance between Prince George’s and the west side of the region. Most of the worst traffic is peak hour westbound to Montgomery County and northern Virginia in the morning and eastbound back toward Prince George’s in the evening.  We need to complete transit-oriented development at all east side Metro stations.

Schwartz went on to say, “To quote from the late Ron Kirby, longtime director of the transportation staff at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, ‘Well, rather than widening the Beltway, it would be nice if we had more jobs in the eastern part of the region.’ Mr. Kirby said this in a seminal article in the Washington Post that sums up our critique of the ‘widen-first’ approach,” said Schwartz. “We urge the Governor and Secretary to read this article and to consider the central role of land use, jobs/housing locations, and induced demand.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

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STATEMENT: Transit advocates release 5 principles for smart growth in Montgomery County ahead of 2018 elections

PRESS STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director
(703) 599-6437
stewart@smartergrowth.net

Pete Tomao, Montgomery County Advocacy Manager
(516) 318-0605
pete@smartergrowth.net

Transit advocates release 5 principles for smart growth in Montgomery County ahead of 2018 elections

Montgomery County, MD — On Wednesday, advocates at the Coalition for Smarter Growth released a smart growth platform highlighting the importance of transit-accessible, inclusive, and walkable communities for Montgomery County’s future. The platform encourages candidates and public officials to commit to a sustainable Montgomery County by investing in transit-oriented development, affordable housing, providing more transportation choices to reduce the amount people have to drive, protecting the Agricultural Reserve and county streams, and expanding public parks. The platform [PDF] includes 5 main principles and a list of specific policy recommendations for each principle.

“With an expected increase of 230,000 residents in Montgomery County by 2040, and the need to be competitive in attracting next generation companies and employees, we must continue the progress the county is making in shifting growth to transit-served areas. Arlington committed to this approach over the last 30 years, and they have contained congestion. Today, Arlington residents enjoy the shortest commute times in the DC region and the highest walk, bike and transit mode shares outside of D.C.” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “Montgomery County has dual advantages, the ability to create strong, walkable urban places, and nearby access to the Agricultural Reserve and one of the nation’s best park systems.”

Schwartz continued, “We can achieve a vision of a sustainable Montgomery by building out the county’s 81-mile bus rapid transit network, fully developing the areas around Metro, increasing housing near transit, promoting affordable housing on public land near transit, and protecting parks and the Agricultural Reserve. These approaches aren’t just good for the environment; they are also better for business.”

86% of new office construction in the region is within one-quarter mile of a Metro station; a recent report found the most successful office clusters are in walkable, transit accessible locations. “The decision of the county’s largest private employer, Marriott, to relocate from an office park to Downtown Bethesda really puts an exclamation point on the benefits of transit investment and smart growth, and we now hear that Amazon is looking for a transit-accessible location for its second headquarters. Simply put, smart growth is better for the environment and better for the economy.”

“Montgomery’s redevelopment of places like White Flint and Silver Spring has paid off in attracting businesses and residents, and contributed to the 10% drop in vehicle miles being driven in the county,” said Pete Tomao, the Montgomery County Advocacy Manager at the Coalition for Smarter Growth

“As a millennial and Silver Spring resident, I can say that our platform provides a policy roadmap that will help attract and retain the next generation workforce. Younger folks want more urban spaces where they can be less reliant on a car. Additionally, access to transportation has emerged as critical to escaping poverty. Transit-oriented development provides access to opportunity for all residents of Montgomery,” said Tomao.

Read the smart growth platform for Montgomery County here.

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth: The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

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RELEASE: CSG calls Governor Hogan’s $500 million pledge to Metro a “jumping-off place”

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
September 12, 2017

Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
703-599-6437 (c), stewart@smartergrowth.net

CSG calls Governor Hogan’s $500 million pledge to Metro a “jumping-off place”

Washington, DC – The Coalition for Smarter Growth today thanked Maryland Governor Larry Hogan for proposing a much-needed infusion of additional funding for Metro, with the potential to be a catalyst for needed negotiation among DC, Maryland. and Virginia.

“We thank Governor Hogan for proposing $500 million over four years toward addressing Metro’s urgent capital funding needs, and we hope that his proposal will be a catalyst for urgent negotiations between the Governors of Virginia and Maryland and the Mayor of DC,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

“However, the $500 million in additional funds needed each year from the three jurisdictions must be dedicated and bondable and continue for many years, not just four, and not only to restore the existing system but to ensure we can meet capacity needs including expansion of the Rosslyn tunnel,” said Schwartz.

“We, along with our partners in the ‘Fund it, Fix it Coalition,’ urge the Governors, Mayor, Congressional Delegation, state legislators and local elected officials to work with common purpose to find a funding solution for Metro, appropriately tailored to each jurisdiction, but dedicated and bondable,” said Schwartz. “If there wasn’t already reason enough to fix Metro, the region even has a new incentive – Amazon, which is looking to invest $5 billion and generate thousands of jobs for a second headquarters with good access to transit.”

“We urge a funding solution be adopted by the FY2019 budget season,” concluded Schwartz.

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About the Coalition for Smarter Growth: The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. smartergrowth.net

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is part of the Fund it, Fix it coalition, a partnership of 21 activist and advocacy organizations across the DC metropolitan area supporting dedicated funding for Metro. Read our statement of principles here.

STATEMENT: re Court of Appeals ruling on Purple Line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 19, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz
Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
703-599-6437 (c)
stewart@smartergrowth.net

Statement in response to Court of Appeals ruling on Purple Line

Washington, DC — In response to today’s Court of Appeals ruling on Purple Line, the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement:
“We are very pleased that the Court of Appeals ruling today appears to allow the Purple Line to proceed while appeals to the District Court ruling continue. We hope this means that the Full Funding Grant Agreement can be executed and funding flow to the project. The Purple Line is essential for access to jobs, for revitalization inside the Beltway, and for providing a transportation and smart growth option that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. smartergrowth.net

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RELEASE: Coalition pushes back on yet another lobbying campaign for an upper Potomac Bridge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
703-599-6437 (c), stewart@smartergrowth.net

They have a bridge to sell us…again. Coalition pushes back on yet another lobbying campaign for an upper Potomac Bridge

Washington, DC – Tomorrow, the region’s Transportation Planning Board will vote whether to include an upper Potomac Bridge for study as one option to add to the region’s long range transportation plan. Northern Virginia also has a draft transportation plan out for public comment (deadline of July 23) that includes not only the northern bridge, but also a southern bridge to Charles County, and the Bi-County Parkway between Prince William and Loudoun Counties – segments of an outer beltway long sought by developers of rural land in outer areas of the region.

“The upper Potomac Bridge and other segments of an outer beltway are back, as a result of the latest multimillion dollar lobbying campaign that began back in 2010,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, whose partners in opposing the outer beltway include the region’s leading conservation and transportation reform groups.

In 2010, longtime Virginia developer John “Til” Hazel, the CEO of NVHomes Dwight Schar, and Montgomery and Loudoun developer Bob Buchanan, formed the 2030 Group with what we believe is an underlying and primary goal of pressing for an upper Potomac Bridge (Buchanan testimony in 2015 to Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board) as part of an outer beltway including the Bi-County Parkway. They in-turn provided funding to the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance and jump-started the Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance (SMTA). The two groups did what many consider to be a “push-poll” to try to demonstrate support for a new bridge. The poll did not include information about costs, trade-offs, induced demand, land use, or other factors involved in real world transportation and land use planning.

“This is just the latest campaign spearheaded by Mr. Hazel and others for the bridge and outer beltway,” said Schwartz.  Previous efforts took place in 1980, 1988, 1997, 2000, and 2003.

“These projects would be totally at odds with the region’s vision in the Region Forward Plan and would undermine the network of transit-oriented development which is so much in demand today. It would worsen auto-dependent sprawl and traffic, worsen the east-west economic divide, and undermine efforts to fight climate change. Because of induced driving demand, it would add new traffic without reducing traffic at the American Legion Bridge,” said Schwartz “The upstream bridge would also represent a threat to the region’s drinking water supplies – creating a risk of toxic spills upstream from drinking water intakes during bridge construction and from tanker truck spills.”

“The bridge has been studied a number of times before and shown to not be needed while also risking great harm to neighborhoods and the environment,” said Schwartz. “Moreover, during a time when the market is demanding urban, transit-oriented environments, and when we need to reinvest in Metro to the tune of about $25 billion while fixing other existing needs like the American Legion Bridge, this upper bridge proposal is a wasteful diversion of time and potentially billions of dollars.”

“The TPB should not have to study it yet again, and Northern Virginia officials should be taking the bridges and outer beltway out of their draft plan,” said Schwartz.

In 2003-2004 VDOT and the TPB did an “Origin-Destination Study,” which tracked every morning rush hour license plate crossing the American Legion Bridge. It showed that only a small percentage of the trips could be considered the so called “U-shaped” commutes from Loudoun/W Fairfax to Frederick/Upcounty Montgomery that might use a new bridge. The overwhelming commutes were radial or to/from destinations on, inside or near the Beltway.

In 2015, VDOT did another study, this time looking just at Virginia commute origins and destinations and reconfirmed that just a small percentage of commutes were U-shaped — with the overwhelming majority radial or “L-shaped.” The study showed that the Rosslyn Metro tunnel carried the largest share of cross-Potomac trips, and concluded that the Rosslyn tunnel and American Legion Bridge were the locations needing high-priority investment.

An earlier study in 2000-2001 of actual upriver route options between Virginia and Maryland by the Federal Highway Administration, and initiated at the behest of Congressman Frank Wolf, resulted in a huge outcry on both sides of the river. The impact to neighborhoods was so severe that Congressman Wolf ordered the study to be halted. The following extract from the Fairfax Times, May 29, 2001, study captures what happened:

The Federal Highway Administration announced late last week that it was canceling its year-long, $2 million review of the so-called Techway at the request of U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th), who said it’s creating too much heartburn among area homeowners.

“I’m not going to be at war with the people I represent, saying this is better for you,” Wolf said to a gathering of Times reporters and editors Tuesday.

Wolf said communities in northern Fairfax and Loudoun counties and those in southern Montgomery County, Md.,–particularly on the proposed bridge corridors–were simply too densely packed with homes.

Wolf presented a map with a spaghetti-like maze of proposed routes for the new bridge and parkway, all bisecting mature communities. One proposal even had the road cutting across the heart of Great Falls before crossing the river near McLean.

But the threat of taking homes has always been a factor with this project, and Wolf couldn’t say why it’s taken so long for planners and elected officials to reach this conclusion.

Moving the route further west put the bridge into Maryland’s agricultural preserve and too far out to make a difference for commuters, Wolf said.

“I asked the Federal Highway Administration what the chances were of this road being built, and they said 10 percent was an optimistic figure,” Wolf said.

“Our groups urge the Transportation Planning Board to drop study of the upper Potomac Bridge – but if they do study it, they must ensure that the study accounts for induced development and induced traffic, harm to communities and the environment, the opportunity cost compared to other investments, and the impact on the east-west economic divide,” said Schwartz.

“At the same time, the TPB’s proposed transit packages, along with land use, and demand management represent the most sustainable and effective set of solutions that will reduce driving demand, improve access to jobs and housing, and reduce air, water, and greenhouse gas pollution.”

“Finally, we also urge the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to delete the northern and southern bridges and the Bi-County Parkway from their draft ‘TransAction’ plan,” said Schwartz.

 

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. smartergrowth.net

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RELEASE: Non-profit advocacy groups urge regional consensus on dedicated funding for WMATA for FY2019 budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 26, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz
Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
703-599-6437 (c), stewart@smartergrowth.net

David Sears
Sierra Club Montgomery Group
301-233-6690(c), davidwsears@aol.com

Nancy Soreng
Metro Funding Action Committee Co-Chair
League of Women Voters of the National Capital Area
301-642-5479, nsoreng@comcast.net

Non-profit advocacy groups urge regional consensus on dedicated funding for #WMATA for FY2019 budget

Washington, DC – Last week, leading business groups came together to issue a call for action on Metro, releasing a set of principles focused on reform at Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Eighteen non-profit groups, whose work spans Maryland, DC, and Virginia, added to the momentum as they called for urgent regional action to fund and fix Metro, pledging to focus their grassroots efforts to win broad public support. In March, they released a statement of principles calling for dedicated funding and a return to frequent, reliable Metro service.

“Many of our groups have worked together for more than two decades, and we’ve come together to dedicate ourselves to help restore Metro to a world-class system,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “We are already working closely with the business community, civic groups, and elected officials to win the funding the system needs.”

“We believe it’s essential to achieve regional consensus on funding Metro in time for crafting the final FY2019 WMATA budget,” said David Sears, Chair for the Montgomery Group of the Sierra Club. “The General Manager and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments have laid out the clear need. The General Manager has demonstrated effective leadership and laid out a sensible set of reforms. Other groups are proposing reforms and the LaHood study is expected this fall. We need consensus reforms that avoid political gridlock, and cannot lose sight of the need to provide the additional capital funding required for rebuilding our 40-year-old system.”

The non-profit groups offer a range of policy, grassroots, social media, and lobbying experience and capacity stretching across Virginia, Maryland, and DC. “Our groups have been active in meeting with business leaders and elected officials, reaching out to our members, and commenting on the series of studies and reports issued by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Federal City Council, WMATA’s General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, and the union — ATU689,” said Schwartz.

“The League of Woman Voters in the National Capital Region highlighted the need for a reliable funding source for Metro some 40 years ago and has included transportation among its key focus areas in recent years; we see the Metro crisis as among the top civic issues our region faces,” said Nancy Soreng, Metro Funding Action Committee Co-Chair. “We are pledging our extensive experience in public education and engagement to host forums and provide voter education materials.”

“Funding and fixing Metro is crucial to sustain an economically successful and equitable DC region. Metro is essential for providing frequent, reliable, and affordable transit, connecting workers to jobs, increasing our economic competitiveness, reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution, and enhancing the quality of life for all residents of our region,” said Schwartz.

“The future of our region depends on our Metro system. We urge the leaders of Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia to reach consensus within the next year on funding and structural solutions for this vital system,” concluded Schwartz.

The groups’ statement of principles can be found here.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. smartergrowth.net

League of Women Voters of the National Capital Area (LWVNCA) is comprised of the District of Columbia League and 10 Leagues in Maryland and Virginia surrounding the nation’s capital. We are a nonpartisan, political, membership organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League influences public policy through education and advocacy at all levels of government. lwvnca.org

The Montgomery County Maryland Sierra Club Group focuses on local issues, including improving public transit, maintaining clean water sources, supporting and monitoring the county’s Climate Protection Plan, and endorsing and supporting green candidates. sierraclub.org/maryland/montgomery-county
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STATEMENT: Judge Leon’s ruling on the Purple Line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth
(703) 599-6437
stewart@smartergrowth.net

Coalition for Smarter Growth STATEMENT on Judge Leon’s ruling on the Purple Line

MARYLAND – In response to US District Judge Richard J. Leon’s 12-page opinion calling for more study of Metro’s impact on Purple Line ridership, Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement.

“We already know that Metro ridership will make up only a limited percentage of Purple Line ridership. The Purple Line is a badly-needed east-west transit connection for access to jobs and revitalization, and significant ridership will be driven by that demand, as well as the revitalization inside the Beltway that the project will spur. We are also certain Metro ridership will recover as the system completes repairs and reforms. In an era of climate change, the most progressive transportation solution available is to build more transit.”

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

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RELEASE: Regional groups respond to MWCOG report and call for dedicated funding for Metro

COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH. FRIENDS OF WHITE FLINT. FAIRFAX ADVOCATES FOR BETTER BICYCLING. MARYLAND CENTER ON ECONOMIC POLICY. MONTGOMERY COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE. NORTHERN VIRGINIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALLIANCE.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 26, 2017

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director
703-599-6437 (c)
stewart@smartergrowth.net

Regional groups respond to MWCOG report and call for dedicated funding for Metro

Washington, DC — Today the regional Council of Governments (COG) accepted a report documenting Metro’s operating, maintenance, and capital needs and funding gap over the next decade, the economic value of Metro, suggested metrics and benchmarks, and an assessment of options for a dedicated source of revenues to fill the funding gaps.

“We commend the Council of Governments and their staffs for this important report, and we urge our region’s elected officials to act expeditiously to put in place fixes and dedicated funding for Metro,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “This year is ‘make or break’ for Metro — a funding solution must be in place by the end of the 2018 General Assembly sessions in Virginia and Maryland.”

“The COG report and General Manager Wiedefeld’s plan are the best starting points for getting Metro back on track, said Schwartz. “Major fixes for Metro’s challenges can and should be done without opening the Metro compact or creating a control board.”

“Our groups are concerned that opening the Metro compact risks political gridlock and distracts from reaching a funding agreement within the next year. Similarly, the benefit of a control board isn’t clear, and it’s risky at a time when federal commitment to transit is in doubt,” said Schwartz

“We also feel that the union employees of Metro, many working overnight hours, driving traffic-congested bus routes, and repairing an aging system, need to be partners in arriving at solutions for safety, operations, and costs,” said Schwartz. “It must be all hands on-deck with all sectors contributing.”

“Today, COG made clear that the Metrorail system is our most important regional transportation system,” said Amy Ginsburg, Executive Director of the Friends of White Flint. “Therefore, COG must ensure that their Transportation Planning Board makes full funding of Metro’s ‘state of good repair’ the top priority and baseline for their 2018 update of the region’s Constrained Long Range (Transportation) Plan.”

“Failure is not an option for our Metro, and our groups pledge to campaign for the funding Metro needs,” concluded Schwartz.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Its mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. smartergrowth.net

Friends of White Flint is a nonprofit organization made up of residents, businesses, and property owners who want to create a walkable, vibrant Pike District/White Flint community. whiteflint.org

Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
fabb-bikes.org

The Maryland Center on Economic Policy advances innovative policy ideas to foster broad prosperity and help our state be the standard-bearer for responsible public policy. We engage in research, analysis, strategic communications, public education, and grassroots alliances promoting robust debate and greater public awareness of the policy choices Maryland residents face together. mdeconomy.org

The Montgomery Countryside Alliance promotes sound economic, land-use and transportation policies and programs that preserve the natural environment, open spaces, and rural lands in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve for the benefit of all Washington Metropolitan area residents. mocoalliance.org

Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA) is a broad-based, regional nonprofit organization working to create successful communities through affordable housing education and advocacy. nvaha.org

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