Hans Riemer - Greater Greater Washington

O'Malley unveils transportation funding plan

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:22:00 EDT

Yesterday, Maryland governor Martin O'Malley released his proposal to restructure Maryland's gas taxes to raise $3.4 billion for transportation over 5 years. The plan is superficially similar to the recent Virginia transportation funding bill, but improves upon it in several ways.

The Purple Line won't happen without more money. Image from Maryland MTA.

Maryland needs new revenue this year. Without it, the Purple Line, the Corridor Cities Transitway, and the Baltimore Red Line could all stop moving forward.

The key to the bill is a new 2% wholesale tax on gasoline. Wholesale taxes differ from normal gas taxes in that the gas distributor pays them rather than the consumer. The distributor then usually passes the tax along to consumers via higher prices.

The plan partially offsets this wholesale tax by reducing the normal gas tax, from 23.5¢ per gallon to 18.5¢ per gallon. But the plan would also index the new lower gas tax to inflation, so it would increase slightly each year.

Taken together, overall tax revenue from gas would go up by about 2¢ per gallon as soon as the bill takes effect. In 2014 the 2% wholesale tax will increase to 4%, increasing gas tax revenue by another 9¢

Maryland's bill versus Virginia's bill

Both bills reduce the normal gas tax but add new wholesale gas taxes. But while Virginia plans to reduce its total gas tax and subsidize highway building with revenue from other sources, Maryland's proposal sticks to the principle of transportation user fees.

Unlike Virginia's bill, Maryland's does not include new fees on hybrid car owners, increases to the sales tax, nor any taxes on land or hotel visits.

Like Virginia's bill, Maryland's specifies that if Congress allows states to raise internet sales taxes, Maryland will do so, and will allocate some of it to transportation. If Congress doesn't allow an internet sales tax by 2015 then Maryland's wholesale gas tax will increase from 4% to 6%.

One thing Maryland's proposed bill does that Virginia's does not is to index transit fares on MTA buses and trains to inflation. That will put more burden on transit riders, but will also provide MTA with a more predictable budget.

Since Maryland cannot impose rules on WMATA without agreement from DC and Virginia, WMATA fares will not be indexed to inflation.

Smart Growth advocates are generally more supportive of O'Malley's proposal than the Virginia bill. Montgomery County councilmember Hans Riemer says the bill "appears to be a very strong plan and just what Maryland needs to get big infrastructure projects going."

The bill will undoubtedly face stiff opposition from Maryland Republicans, so its passage is no sure thing. But O'Malley's proposal is co-sponsored by Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch, so it is clearly a serious initiative with a real chance of becoming law.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

52 comments

Traffic tests confound Montgomery council

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:46:00 EDT

by Ben Ross

Montgomery County has tried several times to find a working "adequate public facilities ordinance," rules that aim to ensure new buildings don't jam up roads. They've never succeeded, and a new version won't either.

Photo by Google Earth.

At a County Council meeting Monday, legislators struggled with another proposed revamp of the law, which the county DOT originated and the Planning Board endorsed with some changes. This version would junk rules the county adopted 5 years ago, which supplanted a law from 2003, which replaced yet another system of regulation that preceded it.

None of these rules got rid of traffic jams because all share the same fundamental flaw. They measure how fast cars move, rather than whether people can get where they want to go. If the supermarket is 10 miles away, and it takes 15 minutes to drive there, you pass the test. If the supermarket is 1 mile away, and it takes 5 minutes to drive there, you flunk.

There are 2 ways to get new construction approved under this sort of test. One is to locate the building far from everything else. The other is to build new highways or widen old ones. This is a recipe for more sprawl, more asphalt, and more driving. Rather than relieving traffic congestion, it makes more of it.

The proposal now before the Council, called Transportation Policy Area Review or "TPAR," doubles down on this failed strategy. It would create a new pot of money, collected from developers who build in areas with congested roads, under the control of the county's car-centric, highway-loving Transportation Department. In addition, the proposal would still require developers to widen nearby roads if intersections back up.

Edgar Gonzalez, the department's number two, told Councilmember Hans Riemer that passing the legislation would commit the county to a long list of controversial road projects, especially the hotly-disputed Midcounty Highway extension. The legislators were divided Monday over whether they should tie their hands in this way.

Riemer and George Leventhal argued that the County Council should retain flexibility in making spending decisions. Nancy Floreen, on the other hand, insisted that money from the road congestion tax should only be spent to move cars. She pointed to a bicycle bridge over Veirs Mill Road, funded under the current law, as a misuse of funds.

Marc Elrich, who has long considered "free-flowing" automobile traffic a paramount objective, initially agreed, saying he was "sort of where Nancy is on certainty of where money is spent." Elrich later backtracked somewhat, saying that improved transit could be a better way to keep cars moving than new highways, but he reiterated his belief that sidewalks and bus shelters should not substitute for road-building.

A companion tax on developers that would fund added Ride-On bus service is also before the council. Sharp questioning from Roger Berliner established that this tax would not, as claimed, put autos and transit on an equal footing.

Gonzalez and Planning Board chair Françoise Carrier conceded that the level of transit service the proposal defines as "adequate"—a bus every 20 minutes in rush hour and every half hour the rest of the day—is nowhere near good enough to compete with driving. It is simply what is achievable without straining the county budget.

The debate over who should determine spending priorities comes just months after the Council overruled the Transportation Department and deferred 3 highway projects to pay for a new Bethesda Metro entrance and a bike trail. Since then, the county bureaucracy has done little to gain public confidence. The debacles of the Silver Spring Transit Center and the Woodmont Avenue road closing in Bethesda suggest that now is not the time for legislators to lessen their oversight.

12 comments

For Montgomery County Council (Aug 31, 2010)
Montgomery councilmembers: Get moving on bus priority (Apr 22, 2011)
Montgomery DOT rolls out another cars-first traffic test (Apr 28, 2010)
Montgomery builds BRT-hostile roads as it plans BRT (Nov 15, 2012)
The only thing we have to fear is fear of traffic (Jan 13, 2010)

Bethesda second entrance lives

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:02:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A Montgomery County Council committee voted to restore funding for the Bethesda Metro second entrance, delaying it just one year instead of indefinitely as in County Executive Leggett's budget. Roger Berliner and Hans Riemer voted for the change, while Nancy Floreen abstained. (Post, Examiner)

Comment

Montgomery councilmembers: Get moving on bus priority (Apr 22, 2011)
For Montgomery County Council (Aug 31, 2010)
Floreen: Rockville works fine without LOS rule (Jan 21, 2010)
Floreen, Berliner vote to continue the cycle of sprawl and pollution (Jul 17, 2009)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)

Streetcar to Silver Spring?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:57:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Montgomery Councilmembers Nancy Floreen and Hans Riemer are asking DC to consider running the streetcar to Silver Spring. It's entirely logical, if only the various DOTs can work together. (South Silver Spring)

Comment

Silver Spring library skybridge rejected (Jul 22, 2009)
Montgomery councilmembers: Get moving on bus priority (Apr 22, 2011)
Hans Riemer discusses Smart Growth at campaign kickoff (Feb 24, 2010)
For Montgomery County Council (Aug 31, 2010)
Congratulations Hans, Vince, Phil, Tommy, Mel and others (Sep 15, 2010)

Our public input processes are "flawed"

Wed, 04 May 2011 10:53:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Public bodies from the DC Council to boards like the Zoning Commission are configured to value most highly input from people who show up in person. But this excludes many people with day jobs or family responsibilities. We need to fundamentally reexamine some basic assumptions about public input.

Photo by The Hamster Factor on Flickr.

At last week's redistricting hearing, Marion Barry criticized me for bringing the results of the Redistricting Game to the Council. Despite having over 100 Ward 8 residents participate, he felt that it wasn't representative of the views of Ward 8:

Did you ask the economic status of each person? Did you ask the educational level of each person? This whole thing is flawed. ... I was trained as a research scientist. I know good research techniques and tactics. ... Your study is a good one, but it's not scientific enough. ... As far as Ward 8 is concerned, the information is flawed. Seriously flawed.

Mike DeBonis explained the primary motivations at work here. In short, Barry probably wants Near Southeast redistricted into Ward 8 to give him a role in the booming development in that area.

But Barry is right about one thing: The Redistricting Game was not scientific. It's not an opinion poll which tries to accurately estimate the views of all residents. But since when does the Council ever use opinion polls to make decisions?

They don't. Instead, they listen to people who testify, people who schedule meetings with them, and to a lesser extent people who email, call, or write letters.

Barry did listen to those present. He brought in a number of people to testify about extending Ward 8 west of the river; some, as it turned out, didn't even live in DC. Far fewer than 100 people from Ward 8 testified at this hearing, but Barry didn't claim their testimony was "flawed" because it's not scientifically representative.

Later, he noted that nobody from Near Southeast had yet testified at the hearing, and therefore there must be no opposition. Is that scientific?

About 30 people testified at the hearing, and their views should be listened to. But they're not necessarily representative either. The people who filled out the Redistricting Game are also a set of residents who expressed their preferences, and the Council should consider them as it would any other set of suggestions from any other not-necessarily-representative group of 4,000 residents.

It's easy to take potshots at Barry, and regardless he's unlikely to get his redistricting wish. But there's a larger point. Why do we accept our current model of civic engagement as the right one?

It gives a much louder voice to people who want to take the time to attend hearings, which are often in the middle of the day. It gives priority to those who can afford to spend 4 hours or more on a single development project, a single bill, or a single zoning change.

That favors people who are retired, or people paid to lobby for issues, or people who feel particularly strongly about a single narrow subject.

The Zoning Commission has been holding many, many hearings on the zoning rewrite, with few participants at some of the hearings. Geoff Hatchard, Ken Archer, CSG's Cheryl Cort, DC Sierra Club's Bradley Green, and I testified recently for accelerating the parking location zoning change, and Zoning Commission member Peter May complimented everyone on attending. I'm glad we could, but this also points out how such a turnout is somewhat unusual.

Few people can go to all of the zoning hearings, or even more than a few. It's tough to get people to go to a zoning hearing on, say, changing waterfront zoning when they have no objection to the changes, when the changes won't have much of a visible effect on development, and they are likely to sail through.

The people who testified at last week's HPRB hearing on the Hine school represented those who felt so strongly they wanted to take an entire afternoon off to talk about the project. HPRB hearings happen in the middle of the day, and typically take all day. Items have start times on the schedule, but those are very approximate. I've spoken at the HPRB and had an item come up hours after it was scheduled.

I've gone to testify at the Board of Zoning Adjustment, another board with daytime hearings, and seen the mid-morning item I was there for moved to the afternoon (or moved to another day entirely). DC Council hearings have started hours late. Sometimes the chair of a council committee has moved the government witness to the beginning, instead of at the end as is usual, and talked to that witness for 2 hours or more while the public witnesses waited patiently.

Many residents of Capitol Hill think the Hine project doesn't need to get shorter, or should even be taller, but they didn't go to the hearing. Some had jobs which prevented it. Does that mean their views don't matter?

There are some advantages to a process which favors those who care about an issue. If you just poll people, a lot of folks don't know much about an issue at all and are making snap judgments on little information. Decisionmakers shouldn't necessarily hold every resident's opinion exactly equal.

But the current system goes much too far. There's little value in giving a voice only to people who can spend 4 hours in the middle of the day waiting to speak for 3 minutes.

What to do? One step is for decisionmakers to listen to other channels as well. Montgomery County at-large councilmember Hans Riemer does by listening to people on Facebook, and found drastically different views there versus in person at a hearing on the Silver Spring skybridge. DC councilmember Tommy Wells uses Twitter, sending his own tweets and reading his own Twitter feed.

That's a step, but not the end of the story either. These channels privilege people who spend a lot of time sitting around on Twitter and Facebook. That's not representative either, though when combined with people testifying in person, it adds breadth.

It'd be great to develop a good channel for leaders to hear more views from poor and minority communities, and add that to their cognitive understanding of what residents want. Wells took a meaningful step by conducting a "listening tour" about bus service in wards 4, 5, 7, and 8, but there's much more that can be done.

Elected officials try harder to hear more views because they want the votes. Unfortunately, not only do our formal boards and commissions not generally use these channels, but many can't. You can tweet @TommyWells during a hearing to suggest questions, but there's no @CatherineBuell account for the HPRB chair.

Even if there were an @AnthonyHoodZC account, the Zoning Commission chair would be breaking rules against "ex parte" communication. Just like judges, Zoning Commission and BZA members are not allowed to hear comments on cases except through the official hearing or formally submitted letters of testimony.

Sure, there are reasons for this. A body making a legal determination is required to do so based on a public record, and so the comments have to go into that record. But these rules also mean that the commission is limiting its input in ways that result in an incomplete view of residents' opinions.

Could the Zoning Commission legally set up a @DCZoningCmsn Twitter account, where messages appear on commissioners' smartphones or on screens behind the dais during the hearing, and which also go into the official public record, for example? To get people on the other side of the digital divide, are there ways to make it easier to submit comments on cases beyond sending formal and time-consuming letters or faxes?

The boards should be seeking more ways to get input while still keeping their responsibility to have a public record, and elected officials should look for opportunities to hear from a broader range of people. As a first step, both elected officials and appointed board members should acknowledge that while holding hearings is a valuable part of getting input, relying on it alone is very much "flawed."

47 comments

Now you, too, can redraw DC's wards (Mar 25, 2011)
Redistricting Game results, part 3: How much change? (Apr 20, 2011)
Want to be on some DC boards? (Feb 11, 2011)
My wish for the holidays: development review filings online (Dec 22, 2008)
Facebook, live comments diametrically opposed on skybridge (Mar 15, 2011)

Montgomery councilmembers: Get moving on bus priority

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:19:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Four members of the Montgomery County Council asked county officials to stop dragging their feet on bus priority, and implement or at least evaluate some fixes as soon as possible.

Photo by icantcu on Flickr.

In a recent letter, they praise the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT)'s work on Ride On, but criticize its unwillingness to pursue bus priority in the short term.

They ask MCDOT to work with state officials and WMATA to find high priority intersections ripe for signal priority or queue jumper lanes that would help buses avoid delays in traffic.

WMATA has been promoting ideas around bus priority for a number of years now. Quite simply, buses spend a fair amount of time in traffic, and that time costs a lot of money. Some of the growth in operating costs comes from more time in traffic. If buses can move more efficiently, it saves on costs and also improves the bus ride for everyone.

Traditional traffic engineering measures intersections and roads based on numbers of vehicles. If changing a signal timing would let more vehicles traverse the intersection, classic traffic engineering says make the change. But we really should be counting people. If one bus has 50 people and a change would help it move faster than 20 cars, giving the bus priority is the right move.

Montgomery County's DOT, notoriously one of the least progressive in the region, has been resistant to this thinking. When activists suggested a few intersections for signal timing, signal priority, or queue jumper lanes, MCDOT pooh-poohed them all but didn't suggest any alternatives of their own.

At a recent county council hearing on transit, MCDOT officials said that any of these fixes would "have to wait" until the county implements a comprehensive Bus Rapid Transit system, like the one being pushed by Councilmember Marc Elrich.

The council disagrees. In a letter to MCDOT and WMATA officials, councilmembers Hans Riemer and Nancy Floreen (at-large), council president Valerie Ervin (district 5, Silver Spring/Takoma Park), and Transportation, Energy, Infrastructure & Environment committee chair Roger Berliner (district 1, Bethesda/Potomac/Chevy Chase) asked MCDOT in effect to get off its butt and start doing something.

They ask MCDOT, Maryland State Highway Administration, and WMATA to generate a list of the highest priority intersections for bus priority fixes, to evaluate the possibility of changes, release that information publicly in a way that residents can review, and to generate a policy to guide such changes.

Kudos to the council for stepping up on this issue. Montgomery County is often one of the most progressive counties on many policies, but its transportation officials need some prodding to pursue solutions beyond just focusing on moving cars. They should take this letter to heart and get their staff, and the buses, moving.

6 comments

Maryland on priority corridors: Great! Montgomery: Nah! (Feb 19, 2010)
For buses, faster is cheaper (Aug 12, 2009)
Leggett doesn't agree with his own DOT? (Jul 26, 2010)
What does a highway guy think about priority bus corridors? (Dec 3, 2008)
Jurisdictions should contribute in dollars or bus priorities (Dec 3, 2009)

Facebook, live comments diametrically opposed on skybridge

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:25:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The Montgomery County Council has again rejected a skybridge for the Silver Spring library, but the hearing revealed some fascinating facts about the ways people debate in person and on social media.

Early library concept sketch from Montgomery County.

On Tuesday, at-large councilmember Hans Riemer asked his Facebook followers what they thought about a long-running controversy: whether to build a skybridge over ~~Fenton Street~~ Wayne Avenue between the new Silver Spring library and the adjacent parking garage.

We've explained why this is a bad idea many times. Taking pedestrians off the street leads to an expectation that pedestrians won't cross the street, leading to engineers designing it for high-speed traffic movement, making the area less safe to walk around.

County Executive Ike Leggett and the eternally lousy Montgomery DOT want it, but the Silver Spring CBD Urban Renewal Plan prohibits it, meaning it can't be built unless the Council specifically authorizes it.

The Council has rejected the bridge before, but it keeps coming back up. The latest iteration arose because Council President Valerie Ervin, whose district includes the library, recently revived the idea.

Before the Council's hearing on the matter, Riemer asked for input. His Facebook followers came out strongly opposed. Here are a few of the comments:

Cavan Wilk I'm against it. It's a waste of money. Plus it would have the negative impact of removing pedestrians from Wayne Avenue, telling motorists to speed up. The presence of pedestrians tells motorists they're in a town environment and they need to watch for pedestrians.
Jill Curry Robbins *Another* one? When will this misguided idea die?
The money would be better spent improving the intersection at Wayne and Fenton to improve safety for all pedestrians—handicapped and otherwise. This would benefit the entire neighborhood, and it would keep more traffic at street level, where it would benefit retail. This will be especially important with the ground-floor retail going in across Fenton from the library when the Baptist church's planned development is built.
Someone has convinced countless business owners in Fenton Village that the bridge will benefit them, but I can't see how. As I understand things, it's in no way a true "bridge" across Wayne, but a connector from the parking garage directly into the library. Nobody's going to wander into an interesting Fenton Village shop, or be drawn into a restaurant by the smell of coffee or injera or roasting chicken, when they can zip straight from their car to the library and back again. ...
Seth Grimes I oppose the bridge based on cost and especially because it will discourage library visitors from patronizing local businesses before/after library visits. Please vote against!
Richard Potter Oh, please....People can't cross at the crosswalk? Fenton is not a six lane highway!
Robert Padgette Bad idea. Allow on street disabled parking in front of the library instead.
Andy Sullivan Anti-urban. Waste of money. Will turn the intersection into a freeway cloverleaf.

Fellow at-large Councilmember George Leventhal chimed in during the hearing:

George Leventhal Comments so far at the County Council's public hearing: 100 percent in favor of the bridge. Comments in response to Hans' facebook query: 100 percent against the bridge. What's going on?

A fascinating debate about the role of social media versus attending hearings in person then ensued:

George Leventhal http://www.thayeravenue.com/2011/02/15/save-the-date-march-8-2011-at-730/
Here's a blog post from Thayeravenue.com urging people to attend the public hearing tonight but Thayeravenue himself didn't even attend the public hearing!
How are elected officials supposed to know what the public thinks if the public doesn't show up at public hearings?
Robert Padgette George, we're at home watching the kids hoping those we elected to office do the right thing. We all know that those who show up at public hearings do not represent general public views. Social media offers an opportunity to hear from a broader audience. Kudos to Hans for embracing this medium.
Hans Riemer This is a very important conversation and I appreciate everyone's thoughts. I want to say that I don't think this is about people who testify versus people who don't, blog people versus real people, and so forth, and whose opinion really counts. Everyone's view is important, at least to me. George Leventhal has a point that the official process is for public record and it is important for people to participate on record. At the same time, I believe that my job as a council member is to seek out the views of people who are affected as best I can, and not just rely on hearing from people who come to me. Its a balancing act and there are always differing views in the community about this or any issue. And in the end, as elected representative, I have to do what I think is right after considering all of the information that I have received.
Andy Sullivan Public meetings are generally held at a time when it's all hands on deck in the Sullivan household, getting dinner on the table and tykes in the bed. I'm glad Hans is using all available forums to solicit input.
George Leventhal Yes, all input is good and I enjoy getting feedback over social media but we shouldn't discount the importance of actually participating in the process, which unfortunately sometimes requires going to City Hall (or in our case the County Council Office Building). But we take written testimony which is entered into the public record from those who aren't able to testify in person, too. Twitter and facebook, etc are informal; a hearing record is more of a formal document. Our decisions are informed by both and both are useful and important.
Hans Riemer Well, I do think that commenting on Facebook is participating, as is sending email to the council, making phone calls to council members, sending post cards, and everything else. I hope everyone will do everything that they can do to make their voice heard.
George Leventhal This exchange would be fascinating material for a PhD dissertation on the new media. I would point out that Hosni Mubarak was brought down when people who were communicating with each other on facebook actually left their homes and cafes and congregated in Tahrir Square. While I acknowledge the connection between social media and political action, I think there is more to political action than simply typing notes on the computer. There is the idea, there is the sharing of the idea, and then there is the carrying out of the idea. From concept to execution takes multiple steps. Sending each other messages is only one part of the spectrum.

This dynamic comes up in many areas where there are opportunities to participate in government but which require a substantial time investment. At many hearings, people can travel some distance and wait for hours just to speak for two minutes. To testify at the Virginia or Maryland state legislatures also can involve a long trip just to get to Richmond or Annapolis.

That burden means that those more committed will have louder voices. Sometimes that's a good thing, but it also tends to favor those who have fewer demands on their time. Retirees, for example, can more easily spend the time than parents of young children.

As a result, many boards tend to be comprised of individuals who either have a professional interest in the issue, or who have more than the average amount of free time. That means that for important boards like DC's HPRB or Zoning Commission, it's difficult to find candidates to represent different points of view. Even the WMATA Riders' Advisory Council is vastly skewed away from parents.

Social media can give people an opportunity to participate without having to take time off work or hire babysitters, but also favors those who have Internet-enabled mobile devices or jobs with computers. Clearly, there's no simple answer.

As for the bridge itself, the Council turned it down again. Leventhal introduced a motion to authorize the bridge, but his four fellow committee members, Craig Rice (district 2), Nancy Navarro (district 4), Marc Elrich (at-large), and Nancy Floreen (at-large), all declined to second the motion.

Thayer Avenue, which has now made some signs to oppose the bridge, also reports that Ervin could bring up the matter without a committee recommendation. But with four having already cast their lot against the bridge last week, opposition from Riemer himself or either of the other two, Roger Berliner and Phil Andrews, would keep it from moving forward.

22 comments

Silver Spring library skybridge rejected (Jul 22, 2009)
Urbanism in the public realm: the Silver Spring library (Nov 11, 2008)
Leggett wants direct pedestrian paths except when they'd interfere with traffic (Oct 27, 2009)
Register NOW to testify for the Purple Line (Nov 3, 2008)
Skybridges and voids return in Silver Spring library designs (Nov 6, 2008)

Hans Riemer for better transit, smart growth

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:27:00 EDT

by Erik Weber

Montgomery County Councilmember-elect Hans Riemer says he will focus on smart growth, walkability, and improved transit options, including the Purple Line, stronger Ride-On service and busway corridors. (Wheaton Patch)

Comment

Congratulations Hans, Vince, Phil, Tommy, Mel and others

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:15:00 EDT

by David Alpert

While the primary defeat of DC's sitting mayor is the main headline in nearly every news outlet this morning, another significant and very exciting challenger victory is Hans Riemer placing ~~third~~ second in the Montgomery County Council at-large race.

Photo by Hans Riemer.

The top four vote-getters win the nomination (and, inevitably, the seats themselves in November), meaning Riemer will be a county councilmember. Duchy Trachtenberg was edged out by Riemer and the other three incumbents.

Riemer's ascension to the council will make Smart Growth and sustainable transportation a more central issue in council debates. Where today, members seem largely to fall into either the camp of either or opposing or supporting both growth in the right place along with growth in the wrong place, or bad transportation projects along with good ones, Riemer's presence will push members to really discern which projects meet the county's broader goals.

It's too bad Royce Hanson won't be joining Riemer in Rockville, as Craig Rice decisively defeated him for the upcounty District 2 seat. Down in Purple Line Ground Zero around Bethesda and Chevy Chase, voters chose to keep the incumbents in the Council and state legislature rather than picking candidates for a consistent position for or against this or other controversial projects in the area.

Faith in voters' intelligence was upheld as they avoided getting confused by Michael D. Brown's name similarity to sitting councilmember Michael A. Brown, perhaps thanks to polls that woke DC residents up to the danger. Phil Mendelson ended up winning reelection with 63% of the vote. Tommy Wells, meanwhile, scored the highest percentage (75%) of votes in any of the DC Council contested primaries.

As expected, Kwame Brown, Jim Graham, Harry Thomas Jr., and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton cruised to victory. Brown's win sets the stage for a hotly-contested special election for council at-large in the spring.

In other good news, Rushern Baker will be County Executive, and Mel Franklin looks to have won the District 9 council seat in Prince George's County. We endorsed Franklin over real estate-backed Sydney Harrison, who had raised more money than all other candidates in the county and would have continued the bad sprawl policies of his predecessor, Marilynn Bland, in this district encompassing the rural part of the county. Many feared that Franklin and Tamara Davis Brown, both good candidates, might split sympathetic voters, letting Harrison buy the seat, but that scenario appears to have been averted.

Several Maryland Senate races are too close to call, including Joanne Benson's effort to unseat Nathaniel Exum in Prince George's District 24, and Karen Montgomery's challenge to incumbent Senator Rona Kramer in eastern Montgomery. Saqib Ali has fallen short in his bid to knock off Nancy King in District 39 outside Gaithersburg, while Roger Manno unseated Senator Mike Lennett in the central Montgomery District 19. Good candidate and friend-of-a-friend Sam Arora made it into the House of Delegates in that district.

Update: Hans Riemer actually placed second, not third, pulling decisively ahead of Nancy Floreen at the end for the number two finish.

62 comments

For Montgomery County Council (Aug 31, 2010)
Endorsement quick reference (Sep 13, 2010)
Hans Riemer discusses Smart Growth at campaign kickoff (Feb 24, 2010)
Schwartz to run as a write-in; at-large race gets more interesting (Sep 16, 2008)
Hear from the District 4 candidates (Mar 16, 2009)

For Montgomery County Council

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:36:00 EDT

by David Alpert

I've found the Montgomery County Council frustrating. On important issues around growth, development and transportation, many councilmembers don't take much of a stand and vote in unanimous or near-unanimous numbers even on controversial and vital issues.

Many seem to prefer finding a consensus where they can vote unanimously or nearly-unanimously, regardless of the merits of that consensus. The I-270 battle was a good case in point, where advocates' opposition to SHA's plan got the Council to postpone a vote, then meet for a work session to agree on a compromise, which passed unanimously. As a result, most members avoided ever having to really stick up for or against something.

The County Council needs a strong advocate for Smart Growth and sustainable transportation issues. That would likely be Hans Riemer, if he is successful in his bid for one of the four at-large seats. Hans is a longtime Smart Growth proponent and an active member of ACT. He set out clear and excellent positions in his interview with Cavan.

The four incumbents are all definitely superior to the rest of the challengers besides Riemer. Those incumbents each have their pros and cons.

Marc Elrich has been a strong proponent of a Bus Rapid Transit network, pushing the idea tirelessly and making it a signature issue. However, he's also the strongest defender of traffic-based tests that in effect hinder walkable development.

Nancy Floreen pushed through the White Flint plan, one of Montgomery's biggest opportunities for meaningful transit-oriented development, and opposes the traffic-based tests that Elrich likes. On the other hand, she also opposes most rules that would limit development in rural areas far from transit. She generally advocates building in the county and is less discerning about what or where.

George Leventhal has been a leader in the fight for the Purple Line, and for transit in general in the county. Yet he also strongly supported widening I-270, and basically favors any transportation project of any kind in any location. Duchy Trachtenberg has been good on the environment and transit issues as well and not a road booster, but hasn't shown as much leadership on growth and transportation issues generally.

I'd recommend Montgomery residents (like my in-laws) vote for Mr. Riemer and decide among the other candidates based on the other issues, like schools, budgets, labor relations and many more. If you're not sure of some of the candidates, it's also fine to vote for only two or three. Leaving a blank or two on the ballot makes the votes you do cast count even more, as the top four total vote-getters win the seats.

Two district seats are also contested, which happen to be the two that had Montgomery's greatest development debates in the last few years. District 1 includes Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Potomac, and has significant numbers of residents who oppose the Purple Line and/or White Flint. Roger Berliner, the incumbent, has championed both projects a good future for his area despite the short-term political risk. Meanwhile, his challenger, Ilaya Hopkins, has chosen to throw her lot in with the antis. Mr. Berliner should be reelected to prove that anti sentiment doesn't drive Montgomery politics.

In District 2, the suburban and rural northern part of the County, former Planning Board Chair Royce Hanson is the best choice for the open seat. He's been a strong proponent of Smart Growth on the Planning Board, and was largely responsible for the Agricultural Reserve, the large belt of (mostly) protected land at the County's edge, much of which is in that district. His support for the sprawl development at Gaithersburg West was more of a disappointment, but his multi-decade track record warrants your vote.

The other district members, Phil Andrews, Nancy Navarro, and Valerie Ervin, do not have primary challengers.

18 comments

Congratulations Hans, Vince, Phil, Tommy, Mel and others (Sep 15, 2010)
Floreen: Rockville works fine without LOS rule (Jan 21, 2010)
For state legislature in Montgomery County (Sep 1, 2010)
MoCoCo picks developer over transit-oriented activist (Jun 26, 2008)
ACT produces District 4 scorecard (Apr 15, 2009)

Riemer only endorsed challenger

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:38:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The Post made endorsements for Montgomery County Council primaries, recommending Smart Growth candidate Hans Riemer and three incumbents at-large (Trachtenberg, Elrich and Floreen). They also endorsed Roger Berliner for reelection and Royce Hanson for the upcounty open seat.

Comment

Hans Riemer discusses White Flint, Wheaton, and eastern Montgomery County

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:39:00 EDT

by Cavan Wilk

Hans Riemer is an at-large candidate for the Montgomery County Council. At his campaign kickoff, I was impressed with his vision for Smart Growth in Montgomery County. Recently, he was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Riemer at a recent house party.

1. What details about the newly approved White Flint Sector Plan will require the most attention and consensus-building? How do you intend to ensure White Flint becomes a vibrant, sustainable town?

There are several ongoing issues that will shape the success of this great vision for the White Flint community. First, I will protect the integrity of the community's vision so that it will be an area that prioritizes walking and biking. The Pike [Rockville Pike, MD 355] has closely resembled a highway for too long. You can't build community on a highway. Yet, some policy makers don't see it that way and promise to re-prioritize auto speed at the expense of community if they can.

A second major issue will be the successful implementation of transit infrastructure improvements and the street grid, which together will bring walkability to White Flint's daily life. Walkability has been crucial for winning the support of the surrounding community. Turning this auto desert around with improved transit, separated bike paths, and a walkable street grid that can move more people and more cars will require a lot of scrutiny. The commitment to this vision cannot be allowed to slip over time—no more Clarksburgs!

A critical factor to success in White Flint over time will be continuing to involve newer residents, young families, retirees, and others who see the value of the new planning model. When empowered, these important residents will press elected officials to hold true to the vision in the recently passed Sector Plan. This takes new and committed County leadership; people who see their job as helping to engage the community and organize for change.

2. Wheaton is both routinely overlooked by the county as a whole and also posseses great economic and social potential as a vibrant, walkable, sustainable town. What is your vision for Wheaton's future?

Wheaton's time has come! The next Council must prioritize Wheaton for investment and support. There are many interesting and good plans for revitalizing the parking lot in the center of town into a community square. We should move those plans forward.

However, the elephant in the room is the Westfield Wheaton Mall. We should establish a walkable street grid with housing on the mall property, and use economic development dollars to incentivize the transformation through gap financing. If we attract more residents who embrace walkable lifestyles to the urban core in Wheaton, the small businesses there will flourish. It is a very risky proposition to move existing businesses out of their spaces and hope that they survive during a rebuild—and will be able to afford new-building rents afterwards.

If well designed, such a transition of the Mall would work without jeopardizing Wheaton's existing small business character. Finally, if the County is going to give Westfield $4 million to build a Costco, they should use that as leverage to get going on a mixed use (housing + retail), walkable street grid on mall property—without any more gas stations. Georgia Avenue already has plenty.

I will also add that plans for Wheaton have come along every few years and have gone nowhere for a variety of reasons. We're only going to see success during this coming Council term if we bring together the bloggers, transit advocates, neighborhood activists, immigrant organizers, small businesses, property owners, and others, in a mighty chorus of "Now is the time!"

3. In your campaign kick-off, you expressed a clear vision for locating many new jobs along existing infrastructure in East County rather than in new office parks in Gaithersburg West. What sites do you envision for new jobs and do you see a need for new transit infrastructure to support them?

We have plenty of room for new jobs in Silver Spring, Wheaton, White Oak, Burtonsville, and Glenmont. Many of these areas are currently served by Metro. Others are in the Route 29 corridor, which needs a rapid transit service in order to support new jobs. One cost-effective transit solution would be a next generation bus system, as described by Councilmember Elrich, with its own separated lane and priority through intersections. In our present time of fiscal austerity we will need to think creatively about how to finance it—we need a model that larger landowners can pay for.

I helped push the Council to a good compromise on Gaithersburg West, but one of the concerns I raised was that the plan is projected to reduce job growth in East County. We can't let that happen! East County has been given short shrift for too long. We need good planning to create the commercial space, housing, and transit that will get this under-served area moving again.

We also need policymakers who can get new people involved to support the kind of change that we need in the County—people like Councilmembers Valerie Ervin (D-5) and Nancy Navarro (D-4). I hope to join them in this cause and I am grateful for their support of my efforts to get this County moving again.

6 comments

Hans Riemer discusses Smart Growth at campaign kickoff (Feb 24, 2010)
With White Flint, Montgomery gets another Bethesda (Mar 24, 2010)
Wheaton Costco would exacerbate poor walkability (Jan 20, 2010)
YIMBYism in Wheaton (Oct 13, 2008)
White Flint at forefront of urbanism on Rockville Pike (Oct 20, 2008)

Hans Riemer discusses Smart Growth at campaign kickoff

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:57:00 EDT

by Cavan Wilk

This past Saturday, February 20th, I attended Hans Riemer's kickoff rally for his campaign for a Montgomery County Council seat at large. In the first paragraph of his kickoff speech, Hans expressed forward-thinking ideas that I've rarely heard a Montgomery County elected official utter before: he explicitly linked vibrant, sustainable, human-scale traditional towns and cities with quality of life, economic vitality, and a better future.

Photo by the author.

Riemer will be running in the upcoming Democratic primary. I am no political junkie. Politics are the worst means to enact good policy, except every other way. In order to bring about positive policies and change, we must work hard to elect representatives at all levels of government who have the right kind of vision and work ethic to draft and enact good policy.

The event included a large cross-section of Montgomery County community activists, elected officials, civic association representatives, and bloggers including Richard Layman. The audience included a wide geographic representation of the whole county, reflecting the nature of the campaign for an at-large County Council seat.

Some of Montgomery County's brightest elected representatives spoke at the event, including Councilmember Valerie Ervin (District 5, Silver Spring), Councilmember Nancy Navarro (District 4, Colesville), Maryland Senator Jamie Raskin (District 20, Takoma Park), Maryland Delegate Kirill Reznik (District 39, Germantown), and Maryland Delegate Tom Hucker (District 20, Silver Spring). Maryland Delegate Heather Mizeur (District 20, Takoma Park) hosted the event.

Hans began his speech by unabashedly endorsing clustering jobs and housing around Montgomery County's Metro stations. While that idea is not new, Hans has the credentials in urban planning advocacy to have the vision to implement the idea in a Bethesda-like arrangement rather than as a misguided car-dependent edge city.

It was very bold to begin his speech connecting vibrant centers of place with economic development. In the past, many elected officials presented transit-oriented development as some sort of charity. Even with all the successes of breathing new economic vitality in our region's legacy and retrofitted walkable urban places in the 2000's, few elected officials from any jurisdiction ever explicitly made the connection that human-scale places are an excellent way foster economic growth due to their inherent agglomeration effects.

Hans emphasized the need to take a second look at East County instead of focusing all development in non-Metro accessible places like Gaithersburg West, especially to keep Montgomery County competitive regionally. Since Fairfax County is planning on using the Silver Line to retrofit Tysons Corner into a series of urban neighborhoods, they are poised to attract more jobs as more people are able to take transit and live closer to where they work.

Hans ended his speech with a very powerful declaration that he wants to "unstuck Montgomery County politics." He recognized the importance of engaging new people into the ongoing policy dialogue, rather than the "same 200 people" who seem to run in the same circles and show up at county policy forums all the time.

The county has added many new residents in the past decade. As one of those newer residents, Hans' message on that topic appeals to me. He emphasized engaging young and newer residents. Hans' experience mobilizing young people to vote during the last presidential election cycle has engendered his belief in the ongoing explosion of grass-roots policy engagement.

The upcoming county-wide elections represent a cross-roads for Montgomery County. The first decade of the 21st century saw profound changes in the kinds of challenges we face and the tools we have in our toolbox to address them. The sustained success in Bethesda and the dramatic revitalization in Silver Spring and Rockville proved that we can build and improve sustainable, human-scale, traditional towns rather than only building car-dependent places like in the second half of the 20th century. Hans Riemer understands that we need to address 21st century challenges with 21st century tools.

4 comments

MD Delegate candidate Chris Stoughton (D-20) discusses campaign finance, smart growth, and clean energy (Aug 4, 2010)
Hans Riemer discusses White Flint, Wheaton, and eastern Montgomery County (Apr 30, 2010)
Congratulations Hans, Vince, Phil, Tommy, Mel and others (Sep 15, 2010)
Endorsement quick reference (Sep 13, 2010)
Development bans do more "forcing" than Smart Growth (Sep 17, 2009)