Think Regionally

Leaders of the Washington region have launched an ambitious effort to address what can fairly be described as a historic challenge facing the area's public transit network. Listeners may think they've heard this kind of crisis talk before, but our transportation dilemma is in fact more acute than in the past. Even though the region is growing steadily and suffers from notoriously bad road traffic, its rail and bus systems are drastically short of money. On this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with COG Executive Director Clark Mercer and WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke about DMVMoves, their organizations' new joint initiative to create a unified vision and sustainable funding model for the region's transit network.

When we turn on the faucet for a glass of water, we expect it to be safe, clean, and readily available. And, consistently, water in metropolitan Washington meets these expectations. This is in no small part due to decades of investments in source water protection and cleanup, infrastructure upgrades, and careful monitoring of our waterways' health.  In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with Montgomery County Councilmember Natali Fani-González, WSSC Water General Manager Kishia Powell, and manager of COG's Anacostia Restoration Program Phong Trieu on the roles each of us play in the multi-pronged effort to protect the region's waterways and drinking water. 

SEASON 3: EPISODE 5 IS NOW LIVE In recent years, metropolitan Washington has seen tremendous improvements in its air quality—down from upwards of 80 unhealthy air days each year in the 1990s to an average of ten as of 2023. But last year's Canadian wildfires emphasized that good air quality is not a guarantee, and it can be easily impacted by increasing environmental threats driven by climate change.  Air quality is not just an environmental challenge, but a health one. When the air quality is poor, our region's most vulnerable residents suffer.  In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with Kristen Willard of the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform, DC Department of Energy and Environment Air Quality Branch Chief Joseph Jakuta, and COG Air Quality Program Director Jen Desimone on how the region is supporting community health by zeroing in on initiatives, education, and programs aimed at improving air quality. 

Over the last several decades, residents have increasingly turned to biking to improve fitness, reduce car pollution, and avoid escalating gas prices. Local governments and planners are encouraging the trend. In our region, they're building hundreds of miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails and adding bicycle lanes to streets. For example, the Transportation Planning Board at COG has adopted the National Capital Trail Network Map, a planning priority for a seamless pedestrian and bicycle system of off-street trails, connecting 63% of the region's population. Today, momentum around biking continues to accelerate as local governments, advocacy organizations, and transportation planners at COG work together to plan a more bike and pedestrian-friendly region. In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney talks with City of Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor, Washington Area Bicyclist Association Senior Organizing Manager Kalli Krumpos, and COG Senior Transportation Planner Mike Farrell on some of the plans and programs that expand bicycling in metropolitan Washington.

Working through COG, area jurisdictions joined together this year in a monumental decision to create the first regional fair housing plan in a generation. Since the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, we've made significant strides to reverse patterns of housing discrimination and racial segregation. But, the Fair Housing Plan sheds light on very real instances of discrimination in the housing process today. Reverberating impacts of exclusionary zoning practices, as well as housing affordability, has also led to an increase in racial segregation in our region.  In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk, Equal Rights Center Executive Director Kate Scott, and COG Housing Program Manager Hilary Chapman on initiatives to ensure fair and equitable housing in metropolitan Washington.

Access to an adequate food supply remains a challenge for many low- to middle-income families. The Capital Area Food Bank reports that a third of households in the metropolitan Washington region face food insecurity, uncertain about having enough to eat. To address this issue, local officials are actively working together to advocate for the restoration and potential expansion of federal funding for nutrition programs. Simultaneously, they are working with partners to implement strategies to improve local food production, support farmers' markets, and strengthen food pantries for communities in need. In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with D.C. Hunger Solutions Director LaMonika Jones, Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience Director Heather Bruskin, and COG Food and Agriculture Regional Member (FARM) Policy Committee Chair and City of Fairfax Council Member Jon Stehle, to discuss building a more resilient and food-secure region. 

Crime does not respect municipal boundaries, so area public safety agencies collaborate closely through COG and other regionwide initiatives to track crime trends, communicate during real-time emergencies, and launch innovative programs to target crime and protect public wellbeing. COG's Annual Report on Crime and Crime Control, released recently, highlighted a troubling trend in rising property crime, but includes promising information on regionwide coordination among our local, state, and federal public safety agencies.  In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with two area police chiefs, City of Laurel Police Chief and COG Police Chiefs Committee Chair Russell Hamill and Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz, and Scott Boggs, Managing Director of COG's Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety, to discuss rising crime and other challenges, and how the region is working together to keep communities safe. 

Penny Gross joined the COG Board in 1996, the same year she was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Since then, she's been a central figure at COG as regional leaders have worked together to tackle issues such as the health of the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways, public safety, Metro, and more. In this episode of COG's podcast, Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with Gross to reflect on the biggest topics in the region then and now, how regional collaboration has evolved, and where the focus will be for the next generation of leaders. 

Climate change is happening, so as we work towards our goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promote environmental stewardship, our region must also prepare for an increase in extreme weather intensified by global warming. Recent storms have served as a warning that our transportation network, utilities, and neighborhoods must all adapt to withstand any number of unprecedented weather events for the region–including flooding, drought, high winds, and more. In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with DC Water VP Salil Kharkar, WMATA Climate Resilience Program Manager Mark Nystrom, and Charles County Resilience Authority Executive Director Stacy Schaefer on cross-sector strategies to build climate resilience to protect our communities and infrastructure.

In December 2022, the COG Board selected Clark Mercer as the organization's new Executive Director, the sixth chief executive since COG's founding in 1957. Mercer began serving in his official capacity at COG in January 2023, during what is already shaping up to be a pivotal time for the region.  In this special episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with Mercer to discuss his background as Chief of Staff to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, and the roles he sees COG playing as area leaders tackle some big issues on the horizon: including Metro funding, housing, equity, and the region's post-COVID economy.

The United States trails behind similarly industrialized countries when it comes to preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries, and the metropolitan Washington region is no exception. Leaders in our region are looking to change that. In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney hears from guests on region-wide efforts to improve roadway safety, including redesigning streets so that all users co-exist safely within our transportation networks, using equity to target historically underserved areas, and increasing public outreach and education on the shared responsibility of safety.

In 2022, area officials on the COG Board of Directors outlined bold priorities in COG's Region United: Metropolitan Planning Framework for 2030, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating housing production, creating transit-oriented communities, and advancing racial equity. On this special episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney talks with newly elected COG Board Chair and Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart on her vision for the region's work in 2023, which includes building momentum on the priorities outlined in Region United, plus other issues like advancing mental health initiatives, supporting region-wide economic development, and focusing on Metro's long-term success.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in metropolitan Washington has been steadily declining thanks to innovative programs to house those in need. Despite this progress, area leaders stress that in our large, expensive, and growing region, there's still more work to do. In this episode, host Robert McCartney talks with some of the region's biggest champions for housing and homeless services about the progress made over the last few years and key actions and strategies to prevent and end homelessness.

For the past two years, the region has seen an increase in area governments, businesses, and non-profits recognizing and committing to address the economic inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national reckoning on race. Regional leaders understand that each sector has a part to play in the journey to make metropolitan Washington a more equitable region for all residents to work, live, and play.

Data shows life expectancy across the metropolitan Washington region can differ drastically within a single city or county, from neighborhood to neighborhood. Health experts Dr. Reuben Varghese and Dr. Steven Woolf join host Robert McCartney to diagnose factors that lead to different health outcomes and explore solutions.

Metropolitan Washington is home to a very highly educated workforce and attracts investment from some of the largest technology companies in the world, competing with similar metro regions like Silicon Valley and New York. The region also faces many of the same challenges as its competitors such as high-priced housing, traffic congestion, and widening inequality.

The area's elected officials and other leaders are looking to rely more on public transit as we plan for the future. That means expanding and improving service on Metrorail, bus lines, and commuter rail. The challenge is that it's expensive both to build and operate transit. Plus, it takes a long time to construct or renovate rail lines, bridges, and tunnels, and to alter roadways to allow for express bus service. Three regional leaders join host Robert McCartney to discuss big ideas (and challenges) for the region to consider in part two of a three-episode series on the region's future.

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, it will have long-lasting impacts on our region. One of the biggest changes is likely to be an increase in people teleworking, significantly affecting not only how people work, but also where they choose to live and where companies locate jobs. Our next three episodes will focus on what local leaders should consider as they plan for the future of the region's economy, transportation system, and more. In this episode, host Robert McCartney is joined by two long-time COG regional planners. mwcog.org/thinkregionally

Metropolitan Washington's elected officials formally committed more than a decade ago to fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But how far have we come as a region? And what must we do to fulfill the regional goal of a 50 percent reduction by 2030? Moving to electric vehicles and alternative fuels is one important solution, planners, experts, and officials tell host Robert McCartney on this episode of Think Regionally. With a regional push, a widespread, reliable electric vehicle charging network is on the horizon. mwcog.org/thinkregionally

Officials in metropolitan Washington set shared housing targets in 2019 to ensure all residents have quality housing they can afford. Meeting the targets is essential for the region's economy, as employers say it's hard to find and keep workers because housing is so expensive. And progress on housing also contributes to regional priorities related to transportation and climate change. In this episode, host Robert McCartney talks with three leaders in the government, business, and non-profit sectors about innovative ways they're partnering to solve the region's housing shortage. mwcog.org/thinkregionally

At the start of 2022, metropolitan Washington faces a double challenge. First, the region continues to battle COVID-19. At the same time, area leaders must keep an eye on the future. They have set ambitious goals to address the region's most pressing challenges related to climate, housing, transit, and equity. On this special episode of Think Regionally, COG Board of Directors Chair Christian Dorsey of Arlington County talks about how the region can move the needle on this work. mwcog.org/thinkregionally

Metropolitan Washington is one of the wealthiest metropolitan areas in the nation, but about one out of ten households isn't sure where its next meal is coming from. And that figure is higher for communities of color and families with children. This episode of Think Regionally is all about food insecurity—what it is, why it is happening, and some ways area officials, organizations, and farmers are working to address it. mwcog.org/thinkregionally

Metropolitan Washington's population is expected to grow by more than 10 percent by the end of this decade. That's an increase of almost 600,000 people! Where are we going to put them? What does that mean for congestion? How do we ensure that they benefit from the investments this region is making in transit and economic development? This episode is all about the strategy to plan more housing, more communities, near high-capacity transit.

Metropolitan Washington is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, but that prosperity is not shared equally. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the region's social and economic disparities. This inaugural episode explores the social, economic, and racial divisions that are decades—or even centuries—old. It considers how local governments can help overcome the gaps by targeting resources at geographic areas that have lagged behind the rest of the region. mwcog.org/thinkregionally