We are pleased to speak today in support of CB-86-2015, a bill that establishes urban street design standards and criteria for designated centers. We strongly support this addition to the Prince George’s roadway standards to appropriately address the needs of transit districts and local centers, as identified in the Plan Prince George’s 2035 Approved General Plan (dated May 6, 2014). This is a well-considered set of standards that will bring the county into the good company of many of its neighbors, and national best practices for urban streets. The bill also helps expedite implementation of the county’s Complete and Green Streets Policy, which was adopted in 2012.
Category: Resources
2015 Smart Growth Platform for Fairfax
Fairfax remains one of the nation’s wealthiest jurisdictions, and has maintained a high level of community services, including great schools, while becoming a socio-economically diverse community. But the county is also facing important challenges including:
White Flint: Suburban Sprawl to a Walkable Win
White Flint was once known as a suburban mall, but today it’s evolving into Montgomery County’s newest walkable district. How did we get from suburban sprawl to such a bright future?
Testimony to Alexandria City Council on demolition of Ramsey Homes
I am a also a strong historic preservationist, which is what attracted me to Alexandria in 1988. The rich African-American history Parker-Gray and our city, and the bravery of the residents who fought for freedom and equality resonates deeply with me and should continue to be documented, promoted and honored — as is done so well by the Alexandria Black History Museum.
Montgomery County Planning Board testimony re: White Flint West Transportation, Phase 2, CIP No. 501116 Mandatory Referral No. MR2015029
Montgomery County and other jurisdictions in the Washington DC region are in the midst of a transformation from wholly auto-dependent development to the creation of networks of walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented centers and neighborhoods. County Executive Leggett, the Montgomery County Council, and the Planning Board have committed to this vision and the market is responding with nearly unlimited demand to live and work in walkable, mixed-use, transit accessible locations. The CEO of Marriott recently created a stir when he unequivocally stated that the company would be moving to a Metro station location within the next five years. Not only do his young employees want to live and work near Metro, but according to a recent article, he too appreciates the convenience of walkable, mixed-use and transit.
Fact sheet: Benefits of Rapid Transit for Montgomery’s Veirs Mill Rd corridor
RESIDENTS ALONG VEIRS MILL ROAD NEED THE RTS AS A TRANSIT OPTION
• More than 6,000 (15.4%) of commuters along the Veirs Mill Road corridor have commutes longer than 60 minutes.
• Since 1990, the number of residents in this corridor with these mega-commutes has nearly doubled.
• 22.7% of corridor residents take transit to work: nearly twice as many as in 1990. Almost half of these transit riders
take the bus to work.
• The median income of Veirs Mill Corridor residents is nearly $20,000 less than the median income in Montgomery
County overall. Almost 44% of Veirs Mill Road corridor residents are foreign-born.