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INTERSECT Newsletter of the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities Visit http://www.washingtonregion.net for back issues of Intersect. Summary: * Montgomery County Stalls on Purple Line Decision * WRN Infill Development Forum Meets Design & Traffic Challenges * DC Affordable housing Update: Housing Activists Attempt to Get Answers from the Council* Car Sharing Services Expand in DC * Upcoming Events * Are you a member? Support Intersect, Join WRN * WRN Contribution Form Montgomery County Stalls on Purple Line Decision After a strong showing by inner Purple Line supporters, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan suggested a new alignment in a surprise move that has delayed the Purple Line decision until at least October 23rd. It is not clear who this new alignment serves but in what is being reported as a political compromise, it would include an outer Purple Line along with the Georgetown Branch, a segment between Bethesda and Silver Spring. Council members Michael Subin (D-At Large), Steven A. Silverman (D-At large) of Silver Spring, and Marilyn J. Praisner (D-Dist. 4 of Silver Spring), are considered the swing votes for Duncan’s compromise. “This compromise goes against everything we’ve seen with such strong public support for an inner Purple Line and limited outer Purple Line support originating from opposition to the Georgetown Branch,” said Harry Sanders of the Action Committee for Transit. Sanders suggests that “all along the outer Purple Line was designed to sabotage the Purple Line project because it is unrealistic and any compromise that provides an outer alignment at a cost of $4 billion, is unlikely to receive federal funding because of cost effectiveness guidelines.” At the October 2nd Montgomery County Council public hearing about the proposed Purple Line, inner Purple Line supporters recognized the potential for rail mostly inside the Beltway to give people more transportation choices, link and revitalize existing communities, and connect job centers. Among those testifying in support of the inner Purple Line were local businesses, along with educational, civic, and environmental organizations including, the American Institute of Architects, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, CASA of Maryland, the Action Committee for Transit, the City of Takoma Park, the Silver Spring Regional Advisory Board, University of Maryland at College Park, 1,000 Friends of Maryland, the League of Women Voters, and others. Outer Purple Line proponents, including Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan’s representative, Edgar Gonzales, (Deputy Director of the County Department of Public Works and Transportation) argued that reinstating rail would negatively affect the aesthetic quality of the Capital Crescent Trail as well as cause the loss of 1,000 mature trees along the right of way. Most outer Purple Line supporters are specifically opposed to the Georgetown branch connection between Bethesda and Silver Spring and included the Town of Chevy Chase, and the East Bethesda Civic Association. Cheryl Cort, representing the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, cited a Rails to Trails Study which surveyed 61 trails along active rail lines and demonstrates that corridors sharing active rail lines and trails can be compatible. Although Takoma Park City Councilman Marc Elrich, spoke strongly in favor of an inner Purple Line he also voiced interest in later considering a rail spur to White Oak (the location of the new FDA facility which will provide over 6,000 jobs) and Rock Spring as major job centers which are outside the beltway. Montgomery County Council member Marilyn J. Praisner echoed his opinion. The outer Purple Line would have stops in White Oak, Rock Spring, and locations called “BW Parkway,” and “I-95 Park & Ride.” Michelle Escobar of CASA of Maryland was one of many speakers who focused on the large number of transit dependant people who would be served. Escobar described how an inner Purple Line would increase the time available for job opportunities, to spend with family, or take English classes, and to tend to medical necessities – tremendous benefits to transit dependent people. She was joined by several Latino inner Purple Line advocates from Langley Park wearing “La Linea Morada en Langley Park” (The Inner Purple Line in Langley Park) stickers. “To choose a route that bypasses Langley Park would be unfair to our community,” say Hispanic leaders in Langley Park and Montgomery County including the League of United Latin American Citizens of Montgomery County in a statement released on October 16th. The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Prince George’s County Council are also meeting to reach an agreement on which proposal to recommend to the state of Maryland, with a goal of seeking Federal transportation funding in 2003. The Montgomery County Council will decide which alignment to endorse at its October 23 meeting. Information about the Council members can be found at: http://www.co.mo.md.us/council/councilm.html. For more information on the proposed Purple Line, see WRN’s brochure “Get On Line”: http://www.washingtonregion.net/pdfs/purple.pdf, the Action Committee for Transit at http://www.actfortransit.org/docs/purpleforum, and the Montgomery County fact sheet on the Purple Line: http://www.co.mo.md.us/council/news2001/0928purpleline.pdf. WRN Infill Development Forum Meets Design & Traffic Challenges
by Steven Waters, President, Walk D.C. On September 25th over 50 people attended a WRN hosted forum on infill development with speakers Lee Quill and Ralph Cunningham of Cunningham + Quill Architects and transportation planner Gerald Neily. The audience included planners, architects, community activists and elected officials from the region. The presentations addressed the challenges of getting community and political support or approval of infill development; and suggested that new buildings and residents can add value to neighborhoods by providing a convenient mix of uses and transportation choices. Lee Quill emphasized that sustained community involvement is crucial to successful infill development projects. He described how his firm conducts intensive public outreach, holds meetings and uses 3-D models and the web as tools to facilitate participation. Quill stressed the importance of “getting down to the little details, because this is what everybody experiences on the human level.” That is exactly what was done in Quill’s master plan for the Potomac Yards development north of Old Town Alexandria. A common problem with getting approval for infill projects is that many elements of smart growth are at odds with zoning regulations. “It was hard to get alleyways that weren’t wider than the streets!” exclaimed Quill when describing the process of designing an affordable senior housing project in Arlington. Allowing the community to shape the plan before the plan is finalized is crucial to the ability of Cunningham + Quill Architects to build public support. The final Potomac Yard design is, as Quill described “a framework for the neighborhood to work within.” It incorporates six neighborhoods that encircle town centers, which feature a linear series of connected open spaces. A central main street links these neighborhoods with the capacity for light rail or bus rapid transit. Most infill projects are much smaller than Potomac Yards, in which case compatibility with the existing neighborhood is especially important. Ralph Cunningham described a mixed-use building in Tenleytown that began with a site visit with community members when “literally nothing” had been done on the project. After a year of community meetings, they received unanimous approval from the ANC, and later the zoning commission. Although the infill structure was larger then the vehicle rental business it replaced, its uses are more desirable to the community and it actually contributed to the amount of available parking. The bulk of the completed building is residential with retail and office space on the first and second floors. Its design enables the side facing Wisconsin Avenue to house ground floor retail, one story of commercial offices, and above, 5 stories of residential units. While the side of the building facing the adjacent single family neighborhood staggers down to three story townhouses that blend in with the existing street. Communities frequently express concern over traffic and parking when an infill development project is being discussed. According to Gerald Neily, who has 19 years of experience with the City of Baltimore as transportation planner, it’s important to think comprehensively as a region when addressing these issues. “Usually traffic problems are widespread community problems” and communities should not let one project become the focal point for these larger issues, said Neily. When working with communities he ensures that the scale is always appropriate to how the community envisions itself. One of the most common problems Neily comes across is confusion over what the function of a street or area is in which case, he says it is necessary to look at whether the traffic is serving the community, or whether it is through-traffic. This is important because “traffic fills up all the space you give it,” according to Neily. He always asks “what does the community need it to be,” or “who should a particular street or parking area be serving?” One example Neily provided was when a community prioritizes a certain area for residential parking and uses permits to ensure that the transportation system gives priority to those residents rather than commuters. One of the primary concerns raised in the question and answer period was the availability of affordable housing. All three speakers expressed that there are plenty of opportunities for more residential units in the region and that we can work with elected officials to make affordable housing a consistent priority. WRN’s policy recommendations on affordable housing assert the importance of a proactive approach to affordable housing. DC Affordable housing Update:Housing Activists Attempt to Get Answers from the Councilby Cassie Seiple, WRN Coordinator On September 15th in response to considerable
pressure from twenty low-income tenants, council member Jack Evans (Ward 2)
agreed to push for dedicated funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund
and a second hearing on the housing bills before the Committee on finance and
Revenue, which he chairs.
However, there is still no promise on when the housing legislation
drafts will be available. This
meeting with Evans was the result of recent efforts by housing and community
groups to keep affordable housing a District priority including: · At an October 4th town meeting with city Council members’ staff the youth based group, the Shaw Education for Action (SEA) solicited specific responses to their housing policy recommendations. · The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless designed post cards for citizens to send to council members advocating affordable housing for residents with the greatest need, and avoiding the displacement of D.C. residents. · Washington Inner City Self Help (WISH) “delivered” their message to save affordable housing directly to the homes of council members Harold Brazil and Jack Evans on Saturday, October 6th. The six housing bills, initiated by Mayor Williams and council members Catania, Chavous, Graham, and Cropp, have been bottled up in committees since June 11th when more than a hundred activists appeared to testify at a marathon hearing. A June agreement between council members Brazil and Evans to produce one "omnibus" bill has apparently fallen apart. While Mr. Catania's two bills are being refined in Evan's committee, the rest – including the Mayor’s proposal to dedicate funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund – are before council member Harold Brazil's Committee on Economic Development. None of the housing organizations have been able to meet with Brazil. "He never seems to be in his office or return our calls, and we are very frustrated," says Linda Leaks, head of WISH. At the SEA housing forum, Director of Constituent Services for Jim Graham, Denise Wiktor said Graham’s office is currently getting “stonewalled” by council member Brazil. She encouraged citizens to “call [Brazil] so that this bill gets set for a hearing; [otherwise] it’s not going to go anywhere.” On the same day, in a meeting with the League of Women Voters, council member Jim Graham, a consistent supporter of affordable housing, suggested that a housing law may not go through this year. In his fall newsletter, council member Jack Evans struck a
cautionary note about the funding these housing bills would require, because
that funding “will likely not be available until FY 2003.” Combined with the Evans-sponsored tax
cuts two years ago, the declining economy is contributing to projected
revenue shortfalls. Although the
status of D.C.’s affordable housing legislation is still unclear, other
housing advocates who have also been visiting council members are wary but
consider Mr. Evan's promises a good sign: "This is the first break in a
wall of silence that has met our pleas that the bill be released," said
Elizabeth Martin, co-chair of the League of Women Voters' affordable housing
committee. Council member Evans also agreed to other tenant requests that he lower the definition of “low-income” in pending legislation (at present it is based on area-wide averages and is unrealistically high for the District) and that he make sure that the “5513 fund” (allowing the city to make repairs in neglected buildings and bill the landlords) is adequately funded. News that Evans will support a fully funded housing trust fund is welcome by housing activists who consider it a top priority, such as Linda Leaks who says “without the decent and affordable housing the Fund would create, many working families could be forced to move out of the city.” “This legislation will set the direction for housing policy in the city,” said Janet Brown, a WRN board member. “Council members have a real opportunity here if they are willing to work together to focus on helping working families to build their lives in affordable homes.” For more information, visit WRN’s web page at http://www.washingtonregion.net/html/housing.html. To request a housing post card, call Sczerina Perot of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless at 202/872-1494. Car Sharing Services Expand in DCby Cassie Seiple, WRN Coordinator Do you own a car only for those few trips to the hardware store or the quick getaway to Greal Falls? Are the costs of insuring and maintaining a car too much for your budget? Or, do you get by fine without by walking biking or taking transit but could use a car a few time a month for similar errands? If so, then car sharing may work for you. Two car sharing companies are setting up shop in the Washington D.C. region, the Seattle-based Flexcar and the Boston-based Zipcar. Operated like a time share, car sharing makes vehicles available to members on a per-use basis, so members only pay for their time and mileage, with the other fixed costs of ownership – insurance, gas, maintenance – included in the time and mileage fees. Zipcar and Flexcar are modeled after car sharing programs in Western Europe. They both provide members with a choice of different vehicles at convenient locations. On September 24, the WMATA board announced that it would partner with
Flexcar to make car sharing available at Metro stations, neighborhoods, and
business districts throughout the region. Flexcar will begin their services with twenty-two cars in
early-November. Flexcar
estimates that the number of cars available should grow to 200 in the next
few years. The 12 Metrorail stations
and neighborhood areas where the initial cars are planned to be placed are:
Anacostia, Ballston-MU, College Park, Columbia Heights, Court House,
Grosvenor-Strathmore, King Street, L'Enfant Plaza, New Carrollton, Shady
Grove, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, and Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan. Zipcar officially opened in D.C. on September 13th and now has forty members in the region. According to their CEO, Robin Chase, Zipcar plans to add cars as quickly as possible; it hopes to have twenty-five cars by November and then will grow with demand. Zipcar members can also make reservations online for cars in Boston as in D.C., and soon they will begin service in New York City. Zipcar currently has cars in the following locations: St. Elmo's Coffee, in Alexandria, Ballston Place and Pentagon City in Arlington, and 3rd Street NE, 8th Street NW, Kentucky Ave SE, Marriott/Woodley Park NW, Porter Street NE, and Van Ness Street NW in D.C. Zipcar Director of Business Development, Mark Chase says density and access to transit are the largest factors that determine the placement of their vehicles. They plan to cluster cars in areas, such as downtown, Dupont, and Adams Morgan so that there are options close by for members if the car they want is reserved. Flexcar has not yet finalized its rates but follows a cell-phone pricing model that benefits frequent users. Zipcar’s rates are correlated with parking costs and will range from $6 - $8 per hour. Currently Zipcar accepts reservations online and Flexcar will have services to make reservations by phone and eventually via the internet. “Car sharing is a unique opportunity that would be beneficial for someone whose travel doesn't have to be done entirely by car, but can combine transit and automobile travel,” says Richard A. White, Metro's General Manager. “Studies show that participants in car sharing programs often sell a car or delay the purchase of a car, and increase their use of transit. These types of changes also lead to reductions in air pollution.” For more information visit http://www.zipcar.com, and http://www.flexcar.com. To read more about car sharing visit: http://www.carsharing.net. Upcoming Events
Monday, October 22, 11:30am - 1:00pm. Transportation
Briefing – Brown Bag Lunch League of Women Voters and Citizens Advisory
Committee LWV Headquarters, 17th and M Streets NW. Contact John Swanson at Council of
Governments, 202-962-3295 for details.
Monday, October 22, 6pm. DC Water and
Sewer Authority Meeting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G
Street, NW, Auditorium A-5 (Gallery Place, green line). The DC Environmental Network invites
you to come and speak out for an end to combined sewer overflows into the
Anacostia, Potomac, and Rock Creek and see a photo exhibit of the Anacostia. Contact Parisa Norouzi 202-783-7400,
x107.
Wednesday, October 24, 7 – 9pm. Council of Governments Transportation Meeting - Citizens Advisory Committee to Transportation Planning Board at Saunders Middle School, 13557 Spriggs Road, Manassas. Will include a briefing and time for citizen input. Call John Swanson at 202-962-3295 or infocntr@mwcog.org for details. October 25 – 26th LeFrak Lectureship presented by the University of Maryland Urban Studies and Planning Program of the UMD School of Architecture. The 2001 LeFrak lecturer, Robert Cervero, Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California/Berkeley will lead two seminars and one lecture on Global Cities and Transportation: Transit Investments and Sustainable Urban Forms, and Transportation and Urbanism. For more information, call 202-272-2448 or visit http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Colleges/ARCH/URSP/Program/SpecialPrograms/lefraklectures.html. October 25th and 30th, 7pm. Rail Transit for Route 1: Crystal City to Alexandria, a public meeting held by Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation on transit alternatives. On the 25th at the Crystal Gateway Condominiums, 1300 Crystal Dr, Arlington (near 15th St S, two blocks north of the Crystal City Metrorail Station) and on the 30th at the Mt. Vernon Elementary School, 2601 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria (accessible by Metrobus 10A, 10B, or 10C from the Braddock Road Metrorail Station). Call 888-550-2279 or visit http://www.beltwayrail.org/projects/current/r1t.htm. October 26th, 5:30pm & October 27th, 8:30am – 5pm. “Summit and Symposium: The Economics of Place” sponsored by the Alliance for Sustainable Communities Speakers include David Berry, US Department of the Interior, who led the Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators; David Morris, Institute for Local Self Reliance; and Michael Shuman, Community Ventures. At the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Annapolis. Registration for both days is $45 and includes meals. Contact Anne Pearson 410-956-1002, aplace@toad.net. Friday, October 26, 8:30am. National Building Museum Symposium: “Seeking Smart Growth in the Washington Metropolitan Region” Co-sponsored by the National Capital Chapter of the American Planning Association with keynote speaker Governor Parris Glendening. National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC (Judiciary Square Metro, red line) Registration ranges $65 - $115. Call 703-768-6987 visit www.ncac-apa.org for details. Tuesday, October 30, 4 – 8:30pm 1000
Friends of Maryland and National Center for Smart Growth Forum: “Making
Connections” at the University of Maryland School of Architecture. It will include a panel discussion,
smart growth awards, and a presentation to Governor Glendening. Register by Oct 19, call 410-385-2910
or friends@friendsofmd.org or
visit http://www.friendsofmd.org/01annualmtg.htm.
Are you a member? 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 thanks outgoing Board of Directors member Damon Whitehead for his many contributions; his involvement on the board for his two-year term of service is greatly appreciated. In addition, WRN would like to thank Margot Bevington & Dmitri Seals for volunteering their time as WRN summer interns. ________________________________________________________________________ WRN advocates transportation investments, land use policies, and community designs that enhance existing communities and the environment of the National Capital Region. Cassie Seiple, Intersect Managing Editor. Comments and articles welcome. Views expressed are not necessarily those of WRN. Washington Regional Network For Livable Communities 1777 Church Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 Phone:
(202) 667-5445
Fax: (202) 667-4491 Email:
staff@washingtonregion.net Web: http://www.washingtonregion.net WRN Contribution Form ___ *** Add $20/person for Intersect to be faxed long-distance or mailed (to cover costs). Individual Contribution Categories: ___ Limited Income $15 ___ Basic Individual $35* ___ Supporter $80* ___ Sustainer $120 Organizational Contribution Categories: ___ Small $60* ___ Basic $200 (Intersect sent to up to 3 individuals* & recognition in Intersect 2x/year) ___ Sustaining $500 - Intersect sent to up to 15 individuals by email or local fax*
Please attach separate sheet for additional persons: Salutation: Mr. Mrs. Ms. Miss Name: Title: Organization: Address: Email: Home Phone: Work Phone: Fax: Affiliation(s): Send WRN updates via: ___ email ___ regular mail ___ fax ___ do not send updates ___ Interested in volunteering. Please contact me. ___ Please keep my name/information confidential. Please return this form with a check payable to WRN, 1777 Church St, NW, Washington DC, 20036. WRN is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Thank you! ________________________________________________________________________________________
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