My Two Cents: Berliner Talks Green Spaces, Traffic And Purple Line Sacrifice

My Two Cents is a weekly opinion column from Bethesda resident Joseph Hawkins. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BethesdaNow.com.

Joseph HawkinsOn June 24, voters go to the polls to cast votes in local and state primary races. Democratic Bethesdians living in District 1 are faced with the choice of Duchy Trachtenberg or Roger Berliner.

Berliner holds the District 1 Council seat. Trachtenberg previously served on the Council as an at-large member from 2006-2010.

Who I vote for on June 24 is secret. I’m not in the business of handing out endorsements.

Nonetheless, I thought I might be able to help voters decide by asking Trachtenberg and Berliner the same set of questions. Below, are Berliner’s answers. Trachtenberg’s responses will run Wednesday.

In November’s election, Republician Jim Kirkland, will appear on the ballot against either Berliner or Trachtenberg. In fairness, I have asked Kirkland to answer the questions, and I will run his answers at a later time (after the June 24th primary).

Me: If a genie granted you three wishes that could be used only to improve Bethesda, what three improvements would you make and why?

Berliner: Well, I begin my answer by saying I love Bethesda. Really. And it is about to get even better when Pike and Rose and the rest of the White Flint redevelopment takes place.  It will be a world class destination, and I am proud of my work to help bring that about.

But can Bethesda as we know it be improved?  I think so.  Here would be my top three improvements:

1. More green — The fear of  ”urbanization,” of “concrete canyons,” is in part due to the loss of human scale and connection. Green spaces help address that legitimate concern, among a host of other virtues, including environmental. It is my hope and expectation that more green space will be one of the results of the work being done right now on the updated Bethesda Commercial Business District (CBD) Master Plan that I am closely monitoring.

2. More “public commons” — I think one of the common denominators of wonderful urban spaces is the abundance of gathering spaces for the public. People value spaces where they can be comfortably among other people.

I was always struck by the response to the tiny public space that was created in front of Barnes & Noble. And this is why I have been so passionate about utilizing that space in front of the Landmark Theater and Mon Ami Gabi in a wonderful way.

It has sat there long enough, with its potential unrealized. I want to change that. And to use other areas better (for example, above the Metro and next to the Daily Grill)…and to see if we can’t create new areas when we redo the master plan.

Councilmember Roger Berliner (file photo)3. More & Better Transit — We all hate traffic. And ours is pretty bad. There really is only one major option available to us if we are to move forward: High quality transit. That is why as Chair of our County Council’s Transportation Committee, I have led a change in our transportation philosophy and approach to a “Transit First” mentality including the Purple Line, Bus Rapid Transit, and an upgraded Metro system.

Metro:  A well operating Red Line is fundamental, and as the oldest line, it requires significant investments. We are paying the price for that now. We, as a region, need to work together to get Metro funded properly.

Right now, our state government support is not sufficient to meet the real needs and our Metro riders are picking up too big a tab. If I am re-elected, I am scheduled to be Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) in 2017, and it will be one of my top priorities to help create a new transportation compact.

Purple Line: There is every appearance that the federal and state funds necessary for this project to move forward will materialize. And it is a critical project.

The station in Bethesda itself is important, which is why we have given the association owners of the APEX building (four-story building that houses the Regal Cinemas) every incentive to redevelop that site so that the station and the trail crossing can be everything we can possibly achieve.

If there is a new building built, it will also mean that the tail tracks will not have to extend into the plaza as far. So, cross your fingers on that playing out…..In the meantime, in recognition that our neighborhoods are among those being asked to make the greatest sacrifice for the common good, I called upon our county executive to invite affected neighborhoods onto an advisory body to assist the County in negotiations with the state over issues like noise, vibration, and construction protocols.

I pledged from the beginning to be a strong advocate for our neighborhoods in mitigating the impact of the project on our quality of life — and I have earned the support of those affected neighborhood leaders because I have worked hard to fulfill that pledge.

BRT: If we really are to make a significant step forward in the realm of transit, it will be with BRT (bus rapid transit). It is almost a disservice to use the “b” word since BRT more closely approximates light rail than a bus. Exponentially less expensive than rail, more flexible, and quicker to implement, a high quality (fast) BRT should be a big plus for our community.

Me: If you have to explain life in Bethesda to Martians, and you could only use photos, what three photos of Bethesda would you show them and why?

Berliner: Here would be my top three photos:

1. A photo of Bethesda Row — to show the enlivened atmosphere of downtown Bethesda

2.  A photo of one of our residential neighborhoods — that are some of the finest anywhere

3. A photo of B-CC High School, to show them the pride we have in our top-ranked schools.

Me: I would imagine that as the District 1 Councilmember you vote on things that are not necessarily good or in the best interests of Bethesdians. Tell us about a vote that you struggled over because while it was good for the county as a whole it wasn’t such a great deal for Bethesdians.  

Berliner: I would say that supporting the Purple Line is the best example of where the greater good comes at a cost to some Bethesdians and Bethesda neighbors, those who live next to the line and those who have enjoyed the trail for so many years.

That was and is the toughest one. I do believe in the value of the project, and of the greater good additional transit will bring about. But I do not diminish the sacrifice that is being made as well.

Joseph Hawkins is a longtime Bethesda resident who remembers when there was no Capital Crescent Trail. He works full-time for an employee-owned social science research firm located Montgomery County. He is a D.C. native and for nearly 10 years, he wrote a regular column for the Montgomery Journal. He also has essays and editorials published in Education Week, the Washington Post, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He is a serious live music fan and is committed to checking out some live act at least once a month.

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