Comments on Montgomery RTV has promise, but needs lanes and money - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by Capt. Hilts

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:19:28 EDT

If something like this could be used - along with a 3rd rail on surface lines - to help create express service to Shady Grove, it would be a big help.

Comment by kk

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:51:44 EDT

Here’s the problem with part of this

"Metrobus and the county's Ride On bus service would be restructured. New "feeder buses" would collect riders in neighborhoods and deliver them to rapid transit stations, reducing the need for park-and-ride lots."

We did this when the Metrorail was built and it pissed people off big time. Everytime a station has opened except for a small few such as Noma, Morgan Blvd & Benning Rd routes have been cut, or changed to the point where there is no purpose to them.

This was the point of the cheap fares in Anacostia because they cut every bus routes to end at Anacostia after it opened. It had there fares double and sometimes triple.

With the RTV would they be priced the same as regular Metrobus and RideOn routes or have express pricing; with the express pricing some may choose to not use it.

Comment by MLD

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:20:29 EDT

A warmer reception from some, and screaming about "social engineering" from others.

Transit advocates are CONSTANTLY making the argument that building transit means being able to build more densely and absorb future growth in a cheaper way. In fact, I think it is the #1 argument transit advocates make. You hardly ever hear the argument that new transit is going to magically turn all your trips into transit trips. The argument is that people can take trips during peak hours (work trips) which gets cars of the road when we need them gone most.

And what response do we get for these efforts? Seems hardly warm and cuddly to me:
A. We don't want more density!
B. All this density is just going to mean more traffic!
C. The government wants to force everyone to live in a tiny box apartment!
D. They're going to put up skyscrapers in our bucolic SFH neighborhood!

Comment by Cyclone

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:05:27 EDT

@Thayer

Thank you. That really is the best argument. Future TOD that will reduce infrastructure costs via density.

Trying to convince someone that lives in a Cul-d-sac in Germantown that they are going to use transit to get to visit a friend in a sprawl neighborhood in Gaithersburg just will not be well received. A bus trip between points like that would take 1.5+ hours vs a 15 min drive in a car. That argument will always lose.

But, when people learn about TOD on transit lines, and think about how they just need to travel from one TOD to another, and that most friends, shopping, services, & such are likely going to be on that line, then transit will get a warmer reception.

Comment by Thayer-D

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 07:13:37 EDT

The argument public transit advocates don't seem to make enough is that these networks will provide the armature for future growth rather than make everyone ditch their cars. The move away from car dependancy will be a long and slow evolution, but in the mean time we should be advancing these proposals as fast as we can.

Comment by Wayne Phyillaier

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:06:25 EDT

"We don't expect to get half the people out of their cars, but even if a small percentage do, it'll make a big difference," said Tina Slater.....

Just getting say 10% out of cars and onto RTV will make a big difference for everyone. Notice how much more freely traffic is flowing in August? It only takes a modest reduction in the total number of vehicles to change a street from congested to free flowing.