WaPo columnist supports RF goals, acknowledges difficulties in implementation

August 16th, 2010

Roger K. Lewis, author of The Washington Post’s “Shaping the City” column, wrote about the need for greater regional cooperation to handle current and future challenges, such as the provision of affordable housing, improving an increasingly congested transportation system, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the region.

While noting that Region Forward is a laudable effort, Lewis notes that many barriers will have to be broken down for the RF goals to be realized. To read the column, click here.

Livable Communities Act Progresses in Senate!

August 5th, 2010

As a blog post over at Smart Growth America notes, earlier this week the U.S. Senate advanced the Livable Communities Act, which will provide funding for many new grant programs. Like the HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant that COG and regional partners are applying for, these grants would help us accelerate work on implementing Region Forward.

Good: Purple Line moving forward. Not so good: Climate bill tabled for year.

July 28th, 2010

The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously last night to officially add the Purple Line (a light rail line linking Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, including New Carrollton, College Park, Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and Bethesda) to the County’s Master Plan. The Purple Line, already approved by the TPB, will help the region meet the Accessibility targets in Region Forward.

COG, TPB vote to submit grant app that would jump start RF!

July 23rd, 2010

Last week, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors voted to submit an application for the HUD-DOT-EPA Sustainable Regional Planning Grant. If awarded, the grant would enable COG and its member jurisdictions to jump start implementation of Region Forward.

All 21 Local Governments in the COG Region Have Endorsed RF!

July 15th, 2010

At its July Board of Directors meeting, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announced that all 21 local governments in the COG region have now endorsed Region Forward. Also, the Board authorized COG to apply for a federal Sustainable Communities planning grant, which will provide funding to begin RF implementation. Read more at COG web site.