Friends–
You may have already seen, but we had a very special visitor to Wheaton last week. Governor Wes Moore came to town for a traffic safety and economic development walk down Georgia Avenue!
Councilmember Fani-González, Governor Moore, Henry Alvarez (owner of Regina’s Restaurant), Secretary Wiedefeld, and Secretary Anderson from left to right
I shared with him our vision for transforming Georgia Avenue into a safe and visually appealing boulevard to walk, bike, roll, take transit, and drive to address the very serious safety concerns in downtown Wheaton.
Our community is dying on Georgia Ave. Recent tragic fatalities on the highway bear witness to this, but this is not not new. By most metrics, Georgia Avenue is among the deadliest, if not the most deadliest, road in the County. From 2015-2019 it had the most serious/deadly collisions at 28, and the second highest rate per mile per year at 2.9 (slightly behind New Hampshire Avenue). We must use every single tool available to protect our residents.
Transforming Georgia Avenue will also support placemaking, redevelopment, and economic development through the corridor.
As I expected, Governor Moore and his team – State Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedelfeld and Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson – were very receptive to this vision and pledged to work with us. Much more to come! In the meantime, check out a video (en español) and some photos from the event.
Addressing public safety in our community
Everyone in our County, no matter where they live, deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, whether they are walking the dog, taking the metro home, pumping gas or shopping in our local businesses. Just in the past couple months, however, residents have been shaken by several incidents of violent crime, from the fatal shooting at the Wheaton Metro a couple weeks ago and the stabbing on University Blvd. in April to the shooting and carjackings at Wheaton Mall in March. I share their anger at the senseless violence but also their determination to find workable solutions.
We must work collaboratively, across government agencies and community organizations, to ensure we protect residents from crime. This includes holding people who commit crime accountable and doing all we can to prevent crime from happening in the first place.
I joined District 4 Commander David Smith to issue a statement that highlights specifically what we are doing to address the crime in District 6. Read the statement and watch the video (en español) below:
This Saturday, join us!
University Boulevard Corridor Master Plan Community Workshop (in Spanish)
Saturday, June 10, 10am – 12pm
M-NCPPC Meeting Hall — 2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton
Vision Zero Summit Conversation with Secretary Wiedefeld
On June 14, I have the honor of moderating a discussion with Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld as he delivers the Keynote at the 2023 Vision Zero Summit. Secretary Wiedefeld will talk about Maryland’s Vision Zero efforts, how that work includes community leaders, and any lessons to share with the region overall. Register here https://waba.org/2023summit/
June is LGBTQ+ Pride month
Pride is a joyful celebration of all of the beautiful identities of our LGBTQ+ community. Council President Evan Glass, first openly LGBTQ+ individual to serve on the Council and also as Council President, has listed a series of Pride celebrations in MoCo here.
Celebrating sustainable farming practices for Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
As the Council representative of the The Chesapeake Bay Water Resources Policy Committee (CBPC) for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, I presented a Proclamation celebrating “Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week,” recognizing the extraordinary role of the Montgomery Countryside Alliance Land Link Program in enabling local farmers to strengthen the local food system and be stewards of the Chesapeake Bay.
Fun fact: A drop of water that falls in MoCo makes a journey through the Dry Seneca Creek watershed to the Chesapeake Bay. Along the way, it enters the water supply system of the Washington Metropolitan Area. It also feeds the Piedmont sole source aquifer that supplies water to local wells – the only source of drinking water in the up county, outside areas served by the water utility.
I look forward to seeing you in the community in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Natali Fani-González
Councilmember, District 6