My piece about a local homeless shelter w/no transit, sidewalks or bike infrastructure to it, just roads! ggwash.org/view/104112/... @usa.streetsblog.org @thewaroncars.bsky.social @segbydesign.bsky.social @biketalk.bsky.social @stewartcsg.bsky.social @theurbanist.org @brooklynspoke.bsky.social

Webinar: How innovative zoning can make DC a more livable and equitable city? Join us July 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. EDT to learn from leading national experts how a design-based approach to zoning can increase housing and support the evolution of neighborhoods. RSVP for Zoom link: bit.ly/4vkTTb8

🤖🚗 Robotaxis are coming to DC. On Monday, July 13, the DC Council is holding a hearing on Bill 26-0684 to regulate AV fleets. CSG supports the bill’s features to discourage excess traffic, support transit, help travelers with disabilities, and ensure transparency by AV companies. 👇

I’m coming out of semi-retirement to write about a year of WMATA’s Better Bus for the 51st State - tell them what you think! docs.google.com/forms/d/1fda...

Accessory Living Units (ALUs), also known as backyard cottages, are one of the most cost-effective forms of housing. Yet, Fairfax County's current ALU rules are far too restrictive to be effective. Let's make ALUs a real tool to help address our housing shortage: bit.ly/4wFewQB

POV: Taking Metro to the ⚾ game so we don’t have to worry about traffic or parking. Earlier this week, the CSG and SGA teams caught an evening game at Nats Park! The Nats may have lost, but for us, winning was about the transit we took along the way 🚇

Kudos to Metro GM Randy Clarke @wmatagm.bsky.social & former GM Paul Wiedefeld & the WMATA employees & WMATA Board for Metro’s turnaround. Be sure to join us @betterdcregion.bsky.social as we campaign for the additional funding our Metrorail, Metrobus, & local transit deserve! & Thank you @51st.news

who up navigating Hostile Pedestrian Infrastructure

Last Saturday, we had a fantastic time exploring Duke Street in Alexandria! We are incredibly grateful to our guest speakers, including @alexandriavagov.bsky.social, BPAC, and YIMBYs of NoVA, who shared their expertise with us. Hope to see you at the next one!

Mirroring national trends, pedestrian deaths across the DC metro area have risen significantly over the last decade. Read the full report and see how your community is doing: smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design

Even though the total number of pedestrian deaths slightly decreased from 2022 to 2024, they remain near historic highs. @smartgrowthusa.bsky.social's report, Dangerous by Design, breaks down the latest federal data. Most states and metro areas are becoming more dangerous for people walking.

In Dangerous by Design, @smartgrowthusa.bsky.social ranks each state and 101 metro areas by pedestrian fatality rates. The report reveals that Maryland has the 16th-highest annual pedestrian fatality rate in the nation, making it one of the deadliest states for people walking.

The 20 deadliest states for pedestrians are concentrated in the Sunbelt, but pedestrian deaths aren’t just an issue in the South: Maryland ranks 16th among the deadliest states for walking, according to @smartgrowthusa.bsky.social's Dangerous by Design 2026.

Great to see an airport and city that makes it easy to find the train to downtown! Just arrived in Chicago for a meetup of transit advocates hosted by the great folks @transitcenter.bsky.social Looking forward to strategic discussions and creative ideas for our @betterdcregion.bsky.social team!

It was such an honor to attend the bill signing for the Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act this morning on behalf of @betterdcregion.bsky.social! 😊 This is a big smart growth win that's going to unlock more land for housing + businesses near transit.

Our team is everywhere today! Becca & I are in Norfolk w. housing & conservation leaders to work on housing solutions, Bill in FBG for VA Transit Assoc conf, Elena is @strong_towns conf for urban planning & comms, Sonya @sbreehey.bsky.social is at Fairfax Cty to honor the Active Fairfax plan.

Montgomery County voters will elect a new County Executive + 11 Council members in 2026. CSG and @montgomery4all.bsky.social asked candidates how they would tackle housing, zoning, transit, and community input. Read their responses: www.montgomery4all.org/2026-candida...

🎉Big win for Marylanders! MD Transit & Housing Opportunity Act (HB894) is officially on its way to Governor Moore’s desk! The bill removes barriers to transit-oriented homes and businesses near Metro, Purple Line, MARC Penn Line, and Baltimore area light rail and subway stations.

“The majority of Americans are open to living car-free even after decades of car-centric planning, a new survey finds…A stunning 18% of car-owning U.S. residents indicated that they were ‘strongly interested’ in living car-free, and another 40% said that they were ‘open’ to it.” @usa.streetsblog.org

“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.” #Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.

“Even as the cost of infrastructure for active transportation is being used as a reason for inaction, evidence is accumulating that when the full economic cost is considered, driving costs society more, while cycling and other forms of active transportation save society money.”— @sflkirk.bsky.social

“In London cyclists now outnumber cars in the City by 2 to 1. Paris, where they now outnumber motorists across the whole city, is catching up with Europe’s traditional bike capitals, Amsterdam & Copenhagen…In Copenhagen, bikes account for almost half of commuter trips to work/school.” @economist.com

TY @yonahfreemark.com for your excellent summary of the success of Metro @wmata.com including transit-oriented development. Since 1997 our Coalition for Smarter Growth @betterdcregion.bsky.social has led campaigns for dozens of TOD plans & projects. Kudos for our officials for saying yes to TOD!

CSG is here for safer streets!

New Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire cycles to city hall after election win

You've probably heard—removal of the a section of the 15th St Protected bike lane is scheduled to start monday. See how we're fighting back and how you can help: waba.org/2026/03/20/1... TL;DR: ✅ Lawyers ✅ Petition ✅ Rally with us on Monday.

Safe bike infrastructure saves lives. Please take thirty seconds to sign @waba.org’s petition to save DC’s 15th Street bike lanes: 🚲 waba.org/action-page/...

"Road Safety Experts Asking Parents Not To Put Kids In Front Of Large Vehicles For Photos"

This is YOUR win! (🧵⬇️) Virginia’s “Faith in Housing” bill passed this weekend with bipartisan support and is headed to Gov. Spanberger’s desk. This wouldn't be possible without advocates like you who answered our call to action and messaged your legislators to get the bill across the finish line.

🚨 Urgent action alert: tell Virginia state legislators to fully fund transit so we can avoid fare hikes and service cuts. Affordable transit matters more than ever. Strong transit systems support working families, businesses, and access to opportunity. Tell your state legislators to fund transit 📢

We need volunteers for our Livable Communities Leadership Awards & Reception! Volunteer with fellow advocates, planners, and partners as we work together to shape a more livable future for all. Sign up today: secure.everyaction.com/zvhj4Qp1106D...

DC Zoning Commission advances alley lot reforms saying they want more housing wherever they can get it! Key reform: eliminating parking requirements for all alley lot developments for housing. Important win.

STUDY: “Bicycle lanes reduce GHG emissions as effectively as highways create them.” “Investing in networks of protected bicycle lanes has significant potential to reduce GHG emissions, lower transport costs, prevent road fatalities, & improve quality of life for people in cities around the globe.”

Simple information about what the SAVE Act would actually do to American voters. Tens of millions would lose their right to vote unless they spend lots of $$$ and jump through bureaucratic hoops before November.

WATCH: If your city is having a bike-lane debate that’s more about ideology than evidence, watch this news story from Toronto. The Province is attacking bike-lanes, and the local business community takes their arguments apart with data and smart messaging. Safe bike-lanes mean business. #UrbanTruth

The cost of driving one vehicle for a year in 2025 reached $12,000 in the U.S.—and with gas prices surging again, that number is climbing fast. Maybe there's another way? momentummag.com/high-gas-pri...

Spring is finally just around the corner, and things are definitely heating up at both the MD and VA General Assemblies and in our local communities. Let’s tackle the action items ahead together! Check out the latest newsletter: www.smartergrowth.net/resources/ne...

Tune in 3/12 to DC Zoning Commission - they might approve a revised proposal (which we & allies advocated for) to remove parking requirements from alley lot developments. This would be huge!

Join CSG on May 13th for the 2026 Livable Communities Leadership Award & Reception. Celebrate visionary changemakers who are advancing sustainable, walkable, and equitable communities across the region. Wed., May 13, 6-8:00 pm Martin Luther King Jr. Library www.smartergrowth.net/event/livabl...

“That suggests that in many places, paint-only lanes are routinely being installed in environments that most people would not consider comfortable." Re: new bike lane study. momentummag.com/study-finds-...

The Top Countries on the World Happiness Report Love Riding Bicycles. momentummag.com/the-top-coun...

Barriers.

Now let's go win more transportation and housing options for Maryland residents!

New NBER paper finds that US crash deaths rise by ~15% on dates of major album releases. Distraction from smartphones is a likely culprit. www.nber.org/papers/w34866

Don't miss this week's chances to plug into organizing around the city: 51st.news/chocolate-ci...

New meta-analysis of 26 published studies concludes that AVs will lead people to use cars a lot more — which would thicken congestion and worsen pollution (even if AVs are electric). "AV deployment is anticipated to lead to an overall increase in Vehicle Miles Traveled." doi.org/10.1016/j.tb...

For a cycling audience, that steady climb is the real headline. Protected infrastructure didn’t just create a one-year spike; it reshaped travel behaviour. momentummag.com/do-protected...

Some EV hype stands up. “One of the new modern cars will handle the same volume of rush-hour traffic as could be accommodated by forty-seven automobiles.”

Trump's NHTSA administrator pins the blame for US crash deaths on "run-of-the-mill bad behaviors of far too many of our fellow Americans." Deadly roads? Rampant car bloat? Lax regulators? Sorry, never heard of them. www.linkedin.com/posts/nhtsa-...

NEW: For millions of veterans, how to get to a doctor or a job is a pressing daily question. Reliable trains and buses are a crucial answer. Don’t just thank veterans. Fund the public transit they rely on. @stewartcsg.bsky.social of @betterdcregion.bsky.social: