Known nationally as an innovator in smart growth and environmental protection, Maryland has many opportunities for improved transportation, land use and equitable development policies.
In Maryland, the Coalition for Smarter Growth focuses on Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. We advocate for transit-oriented neighborhoods where people can walk, bicycle and take transit between home, work and play, the new transit investments to support these communities, and affordable housing linked to transit.
Latest Happenings
Testimony before Ms. Françoise Carrier, Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board re: Long Branch Sector Plan Comments
Dear Chair Carrier and members of the Board: Please accept these comments on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. Our organization is a regional organization focused on ensuring transportation and development decisions are made with genuine community involvement and accommodate growth while revitalizing communities, providing more housing and travel choices, and conserving
Morning Read: Big Week for Maryland Legislature
It’s a busy week for the Maryland legislature. On Monday, Gov. Martin O’Malley introduced his own transportation funding plan, which would generate an estimated $833 million over five years in new funding for transportation through a 2-percent sales tax on gasoline. The sales tax would increase to 4 percent in
Westphalia developer floats bus plan to lure FBI to Prince George’s County
A $3 billion Canadian real estate firm plans to begin work shortly on what may be Prince George’s County’s largest development since National Harbor, and it is pulling out all the stops to get the FBI to build a headquarters there as a focal point. The Walton Group, one of North America’s largest land developers, purchased the 479-acre Westphalia Town Center project along Pennsylvania Avenue near Andrews Air Force Base in February of last year, and says it will begin construction this month. The first phase of the project calls for 347 town homes, more than 400 apartments, 450,000 square feet of retail and a 150-room hotel. Under previous ownership, the project stalled because of the recession, loan defaults and a conviction on extortion charges for one of the project’s principals. But after buying the property for $29.5 million in February of last year, Walton chief executive Bill Doherty said he is three-to-four weeks from beginning construction. “This is a very real project. We’re moving fast. This is happening,” he said.
Don’t Get Tripped Up by TRIP! If Most Maryland Roads are in Bad Condition, Then Focus Funds on Maintenance First AND Provide Transit as an Alternative to Sitting in Traffic
The TRIP group ("The Road Information Program") just issued its annual report on the bad condition of state roads, featuring Maryland and other states and conveniently timed for the state General Assembly debates about transportation funding. "We agree with TRIP that Maryland's roads and bridges are in need of repair, but TRIP's primary recommendation has traditionally been highway expansion," said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. "This simply doesn't track. Too often when we see the alarm raised about aging infrastructure, we see new funding go into capacity expansion even as the maintenance needs continue to mount."
The Regional Medical Center belongs at a Metro Station
All Prince George’s County residents have a vested interest in getting the decision right about where to locate and how to design the new county and state-supported $650 million Regional Medical Center with a workforce of more than 2000 employees. To leverage the most competitive healthcare benefits and economic development opportunities, we need
