Metro Funding

There is a post on the Greater Greater Washington website about Metro funding. It is a very complicated issue, because unlike the Baltimore public transportation system, which is under the budget of the Maryland Department of Transportation, Metro is under three jurisdictions, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. I do agree that there needs to be a lot more dedicated funding for the Metro system. Let's face it, the DC metro area has a lot of people. Those people need to get from home to work, and back again, as well as recreational trips, and trips to run errands, etc.. People tend to rely on their cars in this area, especially over here in Prince George's County. PG is starting to change as more professionals that work downtown move in the county, but the overall culture of PG County is not very transit friendly. I'm hoping that as the demographics of the area change, things will become more urban. Yes, I am a rare breed. I am a conservative urbanist.

Greater Greater Washington Happy Hour at Lost and Found On 9th Street

I had a wonderful time at the GGW happy hour at a bar called Lost and Found, which is on 9th Street NW, in Washington, DC. It is just up the road from the Convention Center. I have been a big fan of GGW, since I discovered the organisation a few years back, when I was doing some research on public transportation. The articles are well-thought out, and they all address various urban issues, ranging from public transportation to affordable housing. I am a huge advocate for both. It was nice to have some "refreshments" with like-minded individuals. I'm sure that 99.9% of them are Liberals with a capital L, but putting politics aside, we all share a vision of a better Washington, DC metropolitan area.

As I discussed with quite a few individuals tonight, I am hoping that as the demographics of Prince George's County change, there will be more professionals moving into the county, and demanding better public transportation services. Maybe we will even be able to have later night bus service running from Montgomery County to Prince George's County, especially the College Park area, and have later night bus service from College Park to Beltsville and beyond. It's going to take a lot of activism and lobbying the right people, in order to make that happen. Let's hope that it does. The county needs better transit.

After attending the Coalition For Smarter Growth social at Eastern Market in Washington, DC

It was a nice event. I know a couple of the directors of the organization, and they are good people.  However, it was difficult to engage in conversations with some people, because the entire urban planning and smart growth "industry," is pretty much of a clique. Need I say more...

Looking Forward To The Coalition For Smarter Growth Social

Tomorrow, October 17, 2017, is the 5th annual Coalition For Smarter Growth Social at Eastern Market in Washington, DC. This will be the first one of these events that I will have been able to attend. I am looking forward to it. This is a fee paying event, and according to their website, tickets will be available at the door. The event runs from 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM.

While I'm sure that my politics are at polar opposite to most of the attendees, I am looking forward to sharing ideas with people that do share common themes with me...urban issues. I am a rare breed in the fact that I am a conservative urbanist. I don't consider urban issues to be "smart growth Communism." I love the idea of living in row houses with tiny yards, riding public transportation, and using car sharing for the times when you really do need a vehicle. I'm ambivalent to the use of riding a bicycle because I am disabled, but I do ride one on occasion. I currently subscribe to two bike share programs, and am looking into the dockless bike sharing programs too. I believe that these issues help foster a sense of community, and if you go back throughout history, a sense of community is what bound us together as a nation. I will let you know how the event went over the next day or so.

I was in sunny Utah, and had a chance to explore two transit systems. The first one was in Logan. I was attending a conference at Utah State University, and had a chance to take a ride on their CVTD bus system. It doesn't run late, doesn't run on Sunday, but it is free. For the most part, however, you really do need a car out there. Things are just a little too spread out. You could probably get by with a bicycle if you were in good shape, because you are in the mountains, and the roads have a lot of long hills. More to follow after I get back home...

The other system that I tried out, was the Salt Lake City UTA Rail system. Salt Lake also has a very extensive bus system, but I didn't explore it. The rail system is a very efficient light rail system, that basically goes everywhere.  You can buy single ride fare tickets, round trip tickets or for $6.25 you can purchase an all day pass, that is good on all light rail trains, buses, and street cars. There is also an express train called the FrontRunner, that is available for an extra fee. I found it to be a great way to get around both downtown, and from my motel near the airport. Also, the train goes to the airport, which is something that Maryland should consider down the road. Yes, you can get from Baltimore to BWI Airport, but how about a light rail from Greenbelt to the airport sometime in the future?

Changes to Metro...June 25, 2017

If you check out Metro's website, you will see that there are some major changes coming down the pike on June 25, 2017. There are going to be shorter hours, and there are going to be some changes to the bus service. New timetables are being added every day, and from what Metro tells me, most of the new bus timetables should be out by the beginning of next week. Please check out things carefully, so you don't get caught with your pants down.

I am particularly interested in changes in the bus service. Buses are the unsung heroes of the Metro system. I love riding the bus. The bus routes that I use on a regular basis are the E4, J2, J3, J4, H2, H3, H4, H6, H8, H9, Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5, Q6, S2, S4, S9, T2, 70, 79, 80, 83, and 86. For Prince George's County Transportation, I use the 17 bus, but it only runs on weekdays, and doesn't run after 8 PM. In Montgomery County, besides the MetroBuses, I use RideOn bus routes, 1, 5, 11, 28 VanGo, 34, 45, and 55. Starting on October 2, 2017, there is going to be a new RideOn bus service, called the RideOn Extra. You can get information about this new bus service on that website. It's exciting!

The RideOnExtra, is a step in the right direction. Even though I am a huge fan of rail based public transportation, and do enjoy riding DC's MetroRail, bus service, especially dedicated lane with traffic light priority capability, is more than a viable option. If they scrap the Purple Line and expand the bus service from Bethesda to New Carrollton, with the planned stops enroute, and with the hours running until midnight or later, I'm fine with that. Unlike the fine upstanding, college degreed residents of Chevy Chase and Bethesda, I don't have any problem whatsoever, riding a public transportation bus, with those "little brown people," that they love to exploit in the interest of social justice.

Bonifant Street Garages In Silver Spring

The Bonifant Street garage has been a blessing for me. I like to use public transportation for most of my trips. I have found that by driving from College Park to the Bonifant Street garage in Silver Spring, it allows me to make the majority of my trips on public transportation, with the highest degree of flexibility and selection of services.

You walk out the back of the garage, and you are about 100 yards from the Sarbanes Transportation Center. A huge variety of MetroBuses and RideOn buses service the transit center. In addition, the Red Line and MARC Train also service the transit center, and the purple line, when it ever gets built, will also service the transportation center.

There was an article in the Greater Greater Washington website by Dan Reed: https://ggwash.org/view/61694/silver-spring-could-get-a-big-music-and-sports-venue

I would hate to see those garages go the way of the dinosaur. Yes, I could park in the Wayne Avenue garage, but then it is about a half a mile walk to the transit center. I am handicapped, and have handicap tags on my car. I can park in the Bonifant Street garage for free. At the Wayne Avenue garage, I would still have to pay, up until 9 PM. I work in Bethesda, and usually work until 10 or 11 at night. The J2 bus is a wonderful cross town bus that goes from Montgomery Mall to Silver Spring. It runs until well after midnight during the week, and after 11 PM on Sundays.

In addition, I like to visit a friend who lives in Rockville, MD. My preferred method of travel, is to park in the Bonifant Street garages, take the Q bus to Rockville or to the bus stop on Rockville Pike at the intersection of Hungerford (Rockville Pike) and College Parkway. I can walk in from there if need be, but my friend will usually be available to pick me up there. I can also take the RideOn 45 bus from Rockville to a stop at the end of her condo complex's driveway. Recently, I've been taking my bicycle on the Metro and/or the MetroBus, and riding in from Hungerford and College Parkway. Bicycle is a great gap filler when using public transportation. Try it.

A Good Time Was Had By All

Last night I went to a happy hour event sponsored by Greater Greater Washington and the Coalition For Smart Growth, at a nice place called A & D Neighborhood Bar, on 9th Street, in Washington, DC. It was fun. I'm sure I was the only person in the room who voted for Trump. Of course, I didn't let that be known. I don't know these people well enough, yet, in order to share my political views.

I'd have to say, everyone there was what is called a social justice warrior. Everyone there worked for some sort of nonprofit organization having to do with smart growth, sustainable development, or some form of urbanism.

Even though I'm probably 180 degrees different politically from most of these people, I do enjoy their company. It's nice to have conversations with educated intelligent people, even if we disagree on most issues.

The main topic discussed last night, was the DC Government's Comprehensive Plan. The parts of the plan that both organizations consider their highest priorities are housing and development. I can understand why. Housing and development go hand in hand. Also, most of the people working in these types of organizations, tend to be young, college educated professionals, living in a high cost area, paying off student loans, and being forced to live in group houses, because they can't afford a place of their own. Of course, 10 years from now, they will more that likely be living in the hated suburbs, raising their families, and commuting into the city for work. In the meantime, they can live their "save the world" fantasy lifestyle of collectivism, social justice for all, and sustainability. It's fun to watch.