MTA explains light rail limitations
Chikwe C. Njoku had a suggestion for the Maryland Transit Administration about its light rail service. He thought he saw a way to improve it. So we passed along this message to the agency:
(I) wonder if it would be prudent for the MTA to explore a Hunt Valley/Timonium to Camden Yard train that has a reverse direction stop at Penn? As Baltimore continues to become “DC centric”.. I see many people, including myself, disembarking at Mt. Royal and walking to Penn to catch the MARC. Few wait for the Penn Shuttle to funnel them into the Penn Station.
Granted, walking is a GOOD thing, but everyone may not share this ambition, especially in inclement weather. A Hunt Valley/Timonium to Camden Yard Train could run at key times only during morning and evening rush. Ideally, there would be a dedicated switch track between North Ave and Mt Royal to carry the train into the existing Penn Shuttle Line into Penn Station.
However; that would cost $$ that the MTA doesn’t have. Why couldn’t the train reverse direction into Penn like the former Penn (only) Shuttle used to do? It could then become the “Penn Camden Shuttle” and continue its run to Camden Yards. The reverse trip from Camden would also include a trip over to Penn Station, before going back out on to the main line and up to Hunt Valley/Timonium.
It's not the perfect scenario but as the demand continues to grow.. it could eventually justify a switch being built above Mt. Royal for direct northbound access to the Central line. It could have a minimal impact on the Penn- Camden’s run since it could be inserted only during AM or PM rush.
For the answer, click below:
This is the response we received from MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene. I've taken the liberty of breaking it up into paragraphs.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your reader’s inquiry regarding the feasibility of adding a Penn Station stop for trains coming from Hunt Valley.
We agree that good Light Rail service to Penn Station is desirable, but geography makes this a challenge. We have modified Penn Station service several times since the spur was constructed to find the right balance between good service to Penn Station and good service for the rest of the line.
At the present time a train shuttles between Penn Station and Camden Station which has the benefit of making service in the Howard Street corridor more frequent, but riders coming from north or south of the downtown segment have to transfer to reach Penn Station. If, as your reader suggests, all trains coming from the north backed into Penn Station after stopping at Mt. Royal this would certainly be more convenient for riders from the north headed to Penn Station but it would significantly inconvenience the majority of riders who are destined not to Penn Station but to the Howard Street corridor (the highest ridership station in the system is Lexington).
To make the move your reader suggested would take 10 to 15 minutes once the time for the operator to change ends at Mt. Royal and Penn Station is taken into consideration. The current travel time from Timonium to Lexington is 32 minutes, so this would increase the travel time by nearly 50 percent.
Second, if trains from the north went to Penn Station but trains from the south did not, it would create an imbalance in the schedule throughout the system. The reader also suggested building an additional track in the future so that trains from the north could go directly into Penn Station and then, I assume, continue south. This is not possible because of the way the trains are configured. The "A" end of a train must always face south and the "B" end must always face north which allows the motors to synchronize between cars.
If a train went directly into Penn Station from the north it would have to return to the north to avoid becoming turned around. With this service pattern any rider destined south of Mt. Royal would have to change trains.
The MTA continually examines service modifications that best meet the needs of our customers. We thank your reader for the innovative (if unworkable!) suggestions.
Don't you just hate it when a government official has a logical explanation for what's being done?
Comments
If the 2002 master plan ever (ha) comes to fruition, the reader's idea may actually end up happening if LR trains start going south from Penn Station, which would be nice.
Posted by: Tyler | November 4, 2009 5:36 PM
I've always wondered this myself.
It's a shame that its faster to walk to Mt. Royal to catch a train headed north, than it is to take a Camden train from Penn, and switch @ Mt. Royal. The timing between the two is horrible. Ditto if you arrive at Mt Royal - its faster to walk to Penn then take the lt rail.
If you're lucky enough for the Lt Rail to be at Penn when your train arrives, you either sit at Penn waiting for the train to leave, and/or you miss the northbound train and have to wait for the next one. I've sat at Penn station upwards of 15 minutes sometimes to wait for the train to leave the Penn Station. Add that to the extra time you lose because you missed a northbound train in the meantime and you've easily added 25-30 minutes to your commute. I've even seen riders exit the rear of the southbound train and scoot between trains at Mt Royal so they can hurry to catch the northbound train. Also some drivers seem to delight in pulling away from Mt. Royal as riders scramble to switch trains - this is completely unacceptable.
It just seems that the MTA has made it extremely inconvenient for MARC commuters to use Lt Rail north of Mt. Royal.
Posted by: Bill | November 4, 2009 6:34 PM
I visit Baltimore on occasion and have found this configuration rather inconvenient.
How about this:
Construct a dedicated Shuttle platform east of the existing platforms at Mt Royal. Have one train just make shuttle runs departing every five minutes in each direction. This way, shuttle trains don't interfere with main line operations and transfers are convenient to all trains.
Posted by: James | November 5, 2009 1:43 AM
Personally, I hate it more when government officials have an illogical explanation for decisions that were made previously that cause problems people try to solve. Had the light rail (or metro) been built to connect Penn Station with the rest of the city, as any reasonable transportation plan would have done, this would be a completely moot point.
Posted by: Mitch | November 5, 2009 7:49 AM
That Penn Station connection would have been better served by an automated tram system such as the ones seen in airports like ATL and MCO.
Posted by: The Commuter | November 5, 2009 9:10 AM
The problem you have here will be the same problem BWI will have if the yellow line plan is followed. One deadend station, so a shuttle train. Just like no one at Penn Station likes taking that shuttle train. The two gateways to Baltimore will reuire an immediate transfer, with all the luggage.
MTA needs to learn from this mistake and extend the yellow line as planned (although stop at Arundel Mills or Dorsey, not Columbia), but from Cromwell, NOT BWI Business District.
Posted by: Richard | November 6, 2009 4:02 PM