Action Committee for Transit

Our next meeting is coming up on Tuesday, June 9th. The topic: Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT).

Speaker: Gary V. Hodge, President, Regional Policy Advisors
Gary will share an update on the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT) project as well as some thoughts on the current crisis in state and federal funding for Maryland transit and transportation infrastructure.

Gary Hodge has served for more than 50 years as an appointed and elected official, policy consultant and citizen activist, in Southern Maryland, the metropolitan Washington region, and at the state and federal levels of government.
Learn more about the State's plans for transit in Southern Maryland here:
https://smrtmaryland.com/

When: Tuesday, June 9, 7:30 PM

Where: Silver Spring Civic Building at 1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD

The Silver Spring Civic Center faces the ice rink/plaza and Ellsworth Avenue. It is an eight-minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro Station. Several RideOn and WMATA bus routes stop nearby.

With Washington, DC, and its taxpayers, helping fund a new stadium at the RFK site* looking outside North America for ideas is a great idea. Better for the economy and more fun for fans, especially those who sat in traffic for hours trying to get in/out or stood for long stretches waiting for buses to the Metro.
*Since the NFL plays so few games, we still hold that it makes economic sense for NFL teams to play in baseball stadiums. Put the team in Nats Park and you are DONE! And you've saved taxpayers a ton of money. Win-Win.

If we want stadiums to be economic engines for a city, the land around them can’t just be used on game days!

This new mixed use district would create housing, jobs, and cultural spaces, while still retaining public spaces which could double as parks and tailgating venues as needed. We personally prefer tailgating over in FDR park where there’s shade and grass over exposed parking lots. Parking could be retained on garages, though fans could always take SEPTA.

Here's a sample of the scorecard with an explanation of how it works:

Our local election transit scorecard is out!


https://www.actfortransit.org/scorecards2026

We are delighted to see that Maryland has taken an important step to make it easier for Marylanders to live near transit! A shorter commute helps everybody and helps mitigate the challenges of the 'last mile' to get to transit. The more folks who can get to transit without driving, the better off we all - drivers, cyclists and pedestrians - are. Well done, Maryland!!

Maryland legislature passes transit-oriented development preemption With the Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, the Maryland state government wrests control over some aspects of land use from local governments near certain rail transit stations.

Some members remember you being with us at 6:30 in the morning outside the Columbia Country Club!!!!

https://wmata.com/initiatives/plans/summer-2026-red-line-major-construction/index.cfm

MEETING LOCATION CHANGE:
The April 14, 2026: Montgomery County Executive Candidate Forum will not be at our usual location, the Silver Spring Civic Center. This event will be at the Montgomery Planning Department building in Wheaton from 7:00-8:30pm.
The building is near the Wheaton Metro Station, and is accessible via the Red Line and multiple bus lines.
It's also a great chance to see the new Planning Dept. Building.
Register with this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczlWi5ROo0p049ON7bAjGANNbbMs_v-5CXF13YoAyhjz9O-A/viewform
We hope to see you there!!