Regional and Federal

Image: John J Young

With over 5 million people, 8 congressional districts, 3 state-level governments, and 22 local jurisdictions, the Washington region certainly has its complexities, but it also has a rich history of working together through the regional Council of Governments (COG) and partnering on major projects like the Metro system. The Coalition for Smarter Growth has played a central role in promoting a more sustainable and equitable way for our region to grow via a network of walkable, inclusive transit-oriented communities (TOCs). Our 2002 Blueprint for a Better Region illustrated this approach, and led to the 2005 Reality Check visioning exercise, and the Council of Government’s (COG) 2010 Region Forward vision plan, and 2021 resolution to prioritize development at high-capacity transit stations.

Our Work in the DC region

Climate change and the regional Transportation Planning Board (TPB): We have just nine years to slash our greenhouse gas emissions and transportation is now our #1 source.  Our recent report shows electric vehicles will not be enough, transit-oriented communities are key to reducing emissions from driving. We are pressing regional officials to do more and move faster to shift funds from highways to transit and TOCs, both at COG’s Transportation Planning Board (TPB)  and at the Northern Virginia Regional Authority. Learn more >>>

Improving our Regional Transit Network: Having teamed with business allies in the MetroNow coalition in 2018 to win the first-ever dedicated funding for Metro, we are now working with MetroNow and other partners for Better Buses — more frequent, reliable and affordable, with improved networks and dedicated bus lanes, while continuing to press WMATA on safety, maintenance, transparency and communications. Learn more >>>

Latest Happenings

Government cuts hurt the economy and transit

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Complicating the matter are the transit benefits. The federal government offered $250 per month tax-free to workers for mass transit. In 2013, Congress cut it almost in half to about $130. It was briefly restored in December, but once again is lower than the parking benefit.
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Purple Line goes to Hogan in May

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Maryland transportation officials say Gov. Larry Hogan will get options about the future of the Purple Line in mid-May.
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Metro committee delays vote on budget options for two weeks

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Transit advocate groups also agree that between fare increases, service cuts or increased subsidies from the jurisdictions, only the third is palatable. “Eighty-percent of those you polled support increasing state and local investment to meet Metro’s full operating budget shortfall, rather than include $46 million in fare increases and service cuts. When we see $46 million, we think of the spending on road and interchange projects where a single interchange can cost that much,” says Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
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Sign-On Letter to Transportation Planning Board on Cutting Carbon Emissions

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The undersigned organizations call on the National Capital Transportation Planning Board (TPB) to strengthen the resolution before it to affirm COG’s accepted long range CO2 target of 80% reductions by 2050 in two ways: 1) Include a deadline of September 30, 2015 to complete committee work and the final report
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Does the D.C. regional transportation plan include enough mass transit?

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“There are 1,200 lane miles of new highway in this plan and only 44 miles of transit,” said Stewart Schwartz, the executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a pro-transit group. “We've argued that when you see the success of D.C., Arlington, and Alexandria and the urbanizing suburbs in places like Tysons and White Flint, more investment in transit, walking, and bicycling would do much more to reduce regional traffic than this road-heavy approach.”
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