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January 11, 2024
Jason and I wish you a happy and healthy 2024! I look forward to all the good work we will do together this year.
Did you know that 42% of all our emissions in Montgomery County come from the transportation sector? That’s why we are about to invest nearly $15 million to purchase 13 hydrogen fuel cell buses. These buses are equipped with technology that converts clean hydrogen to electricity, allowing buses to travel farther using only clean energy — no more carbon dioxide emissions.
Starting in the Spring of 2024, the transportation depot in Gaithersburg will be transformed into a self-sustaining microgrid boasting solar panels, battery storage, and green hydrogen generated from renewable resources, not fossil fuels. These additional 13 hydrogen fuel cell buses will usher in a new era of green transit!
 Clean energy buses are the future of transportation in Montgomery County
MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, and I invite you to participate in the late Congressman John Lewis’ vision of making it “a day on, not a day off.”
On Monday, January 15 the Montgomery County Volunteer Center is hosting a Day of Service at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel & Conference Center from 12:30 to 2:30 The event will feature a volunteer fair with service projects, representatives from local nonprofits, and information about ways to give back throughout 2024. Learn more about this and other events happening across the county here.
I’m delighted that United Therapeutics Corp. and Montgomery County recently announced a $100 million project to expand the company’s capacity in downtown Silver Spring.
United Therapeutics has already built one of the East Coast’s largest net zero buildings in Silver Spring, and I’m excited for the scientific breakthroughs that will occur in this new facility.
 Councilmember Glass stands in front of the map for the new United Therapeutics facility
I had a wonderful experience volunteering with Eli’s Loaves of Love, a Jewish Council for the Aging program that delivers challahs once a month to seniors celebrating Shabbat.
In addition to providing residents with delicious challah from Sunflower Bakery, the program also helps address isolation and keep our seniors connected to the larger community.
To learn more about the program and to see a delivery in action, you can watch a short video from the day here.
 Many thanks to Colleen and Sharon at JCA for their work on this great program!
A resident in downtown Bethesda recently wrote to me concerned that a crossing signal didn’t allow enough time for her and her neighbors to safely cross Woodmont Avenue to get to the Bethesda Metro station. My office referred the matter to MCDOT’s Traffic Operations Division, which promptly increased the pedestrian crossing time at that intersection and added a section to their website for the public to better understand how they determine the timing of crosswalk signals.
The resident wrote back last week to let us know that she and her neighbors have noticed the update and that they appreciate the assistance.
 Visit the Traffic Ops website to learn more about how crossing times are determined
The Montgomery County Department of Recreation hosts a wide variety of summer camps for kids of all ages! Online registration opens on Tuesday, January 16 at 6:30 am for County residents.
Applications are currently being accepted for the 2024 Rec Assist program for Montgomery County residents who need financial assistance paying for program enrollment. Eligible applicants will receive $400 in funds towards Rec Department programming.
 The Department of Recreation's summer camps are a great way to keep kids active when they're off from school
Please do not reply to this email. To contact my office, email me at Councilmember.Glass@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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