Dear Neighbor:

As your Representative in Congress, I’m focused on making our government work for the common good for everyone who lives in Maryland’s Eighth District.

I’m thrilled to report that I recently secured $12,742,531 in federal funding for 15 major community projects in MD-08. These projects are critical investments in our public safety, economic development, physical infrastructure, environmental quality and general well-being. The federal funding obtained recognizes the remarkable work that local governments and nonprofits are doing every day for Marylanders—and represents a significant investment in our community's future.

Advancing “Vision Zero” and Strengthening Transit Safety

Vision Zero is a bold commitment to eliminating serious traffic injuries and fatalities in our community—protecting pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. To advance Vision Zero, I secured $560,000 in federal funding for bus stop safety improvements across the county, including restoring missing sidewalk connections, adding ADA-compliant ramps, concrete pads and other features to protect the Marylanders who use these bus stops every day. I also secured $500,000 in federal funding to implement design safety improvements on a section of Goshen Road in Montgomery Village with a history of accidents. 

Building a Community and Child Care Center at a New Silver Spring Affordable Housing Complex 

I also secured $1,175,000 for the construction of a child care and community center at Allium Place, a new affordable housing community currently under construction in Silver Spring at the intersection of Randolph Road and Veirs Mill Road. This new center will provide affordable child care and a fine community space for the neighborhood. The funding will also support the construction of an adjacent playground and picnic area—ensuring kids have a safe place to play.

Investing in our Public Safety

I secured substantial funding for several public safety projects, including $700,000 to expand the Montgomery County Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team Unit. This funding will ensure that Marylanders in mental health crisis are met with compassionate and appropriate support from trained professionals.

I also secured $963,000 to vastly improve technology in Montgomery County’s Crime Lab. I’m optimistic that this funding will help reduce crime in our community by dramatically improving the efficiency and accuracy of forensic investigations.

Additionally, I secured $963,000 for the City of Rockville to purchase interoperable police radios to improve local emergency response operations, and $592,500 for equipment, including computers and display monitors, for the city’s Emergency Operations Center. In an emergency, every second counts, and this new technology will streamline communications and coordination between the city’s leadership and emergency personnel to keep the public safe and informed. 

Restoring Trails in Montgomery County 

Lovers of the outdoors will delight that $1,616,279 is on the way to restore sections of the Northwest Branch Trail in MoCo! Currently, degraded parts of the trail adjacent to Franklin Knolls and New Hampshire Estates make it difficult and even unsafe to traverse, with pitting, cracking, uneven surfaces and flooding inhibiting pedestrian and cyclist use. This new federal investment will fund paving, bridge replacement, wayfinding and safety signage, and enable the trail’s use by more bicyclists and pedestrians in our community. 

In addition to the investments discussed above, I also secured: 

• $850,000 to renovate a facility that will provide employment and workforce training for people with developmental disabilities in Gaithersburg. 
• $963,000 for the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research in Rockville to acquire a Cryogenic Electron Microscope, supporting MoCo’s rapid growth as a biotechnology hub.  
• $850,000 to install new electric vehicle charging infrastructure in public parking garages in downtown Silver Spring.  
• $650,000 to further conservation and restoration efforts in the Potomac River Basin. 
• $500,000 to rehabilitate sewer pipe infrastructure in Rockville to reduce the risk of wastewater overflows that threaten public health and safety.  
• $959,752 to replace water main pipes in Rockville to protect drinking water quality for residents. 
• $900,000 to implement storm drain improvements in Rockville’s Potomac Woods neighborhood to prevent dangerous flooding.  

As always, I encourage all of my constituents across the Eighth District to connect with me on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads. If you need help with a federal agency and want to request my assistance, please complete the online request form here, and my District Office will be in touch.

 All best wishes,

Jamie Raskin

 This mailbox cannot receive replies. To email me, please click here.