Call MoCo Delegates and tell them: Vote NO! on MC 27-18, Eminent Domain - Expansion of 'Quick Take' Authority

Our representatives in Annapolis will be holding their weekly off-camera Friday morning meeting tomorrow and plan to vote on a late-filed bill, MC27-18, Montgomery County - Eminent Domain - Expansion of 'Quick Take' Authority.' The bill was requested by the chair on behalf of the Montgomery County government. They will meet tomorrow morning at 9:30am.

Your "representatives" in Annapolis have given you less than 24 hours to let them know how you feel. No public hearing process. Quick! Should they make it easier for the county to seize your property? Tick tock.

This is to amend the Constitution so if it makes it through the legislature it would be on the ballot in November.

 

From the bill:

"For the purpose of proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution to expand the authority of the County Council of Montgomery County to provide for the immediate taking of private property situated in the County and needed for certain purposes; making stylistic changes; and submitting this amendment to the qualified voters of the State for their adoption or rejection."

 

This would give the County Council authority for quick take on STATE roads which they currently do not have. So yes. This can be for the BRT and for the Beltway projects as well as the Bike plan which will also have to acquire property. Also, small cell towers. The State has a very defined process for taking and it is not quick take.  This would supersede that and the decisions would be made by politicians. Currently county quick take on county roads is limited.

 

Note that no other Maryland County has the ability for quick take on state roads.

Your delegates and their contact information are here. Just think of it as a game show. You have just a few more minutes to press the button. Or in this case, email your delegates. Remember, time's almost up!

More BRT misinformation

Neighbors along certain proposed Bus 'Rapid' Transit (BRT) routes are receiving robocalls with misinformation. Apparently the calls are being paid for by the 'private sector.'

Here is one account of the call:

I just received a second robocall from Steve Silverman, former Councilman now registered lobbyist.  A couple of others in my neighborhood also received this call today.

This was a live person who said:

Operator: "Hi we now have the solution to all the Route 29 problems.  The County Council is about to approve funding for a rapid transit system.  Would you like me to patch you through to the County Council so you can tell them you  support this?"

Me: Who are you calling for?

Operator: Steve Silverman

Me: and  who is Steve Silverman representing?

Operator:  The County Council

Me:  Really?  Steve Silverman is representing the County Council?

Operator: Councilman Steve Silverman

Me: Oh he's on the Council?

Operator: Well let me patch you through to the Council and you can ask

Me:  Where are you calling from?

Operator:  I can't say.

Me:  What company are you calling from?

Operator: I can't disclose that and then she hangs up.

Apple Ballot Keeps Historically Black, Low-Income Community Isolated By Cutting Bus Service

The citizens of Montgomery County continually vote into office the teachers' union Apple Ballot endorsed candidates.  Montgomery County citizens support teachers and think that teachers will do right by our citizens and chose candidates that value and respect all citizens.

But, the reality is very, very different.  

Here is an example of how the Apple Ballot candidates behave once they are in office.  

Tobytown is a historically Black, low-income community off of River Road on the western edge of Montgomery County.  Tobytown has never had access to public transportation.  A proposal to finally add RideOn bus service to this community in the FY16 Montgomery County budget has just been cut.

The cost of the RideOn bus service to this isolated community?  Just $200,000.

The Board of Education spent $2.4 MILLION yesterday alone on NO BID purchases, including $250,000 for no bid Promethean boards.  

Let's add up the cost of all of the MCPS take home cars for administrators and see how that cost equates to the needs of this community.  Alternatively, lets look at the $100,000+ expense account of the Board of Education.  

MCPS wastes $200,000 without a thought, while this community remains cut off and isolated.

Are the Apple Ballot social justice warriors interested in closing the achievement gap?  Only if it involves a cocktail party with campaign donations, photo opportunities they can post on Facebook, or trendy topics that will get media attention. 

Next election day, remember that this is the real face of the Apple Ballot endorsed candidates. 

Tobytown:  A Community Ignored

Without equal access to public transportation, Tobytown residents will never receive adequate access to gainful employment, healthcare, and education.  The 140-year poverty cycle continues...unless you help us stop it!

https://www.scribd.com/doc/289254879/MCEA-Recommended-Candidates-September-2014

BRT: Mason-Dixon Push Poll

Parents' Coalition has learned that Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, based in Washington, D.C., and Jacksonville, FL, has been hired to "poll" Montgomery County residents about bus rapid transit (BRT).  We understand that the poll appears to be a 'push poll' and questions have been designed so that the outcome will be favorable to BRT.

Mason-Dixon's reputation has suffered somewhat since the presidential elections, when they consistently had candidate Gov. Romney (R) ahead of President Obama (D).  But, no matter.

Here are a few of the questions being asked: BRT will help the poor.  Where will the billions required come from?  Clues are in these questions: Would you support the BRT with higher taxes?  Would you be willing to defer your taxes until you sold or refinanced your home?

Meanwhile County Executive Ike Leggett is quietly asking the County Council for another $1million to pay for yet another BRT study.  This time it will turn out well, right?  and, it's only another $1million.  Plenty of money in wealthy Montgomery County.

BRT: Planning Board session Nov. 8, 7:30 PM

The Planning Department posted their draft recommendations for the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Master Plan this past week.  To read their report, go here. 

Planning Department Staff will present this report and recommendations to the Planning Board this Thursday, November 8th at 7:30. You can send comments, or attend.

This is the BRT Master Plan and shows the staff's recommendations for treatment for each route (Dual median busway, one lane reversible median busway, taking a traffic lane for BRT, and mixed traffic); station location; and recommendations for additional right of way. They note in their memo that they have not completed their right-of-way analysis so more could be added later.

BRT routes will affect most communities, especially downcounty.  The current plan is to add a special tax if you live within 1 or 1/2 mile (undecided) of the proposed route. Routes are specified in a series of 19 'binders' which the Parents' Coalition has posted on www.scribd.com. For example, Binder_016 - MD355 South to DC Line is available here and shows the route for that area.

The route for Georgia Ave., South is available here.

Routes will go up Rockville Pike and Old Georgetown, Georgia Ave., Key West Ave., US 29-Columbia Pike/Colesville Rd., Sam  Eig Hwy., Muddy Branch, Norbeck Road, University Blvd., Veirs Mill Rd., 185-Connecticut Ave., and others.

Dedicated lanes will mean no left turns into certain neighborhood streets, and rights-of-way will need to be taken to widen roads in some areas to accommodate the buses. 

Implementation of these plans will be the basis for more development.  From the report:

Performance measures that adequately reflect the greater capacity of bus lanes to move people and their ability to move transit riders more quickly are essential to the determination of whether greater land use density can be adequately served by transit.

Where will the ROW come from? Here is an example:

“Proposed for the Rockville Pike: Friendship Heights Metro Station to White Flint Sector Plan Area Southern Boundary Recommendation: Two Dedicated Lanes via Lane Repurposing”

This plan could have a very serious impact on Montgomery Blair High School student pedestrians, as well as parent drop-off traffic, on U.S. 29 and University Blvd., particularly during morning rush hour.

Please take a close look at the staff report and look at the binder for your neighborhood. Please attend and send your comments here.  Comments must be received 48 hours before the meeting.

Then Planning Department Staff is also holding 3 public meetings to discuss their recommendations.

Countywide Transit Corridors Community Meetings (all meetings 6:30-9 p.m. Drop in any time, or see presentation at 7 p.m.) Transportation planners will unveil their preliminary recommendations and seek input. Recommendations will include results from modeling and analysis on close to 20 potential corridors as well as right-of-way requirements.

• Tuesday, November 13 -- Montgomery Blair High School
• Wednesday, November 14 -- Shady Grove Training Facility
• Thursday, November 15 -- Wheaton Library

BRT: Is that your house?

Aww. Too bad.  The BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system as proposed will take quite a bit of right-of-way to create the dedicated bus lanes required.  But don't worry! This BRT system will be a 'game changer.'  Take a look at the excerpt below from the January 2012 presentation to the County Planning Board from the County's Consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB).  The pink areas will be affected by needed right-of-way.  Is that your house?  Is that your house, on Old Georgetown Road, off Glenwood? Is that your house, on Georgia Ave., off Dennis? Aww.

Parsons Study Pullout

BRT: More secrets

Ever heard of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)? No? We hadn't either.  But they exist.  And more than that, in December, 2010 they signed a legal agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with our own County Department of Transportation (MCDOT).  They have been working with the county DOT on plans for the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit).  The MOU states that ITDP will "work in a spirit of cooperation with MCDOT and other stakeholders"  Bet you though you were a stakeholder.  Well, think again.  You are just the ATM for the BRT.   Meanwhile, the Rockefeller Foundation is granting even more money to fund "studies."  We have never seen these studies but we hear they exist.

Parents' Coalition obtained the MOU and here it is.  Take a close look.  Then, go ask your councilmember for the studies stated in the document.  Where are they? Why aren't they publicly available? And, who is on "the consulting team?"   Like everything else about the BRT, it is all a big secret.
Executed MOU Between MCDOT and ITDP 12 2 10[1]

BRT Piedmont/Coalition for Smarter Growth Study -- Here it is.

Here it is folks.  Parents' Coalition has obtained the Piedmont Environmental Council's study on the 'political climate' for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Montgomery County.  The study was funded with a $43,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.  We don't usually think of the Rockefeller Foundation as funding the political shenanigans of wealthy, progressive Montgomery County, but you never know.

Both the Purple Line, and the Science City/Corridor Cities Transitway are called out in the study.  The neighborhood civic federations are also discussed.  However, from what we have seen, no neighbors or civic federations are aware this planning is even happening.  Don't believe us? Ask your neighbors.

Interestingly, no one interviewed for the study is named, instead, the author relies on phrasing like, "Another real estate figure, extremely knowledgeable about the D.C. market in general..." (page 13) or,  "At least one individual...estimates..." (page 14).  There are no citations or references to 'personal communication,' and no Reference section.  But see for yourself...


Prospects for BRT in Montgomery County Coalition for Smarter Growth Piedmont Environmental Council Study Ju...

$1.8 billion on low end of price for MontCo bus network

From The Washington Examiner, by intrepid reporter Rachel Baye:

Montgomery County's proposed bus network is likely to cost much more than the current $1.8 billion estimate, according to county Planning Department staff.

"I have reasons to believe that the cost estimate that was done by the [County Executive's Transit Task Force] is less than what it should be," Master Planner Larry Cole told The Washington Examiner.

Past projects indicate that the cost of building the proposed bus rapid transit, or BRT, network could be several times the $1.8 billion estimate, according to Cole, who helped write a staff report on the project last week.

And:

The cost disparities may be the result of the task force not accounting for as many costs as they are likely to encounter, Cole said.

The group allocated about $75 million for claiming private property, and about 25 percent of other construction costs will go toward utilities, said Transit Task Force Chairman Mark Winston. But most of these factors are too uncertain to price, he said.

The county Transportation Department thinks $1.8 billion is low, Winston said. Consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff estimated the construction cost would be about $2.5 billion.

To read the entire story go here.  To read the Task Force's "Final" report, go here.