Working for a better DC region
Dear {{FirstName or 'Friend'}},
With vaccinations continuing, a big new infrastructure bill doubling federal transit funding, and spring weather headed our way, there’s so much to be optimistic about this month! We’re continuing to put in the long hours needed to fight for more affordable housing, better transit service, and more walkable, bikeable communities. Keep reading to see what we’ve accomplished this month.
Regional
Metro Budget
We joined the successful national campaign for federal emergency transit funding, saving WMATA from the brink of budgetary collapse with the passage of the American Rescue Plan. It will carry WMATA into FY23. We are helping lead campaigns to guide WMATA and local transit agencies on their FY22 budget priorities including our joint Transit Equity Platform with Greater Greater Washington and DC TEN and our MetroNow Coalition comments. Look for our thoughts soon on the big federal infrastructure proposal.
Transportation Planning Board
Last Friday, the regional Transportation Planning Board released for public comment the draft list of projects for its long-range transportation plan. Unfortunately, the list largely ignores the major shift in travel patterns expected to persist beyond the pandemic. It also includes dozens of road and highway expansion projects which will fuel more driving and greenhouse gas emissions. Stay tuned for alerts on how you can help us push for a better plan.
Vision Zero Arterials Design Summit
Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities account for nearly one third of the region’s transportation fatalities, and our major arterials are often the scene of these crashes. Join us on April 23rd from 10am-2pm to hear speakers from NACTO, MDSHA, DDOT, VDOT and Montgomery County present their most recent design guidelines and treatments for pedestrian safety on major arterials. Click here for call-in information.
DC
Comprehensive Plan
We are still fighting for passage of the Comp Plan in DC. As a part of our continuing outreach, we are hosting an event on April 27th at 7:30pm with Ward3Vision called Building Inclusivity in Ward 3: What’s In the Affordable Housing Toolbox? We will be joined by Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh and will discuss the purpose and role of affordable housing policy tools like community land trusts, public housing, ADUs and more! Learn more and register here.
Virginia
Active Fairfax Plan
Fairfax County is updating and combining their Bicycle Master Plan and Countywide Trails Plan into the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan. Take the survey here to share how you use active transportation and your ideas how to improve safety and accessibility. You can also use these two interactive maps to share input. The survey closes May 1st.
Accessory Living Units
We won changes to the accessory living unit policy in Fairfax County! Although the changes are very modest -- removing the age or disability requirements and allowing administrative approval for interior units, we’ll keep pushing for broad adoption of ALUs (ADUs) in the county. Thanks to all those who took action! It made a difference.
Active Transportation
Our joint event, Accelerating Active Transportation Change in Northern Virginia was a tremendous success! Thanks to all of our partner organizations and guest speakers for making it such an incredible day full of inspiring ideas and hope for the future! If you couldn’t make it, the recordings are now posted on the event page.
Maryland
Prince George's Zoning Rewrite
Help us to save the zoning modernization in Prince George’s County! The new zoning will be more transparent and understandable, and support transit-oriented development and better street designs for cyclists and pedestrians. But we need the Maryland General Assembly to grant a limited exception to a very restrictive ethics law unique to Prince
George’s County. As currently written, most, if not all members of the council would be prevented from voting on the new zoning. Tell your Maryland legislators to allow Prince George’s to modernize its zoning code!
Connecting the Corridor
Join us on April 21st from 6-8pm for Connecting the Corridor: a Century of Racism and Resilience Along the Purple Line. We are co-hosting this event with sponsor Kaiser Permanente and the Purple Line Corridor Coalition. We’ll hear from storytellers who live in the corridor, remarks from former Maryland governor Parris Glendening, with moderation from Dan Reed. Click here to learn more and to register.
Montgomery for All
This month’s Montgomery for All meeting will be Thursday, April 15th at 6:30pm, featuring Councilmember Hans Riemer, Chair of the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee. We’ll be discussing the recently released Planning Board Draft Thrive 2050 Plan, so you won’t want to miss it! Register here.
Fare Free Ride On
We scored a big win in Montgomery County this past week: the county committed to keep Ride On buses fare free through the end of the public health emergency, although they will reevaluate at the end of the fiscal year on June 30th. A huge thanks to our Montgomery Better Buses coalition and transit champion Councilmember Evan Glass for fighting for this important policy!
As always, thank you for being a dedicated supporter of our work to make the DC region a better place to live and work! We look forward to building a better future together!
All the best,
The CSG Team
Top image from MW Transit, Flickr
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Coalition for Smarter Growth
P.O. Box 73282
2000 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
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