STATEMENT: The Board of Trade is eager to work with all elected officials on faster, more inclusive economic growth

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 6, 2018 – The Greater Washington Board of Trade, the region’s premier business organization representing all industry sectors, congratulates all candidates in today’s election for their strong effort.

Following is a statement from Jack McDougle, President & CEO, Greater Washington Board of Trade:

“Greater Washington has the potential to be a world-class center for innovation, but first we must speed up and diversify the growth of our economy. We are eager to work with the incoming elected officials to create a business climate that can attract investment and talent in new and exciting areas. This means taking an inclusive, sustainable approach to the region’s development—making Greater Washington a place where everyone can thrive, for generations to come.”

The Board of Trade looks forward to working with all government officials on public policies that anticipate the future needs of a changing region. The following issues are of high importance to the Board of Trade:

Innovation and technology: Smart city technology can make day-to-day life safer and more convenient for residents. Growing technology industries will also help diversify the region’s economy for more robust and resilient progress. Dialogue and coordination across the region can maximize funding, prioritize investments, integrate disconnected systems, and scale successful projects. Area universities, corporate and national labs, nonprofits, and federal government research and development funding provide ample building blocks for technology projects and a regional innovation ecosystem.

Transportation: How easily people and cargo move around the region has a large impact on quality of life and economic productivity. Commute times are a major source of stress and productivity loss in Greater Washington. We need a mix of safe, convenient, and clean transportation options. Smart technology can make transportation more efficient and lower costs. We must begin to lay the foundations to support next-generation technologies such as electric, autonomous, and aerial vehicles.

Skills training: A smart economy requires nimble education and training institutions focused on the evolving skills needs of the private sector. We must address this through strong K-12 education in every neighborhood. We also need more vocational and technical training options in fields such as healthcare, hospitality, and the trades.

Housing: Rising housing costs can push workers far from their place of employment, putting more pressure on our transportation systems and aggravating commuters. We must ensure that housing supply stays in pace with demand over the years to come so that quality housing remains available to our workforce.

Regional collaboration: Collaboration across the District, Maryland, and Virginia led to dedicated funding for Metro, a major step towards improving transportation for everybody in the region. Government leaders must continue working together and seize other opportunities to make Greater Washington one strong metropolitan area so that we can better attract investment and retain talent.

The Board of Trade has launched a smart region movement to use technology and innovation to drive inclusive economic growth and livability. We believe this is critical to the long-term success of the region. Local governments are important partners in that work, and the Board of Trade will continue to bring the business community and governments to the table for productive conversations on the region’s biggest opportunities.

About the Board of Trade

The Greater Washington Board of Trade is the region’s premier business organization and has represented all industry sectors in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia for 130 years. Pro-business and non-partisan, the Board of Trade uses its tremendous convening power to strengthen our regional economy. It is focused on advancing technology and innovation in the region to drive inclusive economic growth and livability.

Contacts

Lindsey Longendyke, Communications Director, 980-322-9904, [email protected]
Jessica Sewall, General Manager, 202-857-5934, [email protected]

The following letter was submitted to key members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation:

October 22, 2018

Dear Members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation:

I write today to express my strong support for the transfer of the federal portion of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD-295) from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), National Park Service to the State of Maryland. This transfer will allow the State to increase safety by upgrading the existing highway and to build and operate new express toll lanes, which will provide commuters with improved, expanded travel options between Baltimore City and Washington, DC.

The project will transform MD-295 – an unsafe and heavily congested highway – and will improve safety and commute time for the 165,000 people who depend on this thoroughfare every day and the millions of annual visitors to the Washington, D.C. region. The project also will improve the flow of traffic to critical Federal facilities, including but not limited to Fort George G. Meade, the National Security Agency and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

According to a 2015 report from the National Park Service, no capacity improvements have been made to MD-295 since its construction. This report identified a number of issues with the roadway, including overcapacity operating conditions, roadway features inconsistent with industry transportation safety standards, poor dissemination of information, difficulty with traffic safety enforcement, and limited driver situational awareness. An average of 6 fatalities and 547 crashes per year have occurred on MD-295 since 2006.

Congestion in Maryland has limited economic growth and the quality of life for Maryland citizens for far too long. The net result is that Maryland now has the second longest commuting times in the nation, and the DC region is the most congested region in the nation based on annual delay and congestion cost per auto-commuter. The statewide cost of congestion based on auto delay, truck delay, and wasted fuel and increased emissions was a staggering $2.11 billion in 2016, and is getting worse. This $2.11 billion cost is an increase of approximately $59 million over 2015 levels. More than 98% of the weekday congestion cost was incurred in the Baltimore/Washington region. The proposed plan will benefit the entire regional network by freeing up space on the existing highways and reducing commuter traffic on local roads.

We urge you to move forward with this important initiative that will greatly benefit our regional economy, improve quality of life for millions of Marylanders by affording a quicker and safer commute, and reduce transportation costs. If you have any questions or would further like to discuss our commitment to this project, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Jack McDougle
President and CEO

The following letter was submitted to Brinda Westbrook–Sedgwick, secretary of the District of Columbia Public Service Commission.

September 18, 2018

Dear Secretary Westbrook:

On behalf of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, I am writing in support of Pepco’s notice of construction (FC 1144) – the “Capital Grid Project” – filed on June 29, 2018. This project is critical for promoting enhanced reliability and strengthening the overall system.

Aging transmission and substation assets pose a major vulnerability to businesses, government and citizens. Nearly all electricity is imported from outside the city and, in fact, only four transmission lines supply electric power to the District as well as Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Should any one of these lines go down, it could result in an outage lasting many days and cost millions in economic damages. Not to mention increased concerns about citizen health and safety.

Continuing growth in the District and surrounding communities depends on consistent, reliable and affordable power supplies. Equally important is the need to increase integration of renewables onto the system as well as support customer generated power such as roof top solar. The additional capacity realized through this project will better accommodate these alternative sources.

I am confident the merits of this project will persuade you to support its approval. Thank you for your attention

Sincerely,

Jack McDougle
President and CEO
Greater Washington Board of Trade

The following letter was submitted to Brinda Westbrook–Sedgwick, Commission Secretary of the District of Columbia Public Service Commission.

September 18, 2018

Dear Secretary Westbrook:

On behalf of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, I am writing in support of Pepco’s request to implement a suite of innovative electric vehicle programs. Compelling reasons for pursuing this important initiative include:

• Establishing the District of Columbia as a leader in the rapidly growing electric vehicles market;
• Encouraging electric vehicle ownership by offering various incentives – reduced electric rates, credits and rebates;
• Public support for an electric vehicle network in Washington, D.C. is strong at 77 percent;
• Growing electric vehicle use will create jobs and have a positive economic impact;
• Electric vehicles are a clean technology that will reduce emissions, improve public health and enhance the environment;
• Neighboring states are making significant progress including Maryland with a goal to achieve close to 2.4 million zero emission vehicles on their roads by 2025 as well as efforts underway in Virginia to develop a statewide public electric vehicle charging network.

The District of Columbia currently has limited electric vehicle use. Access to charging stations contributes to customer apprehension about investing in this clean, efficient, and affordable transportation resource. Initiating an electric vehicle program now will allow the market to expand and directly support the District’s long-term sustainability and clean energy plans.

I am confident the merits of this program will persuade you to support its approval. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Jack McDougle
President and CEO
Greater Washington Board of Trade