Blog urges MTA to extend bus line to Frederick
Brian DiNunno, on his blog Green Pivots, argues that the Maryland Transit Administration's Route No. 991 should start in downtown Frederick rather than at Monocacy Station. He makes a good case, though he makes it sound a bit more simple and cost-free than it actually would be.
Such a move would involve a renegotiation of the contract with the provider at a higher rate to compensate for the added time and distance. It's doubtful the MTA would undertake that unless there were evidence it would bring increased ridership. But it's a question worth asking.
Comments
Thanks for the link. No change in a system is simple, but MTA has already shown some flexibility on this line. The 991 buses that originate in Hagerstown recently added the Myersville Park and Ride (off of I-70) as a stop. While this did not add a lot to the trip length, additional stops do add time. The newly built road in Frederick that makes the downtown/Monocacy connection far easier is what has changed along the route. Prior to this road opening, the buses would've had to route through the downtown historic district, not a real simple task (size or schedule). I think this new road warrants a new look at the system.
As for determining the amount of additional riders, I think MTA has a good proxy already avaiable. The MARC train serves both the Monocacy station (free parking) and downtown Frederick (paid parking, transit and walking friendly). Past surveys have shown that about 2/3 of the riders on the train are from the Monocacy station. MTA could survey the MARC riders at the downtown station and see how they are getting there. Given the station's proximity and the free vs. paid parking, I imagine most drivers go to Monocacy. This would mean that there might be relatively little "cannibalization" of riders by adding the new downtown station.
Anyhow, thanks for bringing more eyeballs to the idea. The more transit flexibility in the corridor, the more transit riders there will be (especially with the reliability of the Brunswick line of late).
Posted by: Brian D | February 21, 2011 6:56 PM
How do you get from Frederick to downtown Baltimore on the MTA bus system?
Oh right, VIA the MARC train, VIA DC. Is it only me that thinks that is lame in this world? Here is a google maps link to show the route one would have to take: http://goo.gl/Afw7d
And now we know why inbound 70 is slammed with traffic almost 100% of the time during rush hour.
Posted by: Phillip | February 23, 2011 11:39 AM
Absolutely. With a stop at the SSA complex.
Posted by: JH | February 24, 2011 12:42 PM