Category: Regional and Federal

ACTION: Ensure transit survives the pandemic!

Posted on by Emily Maurer

Transit ridership and revenue have plummeted due to people sheltering at home during the ongoing public health crisis. At the same time, transit has continued to serve our essential workers. Transit is also essential to the restoration of economic activity and to fighting the next big challenge, climate change. 

There are two actions Congress can take — one will save transit right now and the second will ensure we build a more sustainable world by putting transit first in the next 6-year federal transportation bill.

  Email your Senators and Representatives today to support federal transit funding!

First, transit agencies nationally need $32 billion in emergency operating funds to cover the collapse in fare revenue, maintain service, prevent service disruption, and provide health safety. The current funding provided by the CARES Act will only keep many transit agencies running until September.

Second, last week the House approved the INVEST Act (6-year reauthorization) — transformative legislation which emphasizes access, equity, and climate when considering transportation projects, all of which relate to smarter growth. The bill prioritizes repair and maintenance over building new roads, addresses safety for vulnerable road users, and most importantly, increases funding for transit and passenger rail. This is a refreshingly progressive approach to transportation policy, so take action today!

Email your Senators and Representatives today to call for $32 billion in transit relief and for Senate support for the INVEST Act.

Public transit can survive and even thrive with these crucial pieces of legislation. For more information on these pieces of legislation, visit our website. Make your voice heard and contact your Congressional representatives today!

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.

RELEASE: Coalition for Smarter Growth Responds to Failure of Regional Leaders to Address WMATA’s Ridership Challenges

Posted on by Alex Baca

Press Statement
For Immediate Release
October 3, 2018

Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, 703-599-6437 (c)
Aimee Custis, 202-431-7185 (c)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sun., Sept. 30, 2018, the Washington Post ran a story detailing the failure of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority board members to commit to increasing Metrorail service.

In Sunday’s Post story, the elected and appointed officials charged with the stewardship of our region’s rail and bus system refused to say that they would unite as a body to run more trains, more often, in order to increase ridership. Such a move would follow the demands of riders, the recommendations of consultants, and well-known industry best practices.

National Transit Database data show that Metrorail ridership is down about 25 percent from a decade ago. Five of the past 12 months have set new record lows.

“We know this is primarily due to unreliable service and unreasonable wait times for trains,” says Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. Schwartz continues, “These long wait times, especially during nights and weekends, have made other modes of transportation, like biking and ride-hailing, more attractive and more realistic to use than Metrorail.”

Schwartz says, “WMATA’s own consultants, hired to study declining ridership, have made clear to WMATA what has been intuitive to its customers for years: while there is increased competition from ridesharing services, low gas prices, and telecommuting, the primary cause of Metro’s ridership slide is reduced frequency, and especially reduced off-peak frequency on evenings and weekends.”

In his comments to the Post, board member Christian Dorsey did identify the need for “more service generally,” and “less disruption in service through closings and maintenance activities,” including during off-peak hours. But advocates say that taken in total, the WMATA board’s comments to the Post show Metro’s board pursuing goals that do not align with the realities of how transit works for the people who use it. As has been shown time and again, frequent, reliable service is the most important factor in attracting and retaining people who ride transit.

Moreover, elected officials in local and state jurisdictions where WMATA operates have not committed to providing the necessary operating funding to make frequent, reliable service possible.

While the Post reported solely on Metrorail, urgent attention must also be paid to Metrobus and other area bus services. A lack of political will to install and enforce dedicated bus lanes or signals — so buses can avoid the congestion of personal cars and move more people — means that bus performance is slowing alongside Metrorail.

“We support frequent, reliable public transit that connects the region. We stand fully behind WMATA when it takes steps to realize that reality,” says Schwartz. “We have worked closely with the agency as it has taken steps toward reform, fought for dedicated bus lanes, and campaigned successfully for its first-ever dedicated capital funding as part of the MetroNow coalition. We fought hard for this with the understanding that reliable financial resources for capital spending would enable WMATA, and its board, to focus on not just restoring, but improving, Metrorail service.

“WMATA’s stewards and elected officials representing the jurisdictions it serves are falling short in protecting the freedom and accessibility that transit service is central to providing to area residents. Frequent and reliable service increases transit ridership. It provides freedom and greater access to jobs and services. We need the board and regional elected officials to commit emphatically to improving service and ridership.”

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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. Learn more at smartergrowth.net.

RELEASE: Business and nonprofit organizations reject stopgap approach to funding Metro

Posted on by acustis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2017

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

TJ Ducklo, Greater Washington Partnership
tducklo@greaterwashingtonpartnership.com

WASHINGTON, DC — In response to reporting today about a stopgap spending measure for the Metrorail system, a diverse group of regional stakeholders representing Metro riders, businesses, nonprofits and advocates are calling for more urgent action to transform Metro—immediately.

A one-year funding patch for Metro repairs is short-sighted and does not prioritize the system or a long-term solution. Taking action in the legislative sessions starting in January 2018 is critical. We cannot delay until 2019 when the needs today are so urgent. Failure to address Metro’s funding and governance crisis immediately is not an option.

A temporary stopgap measure is simply not sufficient to support the types of changes necessary to bring Metro—and the regional economy as a whole—into the future effectively. Voters are expecting our elected leaders to stand up and lead. In a recent survey, 70 percent of registered voters from across the region said they would support an increase in public funding to improve the Metrorail system.

Funding alone is not enough to transform Metro into the transit system we need. Comprehensive reform across funding, governance and operations will bring about the greatest benefit to the region and the people who depend on Metro every day. A safe and reliable public transit system will strengthen the region’s economic growth, help make the area more environmentally friendly, and improve the quality of life for our growing population.

We are continuing to work with our elected leaders to make sure Metro continues to power our region’s success for the long term.

 

Federal City Council

Greater Washington Board of Trade

2030 Group

Greater Washington Partnership

Coalition for Smarter Growth

Greater Greater Washington

Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce

Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers

Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance

DC Sustainable Transportation

The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce

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STATEMENT: Reaction to WMATA General Manager Wiedefeld’s Metro Repair Plan

Posted on by acustis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2016

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

Tackling this Challenge — Together

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld’s Metro repair plan statement this morning at Metro Headquarters, Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement.

“We have been impressed by the strong, deliberative leadership of WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld. Therefore, as a community and as Metro riders, we need to work together with the GM and the agency to get the job done. We need the roll up the sleeves attitude of Americans who’ve worked together after major natural disasters or mobilized for war.

“While those of us outside the agency will not be turning wrenches, we can support the funding WMATA will need and work with our employers to plan alternative ways to commute. And it won’t work if everyone jumps into their cars. Expanded bus service, telecommuting, flex-time, and carpooling will be critical for longer distance commuters. For those living closer to work, bicycling, bikeshare, and walking will be important additional options. Among our top recommendations is providing the dedicated bus lanes we’ve long needed.

“At the same time, based upon reports, the management and staff at WMATA owe the public a real turnaround in their performance in communications, maintenance, repair, operations, and above all safety. As a former Navy aviator, the revelations about the lack of a safety culture have been a particular concern for me.

“The extended repair times will hopefully give the staff the breathing room they need to make more effective and long-lasting repairs to the system, but this should also be a time for a complete culture change – breaking down the communications barriers between departments and between management and line workers, and infusing safety, customer service, and pride in every member of the team.”

Our specific recommendations include:

  • Much better and more effective customer communications by WMATA including, sufficient advance notice of shutdowns and planned alternatives, reliable travel time and schedule information for both rail and bus service at all times, and transparency about the repair work being done and the results.
  • Funding for the purchase of sufficient buses and hiring of more bus drivers to provide an essential transit alternative during extended shutdowns. But this will not be enough. We should take this opportunity to provide the dedicated bus lanes we have long needed.
  • Enhance and improve other alternative transportation services like expanding bikeshare, accelerating the installation of protected bikeways, and working with local jurisdictions to increase funding to transportation demand management programs including encouraging carpooling and telecommuting.
  • If stations are to be shut down for extended periods for rail repairs, then use the time restore the stations as well – cleaning, repairing damaged tiles, repairing fare gates, installing new lighting, etc. Take the time to restore and enhance the customer experience from the moment they enter the stations.

“Finally, we urge unity among elected officials in backing up the General Manager, and a shared commitment to providing the funding the system will need to complete a full mid-life restoration. Giving up on our Metrorail investment and all of the transportation and economic development benefits it has brought to our region is simply not an option.”

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: Newly-released booster group poll is subjective, simplistic, and of little value to transportation planning in the Washington DC region

Posted on by acustis

COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH § MONTGOMERY COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE §  ACTION COMMITTEE FOR TRANSIT § ALEXANDRIA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE § PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2016

CONTACT
Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth, (703) 599-6437
Caroline Taylor, Montgomery Countryside Alliance, (301) 461-9831
Ronit Dancis, Action Committee for Transit, (240) 432-9917
Jim Durham, Alexandria Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, (703) 508-0762
Chris Miller, Piedmont Environmental Council, (703) 507-5790

WASHINGTON, DC — A poll released today by the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTAlliance) and Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance (SMTAlliance) is subjective, simplistic and of little value for transportation planning in the DC region, according to several transportation groups around the DC region.

“This new poll completely ignores the number one factor affecting traffic and congestion:  land use.  Furthermore, it presumes that by expanding capacity, we can reduce congestion even though a wide array of transportation studies have shown that induced traffic fills up new capacity in as little as five years in metropolitan areas,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

“By not providing information to the respondents about the role of land use, the problem of induced traffic, and the potential financial and community costs versus benefits of various projects it’s not surprising that the NVTAlliance/SMTAlliance world is like ‘Lake Wobegon’ where all transportation projects end up rating ‘above average’,” concurred Caroline Taylor, Executive Director of the Montgomery Countryside Alliance.

Transportation and land use planners have learned that how we lay out our communities has a profound effect on transportation. The farther out we live and the more separated homes are from jobs, schools, retail and services, the more we drive. Expanding I-270 and I-66 in the absence of better land use would likely inspire more growth in rural areas and more long-distance commuting.

In contrast, compact mixed-use communities in DC, Arlington, Alexandria, and at Metro stations in Montgomery, Fairfax, and Prince George’s have much lower rates of driving and very high transit, walk and bike use. Every person who lives or works in a transit-oriented center is a person who drives much less, and has a longer lasting positive impact than road expansion.

“This poll is permeated with the presumption that ‘congestion reduction’ can be achieved and that we just need to spend more on everything to do so. This is the worldview that the NVTAlliance and SMTAlliance have long pushed. Both remain primarily highway booster groups, but have had to adjust their campaigns and brands in acknowledgement of the strong support for transit and transit-oriented development in the DC region – so they now package both roads and transit together,” said Schwartz.

“The problem is, we can’t afford to do everything on the NVTAlliance/SMTAlliance wish lists. We need to make choices, and linking land use with transit is the most effective thing we can do. It’s also in very high demand in the real estate market, including for Marriott Corporation, whose CEO has stated that they will be moving to a Metro station from their suburban office park,” said Ronit Dancis, President of Action Committee for Transit.

Jim Durham, Chair of Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, added, “For jurisdictions like the City of Alexandria, adding more lane miles of roadway is not an option, and when surrounding jurisdictions take that approach, it just increases congestion via induced demand. Land use and transportation alternatives are the only real long-term alternatives.”

“So, in the end,” concluded Schwartz, “we have a poll that says transportation is a top issue, which isn’t surprising in our successful metropolitan region, and that people would like to see less congestion.  But it’s not honest about how unlikely it is we will be able to reduce congestion over the long term through capacity expansion. By not discussing land use, induced traffic, or tradeoffs, costs and alternatives, the poll is more about boosting spending and getting mega-projects built, than about providing an effective, long-term approach to our transportation and land use challenges.”

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.

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. Learn more at mocoalliance.org.

Action Committee for Transit has a vision of a Montgomery County where it is easier to travel and more pleasant to live — a county built for people and not for automobiles. We believe fundamental changes are needed in transportation and land use policies to give the people of Montgomery County and Maryland the quality of life we deserve. Learn more at www.actfortransit.org.

Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is a volunteer led organization that promotes walking and biking in Alexandria. Learn more at alexandriabpac.wordpress.com.

Since 1972, The Piedmont Environmental Council has proudly promoted and protected the natural resources, rural economy, history and beauty of the Virginia Piedmont. Learn more about the Piedmont Environmental Council at pecva.org.

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STATEMENT: Coalition for Smarter Growth applauds WMATA General Manager’s initiatives and urges a regional ‘team effort’

Posted on by acustis

For Immediate Release
March 7, 2016

Contact:
Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director
Cell: 703-599-6437

WASHINGTON, DC — Today at the National Press Club, and in an Op Ed in the Washington Post on Sunday, the new General Manager for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Paul Wiedefeld, laid out his comprehensive plan for fixing the transit agency. Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz issued the following statement in reaction to Wiedefeld’s plan.

“We applaud the General Manager’s comprehensive and detailed plan for fixing WMATA. The plan offers confidence that GM Wiedefeld is a leader focused on implementing the reforms we need to restore the system and the public’s confidence.

“But restoring Metro must be a team effort. All sectors must share a commitment to fixing the system. This means not just management and line staff, but the unions, the WMATA Board, business and civic sectors, riders, advocates, and above all, our elected officials. Our region cannot function without Metro, so our elected officials must make Metro their top priority transportation investment, backing up the GM with the funding the system needs.

“The region’s economy depends on Metro. For decades, it has been essential for the functioning of our largest employer, the federal government. Today, the marketplace is demonstrating huge demand to live and work near Metro and private developers are committing billions of dollars to building the walkable, urban, transit-oriented communities people want.  Elected officials have said that transit-oriented development (TOD) is the region’s future, but you can’t have TOD without the ‘T’. Fixing Metro must be our top priority if we are to remain economically competitive.”

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: New “Roadmap” Report on Regional Economy has Key Omissions

Posted on by acustis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2015

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

WASHINGTON DC — Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz today issued the following statement in response to the release of a new report on the DC region’s economy, “Roadmap for the Washington Region’s Future Economy.”

“The report has many good ideas including the need for more housing and especially more affordable housing, but it fails to bring all of sectors to the table. In particular, the non-profit community, which is particularly strong in the Washington DC region and includes many working on the housing issue, wasn’t a part of the process.

“Groups like the Coalition for Smarter Growth, affordable housing providers, Casa de Maryland, the Urban Institute, and others, who have much to offer, were not a part of the conversation in contrast to their inclusion in the Council of Government’s Region Forward vision planning. As a result, the report didn’t address issues that might be identified by non-profit organizations working in the community. For example, the significant challenges presented by the east-west economic divide in the region, and the significant number of jobs not accessible by transit, are not addressed.

“The report makes some mention of the benefits of urban development but doesn’t adequately emphasize the importance of creating walkable, transit-accessible urban centers for attracting next generation workers and companies.  At a time when knowledge workers can move anywhere and are increasingly attracted to regions with easy access to nature and outdoor recreation, the report doesn’t address the economic benefits of protection of parks, open space, and recreational areas. The combination of vibrant walkable urban centers and nearby open space and recreation has become critical for attracting the next generation workforce.

“The Coalition for Smarter Growth has longstanding concerns about the intentions of the 2030 Group which pressed for this ‘Roadmap‘ effort. The 2030 Group was formed in the wake of and to a significant extent in opposition to Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments‘ Region Forward compact among all 21 COG jurisdictions. Region Forward established a framework for regional growth, sustainability and equity, with a particular emphasis on transit and transit-oriented development.

“Bob Buchanan, leader of the 2030 Group, has failed to give credit to Region Forward and other significant areas of regional cooperation. In forum after forum in the suburbs, Buchanan and the 2030 Group have focused on advocating for the Outer Beltway with new upriver Potomac bridges, and pressing for an appointed regional transportation authority to select projects like an Outer Beltway.

“The Coalition for Smarter Growth strongly opposes a regional authority of appointed officials who would be unaccountable to the voters and more focused on picking mega-projects than on the comprehensive approach to land use and transportation adopted by Region Forward. We oppose the Outer Beltway, because it would worsen the east-west economic divide, undermine sustainable transit-oriented development, and increase sprawling development.

“Where the 2030 Group is focused on an Outer Beltway, the Coalition for Smarter Growth and most elected officials are focused on investing in transit and the vibrant, urban transit-oriented centers that are so much in demand by the new generation workforce and companies.

“We’d like to see the non-profit community at the table and the discussion brought back under the umbrella of the Council of Governments. There are some big regional growth, housing, equity and transportation issues to discuss – as the report makes clear, but we need everyone at the table.”

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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The problem with Ted Lerner’s lifetime achievement award

Posted on by Will Reckley

Washington has no greater homegrown real estate executive than Ted Lerner. From World War II to today Lerner redefined the places where locals work, shop and live, whether it was Wheaton Plaza, White Flint or Dulles Town Center. He turned a sleepy crosssroads in then-rural Fairfax County into the regional retail destination Tysons Corner Center, returned Major League Baseball to local ownership in the nation’s capital and amassed an estimated $6 billion along the way.

He did not, however, do everything that was said of him last week when he received a lifetime achievement award from the Urban Land Institute.

Lerner accepts few of the awards he is offered and makes few public appearances. He said in a brief interview before dinner at the gala dinner Thursday at the National Building Museum that he agreed to only after being convinced by his 13 grandchildren.

“They are the reason I’m here,” he said. In his acceptance speech, Lerner said he was proud to have developed 20 million square feet of real estate while remaining relatively anonymous.

“I guess I have a different approach to real estate than Donald Trump,” he said.

At the gala Lerner’s partners in business and at ULI pulled out all the stops for the 90-year-old magnate. Wolf Blitzer of CNN, a family friend, introduced him. Lerner Enterprises filled nine tables up front and countless partners and associates bought advertisements in the awards brochure congratulating him.

A nearly 9-minute video extolling his life’s accomplishments played featuring warm compliments from Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, former George Washington University president Stephen Trachtenberg, former baseball commissioner Bud Selig and current commissioner Rob Manfre.

Real estate magnate and Nationals owner Ted Lerner received a lifetime achievement award from the real estate group ULI. (Urban Land Institute)

Some of the testimonials take liberties with the facts. For instance, columnist George F. Will gestures to Nationals Park in the background behind and congratulates Lerner for having built it. Actually the D.C. government oversaw construction of Nationals Park and paid for nearly all of it as well, at a cost of $670 million to D.C. taxpayers.

Will also praises Lerner for having opened the Nationals Baseball Academy, in Southeast D.C. The Nationals and its charitable arm paid for $3 million of that project, about 20 percent of the cost (and about what they pay pitcher Max Scherzer for a third of a season). D.C. taxpayers put in $10.2 million and Major League Baseball paid $1 million.

There’s no crime in employing a touch of hyberbole when lauding such an accomplished entrepreneur. But there is a question why ULI so celebrated a man whose building practices are now being critiqued by many of its members.

Though it is a real estate association, ULI often acts as a think tank for those interested in revitalizing cities. It has grown in membership and influence as people and companies have flocked back to urban areas in recent years. It is dedicated to “the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.”

Lerner is rightly credited with doing more to create Tysons Corner than anyone but the modern Tysons — one of the most congested, sprawling suburban areas anywhere in America — isn’t the sort of thing ULI members generally celebrate. Indeed, much of the work in Tysons today has to do with undoing the single use suburban malls and office parks that made Lerner and his table mate Thursday, zoning king Til Hazel, so wealthy.

ULI specializes in considering how to remake places with Tysons-like problems into flourishing urban areas. It frequently publishes work and holds forums on how to retrofit places like Tysons (“Not Your Parents’ Suburbs”) and Landover Mall, which Lerner built but had to demolish after it failed, into other things.

Unlike many ULI members who extol the virtues of public transit, Lerner has sometimes held a different view. When Metro agreed to build a Silver Line station on his doorstep in Tysons, he sued Virginia over how much he would be paid for the staging area (a jury sided with the commonwealth). When a Nationals playoff game ran late into the evening, his team refused to pick up the $30,000 tab to run extra cars.

Lerner plays hardball in more ways than one, and in real estate that sometimes means lawsuits. Lerner sued the District over ballpark construction, asking $100,000 a day in damages because he said work was still not done two months after it opened. He sued Fairfax County five years ago over development rights in Reston. When Lord & Taylor officials asked that he not tear down White Flint Mall in violation of his contract with them, he did it anyway. A jury awarded the department store $31 million in damages. (This was after Ted’s brother Lawrence sued him over the mall as well.)

Some ULI members have quietly questioned whether this constitutes award-winning behavior. In an e-mail Lisa Rother, executive director of ULI Washington, explained why Lerner was chosen:

ULI Washington is honored to present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Ted Lerner because of the tremendous impact he and his family have had on this region.  As a visionary real estate developer, generous philanthropist, MLB team owner, and a pillar of the community, Mr. Lerner has positively changed the face of the region over his decades of commitment to making the area the best that it can be.  His integrity, high standards and commitment to excellence are evident in everything he has done.  Residents proudly wear the Curly W to show their pride in the Washington Nationals.  They shop, live and work in the buildings and communities that Ted Lerner envisioned and built  and benefit from his generous philanthropy in universities and other civic amenities.

It’s easy to say simply that things were different when Lerner was making his name. Shopping malls at the time were where people wanted to shop and office parks were where they wanted to work. People preferred driving so of course they needed more roads.

Lerner is surely not to blame for all the region’s ills. But that type of development is one of the reasons that Washingtonians now endure some of the worst traffic and most polluted air in the country.

Stewart Schwartz, executive director director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a transit advocacy group, said he appreciated the way Lerner had come around later in his career toward more environmentally sustainable practices.

“In the first decades that Mr. Lerner was developing the region, few understood the negative impacts of separated uses and completely auto dependent development,” Schwartz said. “We certainly face traffic and environmental challenges today due to the way the region grew.”

In Schwartz’s view, it may be difficult to condemn Tysons and shopping malls while celebrating Ted Lerner. But not impossible.

“Mr. Lerner has had a huge influence on regional development and we are pleased to see the commitment he has made to the new generation of transit-oriented development in Tysons, White Flint and the Nationals Stadium,” Schwartz added. “In this next generation for his firm, it will be critical that they include a focus on walkable urban design and creating great places as experienced by the pedestrian.”

Read at The Washington Post >>

Report: Metro to Name New General Manager

Posted on by Will Reckley

WASHINGTON — It’s been more than a year since Richard Sarles announced he would be retiring as Metro general manager in January of 2015. Now, the agency is finally on the cusp of naming a permanent successor.

NBC 4 broke the news that Metro’s board is extending an offer to Neal Cohen, the chief financial officer and executive vice president at the Dulles-based aerospace firm Orbital ATK. Cohen does not have public transit experience, but he did work for 16 years at Northwest Airlines and US Airways.

“I think it’s great that he has transportation experience in the airline industry, his finance background is going to be very helpful. But, we also want to make sure he can manage the operational side of the business, especially something as technologically complex as Metro,” says Stewart Schwartz, the executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

Metro has been under financial restrictions imposed by the Federal Transit Administration since last year. That’s when an audit exposed the questionable handling of billions of dollars in federal grants.

In July, Metro Board Chair Mortimer Downey released a letter announcing the field would be opened up for candidates with “financial management experience and those outside government and the transit industry.”

Cohen’s selection meets that criteria with the bonus of some transportation experience.

Emil Frankel is the interim CEO and President of the Eno Center for Transportation and says he’s not commenting specifically on Cohen until the selection is formally announced, but he points out that versatility is important for a general manager.

“I think the most important qualification is the strength of leadership and general management skills,” Frankel says. “WMATA has faced a lot of problems over the last few months and couple of years, and across a range of things: operational, safety, financial.”

Schwartz says setting up a good team is critical, especially for someone who may not have the operational experience in a public transit agency.

“Like any new commanding officer, if he has areas where he’s not as strong, hiring someone who is strong in that particular area would be helpful,” Schwartz says. “Transit operational managers, safety experts and others within his staff, amongst his deputies, would certainly be important.”

The Coalition for Smarter Growth along with ATU Local 689, the Action Committee for Transit and the Greater Washington Board of Trade sent a letter to local leaders earlier this month outlining their wishes for a new general manager.

The letter calls for the jurisdictions to “commit to backing up the new General Manager with the political support, organizational authority, and funding needed to do the job successfully.”

Frankel agrees that the next Metro general manager needs to have political backing to be successful.

“The first, and most important, and continuing task for the new general manager, the new CEO, is to build on the consensus that hopefully is represented by his or her selection for the job,” Frankel says. “To bring the jurisdictions together in shaping a program of renewal and restoration and good operations for WMATA.”

It’s the pattern established by one of the people Frankel cites as a hero for him in the transportation field: former New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority chair Richard Ravitch. Ravitch is often credited for turning around New York’s subway and bus system in the 1980’s, thanks in large part to his political ability.

And Schwartz says that ability to get everyone on the same page is one of the crucial needs if a new general manager hopes to turn Metro around.

“At the outset be a good listener,” Schwartz says. “There are a lot of stakeholders with Metro. Metro is a part of all of us in the Washington, D.C. region, and so I certainly hope that he will listen to all of those customers, unions, management, elected officials, other government staff and businesses.”

Read at WNEW >>