Washington Regional Network

 for Livable Communities
Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities

INTERSECT

Newsletter of the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities
May 15, 2001 - Volume 5 Number 4

New York Avenue Metro Station Financing Rewards Speculation Over Investment

On April 26th, the Committee on Finance and Revenue of the D.C. City Council held a round table discussion about legislation to create a special assessment district. This district would raise private sector funding to assist in the construction of a new Metrorail Station in the vicinity of the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues, NE.

WRN testified about how access to convenient and affordable transit increases the land value of nearby private property. On this basis, it is appropriate for nearby private property owners to contribute toward the construction costs of new Metrorail stations, such as the one proposed for New York and Florida Avenues.

Unfortunately, the legislation suggested that the special assessment tax be calculated based on total (land and buildings) property value, instead of just land value. Two adjacent lots of identical size and identical zoning would receive the same increase in value. This is true even if one lot is vacant and the other has a building on it. Therefore, it would not be fair to have property owners pay more for the Metro just because they have built or maintained a building on their property.

Before the roundtable, a representative of the District's Chief Financial Officer stated that applying a special assessment against land value only would benefit speculators. In fact, taxing total property value benefits speculators because the owners of vacant properties pay less than the owners of developed properties.

The concept of obtaining a special contribution from property owners near station entrances for new Metro construction is an important step in the right direction for equity in infrastructure finance.

Maryland Legislature Supports Governor's Smart Growth Agenda
by Jim Clarke, Maryland WRN Board

"As we look to our next 25 years as a region, transit remains key to meeting the transportation needs of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area," said Maryland's Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari. On April 18, before the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, Porcari pledged Maryland's share of $9.8 billion for system preservation and $2.5 billion to expand existing capacity on Metro. Overall, Governor Glendening has committed to doubling transit ridership over the next twenty years.

Following through on this commitment the General Assembly's passed Governor Glendening's $500 million transit initiative, which focuses on making transit more convenient and accessible. The initiative also provides a dedicated source of funds for transit for the first time in Maryland's history. This half billion dollar initiative helps support the next generation of transit, including: more than 50 railcars; 300 Metro buses; more than 30 new local buses for Ride-On and The Bus; more than $60 million to link all Maryland transit systems through Smart Card fare technology; and, new shuttles in neighborhoods and employment centers.

In other actions the Maryland General Assembly established an Office of Smart Growth, which will coordinate all Smart Growth activity in the state and report to the Governor as well as a subcabinet for Smart Growth. Maryland also began a GreenPrint program, providing $35 million for the program to purchase 13,000 acres of environmentally sensitive areas. The legislature made the Bike and Pedestrian Safety Program eligible for funding and set the membership of the committee. The state recently decided to select two jurisdictions for 'safe routes to school' pilot programs. Finally, legislation was passed to establish a committee of members of the Maryland General Assembly and their counterparts in Virginia and the District to look into the establishment of a regional transportation authority. The committee is required to submit an interim report by December 1, 2001, and have its final report by December 1, 2002. The legislation directs the committee to look at a number of issues including a new Potomac River crossing between The American Legion Bridge and US 15 at Point of Rocks in Frederick County, MD. The legislation mandates that the committee look at transportation demand reduction measures and also requires that any recommendation must comply with local land use plans.

Transportation Choices Linked to Congestion Relief
by Cassie Seiple, WRN Coordinator

For the first time since World War II, growth in Americans' use of transit is consistently outpacing growth in driving. According to the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP), new government and industry figures show that in the past five years, transit use has grown by 21 percent while driving has increased by just 11 percent, with growth in driving flat in the year 2000.

This trend is boosted in the Washington DC region where transit ridership has increased 13 percent in the last year. The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) reports an estimated 12,500 automobiles have been eliminated from roads as a result of the federal Executive Order providing employer-paid transit and vanpool benefits to Executive Branch Employees. STPP reports that if every commuter had to drive to work, there would be another 413,000 cars on the road each day. STPP also shows that the Washington region's Congestion Burden ranking has dropped to 31st in the nation. The Congestion Burden Index, developed by STTP, measures both severity of traffic congestion and the degree to which commuters are exposed to it. The Texas Transportation Institute's (TTI) historical data for 68 Metropolitan areas assesses that building roads does little to relieve congestion. In this region, the availability of transit choices enables 23% of area workers to choose bikes, Metrorail, Metro bus, walking or other methods to get to work.

Some of the region's most severe traffic problems are created when companies locate jobs far from transit service and existing communities says the Coalition For Smarter Growth. "More jobs in [Virginia's] Route 28 corridor will bring more traffic, because people have no option but to drive. But if those jobs go to D.C., at Metro stations in Prince George's, Arlington, Fairfax or Montgomery Counties, or even at VRE and MARC rail stations then people have a choice to get out of traffic," said Laura Olsen of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. The Washington D.C. area has the fourth worst congestion in the country, according to the TTI's annual Urban Mobility Study. The Coalition for Smarter Growth has identified three of the area's congestion hotspots which exemplify the problems that arise when jobs are placed far from transit and housing: access to Tyson's Corner, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and Route 28, near Dulles Airport. Making transit the convenient choice for more people by locating jobs near transit and providing employer-paid transit benefits would further reduce regional congestion.

For more information visit STTP http://www.transact.org, the Coalition for Smarter Growth http://smartergrowth.net, and the Texas Transportation Institute's congestion report http://mobility.tamu.org.

Broad Public Support Demonstrated for Transit-Oriented Development Around Dulles Rail Stations
By Cassie Seiple, WRN Coordinator

Over twenty individuals and organizations signed up to testify before the Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing on the recommendations of the Dulles Corridor Land Use Task Force on the evening of May 2nd. The vast majority of testimony was in favor of the Dulles Corridor Rail Station Area Land Use Recommendations, and was provided by transportation and smart growth advocates, community groups, business owners, and individual residents.

WRN testified in support of the transit-oriented development and smart growth concepts in the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the Dulles rail station areas as a big step in the right direction by Fairfax County and a good model that should be replicated elsewhere. WRN suggested that the Comprehensive Plan Amendment: explicitly encourage mixed-use development at station areas as soon as possible; strengthen affordable housing provisions; create direct pedestrian access to all four quadrants at all three Reston stations (the fourth is in the middle of the Dulles Toll Rd., just east of VA Rt. 28); recommended engaging the public to develop community-friendly visions for each station area; and suggested that Fairfax County consider creative mechanisms that would allow for the implementation of transferable-development rights. WRN is excited about the possibilities that these four proposed rail stations provide for convenient access to jobs, daycare, schools, homes, and entertainment in Fairfax County.

D.C. Takes First Steps Forward with Affordable Housing Legislation

After a long hiatus, the D.C. City Council is considering legislation that aims to address D.C.'s growing affordable housing crisis. Given the renewed interest in development in the City, and skyrocketing housing prices, community activists and D.C. Council members are focusing attention on the need for new policies and programs. The D.C. Council is currently considering four bills related to affordable housing.

WRN board member, Janet W. Brown, has written an analysis of the pending legislation that includes recommendations that would help provide quality affordable housing for all in the District. According to Brown, "These legislative proposals represent good first steps. They will not solve the crisis in affordable housing, but at least they move the city (slowly) in the right direction. What is lacking in the bills is: 1) recognition of the rapidity with which the city is losing affordable housing; 2) priority for low-income renters who are the most vulnerable; 3) the notion that affordable housing should be located throughout the city, creating a truly integrated, diverse community; 4) realistic income guidelines that distinguish DC median income from that of the higher surrounding metropolitan region AMI; and 5) a sense that this is truly an ongoing problem for which our local government will have to shoulder a bigger part of the financial burden."

The Housing Preservation, Rehabilitation and production Omnibus Amendment Act of 2001 (Bill #14-167), the Home Start Incentives Act of 2001 (Bill #14-183) and the Abandoned Property Rehabilitation Incentive Act of 2001 (Bill #14-177) will be discussed at a hearing on June 11, 10 AM at the Council Chambers, 441 4th Street, NW. It is a joint hearing of the Committee on Economic Development and the Committee on Finance and Revenue. To testify call Barry Kreisworth at 724-8792.

For a copy of WRN's D.C. Housing Legislation Analysis, contact the WRN office. It will soon be available on the WRN web page: www.washingtonregion.net.

A Citizen's Guide to Transportation Decision Making

The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration have developed a guide for citizens to help them understand federal requirements in the transportation decision-making process. The guide addresses such issues as: How do government officials decide where to put a bus stop, road, or bridge? How are these and other transportation projects planned? and How are opinions heard and considered by the planners, road designers, elected officials and other citizens? "The Basics of Transportation Decision Making" is available online.

Florida Legislature Considers Full Cost Accounting to Discourage Sprawl

In what could be a groundbreaking approach to combating sprawl, the Florida legislature has recently taken up a measure initially proposed by Governor Jeb Bush and his Growth Management Study Commission. The measure would mandate full-cost accounting for growth. Experts say "full-cost accounting" is a cutting-edge tool to measure the public expense of sprawl - such as expenditures for roads and schools - before it happens. Officials aiming to reform the state's faltering growth-control system say full-cost accounting would open a window into the hidden expenses of each new housing tract, strip mall and town center. However, according to Professor Robert Burchell of Rutgers University, designing a system of full-cost accounting is not easy. Working out the details of such a plan could take several years. Yet the effort is well worth it; in a 1999 study Burchell found that southeast Florida residents could save $6.15 billion over the next 20 years just by revitalizing aging city centers instead of allowing development into the least expensive open land. "In the '80s, we went with impact fees, user charges and developer exactions to assign costs to those who cause growth,'' Burchell said. "Now, full-cost accounting is emerging as possibly the most accurate way to estimate public costs of sprawl. That has never really been seen before,'' Burchell said. (Brad Smith, "Accounting for Sprawl," The Tampa Tribune, April 2, 2001) http://www.sustainableeconomy.org/

Celebrate National Bike Month: Online Bike Route Resources

Upcoming Events

May 13-19, Bike to Work Week by League of American Bicyclists, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20006-2082, voice: 202/ 822-1333, fax: 202/ 822-1334, email: bikeleague@bikeleague.org web: http://www.bikeleague.org/educenter/bikemonth.htm .

Tuesday, May 15th from 6:30 - 8:30pm. The DC Environmental Network seeks volunteers to help prepare their report, DC at the Crossroads, for distribution. Pizza provided, Friends of the Earth
1025 Vermont Ave Suite 300. RSVP: Parisa Norouzi at DCEN if you will attend-pnorouzi@foe.org, 202/ 783-4000 x 107.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) public information meetings on the Western Transportation Corridor (WTC): Tuesday, May 15, Fairfax, Capital Expo and Conference Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center (off Willard Road) Thursday, May 17, Warrenton, National Guard Armory, 692 Waterloo Road Wednesday, May 23, Fredericksburg, Riverside Center, 95 Riverside Parkway All meetings will be held from 3 - 9pm. VDOT has started the Environmental Impact Study for the WTC, which is expected to last 18 months.

Wednesday, May 16, noon -2pm. National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) meeting, 777 N. Capital St., NE (Union Station Metro). Contact 202/962-3311.

Friday, May 18, 8:45am. A People's Alliance for Rock Creek (PARC) launches the "Friday Morning Beach Club." Join a group of cyclists, skaters, joggers, and walkers who will enter the southbound lane of Beach Drive at the U.S. Park Police station, just south of Military Road and travel leisurely through the scenic Rock Creek Gorge, supporting the call for part-time weekday closure of portions of the road to cars. The "Beach Club" will be a regular Friday event, for more information visit: www.waba.org/PARC/

Saturday, May 19, 9am - 1pm. Anacostia Waterfront Initiative: Riverwide Finds, Presentation, and Workshops at the National Building Museum (Judiciary Square Metro). Presenters will discuss issues and opportunities of the AWI. RSVP or for more information, contact the DC Office of Planning, 202/442-7600 or see their website at www.anacostiawaterfront.net .

Tuesday, May 22, 9am - 1:30pm. "Moving from Brownfields to Greenfields: Getting Beyond Liabilities to Assets" presented by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the DC Brownfields Redevelopment Action Team. This event will explore issues of abandoned contaminated property and will be held at 777 North Capitol St. To register or for more information, contact George Nichols at COG, 202/962-3355.

Wednesday, May 23, 12:30 - 1:30pm. "Why Should Green Buildings Yield Productivity Benefits?"
Speaker: Judith Heerwagen, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC (Judiciary Square Metro Station).

Wednesday, May 23, 7pm. Alexandria Outreach meetings by the Citizen Advisory Committee to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. A short briefing will be provided on the regional funding crisis and State Senator Ticer will report on the Virginia General Assembly's recent efforts to deal with the funding problem in Northern Virginia at the Alexandria City Hall.

Thursday, May 24, 6:30pm. Discuss a People's Plan to create affordable housing for low-and moderate-income residents with guest speaker Nina Dastur of the Legal Aid Society of DC. Goals: put low-income residents of the District FIRST; recommend that the District fix up buildings, not tear them town; improve the Mayor's proposals so that limited resources target vulnerable residents. Location: the Project WISH office, 1419 V St. NW (U St. Metro on the Green Line) 202/332-8800.

Job Listings

Sprawl Watch clearinghouse seeks Full time Research Analyst. The clearinghouse is a non-profit resource center that provides information on issues related to sprawl, smart growth and livable communities. The Clearinghouse seeks a full time research/writer to identify, collect and compile information on sprawl, smart growth and livable communities. To apply: Send resume, cover letter and writing sample to Allison Smiley, Director, Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse, 1100 17th Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, or e-mail allison@sprawlwatch.org

EnvironMentors seeks Project Coordinator who will recruit & coordinate matches of mentors and students; work w/ students, mentors, teachers, and partners; help coordinate events & field trips; & assist w/ administrative duties. Ideal candidate will be organized yet flexible, have experience w/ youth & environmental education, & strong communications & computer skills. Visit www.environmentors.org for information. Send cover letter, resume, and writing sample to: EnvironMentors, 1010 Vermont Ave., NW, # 202, Washington, D.C. 20005.

Volunteers Needed: Bike DC - September 23, 2001. Join in making this 35-mile tour of the beautiful rivers, monuments and neighborhoods of the nation's capital, bigger and better. Visit: http://www.waba.org, email: waba@waba.org or phone: 202/628-2500.

Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program seeks volunteers with public health/ statistics background
to help out with composing and completing a health survey. Please contact Julie Eisenhardt as soon as possible if you're interested at 202-610-3360.

Support Intersect, Join WRN

This newsletter is a free service to those interested in creating more livable communities. Please help WRN continue to report on these issues; join WRN and support Intersect. WRN welcomes all donations but a basic membership is $35 for individuals and $200 for organizations.

WRN would like to thank Lynn Scholz for her recent contribution.

WRN appreciates all those who contributed advice for WRN's database and computer upgrade: Krissi Jimroglou, Karen Armagost, Hugh Morris, and Allen Muchnick.

INTERSECT! is a publication of the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities.

WRN advocates transportation investments, land use policies, and community designs that enhance existing communities and the environment of the National Capital Region.

Contributions help cover the costs of producing INTERSECT as well as WRN's other activities including forums, workshops, and reports. WRN Contribution Form.

Cassie Seiple, Intersect Managing Editor.
Comments and articles welcome

Views expressed are not necessarily those of WRN.

    Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities
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    Phone: (202) 667-5445  ¨ Fax: (202) 667-4491
    Email: staff@washingtonregion.net

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