Region’s transportation gurus hope for federal stimulus cash
By: Maria Schmitt
Special to The Examiner
July 15, 2009
A regional transportation panel is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a $400 million plan that includes a regional bike-sharing program, a new bus system along the K Street corridor, a group of priority bus areas and services, and improvements to various Metro rail stations.
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board is seeking to win funding from the federal stimulus program. However, the proposal can’t be more than $300 million to win a grant — which means the panel has some cutting to do.
The bike-sharing program is a new addition to the plan, and it would link 160 bike stations in the District, Alexandria, Arlington, Silver Spring and Bethesda. The project, which would cost $10 million, would provide 1,600 bicycles for a program that would help extend the reach of public transit, according to the board’s proposal.
Chris Zimmerman, who is a voting member on the board, said he thinks the bike system will help make local public transportation complementary.
“It’s the synergy among those things that are so important,” Zimmerman said. “It encourages people to adapt to lifestyles other than getting in a car and driving somewhere.”
The proposal combines work from various local organizations and committees, which Ronald Kirby of the local Council of Governments said he thinks will help the proposal win federal funding.
“It’s focused and it’s multimodal,” he said. “I think it will at least get people’s attention.”
Projects that may be eliminated to reach the $300 million limit may be those that cannot be completed by February 2012, which the grant requires.
