The undersigned groups commend regional elected officials and staff for identifying $480 million in funding to support WMATA FY25 operations. Our non-profit and labor organizations worked to support this additional funding, as we did during the successful effort to win $500 million in capital funding in 2018. However, we all recognize that the region needs to once and for all identify a long-term, sustainable, reliable, dedicated funding solution for WMATA. 

We believe it is appropriate to reclassify unbuilt segments of M-83 as “no longer a master planned road” in this update of the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways.

Today you will be briefed on the Visualize 2050 public comments received last month. The feedback form results show overwhelming disappointment with the Visualize 2050 process, its many road widening projects, and voice support for a plan that instead strives to achieve our climate and other goals for walkable, transit-friendly affordable communities.

We are glad to see record levels of funding for affordable housing production and preservation in this year’s capital and operating budgets, and thank the Council and County Executive for consistently increasing funding for affordable housing year over year.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is glad to see NVTC developing a Strategic Research Plan and applauds the research to date, such as the Climate Benefits of Transit on your agenda tonight. We ask NVTC to include a robust land use and housing component in its Research plan.