WASHINGTON, DC – At today’s monthly meeting, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) voted unanimously to approve nine projects aimed at better coordinating transportation and land-use planning in metropolitan Washington.
The projects in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia are being funded under the TPB’s Transportation/Land-Use Connections (TLC) Program. The program provides funding for technical assistance to jurisdictions throughout the region. Since its launch in 2006, the TLC program has provided nearly $2 million in funding for 65 projects.
The latest round of TLC projects approved today included studies aimed at improving transit access to employment centers and affordable housing, determining the relationship between bike-sharing and parking requirements around developments, and improving bus stop safety and accessibility, among others.
Julia Koster, Director of the Office of Public Engagement at the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) chaired the TLC Review Committee. “This was another year of thoughtful and exciting applications for TLC funding,” Koster said. “The projects reflect the diversity of the region and they show that jurisdictions across the region are all trying to tackle difficult transportation and land use issues.”
This year marked the first time the TLC program has provided funding for the design phase of projects, awarding $80,000 to the City of Frederick to design a multi-use trail and path, bringing a transportation and recreation facility to nearby residential areas and new mixed-use and commercial developments.
“Our county is projected to experience a lot of growth over the next few decades,” said Paul Smith, TPB Member and Frederick County Commissioner. “This funding will help us concentrate that growth in more dense, urban areas rather than increase sprawl.”
The addition of funding for design is aimed at helping jurisdictions advance beyond the planning phase and towards implementation of projects.
Applications for TLC funding are collected each spring and projects are selected for recommendation by a panel of experts, this year including representatives from the American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Transportation Research Board, as well as Koster from NCPC.
Click here to view and/or download more information about the TPB’s project selection process and the approved projects for 2012.