SILVER SPRING – For drafting a county Growth Policy
that goes beyond typical congestion management to focus on broader
sustainability goals such as giving more residents access to transit, county
planners won an international “best program” award from the Institute of
Transportation Engineers (ITE) in early May.
ITE annually honors outstanding achievements in transportation
engineering by recognizing organizations that develop innovative ways to
improve transportation systems. The educational and scientific
organization comprises nearly 17,000 transportation engineers and planners
working in more than 90 countries.
The 2009-2011 Montgomery County Growth Policy breaks new
ground by focusing on ways to encourage smarter, greener, more sustainable
growth. The policy document features a new set of standards that allows
developers who create a mix of uses near transit in energy-efficient buildings
to reduce their development impact taxes by as much as 25 percent. The
standards reinforce the idea that building near transit can reduce vehicle
trips and that placing jobs, retail and other services near housing can eliminate
or shorten driving times.
Along with other incentives for developers to reduce traffic demand from their
new buildings, the 2009-2011 Growth Policy encourages more travel options for
residents as well as more private investment in transportation infrastructure.
The Growth Policy, drafted biennially by the Planning
Department, reviewed by the Planning Board and approved by the County Council,
sets policies that deem where and when growth can occur based on the adequacy
of public services like roads and schools.
Planning Director Rollin Stanley said he was pleased
to receive an award that recognizes how the latest Growth Policy emphasizes
sustainability and promotes healthier lifestyles by encouraging compact
mixed-use development near transit.
The 2009-2011 Growth Policy encourages the best kind of infill development, a
crucial strategy in a county where only 4 percent of buildable land remains
undeveloped but 200,000 new residents are expected in the next 20 years.
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