Posts by Dan Reed — Regional Policy Director
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Montgomery County has changed. Has Doug Duncan?
Montgomery County’s feeling nostalgic for former county executive Doug Duncan, who announced earlier this week that he’ll run for a 4th term in 2014. While he presided over 12 years of prosperity and growth, it’s worth asking whether he’s prepared to guide a county that looks quite different than it did just a few years ago. Duncan’s long list… Keep reading…
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Silver Spring strip mall could become new urban park
Downtown Silver Spring could get a big new park in an unlikely place: the parking lot of the Blair Shops, a 1960’s-era strip mall across from the Silver Spring Metro station. According to a tweet from Evan Glass, chair of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, the Blair Apartments at East-West Highway and Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring will get a new urban… Keep reading…
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Townhouse opponents get MoCo to build unneeded park
After years of fighting between residents, a developer, and Montgomery College, Montgomery County’s parks department will will turn an abandoned art school in Wheaton into a park. While it’s good for neighbors who didn’t want houses built there instead, it shows how indifferent the county can be to its own goals for walkable communities, providing more housing,… Keep reading…
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BRT planners meet skeptical public at first open house
Montgomery County planners are making the case for a countywide Bus Rapid Transit network, saying it will reduce commute times and help absorb population growth. At an open house last night in Silver Spring, residents weren’t opposed to improving transit, but hadn’t yet been convinced of the merits of BRT and whether it justified giving up car lanes. Last week,… Keep reading…
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Convert existing lanes to BRT, say Montgomery planners
Today, Montgomery County planners present their recommendations for a countywide Bus Rapid Transit network to the Planning Board. While their vision is smaller than what previous proposals for BRT, they suggest repurposing existing car lanes as dedicated bus lanes in many areas, giving commuters a faster, more convenient ride. Keep reading…
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Volunteers plant street trees in Silver Spring neighborhood
Volunteers planted a dozen trees in the Montgomery Hills neighborhood of Silver Spring Saturday morning. Nonprofits Casey Trees and Conservation Montgomery organized the community tree planting. Based in Brookland in the District, Casey Trees was founded 10 years ago to help restore the city’s dwindling tree canopy. Since then, they’ve planted over 10,000… Keep reading…
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LA’s Orange Line shows the way for Montgomery BRT
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy isn’t so sure about many of the proposed Montgomery County Bus Rapid Transit lines, because of the county’s spread-out, suburban character. But I took a trip on Los Angeles’ first BRT line, which shows how BRT could indeed transform suburban commute patterns. Built in 2005 and extended earlier this… Keep reading…
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Mission Meridian Village shows suburban density done right
It’s commonly accepted that we should build up around public transit, but how can you do it in a way that respects existing neighborhoods? Yesterday, I visited Mission Meridian Village in South Pasadena, California, a project that shows how to do just that. Keep reading…
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Glenmont Arcade shows Montgomery’s commercial history
With its distinctive sign, the Glenmont Arcade was a local landmark and an emblem of Montgomery County’s suburbanization after World War II. But as the county prepares to redevelop Glenmont, will it still have a place in the community? Located in the Glenmont Shopping Center at Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road, the Glenmont Arcade is like a little mall-within-a-strip… Keep reading…
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As new homes shrink, buyers seek community instead
While the real estate bust wracked much of the nation in recent years, the DC area escaped largely unscathed. However, one thing has changed: buyers want smaller homes, and builders are listening. Keep reading…