Archive for the ‘transit’ tag
A Maryland Success
The Montgomery County Council has voted unanimously to approve the proposed “Purple Line,” a light rail line that would connect New Carrolton Metro Station to Bethesda Metro Station. Not only will this relieve congestion on the Beltway, but it should also revitalize a number of older neighborhoods isolated from rapid transit.
As a cyclist and as a citizen concerned with the neglect of green space, I welcome the inclusion of mixed trail usage and a focus on minimizing the loss of trees and grassland where the light rail would run along the Georgetown Branch Trail.
There are a number of issues to be worked out, not the least of which is funding and disputes over the residents of Chevy Chase. However, if President Obama’s proposal for infrastructure investment comes to fruition, then the Purple Line may find funding to be more than plentiful.
[From Montgomery Council Backs Light Rail for Purple Line - washingtonpost.com]
Metrobus: Only a 27% Failure?
The Washington Post is reporting that Metrobus’s ontime rate is at 73%. As a regular rider of the bus, I find this statistic hard to believe. Frankly, I would have placed the number higher. 40%, perhaps?
I can certainly attest to the ‘N’ line busses running late or simply not arriving at all. On a regular basis. Usually when I need it. The worst problem, though, is when the bus comes early. Instead of slowing a bit to try to match the schedule, it simply speeds along its route, leaving those who get there when the bus is scheduled to wait even longer for the next one.
Why Metro is, and always will be, a national failure.
Metro (WMATA) is proposing another fare increase, although this one is a bit more modest than earlier proposals. According to WMATA, the fare increase is necessary to make up for a projected budget shortfall. It doesn’t matter how much the fares increase on Metro; no fare increase can alter the fundamental fact that Metro is one of the worst designed mass transit systems in the country, if not the world.
