Category: Transportation

A bit of good news for future sustainable commutes

Posted on by Cheryl Cort
Photo credit: Elvert Barnes, Flickr
Photo credit: Elvert Barnes/Flickr

DC Council Votes Unanimously for Flexible Commuter Benefits

On April 7, 2020, the DC Council unanimously voted to support flexible commuter benefits! The law, promoted by CSG and our supporters, will give workers the option to walk, bike and take transit to work using the value of an employer-subsidized parking space.

The Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act will allow employees who are offered a free or subsidized parking space to exchange the benefit for a transit benefit (with cash to make up any difference in value), for cash if they walk or bike to work, or for an enhanced health care benefit. 

This bill will lead to more sustainable commuting. It will mean fewer vehicles on the road, which reduces traffic congestion, speeds up buses, and leads to fewer carbon emissions. Get the details here.

This decisive victory would not have been possible without the advocacy of supporters like you, so thank you for contacting your Councilmembers and advocating for these changes. While nonessential commutes remain on hold for the time being, workers in DC will soon be incentivized to enjoy a more sustainable ride to work with the new option to cash out their parking benefits. 

Winning this bill will help us build a more equitable and sustainable DC. It would not have been possible without a sustained push by CSG and our allies and activists. 

RELEASE: Advocates Cheer DC Council’s Unanimous Vote For Flexible Commuter Benefits

RELEASE: Advocates Cheer DC Council’s Unanimous Vote For Flexible Commuter Benefits

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

For Immediate Release

April 7, 2020

Contact: Cheryl Cort, Coalition for Smarter Growth

T. 202-675-0016, www.smartergrowth.net/parkingcashout

Advocates Cheer DC Council’s Unanimous Vote for Flexible Commuter Benefits

Employees will be eligible for walk, bike, transit commute benefits equal to an offered parking benefit

The Coalition for Smarter Growth celebrated today the success of its three-year campaign for flexible commuter benefits. “We are thrilled that today the DC Council voted unanimously for the  Transportation Benefits Equity Act (B23-148). This new law will allow an employee who is offered a parking benefit by their employer to use the equivalent value of the parking subsidy for a transit, walk, or bike commute,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

“This bill incentivizes more sustainable commuting as commuters return to work on the other side of the current crisis. The importance of bicycle transportation has emerged in the crisis as an alternative to other modes, and this new law will help boost this option,” said Cort.  Once workers can return to their daily routine, the new law will give many employees the opportunity to exchange a parking space for a bike (or walk or transit) commute. This could push DC’s current 18% walk and bike to work rate even higher, helping to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and crashes.

“We have worked on this issue for a number of years, with dozens of meetings, outreach to the community, and extensive negotiations. The final legislation involved many compromises. However, the core of the bill is intact, and will start making a difference with most employers who offer subsidized parking,” said Cort.

The Transportation Benefits Equity Act requires employers who provide free or subsidized parking to employees to offer those same employees alternatives that include:  

  • Employer-paid transit benefits;
  • Taxable cash for employees who walk, bicycle, or ride in a carpool to work, or who take transit (where cash would make up any difference between the value of the parking and transit cost);
  • Increased employer contribution to an employee’s healthcare benefit;

Employers also have the option to:

  • Develop a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan to reduce vehicle commute trips toward the moveDC goal of 25% or less of employees’ commute trips made by car or taxi (assisted by and approved by DC Department of Transportation);
  • Pay a sizable Clean Air Compliance fee to support TDM measures for each parking benefit offered;
  • Cease subsidized parking.

The law includes the following exemptions:

  • Employers that currently own the parking used for employees are exempt from this law.
  • Existing leased parking: if an employer has an existing lease for parking provided to employees, the employer must comply with the new rules at the end of the current lease.
  • Employers that do not provide subsidized parking are exempt.
  • Employers with 20 or fewer employees are exempt.

One of the largest compromises given to employers was the full exclusion of currently owned parking. This means that essentially all major institutions, like universities, are likely to be exempt. While some of these institutions also lease parking, the bill exempts them if they are running shuttles to leased parking lots half a mile or more away, or if they have a Campus Plan with a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan already approved by DC Department of Transportation.

“The bill will provide flexible commute benefits to many downtown workers, likely reducing rush hour traffic. This can reduce congestion, speed up buses, cut pollution, and even reduce crashes,” said Cort. “It will keep DC in the forefront of cities implementing more sustainable transportation.”

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Photo credit: Elvert Barnes, Flickr

Follow-up to FY 21-26 CIP Sign-on Letter

Posted on by Emily Maurer

March 4, 2020 

Montgomery County Council

Council Office Building

100 Maryland Ave

Rockville, MD 20850 


Re: Follow-up on bus rapid transit projects in the FY 21 Capital Budget and FY 21-26 CIP

Dear Council President Katz and County Councilmembers: 

The undersigned wrote a letter on February 26, 2020 requesting amendments to the FY 21 Capital Budget and FY 21-26 Capital Improvements Program regarding bus rapid transit (BRT). Since then, we have had discussions with decision makers and county officials that have clarified information and raised some important points for consideration. 

The basis for our original letter was to find and recommend a path toward near-term transit service improvements due to the constrained fiscal environment. We were concerned about planning for new BRT routes like MD-355 without having a funding plan for construction, and sought to identify projects which we thought could be brought online sooner if we reallocated some of the funding from planning and design to design and construction of particular projects like having Route 29 BRT dedicated lanes in the southern section and the second entrance to the White Flint Metro Station. 

We wish to work with the county to best prioritize existing funding and to support all efforts to identify additional funding sources for transit. Therefore, we would like to share revised recommendations: 

Route 29 BRT needs additional dedicated lanes to be successful from the outset: The first line of the planned countywide BRT network is set to open this May without the fully dedicated right of way that is necessary for bus rapid transit to truly be rapid. We believe it’s important to get the first BRT line right — with the highest quality of service to show county residents what BRT can do, and why the rest of the network must be funded and built. We urge the Council to expedite review of the “Smoot-Emerson” proposal study for a reversible dedicated BRT lane south of Tech Road, to inquire with MCDOT the status of their follow-up activities, and to seek a defined timeline from MCDOT. We recommend that this dedicated lane be fully funded for design and construction. 

The BRT network needs a comprehensive financing plan: With a stagnant capital budget, it is unlikely the county will find the resources it needs for the 81-mile BRT network under current funding structures. We have been briefed by Director Conklin about efforts to develop a funding approach for the 355 corridor, and applaud those efforts, but ask for transparency in how the county will address the funding needs for other corridors. Financing may be different depending on the corridor, but it remains vital that as we move forward with the network’s design, we also make progress towards financing its construction. Director Conklin’s updates to you on financing plans will be extremely helpful. 

We should expeditiously implement better bus service: We reiterate our support for Ride On extRa service along northern 355 and Veirs Mill Road, as well as a system-wide redesign and upgrade of Ride On. Adding express bus service prior to BRT construction has been a stated priority of MCDOT and proven beneficial to a number of communities. Near term bus service improvements that result in increased ridership will help build support for additional investments. In the case of Veirs Mill Road, if the proposed system of queue jumps and other “BRT-light” improvements can be put in place faster than Ride On extRa, then let’s do so. 

The White Flint second Metro entrance provides regional, not just local benefits: We support the northern White Flint Metro entrance, because it shortens walking distances, supports more rapid redevelopment, and provides improved access to long-time existing residents in nearby apartments. The northern entrance can spur much-needed economic development and support Vision Zero objectives. Investments like this that enhance transit-oriented development and make it more likely that people will use Metro represent a regional transportation solution. If it is now possible that WMATA has the capital funding to help pay for the second entrance, that is terrific, but we assume it will still require some level of matching funds from the county. 

We wish to make clear that we support construction of the full 81-mile BRT network and near-term design and construction funding for the top priorities of Route 29 fully dedicated lanes, Veirs Mill Road, 355, New Hampshire Avenue, and the North Bethesda Transitway, in addition to the second entrance to the White Flint Metro and the tunnel for the Capital Crescent Trail. However, we recognize the challenge of a stagnant capital budget and the need to prioritize. Therefore, we have made our best efforts to recommend priorities to the Council as outlined above. 

We believe this Thursday’s briefing from Director Conklin to the T&E committee will offer critically helpful information to the public and Council. Based upon Director Conklin’s input and other information available to the Council we hope that you will find a way forward that best prioritizes projects and ensures the public sees near-term improvements in service. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Denisse Guitarra | Maryland Conservation Advocate | Audubon Naturalist Society 

Jane Lyons | Maryland Advocacy Manager | Coalition for Smarter Growth 

Walter Weiss | President | Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions 

Michael DeLong | President | Montgomery County Young Democrats 

Shruti Bhatnagar | Chair | Sierra Club, Montgomery County 

Margaret Schoap | Organizer | Transit Alternatives to Mid-County Extended 

CC: County Executive Marc Elrich, Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin

CSG in the News: New transportation dollars will soon flow into Central Virginia. But, what will it be used for?

Posted on by Emily Maurer

By Wyatt Gordon | Greater Greater Washington | March 4, 2020

With the unanimous blessing of the Virginia Senate’s Finance Committee, the creation of a new Central Virginia Transportation Authority is all but a done deal. The projected $170 million the tax hikes are expected to raise will transform the region, but will Greater Richmond use the money to fund smart growth or sprawl?

After the passage of a transportation funding deal for the I-81 corridor last year, Central Virginia felt like the hole in a donut with regions to its east, north, and west all raking in dedicated transportation dollars. To ensure the nine localities which make up Plan RVA—also known as Planning District 15 (Hanover, Ashland, Goochland, Powhatan, Richmond, New Kent, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Charles City)—did not get left behind, Delegate Delores McQuinn introduced HB1541 this session right before the filing deadline.

Central Virginia’s new transportation monies will flow in from increases in two taxes. Residents of the nine localities will pay an additional 0.7% on sales and use taxes and an extra 2.% on the wholesale gas tax. Half of those new dollars will remain in the hands of localities to do with as they see fit. Thirty-five percent will be disbursed under the auspices of a newly created Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) and its 16 member governing board. The smallest portion of the new funding—just 15%—is allocated to transit.

A transit conundrum

Twenty-five million in dedicated dollars is an exciting prospect for a transit system that has for decades been fully reliant on year by year funding decisions from the localities it serves. The changes outlined in HB1541 will mark the first time the Greater Richmond Transit Company will achieve any level of budget autonomy. However, the bill fails to fully free GRTC from the caprices of the localities. In fact, HB1541 creates a surreal loophole that could tank transit funding for what is already America’s worst-funded public transportation system per capita.

In exchange for the CVTA’s two tax increases, the bill mandates all nine localities continue to spend at least half of what they currently alot for transportation expenditures. The benchmark date to determine their 50% “maintenance of effort” is July 1st, 2020.

By signing off on a date in the future, lawmakers established a loophole through which the County of Henrico or the City of Richmond (the only two localities that currently fund GRTC) could scrap their transit funding altogether in this spring’s budgets and lock themselves in with no obligation to continue locally funding transit at all.

The anticipated $25 million GRTC will receive from their 15% allocation in the CVTA bill isn’t even enough to cover even half of their current budget. If that happened, Richmond’s award-winning, trend-bucking transit system could face service cuts this summer.

Spending on sprawl

What is guaranteed to receive funding out of the CVTA bill is sprawl. The original version of HB1541 included language which only allowed the new regional authority to spend its budget on new road construction. Lacking any mandated provisions for bike, pedestrian, or multimodal infrastructure—let alone maintenance of existing roadways—Delegate McQuinn’s bill could potentially result in 85% of the new funding flowing directly into new highways.

That means as much as $145 million annually could go to build out further sprawl. Chesterfield County, the largest locality in Planning District 15, already has a litany of new highway projects it plans to fund with the new tax dollars. A proposal to extend Powhite Parkway out to US Route 360 is projected to cost a half a billion dollars alone.

In an op-ed in the Virginia Mercury, Stewart Schwartz— Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth—warned lawmakers, “We are not confident that Richmond’s suburban jurisdictions are yet committed to transit-oriented land use and the rural land conservation necessary to reduce traffic and preserve the livability of the region. Instead, with a big infusion of tax dollars for road expansion and accompanying auto-dependent growth, the region could repeat the mistakes of traffic-choked Northern Virginia.”

View the full story in Greater Greater Washington here.

CSG in the News: “Could free Metro in D.C. be expanded to Maryland and Virginia?”

Posted on by Emily Maurer

“A ‘transformative’ plan has transit advocates looking beyond D.C. Council“

By Pete Muntean | WUSA9 | March 3, 2020

WASHINGTON — D.C. Council will now decide if it will pay for its residents to ride Metro for free.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen officially introduced his plan on Tuesday. If it passes, those in the District could get a hundred dollars on their SmarTrip cards each month.

“It’s great for businesses, great for employees,” said Allen of the Metro For D.C. 2020 Amendment. “But really, most important for those who have the least amount of access but have to pay the most for Metro, this can be transformative for working families.”

Allen says the program would be rolled out in stages. 

He says low-income families would be able to apply first. A family of four making less than 80-thousand dollars a year would qualify. Those behind the plan stress it includes extra bus service putting the total cost between $50 million and $150 million each year — a cost city council supporters say D.C. can afford.

“It’s an innovative approach that Councilmember Allen has proposed,” said Stewart Schwartz of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. He said the idea could be expanded to Maryland and Virginia, but neither state legislature has proposed such a bill.

“We have to bring Virginia and Maryland on board,” said Schwartz, who said that free transit regionwide will benefit everyone with less traffic and cleaner air. He said that is the next step, but the District has the chance to take the first step.

“I’d love to be able to get to that,” said Allen. “This is going to be incredibly important to District of Columbia residents, but to be able to do free fare, we’re going to have to get Maryland, Virginia and the District all on the same page.”

Metro has not said what it thinks of this idea.

Those behind this bill also cannot say when this would go into effect. They tell WUSA9 this is a big effort — and say it could take a year and maybe longer.

Testimony supporting Purple Line Marketing Program

Posted on by Emily Maurer

February 27, 2020

Environment and Transportation Committee

House Office Building, Room 251

Annapolis, MD 21401

HB 876, Transportation – Purple Line Marketing Program (Purple Line Marketing Act) (Support) 

Testimony for February 27, 2020

Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager

Thank you, Chair Barve, Vice Chair Stein, and Environment and Transportation Committee members. This testimony on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities. We support HB 876 and the development of a sound marketing plan that will help maximize usage of the Purple Line. 

HB 876 would require the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) along with certain stakeholders to create a marketing plan that would attract interest in the Purple Line before operations begin and promote usage of the Purple Line after operations begin. This bill would also require the Governor to dedicate $1,000,000 from the Transportation Trust Fund toward marketing efforts over three years. 

Maryland residents experience some of the longest commute times in the nation, with high levels of traffic congestion and a steady increase in vehicle miles travelled each year. This is why sustainable transit options, such as the Purple Line, are necessary. The Purple Line will decrease the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road, decrease traffic congestion, and encourage the development of transit-oriented communities, all of which are important for spurring economic development along the Purple Line corridor and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

A sound marketing plan is crucial to ensuring that the benefits of the Purple Line are adequately relayed to potential riders. A marketing plan will help frame the Purple Line as an attractive alternative to single- occupancy vehicle use, influencing commuting decisions and attracting new customers. Marketing for Richmond, Virginia’s Pulse Bus Rapid Transit system contributed to a record increase in transit ridership. 

Maryland has invested a significant amount of time and resources into planning, constructing, and operating the Purple Line. To maximize the return on this investment, the next practical step would be to develop a marketing plan that focuses on spreading information about the benefits of this modern rail service. 

Therefore, we ask you to vote in favor of HB 876. Thank you for your consideration.