BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP Newsletter
Land Use and Transportation Issues Around the Region
November 7, 2003
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Contents:
*Transportation Task Force Holding Hearings
*New Revitalization Process Proposed in Baltimore County
*New Anne Arundel Coalition for Transit Convenes
*CPHA Annual Meeting Set for November 20
*MTA Strike in LA Worsens Gridlock, Hurts Businesses
*Houston Voters Approve Rail Transit Network
*DC Metro Faces Crisis without Increased Funding
*EPA Finds School Location Deters Children from Walking
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TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE HOLDING HEARINGS
A state Transportation Task Force appointed by Governor Ehrlich to
grapple with funding for transportation needs will be holding the rest
of its public hearings over the coming two weeks in Annapolis, Towson,
and Greenbelt. The group, chaired by former state transportation
secretary William Hellmann, was appointed earlier this year in the wake
of Governor Ehrlich's decision to remove $300 million in Transportation
Trust Fund revenues to balance his 2003 and 2004 General Fund budgets.
Many observers believed the transportation fund was already severely
inadequate. Task Force members are now considering various methods to
raise about $300 million per year to help fund both preservation and
expansion needs for highways and transit, although the state
transportation department has weighted its presentation of state needs
heavily toward highway expansion. Remaining hearings are scheduled for
November 10 in Annapolis, November 12 in Towson, and November 17 in
Greenbelt.
For more information, see:
http://www.marylandtransportation.com/News/2003/October2003/Hellmann_hearings.htm
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NEW REVITALIZATION PROCESS PROPOSED IN BALTIMORE COUNTY
In an effort to speed revitalization and overcome obstacles in current
zoning regulations, Baltimore County executive James Smith this week
unveiled a new process that would be both quicker and more flexible.
Smith is suggesting that the County Council approve seven pilot areas in
the county where county officials, residents, and developers could all
engage in a short, intensive period of planning free of most current
zoning constraints. The plan would develop site-specific plans that
developers could use to get their projects approved in a matter of
months. Other areas have used such processes to create new Main
Street-type communities with a mix of residential, retail and office
uses. Smith expressed hope that this tool could direct growth toward
areas of revitalization and take pressure off the county to open up its
uniquely preserved rural north to development.
November 7 Sun story available at:
http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.smith07nov07,0,2010932.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
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NEW ANNE ARUNDEL COALITION FOR TRANSIT CONVENES
10 Anne Arundel groups ranging from the Historic Annapolis Foundation to
advocates of the disabled met for the first time on Oct. 29 to
coordinate efforts for greater transit funding and expanded services in
Anne Arundel County. Of the state's eight most populous jurisdictions,
Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties are the only two that don't provide
their own public bus service. Instead, Anne Arundel County helps pay for
a patchwork of public and private bus services, and advocates are
concerned about lack of connections among them. The new group seeks to
plan a countywide, coordinated system that will utilize either bus or
rail.
For more information on the new coalition, see:
http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.transport24oct24,0,1935379.story?coll=bal-local-arundel
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CPHA ANNUAL MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER 20
CPHA's 62nd annual meeting has been set for Thursday evening, November
20, at Highlandtown's newly renovated Patterson Theater, 3134 Eastern
Avenue. In line with the theme "Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy
Region,"
the meeting will look at both the past and the future of the region. It
will feature a special screening of the recently rediscovered 1952 film
"The Baltimore Plan," new information on regional trends, citizen
stories, and two awards for citizen and organizational leaders in the
region. The event is $15 for CPHA members and $35 for non-members
(includes membership). It begins with lite fare at 5:30 PM, program at
6:15, and dessert afterwards at 7:45. Call 410-539-1369 for more
information, or visit:
http://www.cpharegionalcampaign.org
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MTA STRIKE IN LA WORSENS GRIDLOCK, HURTS BUSINESS
Los Angeles has never been known for its public transportation, but
three weeks into a strike by city transit workers has given a real-life
version of some statistics published by the Texas Transportation
Institute (TTI) just weeks ago. 400,000 people (5% of all commuters),
ride LA’s rail and bus system everyday. Without that service traffic has
increased by 4-6% on LA Freeways, according to the Los Angeles
Department of Transportation, worsening the region’s already notorious
gridlock. According to the University of California Berkeley Institute
of Transportation, the increased traffic has led to a 37.5% increase in
rush-hour delays since the start of the strike. Southbound 101 recorded
the biggest increase in delays — 70%, according to the Berkeley
analysis. The business community has also been severely affected by the
strike with some business owners calling it “fatal.” The real-life
experience confirms for many the results of this year's TTI study, which
calculated that LA's transit service saves each area resident an average
of 9.8 hours of sitting in traffic each year.
For more info on traffic congestion since the strike, see:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-me-traffic23oct23001425,0,6818134.story
For more info on the economic impacts of the strike:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mta6nov06000436,0,6716671.story?coll=la-headlines-california
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HOUSTON VOTERS APPROVE RAIL TRANSIT NETWORK
A multimillion dollar campaign in Houston over whether to fund an
additional 73 miles of rail transit resulted in narrow public approval
this week. Voters approved the $7.5 billion regional plan 52%-48%. The
campaign was a lively one, featuring young professionals protesting the
lack of transit services in their region. Gathering at City Hall last
month, 100 members of the new young professionals group protested and
held signs with slogans like "Don't Make Me Move to Dallas" and
"Don't
Make Me Move to Denver" -- both cities featuring new and growing light
rail systems.
For info on the Houston rail initiative:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2204686
For more info on the October young professionals protest:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2171903
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DC METRO FACES CRISIS WITHOUT INCREASED FUNDING
Metro needs $1.5 billion during the next six years to avert such a
meltdown, said Metro chief executive Richard White. "That is the basic,
bare-bones minimum needed to keep the system essentially from falling
apart." the $1.5 billion sought by White and others would be used to buy
new rail cars and buses; rehabilitate tracks, elevators, escalators and
other equipment; and improve security against terrorism threats.
Without an infusion of government money, the Metro system will suffer
frequent train and bus breakdowns, dangerously crowded platforms and
impossibly jammed trains and delayed buses, according to Metro. White
warns that the agency is already deferring maintenance, and passengers
will feel the impact in their daily commutes by 2008 without prompt
action.
To read article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3450-2003Oct22.html?refer
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EPA FINDS SCHOOL LOCATION DETERS CHILDREN FROM WALKING
The U.S. EPA celebrated Walk-to-School Day by launching Children's
Health Month at a Washington DC event. The celebration focused on the
air quality benefits of walking to school, and highlighted the EPA's
children's health protection activities such as the Clean School Bus
Initiative. The EPA also released a new report looking at the
transportation and environmental implications of school location.
"Travel and Environmental Implications of School Sitting" is the first
study to empirically examine the relationship between school siting, the
built environment around schools, how kids get to school, and the impact
of those travel choices on air quality. The report finds that school
location and the walkability and bikeability of the surrounding
neighborhood (elements that are often dictated by state and local
regulations) greatly influence student travel behavior. In turn, this
travel behavior has the potential to worsen traffic congestion, air
pollution, and even school transportation budgets.
To read the EPA's new report, visit
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/school_travel.htm
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ABOUT THE BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP AND NEWSLETTER
The Baltimore Regional Partnership is an
alliance of five civic,
environmental, and anti-sprawl groups:1000 Friends of Maryland
(www.friendsofmd.org), Baltimore Urban
League (www.bul.org), Chesapeake
Bay Foundation ( www.savethebay.cbf.org),
Citizens Planning and Housing
Association (www.CPHARallyForTheRegion.org),
and Environmental Defense
(www.environmentaldefense.org).
This newsletter explores current issues, recent and upcoming events, and
ongoing deliberations that affect the region's quality of life through
transportation, economic development, and land use policy and planning.
We hope to link citizens in the region who are working to fight sprawl,
promote clean and efficient transportation, protect valuable farm and
forest lands, and revitalize urban areas, older suburbs, and historic
towns. You can view past issues at
http://www.balto-region-partners.org/news.htm.
Has this newsletter been forwarded to you, and you would like to receive
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Send us information, too. Let us know about your
work on land use and
transportation decisions that are affecting the Baltimore region. Email
information to Irene Lin at irene@balto-region-partners.org.
Visit the
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http://www.balto-region-partners.org.
