Free Buses for Kids
One of the leading indicators of social mobility is access to reliable transportation. That is why one of Councilmember Evan Glass’ top priorities was to ensure that young people have  expanded and free access to our region's bus services. For many individuals –– and especially for youth working minimum wage jobs, doing internships, or participating in afterschool programs –– paying for bus service cuts heavily into their paychecks and makes public transportation an unaffordable option. 

Making Bike Laws More Just
For some of us, our bike is our most prized possession, and we shouldn’t be penalized by archaic laws for simply riding a bike. Councilmember Glass helped pass an  update to the County’s bicycle laws, which would make bicycle registration voluntary and change the instances where county police can impound bikes.     

Safe Streets Act
As a leading voice for Vision Zero and chair of the Transportation & Environment Committee, Councilmember Glass is committed to eliminating all traffic fatalities in Montgomery County. The Safe Streets Act of 2023 prioritizes pedestrians by enhancing walk times at crosswalks, prohibits “right turn on red” at busy intersections in downtown areas, and requires infrastructure reviews following incidents in school zones.

Shovel Our Sidewalks Act
During significant winter storms, County sidewalks often become covered in piles of snow that are pushed aside from the road by passing County and State snowplows. Snow-covered and icy sidewalks most adversely affect essential workers and transit riders who often travel by foot or bus and must walk along busy roads to get to bus stops and stores. That is why Councilmember Glass shepherded legislation to ensure that sidewalks in the County’s Equity Emphasis Areas are cleared after winter storms.

Opposed Expansion of Capital Beltway and I-270
Building more highway lanes is not an effective way to reduce traffic congestion. As the Montgomery County Council’s representative on the Transportation Planning Board, Councilmember Glass voted to oppose expanding the Capital Beltway and I-270. Robust multi-modal transportation options are the best way to reduce traffic congestion. 

Restoring Bus Service to UpCounty
When faced with $44 million worth of budget cuts in 2019, Councilmember Evan Glass recognized the importance of preserving bus service, particularly in UpCounty. The proposed cuts would have impacted the busiest north-south lines that serve populations who are less likely to own vehicles and already have few transit options. As a frequent user of public transit, Councilmember Evan Glass recognizes that fast and reliable bus service is critical for strong communities and strong local economies.

Reducing Food Waste and Reinvigorating Our Soils
Montgomery County generates 147,000 tons of food waste each year. Food that is not recovered is burned at the incinerator in Dickerson. Councilmember Glass successfully passed a zoning text amendment which increased the amount of food scraps that Montgomery County farmers can take from off-site sources for the creation of compost or mulch. Diverting food from our waste stream is extremely important for achieving our climate goals. Returning valuable nutrients to the soil also improves the health of the soil and sequesters carbon in the ground.

Protecting Trees and Forests
Montgomery County is a leader in the preservation of tree canopies and forest cover. Our forest conservation laws have permanently protected 15,705 acres of forest in Montgomery County and Councilmember Glass supported new tree saving plans from developers and extended their responsibility for maintenance and mitigation of our forests and tree cover here in Montgomery County. Councilmember Glass also led the law to update the county’s tree conservation laws.  

Passed a Regional Environmental Impact Resolution
As the Council’s representative to the Council of Governments’ Transportation Planning Board, Councilmember Glass successfully passed a regional resolution that requires long-range transportation projects to undergo air-quality tests, a standard that had not previously been required.

Solar ZTA 
The climate crisis requires us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and to increase our ability to produce renewable energy. In addition to adding solar panels to county facilities, including buildings and parking lots, Councilmember Glass supported ZTA 20-01, which would allow community solar in limited areas of the Agricultural Reserve. We must continue to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.

Keeping our Rivers, Streams, Creeks and Watersheds Clean 
Much of our single-use plastic waste in Montgomery County enters our waterways posing a threat to the natural habits in our community and ultimately the Chesapeake bay. Councilmember Glass supported bills to ban plastic straws and polystyrene foam containers in Montgomery County. 

Climate Investments with the Green Bank 
Buildings from the commercial and residential sectors are the highest drivers of greenhouse gasses in Montgomery County. In order to achieve 80% emissions reductions by 2026 and achieve 100% reductions by 2035, all buildings must be willing partners in our transition to a clean energy future. That’s why Councilmember Glass provided nearly $20 million annually to the Montgomery County Greenbank and worked with them to secure nearly $70 million in federal funds. These funds will be leveraged to facilitate financing opportunities for building owners and operators to make environmental retrofits to their buildings and reduce their carbon output.

Fossil Fuel Bans  
Councilmember Glass strongly supported an amendment to the Green Bank investment legislation that prohibits the Green Bank from funding fossil fuel-based upgrades in buildings. Reducing on-site energy usage in our commercial and residential building sectors is a critical component to achieving our ambitious greenhouse gas reductions goals. Today’s technology allows building owners and operators to install efficient, electric-based upgrades that are free from fossil fuels. Councilmember Glass believes taxpayer dollars should not support fossil fuel-based infrastructure.   

Preventing Floods and Excess Stormwater
Councilmember Glass commissioned a report by the Office of Legislative Oversight titled “Measuring Climate Resilience – A Review of Select Critical Infrastructure Sectors in Montgomery County,” which measured the effect that worsening weather trends have on our infrastructure. The report made clear that climate change will make Montgomery County more prone to severe flooding. This is why Councilmember Glass consistently votes to authorize bond funding for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of stormwater management facilities across Montgomery County. 

Creating Council’s Economic Development Committee
One of the first actions Councilmember Glass took as Council President was to create a new Economic Development Committee. The committee was formed in order to elevate issues that were not previously receiving the time or attention they deserved at the council. This committee, which is also the largest council committee with four members, has been laser-focused on growing our business sector and improving economic outcomes for all segments of our community. 

Cutting Red Tape
Time is money, and the County must do more to streamline and accelerate the review for our commercial development community. The County has a green tape program for certain projects, but this should be standard for most large projects in the County. Councilmember Glass worked with the new Department of Permitting Services to further streamline the application processes for restaurants.

Pay Equity Act
A fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay, regardless of race or gender identity. In 2019, Councilmember Evan Glass spearheaded the unanimous passage of the Pay Equity Act, which prohibited the Montgomery County government from basing salary offers on an applicant’s past earnings. Just four years later, Montgomery County has virtually eliminated the gender pay gap in our county workforce.

Small Business Fee Relief
Montgomery County retailers and restaurants have been required to pay annual license fees to the state ranging as high as $750. In 2019, Councilmember Glass passed legislation to cap trader’s license fees – which a state requires for retailers – at $15 to help increase competitiveness and to ease the burden on our county’s small businesses.

Supporting Biotech and Life Sciences
Montgomery County is home to many cutting-edge biotechnology and life science research agencies. Recognizing the important role these organizations played in protecting us during the pandemic, Councilmember Glass led legislation to expand the grant eligibility for Montgomery County-based entrepreneurs to receive grants in scientific discovery and entrepreneurship. Additionally, this law strengthened the oversight of taxpayer dollars used to support these public investments.

Small Business Assistance Along the Purple Line
In 2021, Councilmember Glass spearheaded a special appropriation of $231,000 for businesses facing economic hardship because of delays from Purple Line construction. The state grants are aimed at assisting business owners who have reported losing customers and revenue because streets have been narrowed or blocked, utility services have been disrupted and parking has disappeared. In 2023, the Council approved a supplemental appropriation of $815,000, which must be spent by the end of calendar year 2024. 

Lowering Parking Requirements to Build More Housing
We all know that housing is extremely expensive in our region. According to our Department of Transportation, each underground parking space in our urban areas costs between $70,000 - $100,000 to construct. Those costs are passed down to residents, whether they own a car or not. To make housing more affordable, Councilmember Evan Glass spearheaded the passage of a zoning measure that loosens outdated minimum parking requirements for new development close to transit hubs – specifically, buildings within a half-mile radius of a Metro or Purple Line station and a quarter-mile radius of a Bus Rapid Transit station. These policies have been adopted in hundreds of cities across the country and have reduced rent or mortgage payments by $200 - $500 per month. 

Emergency Rental Assistance
Anyone can find themselves temporarily unable to pay their rent due to a medical emergency, car accident, funeral expense or job loss. With over 130,000 households in Montgomery County struggling to make rent every month, Councilmember Glass led a resolution calling on Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland General Assembly to allocate $175 million in the fiscal year 2024 budget to help an estimated 17,000 Maryland families avoid eviction.

Housing Justice Act
While Montgomery County continues leading the way to reduce and eliminate homelessness among veterans and chronically homeless residents, there is still more we can do. As the former Lead for Homelessness and Vulnerable Communities, Councilmember Glass spearheaded the passage of the Housing Justice Act in 2021 to help more individuals access housing by strengthening our anti-discrimination laws. 

Strengthened Homelessness Prevention Efforts
In 2020, Councilmember Evan Glass spearheaded legislation to strengthen the structure and governance of the Interagency Commission on Homelessness, which manages all efforts - public and private - to reduce homelessness in Montgomery County. This legislation ensures Montgomery County prioritizes housing families, youth and individuals experiencing street homelessness.  

Housing Impact Fairness Act
Councilmember Evan Glass introduced legislation which, if enacted, would have raised $100 million for affordable housing and school construction over the next 10 years. Montgomery County needs to produce over 31,000 low cost housing units by 2030 in order to keep up with growing demand. The Housing Impact Fairness Act would have closed a loophole so that all new residential construction in Montgomery County fairly contributes to the jurisdiction's infrastructure needs. Currently, newly rebuilt homes (aka "Teardowns") do not contribute to the impact fees collected on all other newly built residences.

Reducing Housing Construction CostsImpact taxes are paid by developers to address the “impact” of new development on a community, and are used to fund necessary school and transportation projects. Councilmember Glass introduced legislation to change the time at which impact taxes are collected from the beginning of a project – to the end. This straightforward, revenue-neutral approach would reduce a project’s overall construction costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that cost savings would be passed down to renters and buyers. In order to build more affordable housing, Montgomery County needs to make building housing more affordable.

Expansion of the Montgomery County Police Department Cadet Program
Police departments across the country are experiencing a staffing shortage and Montgomery County is no exception. This challenge also presents an opportunity for us to invest in strategies that strengthen community-police relations by hiring more police officers who understand the communities they serve. Councilmember Glass proposed funding to double the size of the Montgomery County Police Department’s Cadet Program. The expansion of this proven program will help diversify the ranks of our police department and expand our community safety efforts.

Public Safety in Downtown Silver Spring
In response to the growing public safety concerns in Downtown Silver Spring, Councilmembers Evan Glass and Kate Stewart led legislation to align the hours of late-night businesses in the County. As a result, calls for police service in Downtown Silver Spring dropped significantly between the hours of 2:00-7:00 a.m., reducing strain on the district’s police officers.

Uplifting Victims and Immigrant Safety Act
When immigrants are victims of or witnesses to a crime, they are often hesitant to seek help from our local law enforcement when they need it most. The U visa is a federal designation that grants legal status to victims of violent crimes — such as sexual assault, human trafficking and domestic violence — who assist law enforcement with the investigation of these crimes. Councilmember Glass, along with Councilmembers Luedtke and Fani-Gonzalez, led the Uplifting Victims and Immigrant Safety Act to remove barriers for immigrants in Montgomery County seeking a U visa. The bill removes the Police Department’s 10-year cap on assisting crime victims in their U visa application process so that anyone in Montgomery County can work with local law enforcement to seek justice and remain safe.

Suicide Awareness and Firearm Education (SAFE) Act
More than half of all firearm deaths in the United States are suicides, and 42% of all suicides in Maryland are committed with a firearm. Moreover, suicide attempts using a firearm are lethal 90% of the time, depriving too many people a second chance at life. Councilmember Glass shepherded the SAFE Act’s passage to provide potentially lifesaving information when someone is purchasing a firearm or ammunition. The law requires gun and ammunition retailers in Montgomery County to display and distribute pamphlets on suicide prevention and how to access help.  

Increasing Council Representation
In November 2020, Montgomery County residents overwhelmingly voted to pass Councilmember Glass’ proposal to increase the number of seats on the County Council from nine to 11. In the 30 years since the Council last had a major restructuring, the county’s population has increased by 50% to 1.1 million residents. The measure led to the recent election of the most diverse and representative Council body in our county’s history. 

Anti-Hate Task Force
Amid the alarming rise in racial, ethnic and LGBTQ+ hate crimes in Montgomery County, Councilmember Glass called for the creation of the Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force. The task force is composed of community and faith leaders who will engage residents in developing recommendations to develop policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes in Montgomery County.

Combating Hate and Extremism
As a Jew and someone who is openly gay, Councilmember Glass feels strongly about the need to stand up against hate. In February 2021, he led the unanimous passage of a resolution strongly denouncing antisemitism and other hateful and anti-democratic extremism. He has also organized online discussions with local Jewish leaders to highlight the rise in antisemitism and to develop strategies for protecting members of the Jewish community. As a member of the Council, he has supported millions of dollars in funding for security grants to protect minority and religious institutions in Montgomery County. 

LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights
As the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Montgomery County Council, Councilmember Glass led the unanimous passage of the LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights which expanded Montgomery County’s anti-discrimination code to include gender expression and HIV status. The law explicitly bans LGBTQ+ discrimination in healthcare facilities, nursing homes and personal care facilities.

Gender Inclusive Restrooms
Members of our trans, nonbinary and disability communities often feel anxious and ignored by the choices of restrooms in commercial spaces. In 2022, Councilmember Glass sponsored legislation to require single-occupancy bathrooms in county-owned buildings and places of public accommodation – such as restaurants – so that everyone in Montgomery County feels welcome here.

Annual Pride Month Celebrations
Pride Month is often the first time that some LGBTQ+ members can show their true selves in the community. Since his election in 2018, Councilmember Glass has proudly hosted Montgomery County’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride month events, which includes a Pride Flag Raising ceremony in Rockville and Youth Pride Writing Competition for students. Each event brings an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the beautiful diversity of Montgomery County and our commitment to inclusion and acceptance. As we continue our struggle for greater civil rights and liberties, it is important to reflect on our progress and focus on the work ahead.    

Rental Assistance
Every month over 130,000 households in Montgomery County struggle to make rent. At a time when budgets were already stretched, Covid-19 exacerbated economic insecurity and made it even more difficult to pay rent. Councilmember Evan Glass successfully secured an initial $2 million and then another $20 million in rental assistance for Montgomery County renters.

Small Business Relief
During the height of the pandemic, Councilmember Glass assisted efforts to provide economic stimulus for local businesses and nonprofits. The council moved swiftly to allocate $20 million for small businesses and nonprofits most impacted by COVID-19, which included $5 million for restaurants and retail stores. The funding allowed small businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 100 employees to apply for grants of up to $75,000.

Arts and Humanities
Before the pandemic, the arts sector was a robust component of our local economy that provided jobs, tax revenues and entertainment for all our residents. Recognizing the value that the arts add to our community, Councilmember Evan Glass secured $3.25 million in emergency grant funding for creative professionals in Montgomery County.

Housing Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
The number of individuals experiencing homelessness had been on the rise at the start of the pandemic. Organizations like Bethesda Cares were on the front lines using their already limited resources to house as many people as possible. Believing that Bethesda Cares should not be acting alone, Councilmember Evan Glass secured close to $355,000 for the organization to continue supporting the county’s goal of ensuring homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring.