This afternoon the Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU took up the topic of the Potomac bridge project. (click here to listen) In attendance were Bob Buchanan a developer and member of the 2030 group, one of the main backers of the bridge and Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of our partners at Coalition for Smarter Growth. Stewart revealed the lunacy of this project point by point and highlighted the immense personal financial stake Mr. Buchanan and his development partners have in building the sprawl that would come from this boondoggle.
Right out of the gate, Mr. Buchanan casually brushed aside concerns about the sprawl and again cited a poll that has been discredited in the media. The 2030 group had a polling firm call up 800 residents and ask them if the bridge is a good idea - no budget figure, no location - as you might imagine, most traffic weary residents said yes. Stewart Schwartz rightly called the poll's validity into question. What followed in the time remaining was a chorus of listeners (one being MoCo Council President Berliner who called in) on both sides of the river calling this project into question for its negative impact on communities, water, habitat, agriculture and its efficacy as a gridlock reducer in the first place. Our friends across the River at Piedmont Environmental Council have prepared a great list of 8 myths used to sell this zombie project yet again. For those wondering why this project is called the "zombie" bridge and why it gets re-animated so often, this is a great summary.
The bridge segment today was cut a bit short so the show could properly honor dearly departed DC broadcaster Jim Vance. There is much more discussion to be had and much, much more work to do. Join us won't you?
Right out of the gate, Mr. Buchanan casually brushed aside concerns about the sprawl and again cited a poll that has been discredited in the media. The 2030 group had a polling firm call up 800 residents and ask them if the bridge is a good idea - no budget figure, no location - as you might imagine, most traffic weary residents said yes. Stewart Schwartz rightly called the poll's validity into question. What followed in the time remaining was a chorus of listeners (one being MoCo Council President Berliner who called in) on both sides of the river calling this project into question for its negative impact on communities, water, habitat, agriculture and its efficacy as a gridlock reducer in the first place. Our friends across the River at Piedmont Environmental Council have prepared a great list of 8 myths used to sell this zombie project yet again. For those wondering why this project is called the "zombie" bridge and why it gets re-animated so often, this is a great summary.
The bridge segment today was cut a bit short so the show could properly honor dearly departed DC broadcaster Jim Vance. There is much more discussion to be had and much, much more work to do. Join us won't you?
Read on for our favorite tweets and observations about the Kojo Show today:
@kojoshow Who's not concerned about sprawl? the person who has land interest in rural areas that seeks development #PotomacBridge
— MoCoAlliance (@MoCoAlliance) July 24, 2017
"It endangers several communities that plan to use and need clean water. That area has been designated as a Sole Source Aquifer:
The Potomac River, extending east almost as far as the Loudoun/Fairfax line, is included in the Poolesville Area Aquifer Extension of the Maryland Piedmont Aquifer. A sole source aquifer is an EPA designation that local community has applied for, and been granted."
Santa Claus and Tinker Bell poll well too. We need to back real solutions, not fantasy: https://t.co/GZLuNu72ff
— Roger Berliner (@RogerBerliner) July 24, 2017
This latest bridge proposal is not regionalism. It only serves to fracture us when we should be focusing on real congestion relief: https://t.co/9q6vOFEfhL
— Roger Berliner (@RogerBerliner) July 24, 2017
@kojoshow caller from #Loudoun - "the developers want this bridge not us" #PotomacBridge
— MoCoAlliance (@MoCoAlliance) July 24, 2017
