November 8, 2008 - 12:40pm
WASHINGTON -- Montgomery County Police arrested a gang-affiliated murder suspect Friday for the shooting death of 14-year-old Tai Lam who was killed after a spat on a bus near Silver Spring last week that also resulted in two other juveniles being shot.
Detectives arrested Hector Mauricio Hernandez, age 20, from Takoma Park, a member of the notorious MS 13 gang, Friday after obtaining an arrest warrant for first degree murder. Hernandez is being held without bond. The shooting remains under investigation and additional arrests are anticipated.
The arrest came after a week long investigation that began when police were called to a bus stop on Piney Branch Road at Arliss Street for a shooting that occurred last Saturday.
The investigation revealed that the incident occurred after a group of about a dozen friends, that included the three shooting victims, boarded the Ride On bus in downtown Silver Spring and engaged in a verbal exchange with another group of four or five male subjects who got on the bus at different locations. Police have yet to determine what was said.
"For unknown reasons," according to a Montgomery County police press release, when Hernandez got off with his group at Piney Branch Road, "he turned and fired a handgun from the area of the rear door of the bus into the bus striking the three teens."
All three victims were transported to area trauma centers. The two surviving victims, a 14-year-old male and a 15-year-old male, were released from the hospital and continue to recover from their injuries.
Detectives from the Homicide/Sex Section of the Major Crimes Division are still asking anyone with information regarding this crime to call 240-773-5070. Callers may remain anonymous.
(Copyright by WTOP 2008. All rights reserved.)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Ride-On Bus Shooter Arrested - MCPD Update
For those who hadn't heard Hector Hernandez of the 8600 block of Flower Ave was arrested last night as the shooter in the Rideon Bus homicide.
Also our Homicide Section has allowed the release of the news that the suspects in the Jenny's Variety store robbery/homicide have been in custody for awhile on other charges in another Maryland jurisdiction. They are expected to be charged locally and federally with our case.
A great deal of the success (for apprehending the suspect) goes to the many different agencies' patrol officers, detectives, crime scene techs, civilian support staff, csafe, weed and seed and other partnerships with the community.
Additionally the help and support of witnesses and other citizens providing info and patience in allowing the case to be thoroughly investigated has been greatly appreciated.
Lt. Robert F. McCullagh, Jr.
Montgomery County Police Department
Also our Homicide Section has allowed the release of the news that the suspects in the Jenny's Variety store robbery/homicide have been in custody for awhile on other charges in another Maryland jurisdiction. They are expected to be charged locally and federally with our case.
A great deal of the success (for apprehending the suspect) goes to the many different agencies' patrol officers, detectives, crime scene techs, civilian support staff, csafe, weed and seed and other partnerships with the community.
Additionally the help and support of witnesses and other citizens providing info and patience in allowing the case to be thoroughly investigated has been greatly appreciated.
Lt. Robert F. McCullagh, Jr.
Montgomery County Police Department
Friday, November 7, 2008
Parent Community Forum on Long Branch Bus Shooting - November 10, 2008 at 7 pm.
If you had not already heard, there will be a Parent/Community Forum next Monday at Blair High School to Discuss Public Safety and other issues surrounding last weekend's tragic shooting.
Councilmember Ervin, County Executive Leggett, the Recreation, Health and Human Service, Police, and Transit departments, local non-profits, and business and community organizations will be present.
Parent Community Forum - Montgomery Blair High School
Monday, November 10, 2008 7:00 pm
Location: Auditorium
This meeting will continue to provide students with a place to heal and begin to address the safety and anger issues in the community.
Agenda for Meeting:
* Poetry Slam for students
* County Resources for Counseling & Grief- Department of Health & Human Services
* Remarks from County Executive- Ike Leggett
* Updates from transportation officials and Montgomery County Police Department
Small Group discussions will be divided by language for translation services- the following are responsible for facilitating the discussions:
English- Department of Recreation Location: Remain in the Auditorium
Spanish- IMPACT Location: Room 123
Amharic – IDENTITY Location: Room 124
Vietnamese- Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association
Location: Room 131
Councilmember Ervin, County Executive Leggett, the Recreation, Health and Human Service, Police, and Transit departments, local non-profits, and business and community organizations will be present.
Parent Community Forum - Montgomery Blair High School
Monday, November 10, 2008 7:00 pm
Location: Auditorium
This meeting will continue to provide students with a place to heal and begin to address the safety and anger issues in the community.
Agenda for Meeting:
* Poetry Slam for students
* County Resources for Counseling & Grief- Department of Health & Human Services
* Remarks from County Executive- Ike Leggett
* Updates from transportation officials and Montgomery County Police Department
Small Group discussions will be divided by language for translation services- the following are responsible for facilitating the discussions:
English- Department of Recreation Location: Remain in the Auditorium
Spanish- IMPACT Location: Room 123
Amharic – IDENTITY Location: Room 124
Vietnamese- Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association
Location: Room 131
Monday, November 3, 2008
Silver Spring Teenager Fatally Shot On Md. Bus - Washington Post
By Aaron C. Davis | Washington Post Staff Writer | Monday, November 3, 2008; A01
In a rare spasm of violence that terrified passengers on a crowded Montgomery County bus, a gunman killed a 14-year-old boy and seriously wounded two other teenagers Saturday night after arguing with them moments earlier, police said.
The shooter was in a group of three to five people who had words with Tai Lam and his friends as the Ride On bus approached Piney Branch Road and Arliss Street in Silver Spring about 11 p.m., according to police. They said that the first group got off the bus at that stop and that the gunman then turned and fired several shots at the teenagers inside.
Lam, a freshman honor student and wrestler at Montgomery Blair High School, was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. The other victims, ages 14 and 15, were in serious condition yesterday, police said.
Lam Cao, the 16-year-old brother of the slain teenager, also was on the bus and disputed the police account of an argument, saying that the shooting was unprovoked.
Cao said the gunman with the gelled hair jerked his hand toward his waist as if he was about to pull a gun on those he'd taunted earlier. Cao said he flinched, not sure whether the gesture was serious. A moment later, he said, he watched in disbelief as the man repeated the move but this time began firing.
Cao said that one member of the shooter's group held the door of the bus open as the gunman fired.
"It was like he just wanted to shoot anybody," Cao said, flashing back to the instant before his brother screamed, "I'm shot!"
After the shooting, Cao said, the bus driver stepped on the gas and the bus lurched forward, allowing the automatic door to close. The bus went 20 to 30 feet before coming to a stop, and people on the bus began dialing 911, he said. Ambulances then arrived, he added.
Cao said about a third of the passengers were high-school students and the rest were other commuters.
Lt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery County police spokesman, said detectives are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related. It occurred less than two miles from Langley Park, which is just across the border in Prince George's County. Langley Park and neighboring communities have contended with rising gang violence in recent years, including homicides and assaults attributed to MS-13.
Police said the suspected shooter appeared older than the victims and described him as a Hispanic man in his early 20s. They did not release the names of the two wounded teenagers.
Starks said he could not recall a similar crime taking place on a county bus. "It's certainly disturbing to hear about," he said. "This happens very infrequently, if at all, in Montgomery County."
By Cao's account, the gunman had gotten on the bus looking for a fight. "He started speaking in Spanish and then a girl translated and said he was looking for trouble. She said that he wanted someone to touch him" just to start the fight, Cao recalled.
Cao said he and his brother were part of group of more than 10 high-school students making the 20-minute trip back to the Quebec Terrace apartments area from downtown Silver Spring. They had gone to Chick-fil-A and walked around the mall, much the way they do every Friday and Saturday night, he and several friends said.
As the bus neared the Arliss Street stop, Cao was visiting with friends near the front, he said. His younger brother remained near the back of the bus, sitting with fellow freshmen from Montgomery Blair.
"I don't understand," Cao said. "His problem wasn't with any of us, but I know he must have aimed at my brother. He shot him right in the chest."
Last night in the Vietnamese American family's cramped Silver Spring apartment, dozens of friends and relatives gathered to comfort the boy's mother, Ngoc Lam, 41. In the living room, a makeshift Buddhist shrine was growing with each new visitor. Cluttered around a framed 8-by-10 picture of Tai Lam were his favorite apples, a bowl of noodles, incense and his Class of 2012 high school identification card.
Ngoc Lam was speechless.
"What can she say? What can we all say? We are not safe right here in our own homes," the boy's grandmother, Jackie Ri Lam, said loudly as neighbors looked on.
Lam had just started wrestling -- in the 103-pound weight class -- following in his older brother's footsteps, friends and family members said. He was developing other interests, too. He was in the fashion club at school, said Motuma Teramu, 15. And, according to a group of eighth-graders who looked up to him, he was a "stylish" freshman. He almost won the best-dressed award last year, said Ashley Pichardo, 13.
Rebekkah Williamson, a freshman at Springbrook High School who was among Lam's best friends, said he was known for "always being in downtown Silver Spring, wearing a scarf around his neck in whatever color that matched his shoes and giving everyone hugs. He always had a smile on his face, and an iPod in his ears," she said in an e-mail. "He meant so much to me, and many others."
Zoe Hofmann, 13, an eighth-grade student at Takoma Park Middle School, said she saw Lam in downtown Silver Spring on Saturday night, shortly before he died. She wore a scarf yesterday in his honor. She said he was "so caring about everyone" and "a very diverse person" who took pride in making friends with people of all ages.
Although only a freshman at Montgomery's largest high school, Lam had more than 400 friends from all over the county on his Facebook account. By yesterday evening, hundreds of students had joined memorial pages on the Internet networking site. One memorial page had the heading: "You didn't deserve this one bit." Another displayed a photograph of Lam with the caption, "RIP lil Tai we love you!"
Some Montgomery Blair students vowed to wear black Wednesday, their next scheduled day of classes. Steve Simon, a spokesman for Montgomery public schools, said counselors will be available for students that day.
Starks described the suspect as 5-foot-4 to 5 foot 7 inches tall, with no facial hair and wearing a black hooded jacket and blue jeans. Police said the suspect also has a tattoo with lettering on the side of his neck. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Montgomery homicide detectives at 240-773-5070.
Staff writer Daniel de Vise contributed to this report.
In a rare spasm of violence that terrified passengers on a crowded Montgomery County bus, a gunman killed a 14-year-old boy and seriously wounded two other teenagers Saturday night after arguing with them moments earlier, police said.
The shooter was in a group of three to five people who had words with Tai Lam and his friends as the Ride On bus approached Piney Branch Road and Arliss Street in Silver Spring about 11 p.m., according to police. They said that the first group got off the bus at that stop and that the gunman then turned and fired several shots at the teenagers inside.
Lam, a freshman honor student and wrestler at Montgomery Blair High School, was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. The other victims, ages 14 and 15, were in serious condition yesterday, police said.
Lam Cao, the 16-year-old brother of the slain teenager, also was on the bus and disputed the police account of an argument, saying that the shooting was unprovoked.
Cao said the gunman with the gelled hair jerked his hand toward his waist as if he was about to pull a gun on those he'd taunted earlier. Cao said he flinched, not sure whether the gesture was serious. A moment later, he said, he watched in disbelief as the man repeated the move but this time began firing.
Cao said that one member of the shooter's group held the door of the bus open as the gunman fired.
"It was like he just wanted to shoot anybody," Cao said, flashing back to the instant before his brother screamed, "I'm shot!"
After the shooting, Cao said, the bus driver stepped on the gas and the bus lurched forward, allowing the automatic door to close. The bus went 20 to 30 feet before coming to a stop, and people on the bus began dialing 911, he said. Ambulances then arrived, he added.
Cao said about a third of the passengers were high-school students and the rest were other commuters.
Lt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery County police spokesman, said detectives are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related. It occurred less than two miles from Langley Park, which is just across the border in Prince George's County. Langley Park and neighboring communities have contended with rising gang violence in recent years, including homicides and assaults attributed to MS-13.
Police said the suspected shooter appeared older than the victims and described him as a Hispanic man in his early 20s. They did not release the names of the two wounded teenagers.
Starks said he could not recall a similar crime taking place on a county bus. "It's certainly disturbing to hear about," he said. "This happens very infrequently, if at all, in Montgomery County."
By Cao's account, the gunman had gotten on the bus looking for a fight. "He started speaking in Spanish and then a girl translated and said he was looking for trouble. She said that he wanted someone to touch him" just to start the fight, Cao recalled.
Cao said he and his brother were part of group of more than 10 high-school students making the 20-minute trip back to the Quebec Terrace apartments area from downtown Silver Spring. They had gone to Chick-fil-A and walked around the mall, much the way they do every Friday and Saturday night, he and several friends said.
As the bus neared the Arliss Street stop, Cao was visiting with friends near the front, he said. His younger brother remained near the back of the bus, sitting with fellow freshmen from Montgomery Blair.
"I don't understand," Cao said. "His problem wasn't with any of us, but I know he must have aimed at my brother. He shot him right in the chest."
Last night in the Vietnamese American family's cramped Silver Spring apartment, dozens of friends and relatives gathered to comfort the boy's mother, Ngoc Lam, 41. In the living room, a makeshift Buddhist shrine was growing with each new visitor. Cluttered around a framed 8-by-10 picture of Tai Lam were his favorite apples, a bowl of noodles, incense and his Class of 2012 high school identification card.
Ngoc Lam was speechless.
"What can she say? What can we all say? We are not safe right here in our own homes," the boy's grandmother, Jackie Ri Lam, said loudly as neighbors looked on.
Lam had just started wrestling -- in the 103-pound weight class -- following in his older brother's footsteps, friends and family members said. He was developing other interests, too. He was in the fashion club at school, said Motuma Teramu, 15. And, according to a group of eighth-graders who looked up to him, he was a "stylish" freshman. He almost won the best-dressed award last year, said Ashley Pichardo, 13.
Rebekkah Williamson, a freshman at Springbrook High School who was among Lam's best friends, said he was known for "always being in downtown Silver Spring, wearing a scarf around his neck in whatever color that matched his shoes and giving everyone hugs. He always had a smile on his face, and an iPod in his ears," she said in an e-mail. "He meant so much to me, and many others."
Zoe Hofmann, 13, an eighth-grade student at Takoma Park Middle School, said she saw Lam in downtown Silver Spring on Saturday night, shortly before he died. She wore a scarf yesterday in his honor. She said he was "so caring about everyone" and "a very diverse person" who took pride in making friends with people of all ages.
Although only a freshman at Montgomery's largest high school, Lam had more than 400 friends from all over the county on his Facebook account. By yesterday evening, hundreds of students had joined memorial pages on the Internet networking site. One memorial page had the heading: "You didn't deserve this one bit." Another displayed a photograph of Lam with the caption, "RIP lil Tai we love you!"
Some Montgomery Blair students vowed to wear black Wednesday, their next scheduled day of classes. Steve Simon, a spokesman for Montgomery public schools, said counselors will be available for students that day.
Starks described the suspect as 5-foot-4 to 5 foot 7 inches tall, with no facial hair and wearing a black hooded jacket and blue jeans. Police said the suspect also has a tattoo with lettering on the side of his neck. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Montgomery homicide detectives at 240-773-5070.
Staff writer Daniel de Vise contributed to this report.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Police Investigate Homicide of Teen in Silver Spring
Police Investigate Homicide of Teen in Silver Spring
November 2, 2008. Montgomery County Police detectives from the Major Crimes Division Homicide/Sex Section are investigating a homicide that occurred in Silver Spring last night.
On Saturday, November 1, at approximately 11:08 p.m., police officers from the 3rd District were called to a bus stop on Piney Branch Road at Arliss Street for a shooting that just occurred. Upon arrival they found three teenage males on a Montgomery County Ride On bus, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
The preliminary investigation revealed that two groups of passengers on the bus had become involved in a verbal argument on the bus. One group of three to five subjects exited the bus at the Piney Branch Road and Arliss Street stop. One of those subjects turned and fired a handgun into the bus after he had exited, striking the three teens. All three were transported to area trauma centers.
One of the teens, age 14 from Silver Spring, died as a result of his injuries. The other two teens, aged 14 and 15, remain in serious condition.
The subject who did the shooting is described as a Hispanic male in his early 20’s, 5’ 4” to 5’ 7” tall with no facial hair. He was wearing a black hooded jacket and blue jeans. He also has a tattoo of some type of lettering on the side of his neck.
An autopsy has been scheduled at the Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore to determine the exact cause and manner of death. Detectives from the Homicide/Sex Section of the Major Crimes Division are asking anyone with information regarding the suspect or this crime to call 240.773.5070. Callers may remain anonymous.
November 2, 2008. Montgomery County Police detectives from the Major Crimes Division Homicide/Sex Section are investigating a homicide that occurred in Silver Spring last night.
On Saturday, November 1, at approximately 11:08 p.m., police officers from the 3rd District were called to a bus stop on Piney Branch Road at Arliss Street for a shooting that just occurred. Upon arrival they found three teenage males on a Montgomery County Ride On bus, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
The preliminary investigation revealed that two groups of passengers on the bus had become involved in a verbal argument on the bus. One group of three to five subjects exited the bus at the Piney Branch Road and Arliss Street stop. One of those subjects turned and fired a handgun into the bus after he had exited, striking the three teens. All three were transported to area trauma centers.
One of the teens, age 14 from Silver Spring, died as a result of his injuries. The other two teens, aged 14 and 15, remain in serious condition.
The subject who did the shooting is described as a Hispanic male in his early 20’s, 5’ 4” to 5’ 7” tall with no facial hair. He was wearing a black hooded jacket and blue jeans. He also has a tattoo of some type of lettering on the side of his neck.
An autopsy has been scheduled at the Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore to determine the exact cause and manner of death. Detectives from the Homicide/Sex Section of the Major Crimes Division are asking anyone with information regarding the suspect or this crime to call 240.773.5070. Callers may remain anonymous.
Summary Notes - Neighborhoods and Transportation & Pedestrian Safety Committees - October 20, 2008
Neighborhoods and Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Joint Committee Meeting
October 20, 2008 – 7:00 pm – Silver Spring Regional Services Center
Summary Notes
Participants: Alan Bowser, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board (SSCAB); Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Services Center; Mark Woodard, SSCAB; Kathy Stevens, SSCAB; Megan Moriarty, SSCAB; Mary Reardon, Silver Spring Historical Society; Anita Morrison, co-chair; Clarence Steinberg, Indian Spring Civic Association; Martha Waddy, New Hampshire Estates Civic Association & Long Branch Neighborhood Initiative; Bruce Baker, SS/TP Community Indicators; Massiel Cruz, Northwest Park Apts, Neighborhood IMPACT; Sgt. Tom Harmon, MCPD; Jason Tomassini, The Gazette; Jennifer Deseo, Silver Spring Penguin; Kyja Wilburn, Tanglewood Apts, Neighborhood IMPACT; Ana Puentes, Montgomery Towers, Neighborhood IMPACT; Sally Gagne, Friends of Sligo Creek; Lisa Dubay, Johns Hopkins University; Webb Smedley, Woodside Park Civic Association; Loetta Vann, Woodside Forest Civic Association, Committee to Save the Watson House.
SSCAB Meeting and September Joint Committee Meeting: Alan Bowser gave an update on the topics covered at the last SSCAB meeting (plans for the new library, ambulance fees) and the last Neighborhoods Committee’s meeting that dealt with the new Code Enforcement recommendations and the County Executives Pedestrian Safety Initiative.
Public Safety Update: Sgt. Tom Harmon, 3rd District, MCPD, provided an update on traffic and pedestrian issues. He noted the County is starting a pedestrian safety audit of Piney Branch Rd. on Oct. 21. Martha distributed the Weed and Seed update report and invited the committee members to the community clean up at Broad Acres Elementary School on Oct. 25. (Her report is attachment to these minutes.)
SS/TP Community Indicators Project: Bruce Baker presented the new community-based research project to the committee. This project hopes to measure the quality of life at the local level in Long Branch and Takoma Park. The first step will be to come up with a series of housing indicators, which will be presented to the community at large in early January with a final “report card” issued in February. (see attachment for details)
Strategic Planning Conversation: Kathy Stevens updated the committee about the Board’s strategic planning process and committee members provided their input on what issues the committees should address in the coming year. Suggestions included the following topics and actions: rent stabilization, public education about littering, increasing community participation in the Purple Line discussions, reaching out to the community, requesting more bus shelters with schedules, expanded Medicare coverage now in effect, and environmental issues in Sligo Creek Park.
SSRC Website Redesign: Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Service Center, informed the committee of his project to revamp the Regional Center’s website (including the SSCAB pages) and asked for input on content and layout. The committee discussed the following options: including an interactive map that includes the civic associations; making sure all agendas and minutes are posted in a timely fashion; ensuring the layout is simple so people can find what they are looking for quickly; including contact information for government services.
Megan Moriarity updated the group on the first Fenton Village meeting on Oct. 15 and encouraged them to attend next meeting on Nov. 19. Sally Gagne gave the committee a brief report about the deer management problem on behalf of Friends of Sligo Creek. Loetta Vann passed out information regarding the preservation of the Watson House.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Neighborhoods and Pedestrian Safety Committee will be held Monday, November 17, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the Regional Services Center.
The Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project
What are community indicators?
Community indicators are measures of a community’s health and vitality. They are not just measurement tools, however; they can also serve as benchmarks for efforts to improve communities and empower residents to solve problems and advocate for their interests. The federal, state, and county governments collect lots of data, but measures of community well-being at the neighborhood level can also be very useful. By revealing localized issues that are not apparent in city- or county-level data, neighborhood indicators guide targeted interventions that get at local concerns.
What neighborhoods does this project cover?
The Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project covers the Long Branch area of Silver Spring and the City of Takoma Park.
What is the outcome of this project?
At the end of its first year, early in 2009, the project will produce a baseline indicators report – a kind of report card – on housing conditions in Long Branch and Takoma Park. This report will establish benchmarks that can be updated each year to provide government policy makers, grant makers, and the public at large with relevant and useful information about housing conditions in specific neighborhoods.
But the project is about more than collecting data and publishing a report. The project will also create learning communities in both the Long Branch section of Silver Spring and Takoma Park. Neighborhood residents will be part of a collaborative process to develop the specific indicators. These learning communities will function as permanent local neighborhood “think tanks,” made up of a diverse core of local residents who are committed to measuring the health and vitality of their community through the indicators development and reporting process.
Who sponsors this project?
The Silver Spring Takoma Park Community Indicators Project is a Program Sponsored Fund of the Montgomery County Community Foundation. It will be working in partnership with IMPACT Silver Spring, and also has the support of the Takoma Foundation, Casa of Maryland, Montgomery College-Takoma Park, the Long Branch Advisory Committee, the University of Maryland, and the Presidents Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations. It is also working in coordination with staff from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, and the City of Takoma Park.
For more information, contact Bruce Baker, 301-589-3633, or Bruce.L.Baker@verizon.net.
Indicators are like instrument panels…they provide concise information about existing circumstances. Monitored over time, indicators expose trends that show where your community has come from, and where it may be going.
Community indicators don’t just monitor
progress… they help make it happen!
--From the Community Indicators Handbook by Roxanne Smolko (Redefining Progress)
How well do you know your community?
• How many home foreclosures or evictions have there been in the last year compared to previous years? What are the causes?
• Is housing quality improving?
• What has happened to housing affordability in the recent past?
• How diverse is your community?
• How much investment in housing has there been? Is it increasing or decreasing?
• How many “green buildings” are there in the community?
• What is our city or neighborhood carbon footprint?
• How safe is your community?
• What can you do to make things better?
Curious?
Support the Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project
Make a tax deductible contribution to: The Montgomery County Community Foundation/ Community Indicators Fund, and mail to:
Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project
c/o Montgomery County Community Foundation
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite #202
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Or Contact : Bruce Baker
Bruce.L.Baker@verizon.net 301-589-3633
THE NORTHEWEST PARK OAKVIEW WEED & SEED
MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT
SILVER SPRING REGIONAL CENTER
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
1. During the 1990’s the Department of Justice created the Weed & Seed Program. Its mission to “Weed” out crime and “Seed” in programs and services in high crime neighborhoods.
2. There are 300 sites nationwide. Each site receives $1,000,000 over a period of 5 years.
3. The Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed received its Official Recognition in 2005. It is currently entering its 3rd year of operations.
4. The NPOWS is one of a handful sites in Maryland. The only one in the tri-jurisdictional areas of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and the City of Takoma Park.
5. Four (4) Program Focus Areas:
A. Weed Initiatives Focus on:
1. Law Enforcement
2. Community Policing
B. Seed Initiatives Focus on:
1. PIT – Prevention/Intervention/
Treatment programs
2. Neighborhood Revitalization
6. NPOWS Catchment Area serves over
10,000 residents.
A. Living Communities:
1. Hamptons Homes
2. Avery Park Apartments
3. Chateau Apartments
4. Oakview Homes
5. Hampshire West Apartments
6. Northwest Park Apartments
B. Schools:
1. Broad Acres, ES
2. Roscoe Nix, ES
3. White Oak, MS
4. St. Camillus School
C. Churches:
1. St. Camillus
2. Good Shepherd United Methodist
7. Distinguishing Items:
A. Nuisance Abatement Task Force
B. Truancy Prevention Task Force
8. New Initiatives:
A. Friends of Broad Acres Park
B. St. Camillus Food Pantry
9. Safe Havens:
A. Broad Acres, ES
B. YMCA/Linkages
C. YMCA Community Center
D. St. Camillus Church
For more information call:
Victor B. Salazar, Site Coordinator, Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed Program
Silver Spring Regional Center, Montgomery County Government
Work: (301) 565-7300, Mobile: (240) 876-1077
Email: victor.salazar@montgomerycountymd.gov
Partnerships for Safer Communities
Weed and Seed, an innovative community based multiagency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. US Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Community-programs/Weed%20and%20Seed/index4.html
US Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo/ws/welcome.html
The Northwest Park Oakview Weed and Seed (NPOWS)
Activities Update to the Silver Spring Citizen’s Advisory Board
Neighborhood Committee
October 20, 2008
Submitted by: Martha Waddy, Steering Committee Member
SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES
● The Weed Committee held its meeting on September 8, 2008. Guest speaker for the day was Captain Don Johnson, Commander of Montgomery County’s Third Police District. Commander Johnson gave an overview of area crime trends; discussed the formation of an advisory board; and asked for resident support for the County’s police budget.
● The Weed & Seed Program participated in the planning and implementation of the St. Camillus Community Carnival. The event drew approximately two thousand visitors. The event ran from September 5th through September 7th.
● The Weed & Seed Program supported Broad Acres Elementary School’s Back To School Picnic on September 10th utilizing the event as an opportunity to engage and interview residents about community crime.
● On September 12th, The Weed & Seed Program supported the Northwest Park Community during its monthly meeting at the YMCA community center.
● On September 13th, The YMCA Program held an end of summer activity. At the conclusion of the celebration students were recognized for their achievements. The YMCA recognized and thanked the Weed & Seed program for its support and funding to run its programs.
● On September 17th, The Weed & Seed Program supported the Avery Park Community Association at its monthly meeting. The meeting was held at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.
● On September 19th, The Weed & Seed Program, CSAFE and Impact Silver Spring conceptualized a joint project focused on resident engagement and the county budget. The program seeks to identify approximately 15 residents living in Weed & Seed and CSAFE catchment areas and to have them identify current and emerging issues. This information will then be developed and residents will publish their findings with testimony at budget hearings next Spring before the County Council.
● On September 23rd, The Weed & Seed Program and CSAFE met with staff from Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office to discuss how programs can support residents with issues related to immigration.
● On September 25th, The Weed & Seed Program was invited by the Maryland International Corridor CSAFE to participate in a Neighborhood Safety Team Forum sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention.
● On September 25th, The Weed & Seed Program held its Steering Committee Meeting. Councilmember Valerie Ervin was the guest speaker. She provided an overview of what was on the minds of county residents, the status of the county budget, the curtailing and loss of government services, and addressing the foreclosure crisis. The Steering Committee voted to sponsor a Community Service Day event. SEE ATTACHMENT
● On September 26th, Site Coordinator, Victor Salazar and Steering Committee Co-Chair, Maura Lynch, SAO, held a meeting with the community manager at Hampshire West Apartments. Results of the meeting included commitments to hold intimate meetings with police and security to discuss crime issues and develop policing strategies; commitment to hold a crime watch meeting on October 22nd; commitment to work with the YMCA to develop a long term strategy for creating a community center in the complex.
● On September 29th, Site Coordinator participated in the monthly Youth Provider meeting sponsored by HHS’ Luis Cardona. Potential funding sources for programs were discussed.
● On September 30th, Site Coordinator convened a meeting with St. Camillus church to discuss the concept of a Food Pantry initiative. The goal of the project would be to feed approximately 200 families per month on an emergency basis from November through the month of March. SEE ATTACHMENT.
October 20, 2008 – 7:00 pm – Silver Spring Regional Services Center
Summary Notes
Participants: Alan Bowser, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board (SSCAB); Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Services Center; Mark Woodard, SSCAB; Kathy Stevens, SSCAB; Megan Moriarty, SSCAB; Mary Reardon, Silver Spring Historical Society; Anita Morrison, co-chair; Clarence Steinberg, Indian Spring Civic Association; Martha Waddy, New Hampshire Estates Civic Association & Long Branch Neighborhood Initiative; Bruce Baker, SS/TP Community Indicators; Massiel Cruz, Northwest Park Apts, Neighborhood IMPACT; Sgt. Tom Harmon, MCPD; Jason Tomassini, The Gazette; Jennifer Deseo, Silver Spring Penguin; Kyja Wilburn, Tanglewood Apts, Neighborhood IMPACT; Ana Puentes, Montgomery Towers, Neighborhood IMPACT; Sally Gagne, Friends of Sligo Creek; Lisa Dubay, Johns Hopkins University; Webb Smedley, Woodside Park Civic Association; Loetta Vann, Woodside Forest Civic Association, Committee to Save the Watson House.
SSCAB Meeting and September Joint Committee Meeting: Alan Bowser gave an update on the topics covered at the last SSCAB meeting (plans for the new library, ambulance fees) and the last Neighborhoods Committee’s meeting that dealt with the new Code Enforcement recommendations and the County Executives Pedestrian Safety Initiative.
Public Safety Update: Sgt. Tom Harmon, 3rd District, MCPD, provided an update on traffic and pedestrian issues. He noted the County is starting a pedestrian safety audit of Piney Branch Rd. on Oct. 21. Martha distributed the Weed and Seed update report and invited the committee members to the community clean up at Broad Acres Elementary School on Oct. 25. (Her report is attachment to these minutes.)
SS/TP Community Indicators Project: Bruce Baker presented the new community-based research project to the committee. This project hopes to measure the quality of life at the local level in Long Branch and Takoma Park. The first step will be to come up with a series of housing indicators, which will be presented to the community at large in early January with a final “report card” issued in February. (see attachment for details)
Strategic Planning Conversation: Kathy Stevens updated the committee about the Board’s strategic planning process and committee members provided their input on what issues the committees should address in the coming year. Suggestions included the following topics and actions: rent stabilization, public education about littering, increasing community participation in the Purple Line discussions, reaching out to the community, requesting more bus shelters with schedules, expanded Medicare coverage now in effect, and environmental issues in Sligo Creek Park.
SSRC Website Redesign: Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Service Center, informed the committee of his project to revamp the Regional Center’s website (including the SSCAB pages) and asked for input on content and layout. The committee discussed the following options: including an interactive map that includes the civic associations; making sure all agendas and minutes are posted in a timely fashion; ensuring the layout is simple so people can find what they are looking for quickly; including contact information for government services.
Megan Moriarity updated the group on the first Fenton Village meeting on Oct. 15 and encouraged them to attend next meeting on Nov. 19. Sally Gagne gave the committee a brief report about the deer management problem on behalf of Friends of Sligo Creek. Loetta Vann passed out information regarding the preservation of the Watson House.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Neighborhoods and Pedestrian Safety Committee will be held Monday, November 17, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the Regional Services Center.
The Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project
What are community indicators?
Community indicators are measures of a community’s health and vitality. They are not just measurement tools, however; they can also serve as benchmarks for efforts to improve communities and empower residents to solve problems and advocate for their interests. The federal, state, and county governments collect lots of data, but measures of community well-being at the neighborhood level can also be very useful. By revealing localized issues that are not apparent in city- or county-level data, neighborhood indicators guide targeted interventions that get at local concerns.
What neighborhoods does this project cover?
The Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project covers the Long Branch area of Silver Spring and the City of Takoma Park.
What is the outcome of this project?
At the end of its first year, early in 2009, the project will produce a baseline indicators report – a kind of report card – on housing conditions in Long Branch and Takoma Park. This report will establish benchmarks that can be updated each year to provide government policy makers, grant makers, and the public at large with relevant and useful information about housing conditions in specific neighborhoods.
But the project is about more than collecting data and publishing a report. The project will also create learning communities in both the Long Branch section of Silver Spring and Takoma Park. Neighborhood residents will be part of a collaborative process to develop the specific indicators. These learning communities will function as permanent local neighborhood “think tanks,” made up of a diverse core of local residents who are committed to measuring the health and vitality of their community through the indicators development and reporting process.
Who sponsors this project?
The Silver Spring Takoma Park Community Indicators Project is a Program Sponsored Fund of the Montgomery County Community Foundation. It will be working in partnership with IMPACT Silver Spring, and also has the support of the Takoma Foundation, Casa of Maryland, Montgomery College-Takoma Park, the Long Branch Advisory Committee, the University of Maryland, and the Presidents Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations. It is also working in coordination with staff from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, and the City of Takoma Park.
For more information, contact Bruce Baker, 301-589-3633, or Bruce.L.Baker@verizon.net.
Indicators are like instrument panels…they provide concise information about existing circumstances. Monitored over time, indicators expose trends that show where your community has come from, and where it may be going.
Community indicators don’t just monitor
progress… they help make it happen!
--From the Community Indicators Handbook by Roxanne Smolko (Redefining Progress)
How well do you know your community?
• How many home foreclosures or evictions have there been in the last year compared to previous years? What are the causes?
• Is housing quality improving?
• What has happened to housing affordability in the recent past?
• How diverse is your community?
• How much investment in housing has there been? Is it increasing or decreasing?
• How many “green buildings” are there in the community?
• What is our city or neighborhood carbon footprint?
• How safe is your community?
• What can you do to make things better?
Curious?
Support the Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project
Make a tax deductible contribution to: The Montgomery County Community Foundation/ Community Indicators Fund, and mail to:
Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project
c/o Montgomery County Community Foundation
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite #202
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Or Contact : Bruce Baker
Bruce.L.Baker@verizon.net 301-589-3633
THE NORTHEWEST PARK OAKVIEW WEED & SEED
MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT
SILVER SPRING REGIONAL CENTER
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
1. During the 1990’s the Department of Justice created the Weed & Seed Program. Its mission to “Weed” out crime and “Seed” in programs and services in high crime neighborhoods.
2. There are 300 sites nationwide. Each site receives $1,000,000 over a period of 5 years.
3. The Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed received its Official Recognition in 2005. It is currently entering its 3rd year of operations.
4. The NPOWS is one of a handful sites in Maryland. The only one in the tri-jurisdictional areas of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and the City of Takoma Park.
5. Four (4) Program Focus Areas:
A. Weed Initiatives Focus on:
1. Law Enforcement
2. Community Policing
B. Seed Initiatives Focus on:
1. PIT – Prevention/Intervention/
Treatment programs
2. Neighborhood Revitalization
6. NPOWS Catchment Area serves over
10,000 residents.
A. Living Communities:
1. Hamptons Homes
2. Avery Park Apartments
3. Chateau Apartments
4. Oakview Homes
5. Hampshire West Apartments
6. Northwest Park Apartments
B. Schools:
1. Broad Acres, ES
2. Roscoe Nix, ES
3. White Oak, MS
4. St. Camillus School
C. Churches:
1. St. Camillus
2. Good Shepherd United Methodist
7. Distinguishing Items:
A. Nuisance Abatement Task Force
B. Truancy Prevention Task Force
8. New Initiatives:
A. Friends of Broad Acres Park
B. St. Camillus Food Pantry
9. Safe Havens:
A. Broad Acres, ES
B. YMCA/Linkages
C. YMCA Community Center
D. St. Camillus Church
For more information call:
Victor B. Salazar, Site Coordinator, Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed Program
Silver Spring Regional Center, Montgomery County Government
Work: (301) 565-7300, Mobile: (240) 876-1077
Email: victor.salazar@montgomerycountymd.gov
Partnerships for Safer Communities
Weed and Seed, an innovative community based multiagency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. US Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Community-programs/Weed%20and%20Seed/index4.html
US Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo/ws/welcome.html
The Northwest Park Oakview Weed and Seed (NPOWS)
Activities Update to the Silver Spring Citizen’s Advisory Board
Neighborhood Committee
October 20, 2008
Submitted by: Martha Waddy, Steering Committee Member
SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES
● The Weed Committee held its meeting on September 8, 2008. Guest speaker for the day was Captain Don Johnson, Commander of Montgomery County’s Third Police District. Commander Johnson gave an overview of area crime trends; discussed the formation of an advisory board; and asked for resident support for the County’s police budget.
● The Weed & Seed Program participated in the planning and implementation of the St. Camillus Community Carnival. The event drew approximately two thousand visitors. The event ran from September 5th through September 7th.
● The Weed & Seed Program supported Broad Acres Elementary School’s Back To School Picnic on September 10th utilizing the event as an opportunity to engage and interview residents about community crime.
● On September 12th, The Weed & Seed Program supported the Northwest Park Community during its monthly meeting at the YMCA community center.
● On September 13th, The YMCA Program held an end of summer activity. At the conclusion of the celebration students were recognized for their achievements. The YMCA recognized and thanked the Weed & Seed program for its support and funding to run its programs.
● On September 17th, The Weed & Seed Program supported the Avery Park Community Association at its monthly meeting. The meeting was held at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.
● On September 19th, The Weed & Seed Program, CSAFE and Impact Silver Spring conceptualized a joint project focused on resident engagement and the county budget. The program seeks to identify approximately 15 residents living in Weed & Seed and CSAFE catchment areas and to have them identify current and emerging issues. This information will then be developed and residents will publish their findings with testimony at budget hearings next Spring before the County Council.
● On September 23rd, The Weed & Seed Program and CSAFE met with staff from Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office to discuss how programs can support residents with issues related to immigration.
● On September 25th, The Weed & Seed Program was invited by the Maryland International Corridor CSAFE to participate in a Neighborhood Safety Team Forum sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention.
● On September 25th, The Weed & Seed Program held its Steering Committee Meeting. Councilmember Valerie Ervin was the guest speaker. She provided an overview of what was on the minds of county residents, the status of the county budget, the curtailing and loss of government services, and addressing the foreclosure crisis. The Steering Committee voted to sponsor a Community Service Day event. SEE ATTACHMENT
● On September 26th, Site Coordinator, Victor Salazar and Steering Committee Co-Chair, Maura Lynch, SAO, held a meeting with the community manager at Hampshire West Apartments. Results of the meeting included commitments to hold intimate meetings with police and security to discuss crime issues and develop policing strategies; commitment to hold a crime watch meeting on October 22nd; commitment to work with the YMCA to develop a long term strategy for creating a community center in the complex.
● On September 29th, Site Coordinator participated in the monthly Youth Provider meeting sponsored by HHS’ Luis Cardona. Potential funding sources for programs were discussed.
● On September 30th, Site Coordinator convened a meeting with St. Camillus church to discuss the concept of a Food Pantry initiative. The goal of the project would be to feed approximately 200 families per month on an emergency basis from November through the month of March. SEE ATTACHMENT.
Purple Line Planning - Washington Post
Sunday, November 2, 2008; C02
The Maryland Transit Administration crossed a planning threshold last month when it released several hundred pages of study and analysis that could lead to the construction of an east-west transitway in the middle of the next decade. Here's a look at what the Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement says and where the project stands.
What Are the New Documents?
A lot of transit projects are competing for a very limited amount of federal money. Federal law requires that the projects' sponsors consider its potential impact on the environment as well as on transportation services.
The sponsors must also demonstrate the need for the project and consider alternatives to address the need. The full text of the study is available online at http://www.purplelinemd.com.
Have another view? Write to us at http://commuter@washpost.com.
What Do We Know So Far?
· The Purple Line would be a 16-mile east-west rapid transit line extending inside the Beltway from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County.
· It would be a bus rapid transit or light rail line.
· A bus rapid transit system would have permanent stations and operate large buses on streets with regular traffic or in dedicated lanes or a separate right-of-way.
· A light rail system would have permanent stations and operate an updated streetcar on tracks with overhead wires. Like the bus line, it could run on streets with traffic or in dedicated lanes or a separate right-of-way.
· Most of the transit route would be at street level. Twenty-one station locations are being evaluated. A hiking/biking trail is included along the Georgetown Branch and CSX/Metrorail corridors.
Some Impacts
Communities: Although the bus or rail alternatives would improve mobility and enhance economic development along the corridor, they would eliminate three to 12 residential properties. Parking would have to be restricted on some streets.
Along some streets, including Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, people are concerned that a transit line operating on the surface would harm the neighborhood's character. Others view the introduction of rapid buses or light rail as compatible with the car, truck and bus traffic already there.
Noise and Vibration: Silver Spring residents would hear moderate noise from rapid bus operations along the CSX corridor on Wayne Avenue and on Arliss Street. The light rail design includes vehicle skirts that substantially minimize noise. The Lyttonsville maintenance and storage yard in Montgomery would create moderate noise impacts from a bus system. The Glenridge yard in Prince George's would lead to severe noise from light rail. Noise walls might be needed.
Visual Effects: Rail operations would be reintroduced along the Georgetown Branch Trail. Trees would be removed within the right of way. Other areas of concern are Thayer Avenue and Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring and the University of Maryland campus in College Park. Landscaping, fencing or earth berms might be required. Existing poles or buildings could be used to support the trolley wires or new signs.
Open Space : Of the 53 public parks, recreation sites and open-space areas in the corridor, 11 parks, five open-space areas and five trails could be affected by the bus or rail alternatives.
Less than an acre of the individual parks would be affected. The Purple Line would benefit park users by providing direct transit access to the parks.
The Options
Build Nothing: Increasing traffic congestion lengthens travel times for cars and buses. The bus schedule becomes increasingly less reliable.
Manage Better: Improvements would include limited-stop bus service, more green-light time for buses and better bus stops. Metrobus routes would be modified to improve reliability. By 2030, traveling the 16-mile corridor would take 108 minutes at an average round-trip speed of 9 mph. There are practical limits on giving more green-light time in this east-west corridor. The big commuter roads that cut across that route, including Connecticut Avenue and Riggs Road, would suffer even worse congestion if they had to endure more red-light time.
Buses and Trains : Maryland looked at six basic options for bus and rail, ranging from simpler, lower-cost systems that mostly share local streets to more sophisticated and expensive versions that move faster because they have separate lanes and some tunnel segments. The top option for light rail would cost $1.6 billion today. That high-end system would offer the fastest travel times -- 50 minutes end to end at an average speed of 19 mph -- because of its higher investment in tunnel segments. The bus options would have slower travel times than their light rail counterparts and also have lower operating costs.
Cost-Effectiveness: In evaluating local projects for financial support, the Federal Transit Administration cares about cost-effectiveness. Based on that measure, the bus alternatives would be slightly more cost-effective than the light rail alternatives, with the medium-investment bus system being the most cost-effective. The medium-investment light rail is the most cost-effective of the rail alternatives. By current FTA standards, all the alternatives fall into the "medium" range of acceptability except for the low-investment light rail, which would rate as "medium-low."
Next Steps
· The documents are available for review and comment until Jan. 14. Then the Maryland Department of Transportation and its Transit Administration will adopt one of the options. Maryland Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari said in an interview that the choice should not be limited by current economic conditions. The state needs to think ahead and think big about its transportation system, he said.
· In spring 2009, the MTA expects to submit a proposal to the FTA and hopes for a favorable rating that would lead to partial federal funding.
· To build a bus or rail system after receiving a favorable rating, the state must then prepare a Preliminary Engineering and a Final Environmental Impact Statement.
· Maryland would then seek to move from the planning and environmental review stage into design and construction. (The process is similar to what Virginia is going through to build the new Metrorail link through Tysons and out to Dulles.)
· The very earliest construction on the Purple Line could begin is 2012. It probably would take three to five years.
-- Robert Thomson
The Maryland Transit Administration crossed a planning threshold last month when it released several hundred pages of study and analysis that could lead to the construction of an east-west transitway in the middle of the next decade. Here's a look at what the Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement says and where the project stands.
What Are the New Documents?
A lot of transit projects are competing for a very limited amount of federal money. Federal law requires that the projects' sponsors consider its potential impact on the environment as well as on transportation services.
The sponsors must also demonstrate the need for the project and consider alternatives to address the need. The full text of the study is available online at http://www.purplelinemd.com.
Have another view? Write to us at http://commuter@washpost.com.
What Do We Know So Far?
· The Purple Line would be a 16-mile east-west rapid transit line extending inside the Beltway from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County.
· It would be a bus rapid transit or light rail line.
· A bus rapid transit system would have permanent stations and operate large buses on streets with regular traffic or in dedicated lanes or a separate right-of-way.
· A light rail system would have permanent stations and operate an updated streetcar on tracks with overhead wires. Like the bus line, it could run on streets with traffic or in dedicated lanes or a separate right-of-way.
· Most of the transit route would be at street level. Twenty-one station locations are being evaluated. A hiking/biking trail is included along the Georgetown Branch and CSX/Metrorail corridors.
Some Impacts
Communities: Although the bus or rail alternatives would improve mobility and enhance economic development along the corridor, they would eliminate three to 12 residential properties. Parking would have to be restricted on some streets.
Along some streets, including Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, people are concerned that a transit line operating on the surface would harm the neighborhood's character. Others view the introduction of rapid buses or light rail as compatible with the car, truck and bus traffic already there.
Noise and Vibration: Silver Spring residents would hear moderate noise from rapid bus operations along the CSX corridor on Wayne Avenue and on Arliss Street. The light rail design includes vehicle skirts that substantially minimize noise. The Lyttonsville maintenance and storage yard in Montgomery would create moderate noise impacts from a bus system. The Glenridge yard in Prince George's would lead to severe noise from light rail. Noise walls might be needed.
Visual Effects: Rail operations would be reintroduced along the Georgetown Branch Trail. Trees would be removed within the right of way. Other areas of concern are Thayer Avenue and Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring and the University of Maryland campus in College Park. Landscaping, fencing or earth berms might be required. Existing poles or buildings could be used to support the trolley wires or new signs.
Open Space : Of the 53 public parks, recreation sites and open-space areas in the corridor, 11 parks, five open-space areas and five trails could be affected by the bus or rail alternatives.
Less than an acre of the individual parks would be affected. The Purple Line would benefit park users by providing direct transit access to the parks.
The Options
Build Nothing: Increasing traffic congestion lengthens travel times for cars and buses. The bus schedule becomes increasingly less reliable.
Manage Better: Improvements would include limited-stop bus service, more green-light time for buses and better bus stops. Metrobus routes would be modified to improve reliability. By 2030, traveling the 16-mile corridor would take 108 minutes at an average round-trip speed of 9 mph. There are practical limits on giving more green-light time in this east-west corridor. The big commuter roads that cut across that route, including Connecticut Avenue and Riggs Road, would suffer even worse congestion if they had to endure more red-light time.
Buses and Trains : Maryland looked at six basic options for bus and rail, ranging from simpler, lower-cost systems that mostly share local streets to more sophisticated and expensive versions that move faster because they have separate lanes and some tunnel segments. The top option for light rail would cost $1.6 billion today. That high-end system would offer the fastest travel times -- 50 minutes end to end at an average speed of 19 mph -- because of its higher investment in tunnel segments. The bus options would have slower travel times than their light rail counterparts and also have lower operating costs.
Cost-Effectiveness: In evaluating local projects for financial support, the Federal Transit Administration cares about cost-effectiveness. Based on that measure, the bus alternatives would be slightly more cost-effective than the light rail alternatives, with the medium-investment bus system being the most cost-effective. The medium-investment light rail is the most cost-effective of the rail alternatives. By current FTA standards, all the alternatives fall into the "medium" range of acceptability except for the low-investment light rail, which would rate as "medium-low."
Next Steps
· The documents are available for review and comment until Jan. 14. Then the Maryland Department of Transportation and its Transit Administration will adopt one of the options. Maryland Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari said in an interview that the choice should not be limited by current economic conditions. The state needs to think ahead and think big about its transportation system, he said.
· In spring 2009, the MTA expects to submit a proposal to the FTA and hopes for a favorable rating that would lead to partial federal funding.
· To build a bus or rail system after receiving a favorable rating, the state must then prepare a Preliminary Engineering and a Final Environmental Impact Statement.
· Maryland would then seek to move from the planning and environmental review stage into design and construction. (The process is similar to what Virginia is going through to build the new Metrorail link through Tysons and out to Dulles.)
· The very earliest construction on the Purple Line could begin is 2012. It probably would take three to five years.
-- Robert Thomson
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Community Service Day at Broad Acres
October 25th was Community Service Day in Montgomery County, Maryland. Here, nearly 60 volunteers from throughout the County help clean up the parks, woods and the Northwest Branch near the Broad Acres School in Silver Spring. Organized by the Northwest Park Weed and Seed Committee, with major assistance by the Montgomery County State's Attorney Office, Montgomery County Police Department and the Park Police, the event was a tremendous success.
More Community Service Day pictures here.
More Community Service Day pictures here.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Montgomery Council Blocks Ambulance Fee Plan - Gazette
By Ann E. Marimow | Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 23, 2008; 2:56 PM
The Montgomery County Council this morning blocked County Executive Isiah Leggett's (D) proposed ambulance fee legislation after an outpouring of opposition from residents and the county's volunteer firefighter organization.
The Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to postpone action on the measure, which was intended to raise about $14 million a year to fund fire and emergency services.
Leggett had stressed that his plan was designed to charge health insurance companies -- not residents -- for ambulance transport. Montgomery's neighboring jurisdictions, including the District and Fairfax and Prince George's counties, already charge for ambulance service.
But Leggett's proposal encountered resistance from Montgomery's well-organized volunteer firefighters, who waged an aggressive campaign with yard signs and phone-banking. Leaders of the volunteer organization, who say that charging for service is at odds with their mission, declared victory yesterday after the council's action.
"The council is listening, not only to the volunteers, but to the citizens," said Marcine Goodloe, president of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association.
The proposed fee, which ranges from $300 to $800, depending on service, plus $7.50 per mile traveled, would raise an estimated $13.8 million in its first full year.
Under the legislation, county residents would not be billed, regardless of whether they have health insurance, and they would not be responsible for a co-pay or deductible. An insured patient who does not live in the county would be billed a co-pay or deductible, but could seek a waiver.
Leggett's spokesman Patrick Lacefield said the administration was "okay with delaying action to get people more information."
But some council members were less certain about the bill's future.
"They've had the chance to make their case, and they haven't been persuasive," Andrews said. "It may well not be over, but I think it is dead."
Thursday, October 23, 2008; 2:56 PM
The Montgomery County Council this morning blocked County Executive Isiah Leggett's (D) proposed ambulance fee legislation after an outpouring of opposition from residents and the county's volunteer firefighter organization.
The Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to postpone action on the measure, which was intended to raise about $14 million a year to fund fire and emergency services.
Leggett had stressed that his plan was designed to charge health insurance companies -- not residents -- for ambulance transport. Montgomery's neighboring jurisdictions, including the District and Fairfax and Prince George's counties, already charge for ambulance service.
But Leggett's proposal encountered resistance from Montgomery's well-organized volunteer firefighters, who waged an aggressive campaign with yard signs and phone-banking. Leaders of the volunteer organization, who say that charging for service is at odds with their mission, declared victory yesterday after the council's action.
"The council is listening, not only to the volunteers, but to the citizens," said Marcine Goodloe, president of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association.
The proposed fee, which ranges from $300 to $800, depending on service, plus $7.50 per mile traveled, would raise an estimated $13.8 million in its first full year.
Under the legislation, county residents would not be billed, regardless of whether they have health insurance, and they would not be responsible for a co-pay or deductible. An insured patient who does not live in the county would be billed a co-pay or deductible, but could seek a waiver.
Leggett's spokesman Patrick Lacefield said the administration was "okay with delaying action to get people more information."
But some council members were less certain about the bill's future.
"They've had the chance to make their case, and they haven't been persuasive," Andrews said. "It may well not be over, but I think it is dead."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
New nonprofit to launch community indicators project - Gazette
Initiative seeks to address problems in Takoma Park and Long Branch
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer | Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008
A new nonprofit hopes to help residents in Takoma Park and Long Branch secure grants and establish new programs to solve problems in those communities through a report that will collect data on major areas of concern.
The Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project will measure data collected against other communities and report the findings to government officials. The first area the group will examine is housing in Long Branch and Takoma Park.
The first public meeting to discuss the housing indicators project is 7 p.m. today at Columbia Union College, 7600 Flower Ave. in Takoma Park.
"An indicator is a number or statistic that is selected to be the best example of what is going on in the community," Bruce Baker, one of the project's board members, said Monday at Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board meeting of its Neighborhoods Committee.
The housing indicators project will include 15 people, Baker said, seven of whom will be renters in the community; the rest will include property managers, developers and homeowners. Support in research and data collecting will be provided by Montgomery College and the University of Maryland and local data collectors like the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Baker said about five to 10 indicators will be chosen for measurement for the housing project, which will be followed by similar projects on education and economics.
Examples of potential housing indicators are the number of foreclosures, housing sale values or the number of rental units at $1,000 or less, Baker said. He said the data could be categorized by individual neighborhood or housing complex.
"It's an attempt to measure the quality of life at the community level," Baker said.
Once the data is collected – the housing project report could be finished by January 2009 – it can be used to benchmark Long Branch and Takoma Park against other communities and transmitted to county agencies for budgeting purposes. It also can be useful for organizations seeking grants.
"Things that don't get measured don't get attention, they don't get fixed," said Anita Morrison, a Long Branch resident who was familiar with a similar project in Baltimore, which Baker said has raised more than $5 million in grants.
The report will also be made available to the public at the Long Branch and Takoma Park libraries and online.
Tonight's meeting will be the first of three open to the public where the project team will determine what the indicators will be. Baker said the data collection could include surveys, focus groups and examination of existing census data.
Alan Bowser, chairman of the Neighborhoods Committee, said he hopes the housing indicators would include code violations, landlord and tenant disputes, and measurements of rent increases.
"If this can guide policy, it's a wonderful project," Bowser said.
The project requires additional funds after receiving $25,000 from the city of Takoma Park and $2,000 from private donors. Both Baker and the Neighborhoods Committee showed interest in bringing the program to other neighborhoods in Silver Spring and elsewhere in the county after Long Branch and Takoma Park have been served.
The program began in March after the Long Branch Citizens Committee and Long Branch Task Force had mentioned interest. Baker developed a relationship with the Montgomery County Community Foundation, which helps establish nonprofit organizations, and a partnership with IMPACT Silver Spring.
"It is going to be a tremendous benefit," said Frankie Blackburn, executive director of IMPACT, which will help the program form the data collecting teams. "One of the things we rare lacking in the Silver Spring community is information that informs us about how people are living and surviving."
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer | Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008
A new nonprofit hopes to help residents in Takoma Park and Long Branch secure grants and establish new programs to solve problems in those communities through a report that will collect data on major areas of concern.
The Silver Spring/Takoma Park Community Indicators Project will measure data collected against other communities and report the findings to government officials. The first area the group will examine is housing in Long Branch and Takoma Park.
The first public meeting to discuss the housing indicators project is 7 p.m. today at Columbia Union College, 7600 Flower Ave. in Takoma Park.
"An indicator is a number or statistic that is selected to be the best example of what is going on in the community," Bruce Baker, one of the project's board members, said Monday at Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board meeting of its Neighborhoods Committee.
The housing indicators project will include 15 people, Baker said, seven of whom will be renters in the community; the rest will include property managers, developers and homeowners. Support in research and data collecting will be provided by Montgomery College and the University of Maryland and local data collectors like the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Baker said about five to 10 indicators will be chosen for measurement for the housing project, which will be followed by similar projects on education and economics.
Examples of potential housing indicators are the number of foreclosures, housing sale values or the number of rental units at $1,000 or less, Baker said. He said the data could be categorized by individual neighborhood or housing complex.
"It's an attempt to measure the quality of life at the community level," Baker said.
Once the data is collected – the housing project report could be finished by January 2009 – it can be used to benchmark Long Branch and Takoma Park against other communities and transmitted to county agencies for budgeting purposes. It also can be useful for organizations seeking grants.
"Things that don't get measured don't get attention, they don't get fixed," said Anita Morrison, a Long Branch resident who was familiar with a similar project in Baltimore, which Baker said has raised more than $5 million in grants.
The report will also be made available to the public at the Long Branch and Takoma Park libraries and online.
Tonight's meeting will be the first of three open to the public where the project team will determine what the indicators will be. Baker said the data collection could include surveys, focus groups and examination of existing census data.
Alan Bowser, chairman of the Neighborhoods Committee, said he hopes the housing indicators would include code violations, landlord and tenant disputes, and measurements of rent increases.
"If this can guide policy, it's a wonderful project," Bowser said.
The project requires additional funds after receiving $25,000 from the city of Takoma Park and $2,000 from private donors. Both Baker and the Neighborhoods Committee showed interest in bringing the program to other neighborhoods in Silver Spring and elsewhere in the county after Long Branch and Takoma Park have been served.
The program began in March after the Long Branch Citizens Committee and Long Branch Task Force had mentioned interest. Baker developed a relationship with the Montgomery County Community Foundation, which helps establish nonprofit organizations, and a partnership with IMPACT Silver Spring.
"It is going to be a tremendous benefit," said Frankie Blackburn, executive director of IMPACT, which will help the program form the data collecting teams. "One of the things we rare lacking in the Silver Spring community is information that informs us about how people are living and surviving."
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