Technology has many uses, but one use is particularly ubiquitous in our daily lives: it makes things easier. Want to order a pizza? Once upon a time, you had to find a phone book, look up the number for your local pizzeria, dial the number, and have a conversation with the exhausted employee on the other end. Today, “Hey Alexa, order me a pizza” does the job.

Technology has revolutionized how we do dozens of mundane, everyday activities by making them incredibly easy. Need a ride? Uber and Lyft can have a car outside your door in minutes. Splitting the tab? Venmo eliminates the need for cash. Tracking your exercise? Slap on a Fitbit. Lost? Pull up a GPS-enabled map with a voice telling you where to go. Need a very specific type of insecticide for your struggling hibiscus plant? Order it within a minute on the Amazon app.

The question that we should all be asking: how can technology make our region easier and smarter?

Technology can boost livability

We often use the term ‘livability’ to describe the ease with which someone can enjoy a good quality of life. In a highly-livable area, it is easy for the average worker to get to where they need to go, find affordable and quality housing, access municipal services, and so on.

But as metropolitan populations get bigger, life can get harder. Time stuck in traffic goes up. Ambulances and police take longer to respond. Good housing is harder to afford. Lines and processing times get longer at municipal offices.

Fortunately, we are living in an era of unprecedented technological advancement. All around the world, companies are partnering with local governments, academic institutions, and civil organizations to design and deploy smart city tech that makes urban life easier, despite high density. There is no silver-bullet solution that makes a city smart; rather, a thoughtfully-considered and responsibly-deployed collection of technologies and innovative practices work together to revolutionize urban life.

After studying cities with smart projects all around the world, McKinsey identified many compelling benefits for residents, including the following:

Better transportation

Smart city technology has the potential to cut commuting time by 15-20 percent. Sensors on public transit systems can predict maintenance needs before a breakdown and track usage so that managers can make better planning decisions. Intelligent syncing of traffic signals can keep traffic flowing. Smart parking apps can point drivers directly to an open spot. City-wide Wi-Fi can get more people online, giving them access to GPS-enabled maps, ride sharing, and other modern mobility tools.

Greener living

Residents want clean air and water, and they increasingly care about their community’s impact on the climate. Commercial and residential buildings can now use sensors to heat, cool, and light only rooms that have people in them so that we stop wasting energy on empty spaces (and save money). The transportation improvements mentioned above can also reduce emissions and air pollution. Smart water metering can identify where water is being wasted, potentially due to leaky pipes. This all adds up to a region that uses its resources more efficiently and creates as little pollution as possible.

More affordable housing

To keep housing costs reasonable, it is critical that housing supply keep pace with demand. While housing supply is mostly determined by zoning laws and the appetites of developers, digitizing and automating land-use permitting processes can speed up development. Open-source databases have also been used to identify idle land in city centers that could be put to better use.

More responsive government

Need to report graffiti or a pothole? Want to voice your support for a piece of legislation under consideration? There’s an app for that. Some cities are turning to apps to enable two-way communication with residents. Meanwhile, small businesses can save time when municipal agencies digitize processes for permitting, tax filing, and licensing.

Safer streets and neighborhoods

Smart city technology can reduce crime by 30-40 percent and improve emergency response time by 20-35 percent. Gunshot detection can improve police response times and ultimately decrease gun violence. Predictive policing and real-time crime mapping can more effectively direct police to where they are needed. Intelligent traffic signals can create clear paths for ambulances and other first responders. (Note that some surveillance technologies used by law enforcement can raise concerns regarding civil liberties. Engagement with the community during design and implementation is essential.)

Why livability matters

Smart cities are inherently more productive, making them great places to do business. (Just imagine if your employees spent 20 percent less time stuck in traffic!) They are also more attractive places to live, making it easier to recruit and retain talent. Importantly, smart city solutions can help to reduce inequality and make the local economy more inclusive. This is because easy access to jobs, housing, and amenities no longer comes at a premium.

We believe that Greater Washington has the potential to be the first smart region in the country, and that these investments are critical to our long-term prosperity. Infusing our infrastructure and municipal agencies with new technology is a huge undertaking that will require participation from a very wide range of stakeholders. Success will also depend on a supportive and comprehensive policy framework that address non-technological pieces of the livability puzzle, such as zoning and public investment.

Progress will not happen overnight, but adopting a common vision for a more livable and inclusive region can happen today, and this is only the beginning of what’s possible.

The federal government is finally resuming normal operations after a jaw-dropping 35 days of political gridlock and dysfunction. We cannot yet quantify the full extent of the economic and psychological damage caused by the shutdown, but we know that it’s big, especially in Greater Washington. (For examples of how area companies and workers have been impacted, read our press release.)

Shutting down parts of the federal government is a bad policy-making tool, yet it’s a reality in Washington that happens occasionally. The key to building resilience for the regional economy is diversification, meaning we need more economic growth in new sectors. Diversification can also help solve longstanding development challenges and make Greater Washington more globally competitive and a better place for everyone to live and work.

The Consequences of Lopsided Prosperity

Greater Washington is prosperous. At $530 billion, it has the fifth largest gross domestic product (GDP) of all metropolitan regions in the United States.

The problem is that nearly two thirds of the region’s GDP is generated by the government, professional services, finance, and real estate. Every other business activity combined–from manufacturing to hospitality to retail–makes up only one third of our economy.

Overdependence on a few sectors has a negative impact on our growth. According to Brookings, the region ranked only 76 out of the top 100 metropolitan regions in economic growth between 2011 and 2016. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments expects that job growth will outpace the national average over the next 30 years, which is good news, but we believe that the 1.1 million new jobs they anticipate still falls short of the region’s potential and need.

Growth in government spending has grown at the same pace as private sector growth in the Washington Metropolitan Area since 2001. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2017)

Slow and lopsided economic growth limits the funds that can be invested in new infrastructure, amenities, and services, which in turn prevents the region from reaching its full potential as a world-class metropolitan area.

Three Ways to Encourage Economic Diversification

Fortunately, we are seeing momentum, especially in the technology sector. Micron and Amazon announced last year that they will make multi-billion-dollar investments in the region, while Virginia Tech unveiled plans for its Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia.

This is a good sign, but we must resist the urge to get comfortable. There are important actions that we must take to encourage further growth in technology and other sectors.

First, Greater Washington must be highly livable, meaning it cannot be an insurmountable challenge for workers to enjoy a good quality of life. Second, our economy must be inclusive, with jobs for people of different socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. This would give more people a chance to make a good living while expanding our workforce pipeline.

There are many ways to achieve greater livability and inclusivity, but here are three tactics that we are thinking about:

1. Get smart with digital infrastructure. As our region gets bigger, our infrastructure, amenities, and natural resources become strained. Innovative, smart city technology can help us operate more efficiently. For residents, this can result in a wide range of benefits including shorter commutes, faster response times from police, cleaner air, or better housing. Cities at the forefront of this trend are likely to be better places to live relative to cities that fail to take advantage of what digital infrastructure has to offer.
2. Increase variety of workforce development programs. A recent study by LinkedIn found that Greater Washington has an overabundance of trained workers in fields like politics, economics, communications, and law, but a scarcity of trained workers in other fields, such as healthcare, retail, and manufacturing. This indicates that there is room for improvement in how our training and education programs prepare local workers for the jobs available here. Closing this skills gap will help more people increase their personal prosperity and grow industries that are struggling to fill open positions.
3. Develop housing and transportation options that benefit all our citizens. For area residents who can’t afford a car, their employment options are limited to where they can get to with public transit. In Greater Washington, that can cut down someone’s options by as much as 92% if the goal is to maintain a commute of 45 minutes or less. Improved public transportation can connect more workers to the jobs that need them. Meanwhile, workers should be able to afford housing near where they work, and this would take pressure off our transportation systems.

Greater Washington’s lopsided economy is a liability, but common-sense solutions focused on making the region more livable and inclusive can lead to a healthier mix of prosperous industries. Real change will take time, but we can start by thinking outside the government box.

 

Economic shocks are felt throughout the region as the government holds back pay for contractors and nearly 150,000 federal workers.

 

PRESS RELEASE, WASHINGTON, D.C.—The federal government shutdown, now the longest in our nation’s history, is putting unsustainable financial strain on contractors and the households of nearly 150,000 federal workers in the region, as well as the local businesses that serve them. In response, 24 business organizations strongly urge the President and congressional leaders to reopen the federal government as soon as possible. (Scroll down for full list.)

“The companies we represent as membership and civic organizations are proud to serve the federal government, its employees and contractors. We are eager to get back to work,” said Anthony Williams, chief executive officer and executive director of the Federal City Council. “Over 300,000 Washingtonians work directly for the federal government. Thousands more work in the service sector, relying on those workers to be customers for dry cleaning, taxis or gym classes. The impact of a federal shutdown spreads far and wide within our community.”

This #shutdown – the longest in America’s history – is punishing D.C.-area businesses and workers. Enough is enough. Read on for a joint statement from 22 business organizations in the region.https://t.co/mkMArOEGHF

— Board of Trade (@GWBoardofTrade) January 15, 2019

With the spending patterns of so many area workers disrupted, restaurants are taking a hit. Kathy Hollinger, president and chief executive officer of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, said, “The impact of the shutdown is severe and far reaching. Our local business community and economy are directly impacted by this furlough, and our local restaurants have reported a twenty percent average decrease in sales with some losing as much as sixty percent in sales.”

Companies that operate and manage apartment and office buildings across the region are concerned about their tenants and residents. “As with previous shutdowns, many of our members are supporting their apartment building residents who have been furloughed by offering a variety of options, including waiving fees for late rental payment and deferring charges,” said Margaret “Peggy” Jeffers, executive vice president of the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington. “For office building owners and managers who lease space to Federal agencies and government contractors, the uncertainty of payment will soon become a substantial hardship which will have a ripple effect across the property management industry. Small businesses that lease space in and around our office buildings are already suffering – businesses which range from cafes and restaurants to parking lots and dry cleaners.”

Restaurants and property management companies are only two examples of the many types of companies that are seeing their cash flows dwindle. The impacts of the government shutdown reach most corners of our economy, directly or indirectly.

“From transportation providers and ride share companies to retailers of all sizes, the effect is noticeable,” explains Vincent B. Orange, president and chief executive officer of the DC Chamber of Commerce. “Those that participate in the federal procurement process, including non-profit service organizations, are waiting to receive federal grants or contract payments and are now trying to think of innovative ways to earn and recover those dollars. These local firms use resources to pay staff, provide social services and research and keep their doors open. The insecurity that this shutdown has caused, coupled with the loss of productivity and revenue, impacts the business community as a whole.”

Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is continuing to encourage business and leisure travel with its “DC is Open” campaign. Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC, said, “The reality is that the longer the shutdown continues, the more we have to counteract a negative perception about Washington, DC, especially globally. Business travel related to government work is impacted, as are the experiences of those coming to visit some of our nation’s greatest cultural institutions. Tourism is a $7.5 billion industry for Washington, DC, so the shutdown has potentially serious economic ramifications.”

The impacts of the shutdown stretch from the District into Maryland and Virginia. “Approximately 172,000 Maryland residents are currently impacted by the shutdown,” explained Christine Ross, president & CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. “Each bi-weekly payroll for which these residents are not paid results in $778 million of lost wages.”

“As the government shutdown continues, we hear from our members that the adverse consequences continue to grow in Maryland,” said Georgette “Gigi” Godwin, president and chief executive officer of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. “Small businesses are unable to receive assistance from the SBA. Grants, contracts, and payments for work already performed continue to be delayed. Federal rulemakings are at a standstill and hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contractors go without pay.”

“Businesses across Northern Virginia partner with the federal government and the contracting community every day to serve our nation and support our economy,” said Julie Coons, president and chief executive officer of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. “While the shutdown is particularly harmful to our region’s government contracting community and its workforce of roughly 375,000, it is hard to find an industry in Northern Virginia that is not impacted by the prolonged shutdown. Northern Virginia’s economy is a highlight in our region and beyond – as our businesses continue to weather this uncertainty, the impact will unfortunately extend beyond just our region.”

Though the Metropolitan Washington area has the highest concentration of federal workers of any metropolitan area, the government shutdown is inflicting serious costs on the entire country.  Anthony Williams explains, “The national economy will lose billions of dollars as a result of this shutdown. Taxpayers can no longer rely on the services—like their parks and museums—that they fund with their hard-earned dollars. Critical upkeep and maintenance can’t be completed, which leads to higher costs down the road. Food is going uninspected. Air traffic controllers and TSA employees are operating under stress without pay. The longer this shutdown lingers, the more of a threat it poses to our nation’s economy.”

Companies at all stages of growth rely on federal government services that have no substitute. Jack McDougle, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, said, “From small business loans to permits to data, the federal government provides a wide range of benefits that help American companies succeed. Our economy depends on the cooperation of the private and public sectors, and when one ceases to function, the other can’t continue business as usual.”

***

Area Business Organizations Urging the Federal Government to Reopen Now

Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington
Arlington Chamber of Commerce
Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
Central Maryland Chamber
DC Building Industry Association
DC Chamber of Commerce
Destination DC
Falls Church Chamber of Commerce
Federal City Council
Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber
Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce
Greater Washington Board of Trade
Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Hotel Association of Washington, D.C.
Loudoun Chamber of Commerce
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce
Prince William Chamber
Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington

Press Contacts:

Lindsey Longendyke
Communications Director
Greater Washington Board of Trade
980-322-9904
[email protected]

Kevin Clinton
Chief Operating Officer
Federal City Council
[email protected]

Danielle Davis
Director of Communications
Destination DC
202.789.7046
[email protected]

Holly Hicks Dougherty
Executive Director
Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce
[email protected]

Akidah H. Felder
Director of Communications
Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington
202.296.3390 ext 241
[email protected]

Elaine Gilligan
Director, Marketing & Communications
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce
703.752.7521
[email protected]

Ginanne M. Italiano, IOM
President & CEO
The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce
(301) 652-4900
[email protected]

Raj Kudchadkar, J.D., M.P.P.
President and CEO
Central Maryland Chamber
[email protected]

Eden Raskin Jenkins
Member Services Director & Policy Advisor
Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington
[email protected]

Erika Wadlington
Director, Public Policy and Programs
DC Chamber of Commerce
[email protected]

From Jack McDougle, President & CEO of the Board of Trade:

“Not only is the government shutdown ineffective policy-making, it’s also hurting the region. Over 300,000 people in the area work for the federal government, and many of them are now missing a paycheck, with no reassurance from federal leaders when that paycheck will come. This is tough on those families, and it’s tough on the local businesses that rely on the daily spending of federal workers. It’s also discouraging tourists from visiting and spending their money here. This all adds up to enormous costs; when the government shut down in 2013, the D.C. area lost about $400 million of economic activity per week. Many of our member companies, large and small, are impacted. The Board of Trade urges members of Congress and the President to work together to reopen the government as quickly as possible.”

 

For press inquiries, contact Lindsey Longendyke, Communications Director, at [email protected] or 980-322-9904.

In late November, the Board of Trade teamed up with the Greater Washington Partnership to host the 2018 Capital Region Transportation Forum. Here are five big ideas from the conversations on stage:

1. You can’t fight poverty without fixing transportation.

Poverty is complex, but according to a study cited by Virginia transportation secretary Shannon Valentine, a family’s ability to rise from poverty is most impacted by their access to transportation. Valentine explained that the area can have world-class schools and abundant jobs, but if residents can’t physically get to them, they will be left behind.

The Capital Region Blueprint on Regional Mobility, released by the Greater Washington Partnership at the forum, claims that residents traveling by transit can get to just 8 percent of the jobs they could get to by car within 45 minutes of their home. That’s not good enough. Greater Washington must treat transportation as a core social issue to reverse longstanding economic inequities across the region.

2. We need to think in systems, not projects.

Building the purple line. Rebuilding the American Legion Bridge. Connecting the VRE and the MARC trains. These are just a few of the large and expensive transportation projects named on stage.

These and other projects are important, but speakers stressed the need for leaders to step back and think of the entire system. This can challenge states’ transportation departments, which are usually “project factories,” according to Pete Rahn, Maryland’s transportation head.

Valentine noted that Virginia is attempting to shift away from a project-based approach in allocating $15 billion of investment. She described looking across all modes of transportation and thinking holistically about connecting high-traffic sites.

But transportation departments can’t work alone. Government agencies responsible for scouting sites for schools, neighborhoods, and other important community amenities need to think ahead about accessibility and, ideally, consult with the department of transportation before breaking ground. Building a school on comparably cheap land that’s removed from bus and Metro lines won’t save the community money in the long-run.

Jeff Marootian, director of the District Department of Transportation, put these new operational models in the context of our changing times, saying, “We need to think about innovation not just with respect to technology but innovation with respect to process.”

3. People want seamless mobility services

Thinking in systems is inherently more customer-centric, especially as travelers and commuters embrace new and mixed modes of transportation. Without thoughtful integration, getting from point A to point B could require several points of payment, access cards, or apps—which can inhibit travelers from pursuing the fastest, most cost-effective, and most sustainable route.

In a panel discussion on innovation and disruption, Uber’s public policy manager, Nick Zabriskie, described a digital overlay that would connect its service to public transportation. Zabriskie acknowledged that a car might not always be the best solution for customers, and a digital interface that displays all option could help users choose the best course.

4. There’s a market for $40 toll lanes

When the I-66 express lanes opened in December 2017, they were met with widespread alarm over $40 tolls at peak rush hour. There were accusations of price gauging and #highwayrobbery trended on Twitter. Many asked, “Who would pay that?”

But a year later, there is a clear market for the express lanes. Jennifer Aument, North America general manager for Transurban, shared that a typical customer is a working parent who uses the express lanes when needed to help manage their busy life. This demographic is more likely than others to use convenience services like grocery home delivery.

Nicholas Donohue from the Virginia Department of Transportation explained that paying a $40 toll won’t be an everyday choice for most people, but it’s an option that people are glad to have when they are in a pinch. (His example was picking his mother-in-law up from the airport!)

If planned correctly, these toll lanes can benefit more than just the affluent drivers who can afford them. The Partnership offers six principles for “performance-driven tolling,” including that revenues be reinvested in the wider transportation network.

5. Public-private partnerships work when everyone plays to their strengths

Partnerships between government agencies, private sector companies, and investors can make it possible to successfully design, finance, and build the infrastructure Greater Washington needs on a much shorter time scale. However, there’s a right and a wrong way to structure a public-private partnership, or P3. The right structure will allow each entity to do what it does best.

Governments are accountable to their citizens and are not profit-driven. Therefore, their role should be to keep the needs of the community at the heart of the project. They should ensure environmental impacts are understood and mitigated, and that the benefits of infrastructural projects are inclusive of the whole community.

The private sector, on the other hand, is often a driving force for innovation and efficiency. That’s why several panelists held the opinion that governments should be clear about the problem they want to solve but let the private sector develop and propose solutions without heavy interference. Gregory Slater of the Maryland State Highway Administration shared that his department received simple but highly effective proposals from the private sector for a $100 million investment in 1-270 by simply asking, “Who can move the most, the furthest, the fastest?” He said, “It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t tell people what to do.”

Today, at the 2018 Annual Meeting, the Board of Trade released a bold, new strategic plan for the years ahead. Read the opening letter from our leadership below, and to read the full document, download the PDF or view the mobile-friendly version. 

A Letter from our Leadership

We are living in a time of unprecedented change. Around the world, technology is evolving at breakneck speeds, urban populations are growing faster than ever, new markets are emerging as powerful economic centers, and our climate and natural resources are increasingly under strain. These changes represent significant opportunities and challenges, as witnessed by Amazon’s
decision to make a major expansion in the region.

Greater Washington will inevitably see its share of these changes over the coming years, but the shape of that change is up to us. We must collaborate to ensure a desirable and innovative business climate where our members prosper, resources are used wisely, people’s needs are met, and our urban spaces are planned thoughtfully—adding up to a region where everyone can thrive, for generations to come.

This strategic plan outlines how we will make this vision a reality. It is the culmination of an especially transformational and exciting year in which we welcomed Jack McDougle as CEO and, with input from across the membership, took a fresh look at our strategic direction while improving our internal capacity. It builds on our 130-year legacy of bringing together the region’s leaders for thoughtful discussion with an action-oriented agenda.

Our strategy is to better leverage technology and innovation to drive inclusive economic growth and improve livability. We will lead a smart region movement to tackle complex, systemic issues while keeping a long-term perspective. We will focus on issues where private sector engagement can make a clear difference, such as innovation, technology, economic diversity, investment, mobility, housing, and workforce development.

The Board of Trade’s ambitious agenda advocates that we work together across organizations and jurisdictions to ensure swift and steady progress. In some cases, the Board of Trade will lead on issues. When it doesn’t, it will support others with the capacity needed to get results. This is not a zero-sum game. We must also be iterative in our approach, creating a learning environment where
we can explore and implement new ideas.

Sincerely,

Kim Horn, President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. and 2018 Chair of the Greater Washington Board of Trade

Tony Lewis, Region Vice President of Public Policy, Verizon and 2019 Chair of the Greater Washington Board of Trade

Jack McDougle, President and CEO, Greater Washington Board of Trade

The 2018 Annual Meeting, which was held today over lunch at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, brought together nearly 300 Board of Trade members to celebrate recent accomplishments and take a focused look at the organization’s strategy for the years ahead.

 

From the Stage

Kim Horn, our current Chair, reflected on a few key wins in 2018: achieving dedicated funding for Metro, bringing on Jack McDougle as CEO, and launching a smart region movement to drive inclusive economic growth and improve livability in our region. Looking forward, Jack and incoming Chair Tony Lewis described our 2019-2021 Strategic Plan.

Bruce Gordon, former CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and consultant with a long track-record of working with Fortune 500 companies on leadership issues, delivered a keynote speech on staying committed to long-term outcomes.

 

New Video

We also screened a new video that features several of our members. We asked them to, in their own words, explain what the Board of Trade’s smart region movement means to them.

 

2019 Officers

The 2019 Board of Trade officers were announced. They are:

Chair
Tony Lewis
Region Vice President, Public Policy, Verizon

Chair-Elect
Dave Velazquez
President & CEO, Pepco Holdings

Secretary
Dan O’Neill
Mid-Atlantic Division President & CEO, SunTrust Bank, Greater Washington/Maryland

Assistant Secretary
Ken Samet
President & CEO, MedStar Health

Treasurer
Rosie Allen-Herring
President & CEO, United Way of The National Capital Area

Assistant Treasurer
Adam Ostrach
Executive Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, Middle Market Banking, Capital One Bank

Assistant Treasurer
Jermaine Johnson
Executive Vice President, Corporate Banking, PNC Bank

General Counsel
John Stalfort
Managing Principal, Washington DC Office, Miles & Stockbridge, P.C.

 

Thank you, sponsors

This special event was made possible by our sponsors:

STATEMENT: Greater Washington Board of Trade Welcomes Amazon and Calls for Continued Collaboration to Better the Region

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov 13, 2018 – The Greater Washington Board of Trade, the region’s premier business organization representing all industry sectors, congratulates Crystal City on being selected as one of the two locations for Amazon.com Inc.’s second headquarters, dubbed “HQ2.” More than 200 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico competed to host the expansion of one of the world’s largest technology companies, and each should be commended for their strong effort.

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

“This is an exciting opportunity. Amazon’s expanded presence will be good for the region, not only because of the jobs and investments, but most importantly because of the technological expertise they bring. Amazon adds significant tech capacity to help further diversify and strengthen our economy. As our region continues to grow, we must continue to work together to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

Following is a statement from Kim Horn, President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. and Chair of the Board of Trade:

“Amazon’s decision is another sign of the Greater Washington region’s amazing talented workforce and economic competitiveness. Working together across multiple jurisdictions, we are not just the national capital—we’re a hotbed of innovation and economic opportunity.”

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.

###

CONTACT: Lindsey Longendyke, Communications Director, 980-322-9904, [email protected]

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