Transit
2010 wish list for transit
Since many transit projects have either broken ground or are in the engineering phase in the region, it is important to create long-term visions that will continue to make Greater Washington Greater.
Inside the Columbia Heights Metro. Photo by LollyKnit.
Some projects are new, while others repeat from last year's list because they were good ideas then and are good ideas now.
Build a southern entrance to Columbia Heights: A couple of weeks ago, I walked from my office near McPherson Square up to Columbia Heights. It was a very pretty walk up 14th St. NW. After passing U Street, I couldn't help but notice the gap in vibrance and new economic investment between Florida Avenue and the area surrounding the entrance to the Columbia Heights Metro.
Columbia Heights is a reverse cut-and-cover station. It is not too far below the surface, unlike a tunnel bore station like Wheaton. The single entrance to the Metro station is just north of the platform. There would be an improvement in ridership and economic development from having a second entrance to the south of the platform.
Many more residents who live between U St. and Columbia Heights would have convenient, fast transit access. More people would travel to the station in order take advantage of the amenities that would open near the new entrance. It would also be much cheaper to build a new entrance to a cut-and-cover station as opposed to a deep station like Woodley Park.
VA-7 light rail: Echoing Steve Offutt's vision for rail on VA-7, I envision this project as light rail. VA-7 is a main road in Northern Virginia that connects Alexandria to Tysons Corner and points west. It is also a spine that connects multiple ugly, gas guzzling edge cities that have lots of strip malls and acres of surface parking. Many of these strip malls are aging and would be prime Smart Growth redevelopment opportunities in the same vein as Rosslyn-Ballston.
I envision light rail rather than heavy rail because circumferential lines have traditionally had lower ridership than radial lines, although they tend to be less peak-focused. I also see this project as Virginia building their side of the Purple Line.
VA-7 has a lot of similarities to the current plans for the Purple Line. It connects traditional walkable urbanism, modern TOD, and post-war edge cities, both inside and outside the Favored Quarter. Most importantly, it offers connections to Maryland at the Wilson Bridge and at a to-be-named place east of Tysons. Like the existing plans for the Purple Line, challenges would include balancing speed and frequency of stations.
Complete the Purple Line: Between the VA-7 light rail vision, and the current Purple Line project, there is only one hole remaining in a completed Purple Line between New Carrollton and Alexandria. (There is also a hole between Tysons and Bethesda, but it is much smaller and has its unique challenges.) This past fall, Prince George's officials expressed interest in extending the Purple Line from New Carrolton to Largo through Suitland, (although there are proposals rerouting it to the Westphalia development) Oxon Hill, and National Harbor. This would be a long-term vision to be undertaken after the current plans for the Purple Line see groundbreaking.
National moratorium on highway building: My position has not changed. If anything, it has been calcified as we have experienced the highway lobby's misguided attempts to shove more highway projects down our collective throat. I can't remember who said that trying to solve automobile congestion by paving over more land is akin to trying to cure obesity by loosening one's belt. It's still true.
In Virginia, the laughable terms of the deal with Fluor-Transurban on the I-395 widening are a threat to suck money out of the Virginia budget for decades. Maryland is already experiencing sticker shock on the ICC.
I doubt that it was coincidence that the SHA and highway lobby attempted to get the I-270 widening passed in Montgomery County before toll pricing was discussed for the ICC. They wanted to take advantage of public perception of roads as "free." That project would have locked up money for new transportation projects in the state for decades. Projects like the ICC and the I-395 HOT lanes are emphasizing in the public consciousness that highways are huge, expensive projects with many negative externalities.
Close the Center Leg (I-395) between New York Ave and Massachusetts Ave: I reiterate what I said last year: "This segment induces through traffic on New York Avenue between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and the Center Leg. The existing open cut could potentially be decked over and used as a right of way for a future heavy rail Blue Line at much lower cost than tunneling the same distance."
Separated Blue Line: A separated Blue Line through a new tunnel at Rosslyn, through Georgetown, the West End, the Golden Triangle BID, the Convention Center, Union Station, and along H Street NE will add enormous new commuter capacity and serve important areas that the Metro currently doesn't reach. The separated Blue Line will both solve the problems associated with the zipper at Rosslyn and offer redundant east-west service in the urban core of the region.
Just as I wrote back in June in the wake of the Red Line crash, everyone would be better served by having redundant transfer stations. This project is of high importance to the whole region, not just the District of Columbia. Perhaps the WMATA member jurisdictions could reach some sort of construction funding compromise similar the existing formula that is employed for operations.
Commuters will be greatly positively affected in Virginia on both the Blue and Orange Lines. Commuters from Prince George's County wouldn't have to put up with service delays that reverberate from delays associated with the Rosslyn zipper. Service on both the Blue and Orange Line could be increased since they wouldn't have to share tracks in the District, affecting all three jurisdictions.
Rockville Pike streetcar/White Flint: A coalition of landowners surrounding the White Flint Metro have gotten together in favor of a vision to recreate Rockville Pike between White Flint Mall and Montrose Road into a human-scale walkable urban place similar to Bethesda. The landowners recognize the vision as both the right thing to do economically and environmentally as well as an honest business opportunity. It is rare that such a stark opportunity for Smart Growth presents itself. My detailed testimony on behalf of ACT to the Montgomery County Council can be found here.
A major part of transforming the area into a traditional human-scale town is evolving Rockville Pike from its current state as a dangerous too-wide suburban arterial into an urban boulevard similar to Connecticut Avenue between the White House and Dupont Circle. The new White Flint town would be well-served by some kind of super-local transit. A streetcar in the median of Rockville pike will serve as a traffic calming mechanism, a safe haven for pedestrians crossing the road, and contribute to an inviting urban feel.
This would all be accomplished without taking away any automobile lanes. Existing lanes would be narrowed from over 12 feet to 10 or 11 feet. Drivers would drive more cautiously while pedestrians would have less asphalt to cross. The landowners believe in the boulevardization of the Pike so much that they are willing to cede a few feet of their properties in order to make it work.
National high-speed rail: We saw a lot of really cool maps and schematics about national high-speed rail corridors, similar to the existing Acela. While we haven't seen much since, some preliminary funding for studying the project was put in the stimulus package.
The reasons for building High Speed Rail remain as compelling as last year: "Train stations are usually located in the heart of downtown, while airports tend to be located 50 miles away. [Their remote location induces car-dependent sprawl along their access highways.] Delivering people to a city's center will boost demand for amenities downtown. It will also increase demand for regional and local mass transit, since visitors will arrive in the city without cars. As we have seen with our own Union Station, vibrant intercity train stations are powerful ways to create a sense of place."
 | Cavan Wilk became interested in the physical layout and economic systems of modern human settlements while working on his Master's in Financial Economics. His writing often focuses on the interactions between a place's form, its economic systems, and the experiences of those who live in them. He lives in downtown Silver Spring.  |
Comments
@ggwash
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by Tim on Dec 23, 2009 12:53 pm • link • report
http://epw.senate.gov/107th/moe_3-17.htm
by uthanda on Dec 23, 2009 1:08 pm • link • report
by John on Dec 23, 2009 1:16 pm • link • report
I absolutely agree that high speed rail also needs to be a national priority. Rep. Oberstar's proposed highway reauthorization bill had $50B for high speed rail. Currently, it is considered a very ambitious goal for CA to get 25 percent of the expected $40B cost to build its planned high speed rail system from the federal government. The federal government paid for the construction of the interstate highway system on a 90/10 basis. Hopefully Congress will have the courage to raise the gas tax to fund high speed rail more generously.
by Ben on Dec 23, 2009 1:52 pm • link • report
Platforms for the Washington metro are really long, and somehow, people don't seem to walk along them, but they do mind walking much longer outside. We've all seen those maps with concentric circles showing a quarter mile, a half mile, three-quarters of a mile, and a full mile radius around a station entrance. Imagine what the new radii would look like if there were two entrances to Columbia Heights! There would be a continuous neighborhood all the way from U Street up 14th and past the Columbia Heights metro stop, all within easy walking distance to a metro stop.
by Thomas on Dec 23, 2009 2:52 pm • link • report
by J.D. Hammond on Dec 23, 2009 2:54 pm • link • report
by question on Dec 23, 2009 3:28 pm • link • report
Also, an entrance in the Harvard/Columbia/16th rat park would be way too far away from the station. You are right though that the sidewalks along Irving suck.
by MLD on Dec 23, 2009 3:43 pm • link • report
- Metro-like frequencies probably don't make sense that far out.
- If there's existing rail infrastructure than can be repurposed, it probably doesn't make fiscal sense to build Metro out there.
- Better regional rail might even draw some exurban riders away from Metro, reducing crowding without adding new Metro capacity or more auto traffic.
- All else being equal, redundancy in modes is beneficial. (Remember the June crash?)
Plus, as we just discussed on another post, improving MARC to BWI could significantly improve the experience there (at much less cost than building Metro to BWI).by Gavin Baker on Dec 23, 2009 4:00 pm • link • report
by Dan Miller on Dec 23, 2009 4:17 pm • link • report
How about a stop at 14th and Euclid or 14th and Clifton. It seems like a long stretch from U Street to CH, even if it's only a mile. Call it the Malcolm X Park stop to confuse the tourists.
by Matt W on Dec 23, 2009 4:25 pm • link • report
by ah on Dec 23, 2009 4:38 pm • link • report
Why does everyone refer to the company as metro when its W.M.A.T.A
Get a decision on the streetcars in DC regarding what type of power feeder they can use; pick one or make a compromise once in for all so service can start and benefit the areas that had to deal with the construction crap. It wont seem worth for them to go through all the construction if trains wont be running until 2030
Get W.M.A.T.A to come up with a new fare system or at least talk about one.
Im against the National Highspeed Rail because it is not a national highspeed rail network its just highspeed rail in certain regions across the country; if they cant get at least one line half way across the distance of the lower 48 states i'll support it
by kk on Dec 23, 2009 6:20 pm • link • report
by kk on Dec 23, 2009 6:25 pm • link • report
1. Metro: All 8-car trains at rush hour; shorter headways off-peak. Use what we got better before extending the system. 20 minute headways are absolutely unacceptable. And Metro is talking about lengthening them!
2. MARC & VRE: All day and weekend service.
(Both of these require more operating funds rather than more capital investment -- though they do require some capital investment. The battle of the next couple of years is going to be working to increase operating funds for existing transit.)
3. MARC: Through-running to L'Enfant Plaza, Crystal City and Alexandria. Needs more capacity and electrification between Union Station and interlock AF. But it's still cheap, low tens of millions.
4. Streetcars/Light Rail: West End of Alexandria -- Kingstowne, Van Dorn, Landmark, the BRAC mess at Mark Center, NVCC, Bailey's Crossroads. Back in the '60s, the early Metro plans showed lines into or through the West End of Alexandria. Even the Adopted Regional Plan showed one as a future possibility. This has been a recognized need for the last half-century.
5. Streetcars/Light Rail: Alexandria-Annandale-Fairfax City along 236. Connecting to the King Street Metro and VRE (and through-running MARC) at Alexandria.
6. Agree on closing the Center Leg
7. Metro: Infill stations. At least Bluestone/Quaker Lane and Potomac Yards. Is there another on the Red Line north of Fort Totten?
8. Metro: Separated Blue Line.
9. HSR: Locally a major upgrade of NYC-DC, plus upgrades of the feeder lines into Washington: Upgrade and electrify Washington-Richmond; upgrade Washington-Lynchburg (if the relatively few at-grade crossings between Manassas and Lynchburg were closed or grade separated, and the curve into Culpeper was bypassed, trains could reach Regional HSR on that stretch); upgrade Washington-Cumberland and as much of Cumberland-Pittsburgh as possible.
by jim on Dec 23, 2009 6:40 pm • link • report
Your arguments against highway building make a better case for a "moratorium" in urban areas instead of a blanket moratorium, which I'd be against, having been on numerous rural corridors across the country where the only way to improve them and solve some of the safety issues would be to build a new alignment.
Not familliar enough with Rockville Pike to comment, but generally agree with the rest.
by Froggie on Dec 23, 2009 9:41 pm • link • report
I don't see a new cost-effective infill station on the Red Line north of Fort Totten. Maybe, maybe (and I do mean maybe) a Kansas Avenue station between Fort Totten and Takoma, but that's only if Fort Totten gets properly reinvested with good TOD. Then, the economic demand would be there for a Kansas Avenue station.
North of Silver Spring, the line dives very deep underground underneath bedrock. Building another station between Forest Glen and Glenmont would be very, very expensive. The funds could be better used on another project. (disclosure: I live in Wheaton and have a 10 minute walk to the Metro) I don't see a cost-effective use of tunneling another escalator that's the longest in the Western Hemisphere for decades.
It also needs to be noted that adding a new entrance to an existing station and building a new station are very different planning tools. Building a new entrance would be under $100 million, maybe under $50 million depending on specific engineering conditions while building a new station on a Metro line is in the $100-$400 million range. Very different cost ranges for very different planning tools. The new Metro station is to create a new urban neighborhood out of parking lots like in NoMa (New York Avenue Station) or Potomac Yards. Very large tax return on investment. The new entrance is to attract new investment into existing human settlements like in Columbia Heights or a new southern entrance to Bethesda.
by Cavan on Dec 23, 2009 11:24 pm • link • report
by Squalish on Dec 24, 2009 12:45 am • link • report
Get a decision on the streetcars in DC regarding what type of power feeder they can use; pick one or make a compromise once in for all so service can start and benefit the areas that had to deal with the construction crap. It wont seem worth for them to go through all the construction if trains wont be running until 2030.
by Trulee Pist on Dec 24, 2009 1:06 am • link • report
1 leave space for future expansion within all stations
2 space for new platforms/tracks/entrances/wide platforms
3 design stations all stations to be functional for the disabled
4 elevators at every entrance
5 less need for multiple sets of escalators if more than 2 or more than a certain depth(use elevators; no more rosslyn, woodley park, van ness, bethesda, medical center, dupont circle type stations especially woodley park and van ness with three sets of escalators)
6 Look at options from all over the world and how they run a rail system
7 Just make sure mistakes of the past are not repeated.
@ Jim
They really dont need a station there; they just need bus service that is beyond the current 7am-6pm K2. One I can say the area needs is defiantly more bus service beyond the k2 perhaps rerouting it to serve areas on both sides of the tracks more; merging the k1 back with it. There needs to be something that can serve the area between 5th street nw & eastern ave I dont think it needs to be a station though.
If you put a station there placing one between Brookland and Ft. Totten at Taylor ST would have to come first; theres a university on one corner another is near providence hospital and then you have a highschool up the street and a large apartment complex and the current buses that travel there H8, H9 are always full there.
by kk on Dec 24, 2009 1:09 am • link • report
by Wes on Dec 24, 2009 3:20 am • link • report
The Duke St. side of the railroad tracks. Between Duke St. and the CSX tracks from Telegraph Rd. almost to Holmes Run is mostly low density. The north side of Duke St. there's been some development, mostly converting SFH zoning to townhouse zoning, though. The south side of Duke St, apart from some new City facilities, nada.
When they built that section of the Blue Line, they made provision for a station there. On the Metro track diagrams, it's called Quaker Lane, so there was clear intent for there to be access to it from the Duke St. corridor.
by jim on Dec 24, 2009 8:25 am • link • report
by Alex B. on Dec 24, 2009 9:52 am • link • report
Why not connect Hunnington to the blue line ? It would cost alot but in the end it would be better for everyone.
You could have one line going down to alexandria go to Hunnington then make a uturn and head back up to a Eisenhower Valley station and on to Springfield
by kk on Dec 24, 2009 4:51 pm • link • report
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