Coming Up: A book talk, a brown-bag lunch, and Bus to Work Day

Posted on by Alex Baca

Happy February! Read on for upcoming CSG events and public meetings where your voice is needed in support of people-friendly streets and neighborhoods.

Upcoming Events

Book Talk: Christof Spieler: An Opinionated Atlas of U.S. Transit
Tues., Feb. 5, 5:30-8 p.m.
Smith Public Trust

Join us and Island Press for a talk with Houston-based community leader, urban planner, and transit enthusiast Christof Spieler, whose book Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of U.S. Transit profiles 47 metropolitan rail and bus systems. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong; at this talk, he’ll give a brief presentation and answer questions. Cash bar available. This event is free, but please register here.

Brown-Bag Lunch: Making Workforce Housing Work
Thurs., Feb. 7, 12-1:30 p.m.
West End Library Meeting Room

Join Somerset Development Company project manager Patrick McAnaney, Enterprise Community Partners Mid-Atlantic State & Local Policy Director Melissa Bondi, and CSG Policy Director Cheryl Cort to discuss the results of a new research paper about workforce housing in D.C. Workforce housing policies and subsidies are intended to fill the gap between what workers earn and what they can afford—but those that exist don’t fully account for the fact that eight of the 20 most common types of jobs in D.C. earn well below what it costs to afford rent or own a home in the city. We’ll discuss the numbers behind workforce housing, and possible solutions. Bring your lunch! This event is free, but please register here.

Save the Date: Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award reception
Tues., April 23, 5 p.m.
Tico

Save the date for CSG’s annual Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award reception! We will return to Tico, on 14th Street in D.C., to honor smart-growth champions in our region. More information and ticket sales coming soon.

Stand Up for Smart Growth

The following public meetings and open comment periods are great opportunities to tell decisionmakers that you’d like people who walk, bike, and take transit to be prioritized in projects.

D.C.
Bus to Work Day
Mon., Feb. 4
14th and Buchanan streets NW
Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd has introduced legislation to designate Feb. 4 as Bus to Work Day in D.C., coinciding with National Transit Equity Day. Councilmember Todd will be taking the 7:45 a.m. 59 bus to work from 14th and Buchanan streets; join him by taking the bus for your commute, too. Learn more here.

Rock Creek East I Livability Meeting
Wed., Feb. 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library
Learn more here; register here

20th/21st/22nd Street Cycletrack
Comments open until Wed., Feb. 13
Learn more and submit comments here, or email megan.kanagy@dc.gov

D.C. Council Oversight Hearings

  • DDOT Performance Hearing: Mon. Feb. 25, 11 a.m.
  • DDOT Budget Hearing: Thurs., April 11, 11 a.m.
  • Office of Planning Performance Hearing: Thurs., Feb. 28, 11 a.m.
  • Office of Planning Budget Hearing: Tues., March 26, 11 a.m.

More information for budget hearings here and performance hearings here

Maryland
Montgomery County ADU Regulation Hearing
Tues., Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
3rd Floor hearing room, Council office building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville
ZTA 19-01 would remove certain regulations on ADUs to make them easier and more affordable to build. Read more here, and see a fact sheet here. You must sign up to testify at this meeting, or you can submit comments by email to County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov

Virginia
Plan Lee Highway Kickoff Meeting
Tues., Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
Washington-Lee High School
Learn more here

West Falls Church Economic Development Project Town Hall and Council Meeting
Town Hall: Sun., Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
City Council: Mon., Feb. 25, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Community Center, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church
Learn more here

Loudoun 2040 Comprehensive Plan Work Sessions
Thurs., Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14, and Feb. 28
Dulles Room, Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg
Learn more here

And, stay up to date with what’s going on with Amazon here.

Regional
Metro Budget Open Houses and Hearings
Thurs., Jan. 31
Greenbelt Library, 11 Crescent Road
Open house at 6 p.m., public hearing at 6:30 p.m.

Tues., Feb. 5 (rescheduled from Jan. 29)
Metro HQ, 600 5th St. NW
Open house at 5:30 p.m., public hearing at 6 p.m.

More information here. If you missed the Jan. 30 open house in Alexandria, or can’t attend the above meetings, take the online survey.

CSG In the News

Executive Director Stewart Schwartz was quoted in Alexandria Living‘s coverage of the Embark Richmond Highway plan (for more on the plan, read Greater Greater Washington):
“Overall, it’s a very positive vision for the future for really the oldest corridor in the county, “ said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a DC-based advocacy group. “It would create walkable, transit oriented-communities with a network of streets, strong bicycling infrastructure… [and] green ecological corridors running through it.”
Engagement Director Alex Baca was on The Kojo Nnamdi Show to discuss regional housing needs and how to make housing affordable for different generations.

In Case You Missed It

Smart-growth supporters—like you!—raised over $152,000 during our annual year-end campaign. Over 30 percent of our budget comes from individual contributions, and we can’t thank you enough for your gift. If you’d like to give to the Coalition for Smarter Growth, smartergrowth.net/donate is always open.

Thanks, and we hope to see you soon!

Support a livable, walkable D.C. region today!

Photo by Flickr user MW Transit User