Smart Growth/Transportation
Why?
Sprawl development strikes at the heart of our environmental, economic and social and even physical well-being. The main reason that our energy use per capita is by far the highest in the world—and why we have such trouble reducing it—is that our homes, workplaces and shopping centers are too dispersed, and connected only by roads. Yet, too often Montgomery County's practice is to build roads rather than addressing our "expanding waistline." The Sierra Club advocates instead for practices that lead to Smart Growth and sustainable transport.
Smart Growth is the phrase that captures the qualities of the places we need to place growth within our current envelope of developed land; creates places where we can live comfortable, sustainable lives in an energy-constrained world; promotes travel with public transport, bicycles and our own feet; and ensures that the beautiful countryside beyond our suburbs will still be beautiful when our grandchildren visit.
How?
- Defining Smart Growth. The term Smart Growth has been used for such a range of development that it is in danger of losing its significance. Thus, we adopted our Smart Growth Principles to determine whether a project truly is an example of Smart Growth. Before the Sierra Club will support any plan or project, it must meet what we call the "first tier" principles: transit-served location, land use that improves balance between jobs and housing, and efficient use of land. Our second tier principles include pedestrian-friendly designs, green features, and affordable housing.
- Advocating for Smart Growth in Master Plans. Most of Montgomery County's decisions on growth occur as master plans are revised. The County has a long-standing general plan called "On Wedges and Corridors" which sets the context for local master plans. Its vision is highly developed corridors along road and transit axes, with more rural land in the wedges and the agriculture reserve on the fringes. But within this framework there is much room for authorities to make decisions that promote Smart Growth or its antithesis, sprawl.
We advocated for plans that achieved our criteria at White Flint, where we generally supported its high density. The White Flint plan will improve the job/housing balance by including more housing. We worked with the local community to support a more sustainable alternate plan for the sprawling Science City. It gained wide public support, though it was not adopted.
Now our goal is to increase economic development and good jobs in Wheaton's plan.
- Promoting Transit Over Traffic. Smart transportation must march in step with smart growth, if we are to reverse the march of sprawl and global warming. We have worked hard to oppose transportation projects that increase road congestion and pollution.
Expansion of major roads in the I-270 Corridor competes for funds with transit projects, damages forests and streams, and encourages driving; thus we oppose them.
We support the proposed Purple Line as a rapid and reliable way to connect Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park/University of Maryland and New Carrolton to each other and with several Metro lines. It will take a significant number of cars off the road and reduce travel times.
We also call for a significant expansion of transit in the I-270 Corridor from Shady Grove to Gaithersburg, Germantown and Clarksburg.
Bus Rapid Transit can fill travel needs better than road expansion along MD 355, the County's Main Street, and on our eastern arterials, Viers Mill Road, Georgia Avenue and US 29.
- Protecting the Agricultural Reserve. Within its borders, the right to construct new homes and other buildings is strictly controlled. If properly administered, agriculture and rural landscape will be preserved forever. But the zoning law which regulates the Reserve is being amended. This is our chance to remove the loopholes that threaten its long term integrity.
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