The Montgomery County Council, led by Chairman Phil Andrews, might just have opened a door they would have preferred to keep closed.

Ben Ross of the Action Committee for Transit points out that the solution Andrews suggested and the Council endorsed for relieving congestion in the Interstate 270 corridor -- the addition of two reversible express lanes between Shady Grove and Frederick -- is not  one of the alternatives included in the State Highway Administration's I-270 Corridor Study.

To move in the direction the Council suggests would require a new study of the plan's costs and feasibilty, Ross notes. So if transportation officials decide to reopen the study to examine one plan, Ross asks, why not open it up to other alternatives -- including ACT's suggestion of an all-transit option for relieving the corridor's stress?

It seems to me that Ross has a point. A lot has happened since transit was last  looked  at, including massive cost increases for some of the alternatives that have been studied. I'd also like to have them take a glance, at least, at my suggestion of a single reversible lane for buses and high-occupancy vans only at peak times. (Let trucks use it off-peak to separate them from cars.)

Some proponents of widening I-270 to the max have dismissed the notion of any further study -- insisting it will only delay the project. But all you have to do is look at the finances of the Maryland Transportation Authority and you'll see it may be a long time before any project of the magnitude of an I-270 widening can be financed.

So let's study away: the Andrews plan, the Ross plan, the off-the-wall-Baltimore-Guy plan, whatever.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

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:

Continue reading "MTA explains light rail limitations" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Light rail
        

A reader named Michael recently sent me this email about the Maryland Transit Administration's light rail service:

I recently read your complaint that the MTA doesn't explain the stop between North Ave and Woodberry, which is one of the most annoying aspects of my commute to the county from the city. They stop there so that MTA employees can board the train/switch shifts from the nearby office.

This is absolutely absurd. Half of the time the conductors are late and we are stopped for upwards of 5 minutes. The MTA should change the location of this (switch) to the North Avenue station, which has 3 platforms (thus avoiding back-ups for every train because one employee was late) and could attract more riders who would otherwise have missed their train.

Twice i have missed my transfer to the lightrail because the 13 bus was late and arrived at the platform only to see the train stopped ahead on the tracks for the above mentioned maneuver. Having the train stop in the middle of an empty stretch for 5-10 minutes so that employees can shave 50 yards off their walk is absurd.

MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene provided this answer:

Thanks for the chance to respond to your reader's question about trains stopping to change operators. The operator relief point is located at the Light Rail Division rather than a nearby station because reporting for duty is an important part of our safety procedures. When operators report for each shift they receive daily instructions, pick up portable radios and are observed by a supervisor to ensure they are fit for duty. If this took place at a station instead of the division these reporting activities would have to take place in the open which is not practical.

Continue reading "MTA explains that annoying extra rail stop" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Light rail
        

The Maryland Transit Administration light rail system developed what the MTA likes to call "minor problems" this afternoon when one of its trains broke down -- resulting in a delay of about a half-hour for at leatrt one train.

I know that because I was on that train -- a southbound run to BWI -- as it ground to a halt just north of North Avenue. For about 15 minutes we sat there, with no clue what was going on, before the train began moving again into the station.

Where it sat and sat and sat for what seemed like another 15 minutes. Again, no announcement from the MTA -- which might have been useful if you were headed to the Mount Roysl stop to catch a  train at Penn Station. 

Continue reading "Light rail woes leave riders in the dark" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Light rail
        

I just stumbled across the Transport Politic blog, which gives some extensive coverage to a recent proposal to advance the proposed Yellow Line from Towson to Columbia ahead of an extension of the Green Line.

I share the concerns that light rail to Columbia may be too slow to compete with autos. The public transit solution I'd suggest for Columbia is an express bus between the BWI Business District Light Rail station and Columbia Town Center. I don't see that it would kill the 310 or 320 commuter  bus routes, as one reader suggested, though it might lead to their being reconfigured. I see the express bus serving a much broader group of riders with seven-day-a-week service that would extend the existing light rail without the expense of an actual rail line.

Any thoughts?

Posted by Michael Dresser at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Martin Johnson of Baltimore  notes an everyday option for getting to and from Washington without a car that might not be familiar to most readers.

Bolt Bus offers seven buses a day from Penn Station to the Greenbelt Metro Station each day at a cost of $15 on weekdays and $16 on weekends.  Once you're in Greenbelt, you can reach almost anywhere you'd want to go in the Washington area via subway and Metrobus.

Whether this is a good deal depends on how you value your time and how easy it is to catch the bus. The Bolt Bus ride takes 45 minutes. Greyhound takes 55 minutes to deliver you to downtown D.C. at a prevailing cost of $13.50 nonrefundable, $17.50 refundable. It has many more trips but a poorly located station in an industrial area south of the stadiums.

The most economical 7-day-a-week option is still the combination of the light rail ($1.60) to BWI and the B-30 bus ($3) to Greenbelt Metro. That trip (measured from Mount Royal station to Greenbelt) can take anywhere from an hour and a quarter (roughly) to an hour and three-quarters depending on whether you catch the train that's synchronized with the B30. Checking the schedules is well worth the time.

Of course, the MARC train remains the best way to get between the two cities on weekdays -- except during periodic service meltdowns. It's a wise MARC rider who prints out the Bolt Bus,  Greyhound, light rail and B30 schedules and keeps copies in a purse or briefcase. You never know.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Light rail, Local bus lines, MARC train, WMATA/D.C. Metro
        

Dave Murphy has an insightful article on the Greater Greatter Washington blog criticizing the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance's call to jump the Towson-Columbia Yellow Line ahead of a northeastern extension of the existing Metro subway (Green Line).

Briefly, Murphy questions the usefulness of the southern part of the proposed Yellow Line between Columbia and BWI. As much as I like the idea of rail  transit serving my neighborhood -- not that I'd still be mobile by the time it's built -- he might have a point there. Columbia could probably be served faster and more economically with the creation of an express bus route between the BWI Business District light rail station and Columbia Town Center. That would be about a 30-minute run on Route 100. If the light rail and bus schedules were properly synchronized, that could be a robust transit alternative that wouldn't have to wait decades to become a reality.

Howard Transit's Silver Line already makes the BWI-Columbia run but its many stops make for a long, long trip. An express version of that route would increase the usefulness of the entire system.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Metro, Light rail, Local bus lines, MTA bus system
        

The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, a group that brings together the movers and shakers in the Baltimore region, has endorsed what could be a critical change in the metropolitan area's long-term plans by urging that the proposed Yellow Line from Lutherville to Columbia be made the top transit priority after connstruction of the proposed Red Line.

The alliance's recommendation, which represents a consensus view of Baltimore business and ciivic leaders, would jump that project ahead of the proposed extension of the current Metro subway beyond Johns Hopkins Hospital toward Morgan State and eventually White Marsh. It came as part of a report relleased Wednesday on Baltimore's prospects for transit-oriented development.

Both projects lie far in the future, but the effect of such a change of priorities could be profound for today's young workers and future generations. If adopted by government leaders, the new priority could accelerate job growth and transit service in such places as Towson and Columbia in the 2020s while delaying an expansion of transit in the Harford Road and Bel Air Road corridors until later decades.

Otis Rolley, president of the transportation alliance, said the Yellow Line -- part of a 2002 comprehensive regional transit plan -- offers better prospects for connecting major residential and employment centers than the Green Line plan.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

The Maryland Transit Administration is still seeking about 250 volunteers  to help test its new MTA CharmCard, what it calls a “smart” fare card that it hopes will expedite the fare collection process. The MTA plans to introduce the cards in a movfe that would finally match a  technology that has been familiar on the Washington Metro system for years.

The folks the  MTA is looking for are full-fare cash customers who ride Metro Subway more than other MTA services and who will agree to purchase your fares during the test period from a ticket vending machine at a Metro Subway station Ticket Vending Machine. Riders on senior or disability fares and  Commuter Choice Maryland voucher recipients are not eligible to participate in the initial field test. MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene said about 250 of the 500 volunteers originally sought have signed up.

Would-be participants can sign up electronically by clicking this link.

The test will run 60 days (Oct. 1 – Nov. 30). At the end of the test period, participants must return their cards to  the MTA Transit Store  at 6 St. Paul St. Volunteers will receive a free January 2010  monthly pass as a bonus.

UPDATE: In response to a reader's question, no, the CharmCard will not be interoperable with Washington Metro trains and buses during the beta test. But the two systems' cards  are expected to be compatible once CharmCard (hate that name) is in full operation.

By the way, this test does mean the MTA is pushing back full introduction of the card its earlier goal of October to the beginning of the year, Greene acknowledged. Better they get it right, I suppose.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Neil Ottenstein of Bowie wrote this plaintive note after a particularly grim experience with the Maryland Transit Administration's light rail service on Saturday night.

I don't know whether either of you are the appropriate people to notify, but I thought I'd write in case you are and you didn't know about the transportation situation last night after the Orioles game.

It had been my understanding that Light Rail service would run through one hour after an Orioles game, so that in situations like last night when there was a rain delay which made the game end shortly before midnight there would then be service until about 1 AM. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night. My son and I arrived at the light rail station at midnight and shortly thereafter a light rail train to BWI arrived. We expected that there would be one to Glen Burnie/Cromwell station shortly after this, but there was no train. If we had known this was going to be the case we might have tried the BWI train and at least traveled closer to Cromwell. We continued to wait another 40 minutes before calling home to wake my wife to pick us up. We also gave a ride to a couple who were there and who couldn't contact someone to pick them up. When we arrived at Cromwell there were at least a half dozen other cars there whose owners presumably were stranded in Baltimore or at some stop on the way down on the BWI train. I will be contacting the MTA on Monday and contacting the Orioles later today asking them about the situation. This was a most distressing situation and I hope that this will never happen again.

I asked MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene to loook into what happened, and she delivered a prompt -- if not entirely satisfactory -- reply.

Continue reading "Bowie family left in the lurch by MTA" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Light rail
        

The Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office will bring no criminal charges against operators of Light Rail trains that killed two boys near Lutherville July 5 after Baltimore County police determined it was an accident.

Media briefng scheduled for 2 p.m.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Light rail
        

By Michael Dresser

Maryland’s acting transportation chief, citing concerns about privacy, has pulled back an internal proposal to use listening devices on its buses and trains for recording conversations of passengers and employees.

The Maryland Transit Administration had been considering adopting a system that would allow it to conduct audio surveillance similar to that in several other large American cities.

The idea was first reported late last week by the Maryland Politics Watch blog, which reported that the MTA’s top official had requested an opinion from the Attorney General’s Office on the legality of such surveillance.

After inquiries from The Sun Monday, acting Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley ordered the request withdrawn.

 "It certainly should have been vetted at the department level and it was not," she said. "We have not weighed the issues we should weigh before making a decision like this."

Swaim-Staley said she would review whether the state would move forward with such a program.

"Any privacy matters are of the ultimate importance," said Swaim-Staley. "They’re the ultimate test of people’s trust in government."

 The request to the attorney general had sought legal guidance on whether using such equipment would violate Maryland’s anti-wiretapping law.

Continue reading "Transportation chief reins in audio surveillance idea" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Update: Maryland Transportation Administration Acting Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley said Monday evening that she has withdrawn the following request to the attorney general for a legal opinion, saying the matter should have been reviewed at the department  level before the MTA sought legal advice.

Swaim-Staley took the action after the following was reported here early Monday.

The MTA is considering installing audio surveillance equipment on its buses and trains to record conversations of passengers and employees, according to a letter sent by the MTA's top official to the state Attorney General's Office.

The letter, reported by the Maryland Politics Watch blog, seeks legal guidance on whether installing such equipment would violate Maryland's anti-wiretapping law. In his letter, MTA Administrator Paul J. Wiedefeld notes that the MTA already uses video cameras for security aboard its vehicles.

"As part of MTA's ongoing efforts to deter criminal activity and mitigate other dangerous situations on board its vehicles, Agency management has considered adding audio recording equipment to the video recording technology now  in use throughout its fleet," Wiedefeld wrote.

According to the administrator, the MTA staff decided the idea raised legal issues and decided to send a letter seeking an opinion from the attorney general on whether such electronic eavesdropping  would be legal and, if so, under which circumstances.

Whether legal or not, the notion didn't play well with Paul Gordon, who broke the story on the Montgomery County-based blog.

"Personally, I find the idea of the state recording people’s conversations on public transportation creepy, something I would expect from the old Soviet Union," Gordon wrote.

I was reminded this weekend during a trip to Artscape on light rail that  one of the chief sources of amusement aboard public transit are the too-loud and uninhibited conversations of fellow passengers. It would be a shame if riders were cowed into silence by the fear that someone in authority was recording their descriptions of their wild weekends.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The Baltimore County police are trying to identify a potential witness in the July 5 deaths of two Lutherville teenagers on the light rail tracks outside that station. Police say a video inside the cabin of a train that is believed to have hit the two 17-year-olds about 2:57 that Sunday captured an image of the possible witness.

Police described the witness as a young man, in his teens or early twenties, with brown skin, a light-colored shirt and dark-colored shorts, who was carrying some items while he was on the train. Police are asking people who have information about the witness to call them at 410-307-2020.

The full release is attached.

Continue reading "County police seek witness in light rail deaths" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Light rail
        

Paul J. Wiedefeld had a difficult decision to make Wednesday. The Maryland Transit Administration chief took about a half hour to think it over and then he did the right thing.

Confronted with the reality that the family of the two boys killed in Sunday's accident had lost confidence in the the MTA Police, he decided to turn over control of the investigation to the Baltimore County police. It was a good call -- and one many government officials would have resisted out of a reflexive urge to protect their turf and defend their agency.

My take is that Wiedefeld understood that no investigation could be successful without the cooperation of the dead boys' parents. The MTA police, for whatever reason, got off on the wrong foot with them. It was a no-win situation for the MTA, and Wiedefeld recognized that. There was no need for a prolonged public struggle with the bereaved parents, and Wiedefeld headed off a problem that could have ended up on the desk of the acting transportation secretary or the governor.

That's called earning your pay.

Continue reading "MTA chief does the right thing" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Light rail
        

SUN EXCLUSIVE:

The Maryland Transit Administration has adopted a zero-tolerance policy under which any operator found to have been using a cell phone or text-messaging device on the job will be fired even if it is a first offense.
The MTA took the action shortly after the Washington Metro system announced a similar change Thursday morning in which it scrapped a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy and said it would fire violators outright.
The decision by Administrator Paul J. Wiedefeld came about an hour after The Sun inquired about the MTA’s policy in light of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration’s announcement. At first, the MTA said it was sticking by its policy that it “can” fire violators. Under the new policy, the MTA says it  “will”fire operators who text or use cell phones while at the controls.

Continue reading "MTA falls in line with WMATA cell/text policy" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Metro, Light rail, Local bus lines, MTA bus system
        

Here's a little unsolicited advice for the Maryland Transit Administration: Ban the word "minor" from your web site and communications with customers.

 No "minor" delays. No "minor" disruptions. No "minor" trouble. To the customers affected by delays, disruptions and other troubles, noting is more infuriating than to hear their problems dismissed as minor.

The word also often turns out to be wrong, as it did on the MARC Penn Line Wednesday morning. It was bad enough that one of the trains took 3 1/2 hours to get from Baltimore to Washington. Riders found it especially galling to see that the MTA was characterizing the delays as "minor."

So let the edict go out: The MTA may have delays, disruptions and troubles, but the minors are in Salisbury, Bowie and Frederick.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The Maryland Transit Administration has determined that the two teenagers who were fatally struck by a train Sunday near the Lutherville light rail station were struck from behind as they walked in the middle of the tracks with their backs to a train, an MTA spokeswoman said Tuesday.

MTA police arrived at the judgment that the deaths were accidental after viewing video from the train that struck the pair about 2:55 p.m. Sunday, spokeswoman Jawauna Greene said.

The MTA said earlier Tuesday that they believed that Connor Peterson and Kyle Patrick Wankmiller, both 17, had been lying on the tracks while two trains passed over them. But Green said the video evidence shows the two were walking north on tracks that are usually used for southbound travel when they were run over.

Continue reading "MTA double fatality called an accident" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Light rail
        

The Maryland Transit Administration Police are  asking members of the public to come forward with any information they might have concerning a fatal incident near the Lutherville light rail station that left two teenagers dead.

MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene appealed to anyone who saw anything connected with the incident to call the MTA Police at 410-454-7720.

"We still need a lot of help in ferreting out what happened," she said.

Greene said investigators have reached no conclusions about what led to the deaths of Kyle Wankmiller and Connor Peterson, both 17, of Lutherville. She said police were still interviewing witnesses and verifying reports that people had been seen standing in a nearby wooded area
shortly before the incident.

Greene said the two were found lying between the rails of the southbound track just south of the Lutherville station. Evidence indicated that two trains struck them while passing over them while they were prone, but there were no signs they had been knocked over by a train, Greene said.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Light rail
        

Every once and a while I get an email that displays uncommon good sense in the face of nonsense. This, from Terry Shepard of Baltimore, is one of them. After passing  along some compliments that are too extravagant to inflict on readers, Shepard writes concerning the June 22 Metro crash that killed nine in Washington:

The Sun and other papers continue to run follow-up stories on it and that is understandable.  What is less explicable is the employment of this accident by some to spread fear of and opposition to public transit.  Auto commuters say "See, that's why I don't ride transit" and even the Sun ran one of its reader polls on whether this would make people less likely to do so. 

Meanwhile, a June 30 story in the Sun reports on "a tractor-trailer that plowed into stalled cars in a turnpike accident that killed 10 people" and no one is running polls or saying "See, that's why I don't drive on the highway."  (I realize that crash was in Oklahoma, but you get the point.)

This despite the fact, reported in a June 24 story in the Sun, that:  "According to the National Safety Council, the number of accident fatalities per vehicle miles traveled is about 14 times worse for passenger cars than trains and subways. Only transit buses are considered safer."

Perhaps you could repeat those statistics and interview a psychologist who works on transportation as to why people refuse to accept this (beyond the obvious answer that many Americans reject facts that suggest they should get out of their cars and ride on public transit with people they don't know.)

As you know and have argued, more and better mass transit are both possible and absolutely vital if we are to avoid killing our environment, our cities and ourselves.  Americans must get past their unreasoning fear of transit and you can help them do it:

I have to disagree, Terry. If anyone, you are the one that can help them do it. And just have. Thanks.

I don't think you need a psychologist to explain what's at  work: Transit is unfamiliar to most middle-class, auto-oriented Americans. Cars are something they encounter every day. That  which is unfamiliar is more scary than what is familiar, even when the familiar is demonstrably more dangerous. Transit also involves contact with unfamiliar people.

The point on the poll is well-taken. It should be noted that it comes with the disclaimer: "results not scientific." Still, it is encouraging that only 17 percent answered yes. And I'm going to venture an unscientific guess that those most of those folks don't ride transit now.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It looks like the Maryland Transit Administration is getting the state's share of federal stimulus money out on the street. The latest of several MTA station upgrades being funded by the feds is an expansion  of the undersized parking lot and other improvements at the Falls Road light rais station.

The cost of the project is $2.3 million. The project will expand the lot from 97 spaces to 197. Construction is expected to be completed next spring.

 Click below to read what  the MTA had top say about the project:

Continue reading "MTA to upgrade Falls Road light rail station" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Light rail
        

The Maryland Transit Administration has faced a triple-whammy today as trouble struck on three of its modes of travel.

 The biggest disruption was on the light rail line, where bad weather and downed trees shut down the soouthern end of the line. Here's the update from the MTA:

 Last updated: June 04, 6:00 PM Due to downed wires, Light Rail is experiencing major delays on the southern end between Camden Yards and North Linthicum. MTA is in the process of implementing shuttle bus service between locations. We ask for your patience and cooperation.

Meanwhile, the MTA warned commuters on the Camden Line of potential flooding at the Laurel station.

Then, there are preliminary reports that a car hit a bus on the No. 20 route at Baltimore and Carey streets, sending at least 24 people to the hospital.

After weeks of relative quiet at the MTA, it's getting ugly out there.

Continue reading "Bad day for the MTA" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

This just in from the Maryland Transit Administration:

Posted by Michael Dresser at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Light rail
        

According to Maryland Transit Administration spokeswoman Jawauna Greene, the MTA has worked out an agreement with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration that would let holders of the soon-to-be-introduced MTA "smart cards" use them on the Washington Metro system and WMATA-operated buses.

WMATA users would also be able to use their SmarTrip cards on MTA buses, the Baltimore Mettro and the light rail (not MARC).

This makes so much sense it's a surprise it could actually happen.

These smart cards, which store value added in advance, make the experience of riding public transit much smoother. Users can eliminate much of the fumbling for change that complicates a simple bus or rail trip.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

There's something very strange going on at the Maryland Transit Administration: Nothing.

That's nothing as in no news. And there's no place where the axiom that no news is good news applies as much as at a public transit agency.

It's been about a month since I've received an email from a disgruntled MARC rider. If anybody's been getting beat up on city buses, it's certainly been kept quiet. When I've ridden the light rail, the ticket machines have been working. The Metro subway just  keeps rolling along with its usual boring efficiency. The MTA personnel I've dealt with have been courteous and professional.

What's going on here anyway? Is this turning into the Stepford Transit System? Whatever happened to the font of horror stories where Sun reporters have slaked their news thirst at for years? Is this a fluke or could it be that this agency isn't as screwed up as it used to be?

Continue reading "Dogs not barking at MTA" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Baltimore Metro, Light rail, Local bus lines, MARC train, MTA bus system, Red Line
        

I had the opportunity to sit down with Mayor Sheila Dixon to talk about transportation issues, It's a topic very close to the heart of the mayor, an avid  bicyclist who uses her rides around the city to get an up-close look at Baltimore infrastructure.

Some topics:

Speed cameras: Dixon expressed relief that a petition drive aimed at invalidating a law passed  by the General Assembly expandig the use of speed cameras failed. She said the city has a serious problem with speeding and not enough officers to enforce traffic laws.

Roundabouts: The mayor said she, too, finds the Towson rounabout confusing, even though her administration is looking at creating six of them to replace busy interchanges. She said she got a good look at the possible benefits of such traffic circles during a trip to Chicago. Dixon said she especially likes the opportunity to create green space in the  center  of the roundabouts.

Red Line: Dixon restated her backing for Red Line Alternative 4C -- a light rail system running in a tunnel under Cooks Lane and through downtown and Fells Point  but on the surface in Canton and Edmondson Village. But she said she understands the concerns of residents of the affected neighborhoods. She said the existing north-south light rail system down Howard Street -- built with the state-of-the-art technology of the early 1990s -- has colored people's opinions about the Red Line.

"People look at it like it's the light rail and it's not not," she  said. Dixon said  newer light rail technology is much quieter and will blend in better with the communities it serves. "People can't vision it the way we plan it to be."

The City that Paves: Despite severe recession-related budget cuts, the mayor said the city is still on track to repave 220 lane-miles this year. 

Stimulus money: Dixon said it's out on the street right now, paying for the resurfacing of Northern Parkway and Orleans Street.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Posted by Michael Dresser at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bicycles, For policy wonks only, Light rail, On the roads, Red Line
        

Maryland is seeking more than $3.6 billion in congressional earmarks for transit projects, along with an additional $327 million for highway work, according to a document released Friday by the state Department of Transportation.

The request is part of process leading up to congressional action on a new six-year surface transportation spending reauthorization bill. The current law expires this year. States typically request many dollars for each one that ends up in the legislation.

Jack Cahalan, a department spokesman, said the wish list reflects the state’s priorities of transit, preparations for military base realignment, safety and bridge rehabilitation. The transit requests include $1.3 billion for the proposed east-west Red Line in Baltimore as well as $1.8 million for two transit lines in the Washington suburbs. The request also includes $188 million for the extension of Baltimore’s Metro subway line in the direction of Morgan State University.

All in all, the list brings few surprises. Most of the requests are for projects that have long been high priorities of the O'Malley administration and, in many cases, the Ehrlich administration as well.

On the transit side, the state is also seeking $100 million for the Baltimore bus system, $60 million for local bus systems, $60 million to study Amtrak tunnel replacement and $126  million for a new BWI railroad station.

Highway request include $30 million each for BRAC-related projects around Andrews Air Force Base, Aberdeen Proving Ground, For Meade and the Bethesda National Naval Center. Money is also being sought for improvements on Interstate 70, 695 and 81.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: For policy wonks only, Light rail, Local bus lines, MARC train, MTA bus system, On the roads, Red Line
        

The city Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration have weighed in with information on Preakness road closings and transit services.
The elimination of the service provided in the past from Mondawmin Mall and Poly/Western is the result of the same federal ruling that deep-sixed shuttle service to Orioles and Ravens games. The MTA is blameless in this case.

Transit

Metro: The Maryland Transit Administration will offer shuttle service between the West Rogers Avenue Metro station and Pimlico.

Light rail: The MTA will offer shuttle service between the West Cold Spring Lane light rail station and Pimlico.

Bus: The MTA will run additional buses as needed on Routes No. 27, 44, 91 and 54 serving Pimlico.

Park and ride: Under new federal rules, the MTA will not offer shuttle service between park-and-ride lots at Mondawmin and Poly/Western and Pimlico. Those who park at Mondawmin can take the Metro to Rogers Avenue and take the shuttle. Those who park at Poly/Western can walk to the Cold Spring light rail station and catch the shuttle.

Roads

The Baltimore Department of Transportation issued the following list of street closings and restrictions:

The following streets will be closed to through traffic:

• Saturday, May 16, 2009 – 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Southbound Jones Falls Expressway exit ramp to eastbound Northern
Parkway (Motorists will be redirected to the Cold Spring Lane exits)

• Cylburn Avenue from Northern Parkway to Greenspring Avenue

• Saturday, May 16, 2009 – 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Southbound Jones Falls Expressway exit ramp to westbound Northern
Parkway (Motorists will be redirected to the Cold Spring Lane exits)

• Westbound Northern Parkway will be closed from Falls Road to
Greenspring Avenue

The following special traffic modifications will be in effect:

Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 10:00 p.m. until Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 8:00
p.m.
Rogers Avenue – One-way westbound from Winner Avenue to Park Heights
Avenue
Winner Avenue – One-way northbound from Hayward Avenue to Rogers Ave

Manhattan Avenue – One-way eastbound from Winner Avenue to Pimlico Road

Whitney Avenue – One-way westbound from Pimlico Road to Key Avenue

Sulgrave Avenue – One-way westbound from Stuart Avenue to Highgate Avenue

Rockwood Avenue – One-way eastbound from Key Avenue to Berkeley Avenue

Simmonds Avenue – One-way southbound from Rockwood Avenue to Manhattan Avenue

Woodcrest Avenue – One-way northbound from Northern Parkway to Rockwood
Avenue

Merville Avenue – One-way southbound from Glen Avenue to Northern Parkway

Berkeley Avenue – One-way northbound from Whitney Avenue to Glen Avenue

Stuart Avenue – One-way northbound from Northern Parkway to Sulgrave
Avenue

Rusk Avenue – One-way southbound from Whitney Avenue to Northern Parkway

Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 10:00 p.m. until Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 9:00
p.m.

Rogers Avenue – Will be closed to vehicular traffic from Winner Avenue to
Northern Parkway

Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Hayward Avenue – One-way eastbound from Park Heights Avenue to Winner
Avenue

Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Pimlico Road – One-way northbound from Northern Parkway to Ken Oak Road

Posted by Michael Dresser at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

This just in from the Downtown Partnership. It looks like a good weekend to use Light Rail or the Metro to get downtown.

 CONGESTION ALERT: Large events at First Mariner Arena and Camden Yards this Friday and Saturda

 Concurrent events at the First Mariner Arena and Camden Yards are expected to cause congestion Downtown on the evening of Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. Acquire the Fire, a national tour for Christian youth, is expected to draw over 15,000 attendees to the First Mariner Arena on Friday night at 7 pm and Saturday at 9 am. There are also Orioles vs. Yankees games at Camden Yards on both Friday and Saturday evening starting at 7:05 pm.

 Expect heavy traffic Downtown Friday evening as well as throughout the day on Saturday. If you are planning on attending Acquire on Fire or the Orioles game, we highly encourage taking public transportation.

To avoid the congestion Downtown, please visit our alternative routes webpage at http://www.GetAroundDowntown.com for suggestions to Get Around Downtown.

When planning out your route, it should be noted that Lombard Street has been reopened to traffic. As always, visit http://www.GetAroundDowntown.com for updates and to sign up for congestion alerts.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Baltimore Metro, Light rail, MTA bus system, On the roads
        

Justin Pats of Alexandria, Va., got a rude surprise after the Orioles game Thursday night. He learned that the Maryland Transit Administration no longer operates the after-game charter buses that used to take riders who arrived by MARC back to their cars. What a way to put a damper on a victory.

Pats managed to get home because his father drive him back to Northern Virginia. Still, that was quite a haul for his father, who lives north of Baltimore.

Naturally, Pats is wondering what the score is and whether there are any good alternatives.

"As a season ticket holder this will become quite a hassle, especially coming up from NoVa in rush hour to see games. Have the Orioles taken any stance on this or provided any viable alternatives? Also, you mentioned there are charter buses "filling the void.' Do you have any more information on this so i can actually go back home after enjoying a complete O's game?"

Actually, Justin, I mentioned in a recent article that charter bus companies had filled the void for Ravens games. I wouldn't expect much help for Orioles fans.

The team really has no say in the matter. I'm sure they're unhappy about the discontinuation, but they didn't get a vote in the decision. I doubt they'll go into the bus business though.

It wasn't the MTA's call either. They discontinued the game buses under pressure from the Federal Transit Administration, which controls a hefty chunk of the MTA budget. The MTA's remaining service is constrained by the limitations of their one connection to D.C. – the B30 bus, which is run by the Washington Metro agency. And really you can’t blame WMATA for not building its B30 and subway schedule around the Orioles.

Don't look to charter operators to fill the void as they have for Ravens games because baseball crowds are smaller and less predictable. What would be profitable on a Yankees weekend would be a bust on a rainy Thursday with the White Sox in town. Neither the MTA nor the Maryland Stadium Authority is aware of any charter interest.

 So I’m afraid you’re just out of luck unless it’s a very fast game. The culprits, if you want to call them that, are the feds and the charter bus companies that pressed for the rule under the previous administration. These private operators really wanted the football business, but to get at it they needed a rule keeping public transit agencies from serving any athletic events. Orioles fans who live in the D.C. area are what you could call “collateral damage.”

 So if you want to get back to Alexandria via transit, you'll need to catch the last B30 bus that departs the BWI Business District at 10:44 p.m. and arrives at Greenbelt at 11:20 p.m. - 10 minutes before that station closes on weekdays. To be sure of catching the B30, riders have to catch the 10:08 p.m. light rail train to BWI. If the Light Rail is running late that could be cutting it close. So some eighth-inning departures may be a necessity.

One alternative, if you have a car but don't want to deal with Camden Yards parking costs and traffic, would be to drive to the North Linthicum light rail station, with its ample parking, and take a train in from there. You could also use the BWI Business District lot, but the return trains run half as frequently.

Or maybe set up a "Stranded O's Fans" group on Facebook and arrange a car pool. Sorry the news isn't better.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Light rail
        

Wednesday evening found me at the Centre Street light rail station, and since it took a while for a BWI train to make an appearance, I had some time to take in my surroundings.

What a waste!

The area of Howard and Centre in the evening has the feel not of blight but of abandonment. There's little pedestrian traffic, and the dim lighting gives the station a spooky feel. The 600 block of Howard is a strip of apparently vacant or underused buildings.

"Transit-oriented development" is a bit of a buzzword now in planning circles, but this is a corner that cries out for this medicine. It's convenient to  lively, healthy neighborhoods and there aren't a lot of existing renters to displace.  Gentrification that doesn't displace anybody. What's not to like?

 At 610 N. Howard St., on the west side of the street, there's a large, boarded-up commercial structure -- the former home of Planned Parenthood -- that cries out for mixed-use redevelopment. The vacant property is now up for sale for a cool $3.25 million. Oddly, there's an ad for  the property online that lists all of its features except for the light rail station right outside the front door.

Across the street is the old Greyhound bus station, with plenty of parking. Add a little neon and bring some life to the corner, and I could see a popular restaurant/nightspot there.

The southeast corner is a surface parking lot -- hardly the ideal use of a property right on a transit route.

That entire area within a block or two of the Centre Street Station needs a master developer to enter into a partnership with the city and Maryland Transit Administration to bring housing, offices, shops, restaurants and night life to the corner.

Maryland Department of Transportation Planning Director Don Halligan said the Centre Street Station is part of a planning process launched last year for redevelopment of the Howard Street corridor. He said the city and state see the opportunity there.

"This is the core of the city. It's the core of the system," he said. "We're trying to develop a strategy for the whole corridor so these small places don't get lost."

Fair enough. But there's something about "corridor strategies" that sounds suspiciously like decades of talk. A thought should be given to jump-starting development within a block of the station  and building out from there. Filling in that dark gap would connect Seton Hill with Mount Vernon and encourage people to use the station after the sun goes down.

But before we start drawing up a 20-year plan, could the city  and state please get together and  improve the lighting at the station? Now.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Light rail
        

This morning, for reasons that had nothing whatsoever to do with Earth Day, I decided to leave my car at the BWI Business District station and take the light rail into Baltimore.

It had been a few months since I'd taken the light rail into town, so what jumped out at me was the progress being made in clearing the waterfront at Westport for future development. The old eyesores that had blighted the area are gone, and the ground is smoothed-over and apparently ready for construction.

If I rode the light rail regularly, I would probably be tuning out the view from the window. But as an occasional rider, I always enjoy the perspective the light rail ride gives on Baltimore. There's an excellent view of the Hanover Street Bridge, an architectural gem, and the harbor crossing offers glimpses of both the city's industrial underbelly and what remains of the natural shoreline that greeted John Smith.

Anyway, it was an uneventful ride from BWI to Centre Street. There were plenty of free parking spaces. The ticket machines were working. The train was on time. The cars were clean. The wheels stayed on. Riders had plenty of room. Only one fellow rider was talking to himself out loud. The Maryland Transit Administration wasn't screwing up anything that I could see.

Sometimes this much-maligned system works just fine. Let's see how it works out tonight.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Light rail