tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71737169836833868902023-11-16T06:35:46.813-05:00PhilatransportA place to share whatever transportation stuff is on my mind...Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-4911754338974782212013-02-06T23:47:00.001-05:002013-02-06T23:47:36.171-05:00Prohibiting Jughandles in NJ[a letter written to my state senator in New Jersey, slightly edited, in response to <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/end_of_the_jersey_left_ban_on.html" target="_blank">this article</a>]<br />
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Greetings <a href="mailto:senholzapfel@njleg.org" target="_blank">Senator Holzapfel</a>,</div>
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[introductory paragraph; identifying myself as a traffic engineer & my roots/family in his voting district]</div>
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I am writing in response to an article on NJ.com about your proposal to prohibit jughandles. I appreciate your concerns, as I do agree that in some cases: yes, sending motorists through an intersection twice may not be ideal; and of even greater concern: the right-of-way demands and impacts to bicycles and pedestrians cannot be ignored.</div>
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Increasing densities & greater embracement of healthy lifestyles is fueling a resurgence in walking & bicycling. The high land values in our county also mean that each jughandle is potentially sitting on valuable land; land that could be generating jobs & tax revenue if sold to private interests.</div>
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However, there are some cases where jughandles <i>can </i>be appropriate, and in fact we have installed several in Maryland -- where they are <i>not </i>the norm -- quite deliberately because the circumstances were suitable. Two prime examples:</div>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">A high right-turn volume from a preceding intersection subsequently turned left at the next intersection, creating a high-volume weave. This can be dangerous, particularly under highly-trafficked conditions, and the use of a jughandle eliminates that weave.</li>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">A situation where left-turn volumes are relatively low as compared to crossing through volumes, but overall volumes are not high enough that grade-separation is desirable or affordable. Sending would-be left-turns around jughandles lets the signal operate with only 2 phases rather than 3 or 4. This can offer a significant operational improvement.</li>
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In this sense I find sympathy with <a href="mailto:info@njleg5.com" target="_blank">Senator Donald Norcross</a>' opposition to your proposal. Legislators should not take the role of engineers -- this is precisely why engineers must be professionally licensed to practice in each state. <span style="color: red;">I oppose any outright prohibition on jughandles</span>, as this "big government" action unnecessarily constrains engineers from potentially using a treatment which could be the best solution for local residents, businesses, and taxpayers.</div>
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I would support a statement from the legislature clarifying to New Jersey transportation agencies that jughandles are <i>not preferred</i>, which can help guide our transportation agencies in their evaluations of each intersection & their identification of the best treatments available. This may especially important to areas where land is scarce or where pedestrians & bicyclists are a critical element.</div>
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Thank you for your time.</div>
Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-38853096768651818112012-12-19T09:29:00.000-05:002012-12-19T09:29:20.319-05:00DC Bikeshare ExpansionBelow are the comments I've submitted to <a href="mailto:ddot.bikeshare@dc.gov">DDOT</a> on the <a href="http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/On+Your+Street/Bicycles+and+Pedestrians/Bicycles/Bicycle+Sharing">proposed Capital Bikeshare expansion locations</a>:<br />
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11/M Move to NE corner for more sunlight?</div>
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17/Mass Would prefer at 17/P, plus another perhaps at 16/M or a pair on each side of <st1:street>Scott Circle</st1:street>.</div>
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18/Wyoming Would prefer at 18/Kalorama; this is rather close to the existing station at FL/Cali.</div>
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20/VA Very close to 3 other stations. Could 23/C or 18/D be a better fit?</div>
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Ellington This makes a stronger case than Calvert/Woodley as it better-serves the bus stop. Could Calvert/Woodley be moved nearer to Woodley Park Metro?</div>
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<st1:street>Hiatt Pl</st1:street> Shift westward to front onto <st1:street>16<sup>th</sup> St</st1:street>? Perhaps another dock at 14/Irving?</div>
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NJ/R Shift northward nearer to NY/RI? Perhaps another dock around 5/Q?</div>
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WI/O Recognising that space is tight, might WI/P be possible, instead? Better aligns w/ <st1:street>P St</st1:street> bridge; possibly nearer to <st1:state>Wisconsin</st1:state>. Increases coverage to north, especially paired w/ proposed O/Potomac spot.</div>
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DE/M Might 2/N be a better spot to spread coverage from the existing 1/M station? Or are the <st1:stockticker>MBT</st1:stockticker> access & Uline enough to justify such closely-paired stations?</div>
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RIA Metro Consider shifting along access loop nearer to Metro station; perhaps another dock in the large parking lots to the east.</div>
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3/Tingey NJ/M provides good DOT+Metro coverage. Shifting 3/Tingey south to 3/Water might be more conveniently suited for <st1:place><st1:placename>Yards</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>? Unless this is intended as a backup station for Nationals or USDOT use.</div>
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MN/Burroughs Isn’t there already a station here?</div>
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13/U This is mislabeled or misplaced: labeled 13/U but placed at 14/U. If the latter: 14/U already has a station nearby; strongly recommend a station at the metro station between 12/13 before another at 14/U.</div>
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Ely/FtDupont How does the Ice Rink’s demand compare with potential locations at 37/B/Ridge or D/Ridge?</div>
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16/MN Consider whether 18/R/MN might offer better coverage than 16/S/MN (though admittedly the location you guys propose appears to have more room)</div>
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More in Le Droit Park area, in order of preference:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>5/Bryant (HU commons)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>West side of HUH</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>NY/RI</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>1/W NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>9/V</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>2<sup>nd</sup> btwn W/Adams</div>
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More in Foggy Bottom, in order of preference:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>22/G</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>19/G</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>23/H</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>21/H</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>21/F</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>25/NH/F</div>
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More in Adams Morgan, in order of preference:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>18/Mintwood</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>19/Belmont</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>18/Kalorama</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>20/Columbia</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>23/Wyoming</div>
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More in <st1:city>Georgetown</st1:city>, in order of preference:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>WI/P</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>M/Potomac</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GU – SW corner of Harbin Field</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GU – Between New South & Gervase Bldg</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GU – <st1:place>Red Square</st1:place></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>WI/N</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:place><st1:placename>Georgetown</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place> Cul-de-Sac</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>30/Q</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>35/Volta</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>37/S</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>35/M</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>26/O</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GU – Between <st1:place><st1:placename>Henle</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Village</st1:placetype></st1:place> & Radiology</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>30/Dumbarton</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:street>Hillandale Dr</st1:street> / Ivy Ter</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>35/R</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GU – NE corner of N Kehoe Field, by Hotel / Convention Center</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>R / <st1:place><st1:placename>Montrose</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> / Dumbarton Oaks</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Q / <st1:street>Mill Rd</st1:street></div>
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Greater coverage in <st1:place>Trinidad</st1:place>, in no order:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>FL/12/K</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Montello/Holbrook</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>W or SW corner of Trinidad Playground block, near Childress or Meigs</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>17/M</div>
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General coverage on the Mall, in no order: (minding role of NPS / AoC / White House)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>South side of WWII Memorial, at bus facility</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>East side of <st1:place><st1:placename>Washington</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Monument</st1:placetype></st1:place>, at restrooms</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Sylvan Theater</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:place><st1:placename>American</st1:placename> <st1:placename>History</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:place><st1:placename>Natural</st1:placename> <st1:placename>History</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>DE / <st1:street>Northeast Dr</st1:street></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>NJ / <st1:street>Southeast Dr</st1:street></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>16/H NW</div>
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General high-priority spots around DC, in no particular order:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Near-Southwest/Southeast:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>12/Maine SW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Water St SW at Arena Stage</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Canal/N SW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>2/Q SW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Half/M SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>19/Burke SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Northeast:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Gallaudet – <st1:street>Lincoln Circle</st1:street> between <st1:place><st1:placetype>Hall</st1:placetype> <st1:placename>Memorial</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Bldg & Hanson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Plaza</st1:placetype></st1:place></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Gallaudet – Parking lot near <st1:place><st1:placename>Model</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Secondary School</st1:placetype></st1:place> for the Deaf & MSSD Gym+Pool</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Meadow/Hickey (Arboretum)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>NY Ave Arboretum Access/Lots</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>31/Banneker NE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>13/Brentwood NE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:place><st1:placename>Brentwood</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Rec</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> (near 14/Downing NE)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>14/Saratoga NE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Catholic U – Between McMahon Hall & Basilica</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Catholic U – North side of central parking lot</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Michigan/Randolph NE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:place><st1:placename>Providence</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place> – on 12<sup>th</sup> just north of <st1:place><st1:city>Varnum</st1:city> <st1:state>NE</st1:state></st1:place></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Northwest:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GA/Alaska/Eastern/Kalmia NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>14/FtStevens NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GA/MO NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>NH/Ingraham NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>14/Oak/Ogden NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>GA/Morton NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>14/Irving NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>12/Clifton NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>9/Euclid NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>6/Howard NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:street>Bryant St NW</st1:street> at Howard U Commons</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:street>U St</st1:street> between 12/13 NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>McKinley HS</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>3/O NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>10/RI NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>I St NW at Gonzaga athletic field</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>14/I NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>15/I NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>19/G NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>22/G NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>23C NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>17/D NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>15/NJ/FL/W NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>18/Mintwood NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>19/Belmont NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>17/Fuller NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>West of Rock Creek:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>24/Connecticut NW</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>National Cathedral main cul-de-sac</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>American U – Service stub between Graydon Center & McKinley Bldg</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>American U – Service road between <st1:place>Clark</st1:place>, McCabe, Letts Halls</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>George Washington U – Just east of tennis courts off <st1:street>Whitehaven Pkwy NW</st1:street></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>East of <st1:place><st1:placename>Anacostia</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>River</st1:placetype></st1:place>:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Anacostia/Ponds NE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Centered in neighborhood bounded by Jay St & <st1:street>Hayes St NE</st1:street></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Division/Brooks/Blaine NE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>37/Ridge/B SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>51/Fitch SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:state>Alabama</st1:state> / Hilltop Ter SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Southern / <st1:place>Suitland</st1:place> SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>18/Minnesota/R SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>23/T SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Stanton/Hillsdale SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Wade/Eaton SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>St E’s Hospital – Main Door</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Stanton/Bruce SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>21/Savannah SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>25/Southern SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><st1:street>13<sup>th</sup> Pl</st1:street> / <st1:street>Congress St SE</st1:street></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>2/Savannah SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>4/Mississippi SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>United <st1:place><st1:placename>Medical</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> (13/Southern SE)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Wheeler/Barnaby SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>SCap / <st1:place>Atlantic</st1:place> / <st1:state>Mississippi</st1:state></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>4/Livingston SE</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Apartments between <st1:street>Galveston St SW</st1:street> and <st1:street>Ivanhoe St SW</st1:street>, east of <st1:street><st1:stockticker>MLK</st1:stockticker> Ave</st1:street></div>
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Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-55117518513901291512012-09-05T23:59:00.001-04:002012-09-06T00:13:43.293-04:00Automated Photo Enforcement in DC (Part II)<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This is written in response to <a href="http://philatransport.blogspot.com/2012/09/automated-photo-enforcement-in-dc.html?showComment=1346895208571#c3518304488693829019">the first comment</a> on my post regarding <a href="http://philatransport.blogspot.com/2012/09/automated-photo-enforcement-in-dc.html">Automated Enforcement in DC</a>. This comment raised some excellent points, though I suspect that the commenter and myself may differ on a few fundamental opinions of the role of automated enforcement: so I'll at least attempt to further clarify my thoughts:</span><br />
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I suppose it’s also worth clarifying that I am also a DC resident, though my professional work is across the border in Maryland. My commute consists of driving twice a week and a mix of 2 miles of walking along with a long transit ride the remaining 8 commuting trips, so I do have daily experience – as a user; not just an outsider’s view – across a number of modes.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">>>> <i>85th percentile driver does not represent "passing" behavior.</i> <<<</span></div>
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I agree that this is an easily-criticized metric and will readily admit a degree of bias for it given that, as a traffic engineer, that is one of the primary metrics with which we are raised to use. I absolutely agree that <i>only </i>using the 85<sup>th</sup>percentile speed would be a highly flawed methodology, hence why I also reference use of the 10 MPH pace data as an indicator of the range of speeds. From my experience in urban, suburban, and rural situations I have found both of these considerations to be quite helpful in considering whether the speed limit is appropriate. My references to “passing/failing” or letter-graded percentages of motorists is not meant to solely reflect the 85<sup>th</sup>percentile, but to consider some other measurable factors – with pace data being especially important.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">>>> <i>In practice, it's a fair assumption that 10-15% of any population consists of scofflaws, 10-15% are angels</i> <<<</span></div>
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I don’t dispute this part at all. Actually part of the 85<sup>th</sup> percentile metric (which comes from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Bell Curve</a>) also allows that same logic that if 15% are grade F drivers; 15% are also grade A drivers. Of course, this does simplify somewhat… it’s tough to picture many grade A drivers out there. Then again, it’s also worth keeping in mind observational bias: we readily notice lousy drivers but the good drivers fade into the background.</div>
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Also, those “grade A” drivers could be someone else’s grade F: someone driving with their right blinker always on will at least be right some of the time, just as a clock flashing 12:00 will be right twice a day; and someone driving 45 MPH on I-95 could be arguably responsible at remaining within the designated speed limit, but may be a surprise and safety hazard to the rest of traffic not expecting it. So as noted: my use of “passing/failing” and letter-grades is admittedly a simplification of the immense complexity of the issue.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">>>> <i>The remainder determines whether to violate the law on the basis of economic and social norms. In the traffic context, we have a well-established norm of non-compliance </i><<<</span></div>
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Our roads tend to be designed about 5-10 MPH over the speed limit that they are ultimately posted for. People tend to drive nearer to the design speeds than posted speeds. It’s not just slack enforcement that lets people get away with 5-10 over; it’s the design of our roads from the get-go.</div>
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Now that’s not to say I’m advocating adding 5-10 MPH onto each speed limit, just because the road is designed for something higher. Instead of converting an urban local road’s 25 MPH limit to a more arterial-like 35 MPH; I’d sooner support redesigning the road so that it isn’t 35 MPH but is instead designed for 25 MPH.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">>>> <i>Road construction … consistently favors expansion and road 'safety' designs that encourage higher throughput, including higher speeds ;; roads are overbuilt for non-peak loading and encourage speeds that are in many cases unsafe for cyclists, pedestrians, and even other vehicle operators</i> <<<</span></div>
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I agree that in the interest of serving peak periods, we design roads for a higher speed than we post them. This overdesign comes both in additional capacity (more lanes) as well as roads capable of higher speeds (fewer horizontal & vertical curvature; wider lanes; larger clear zones; increased separation of users).</div>
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However, I believe the capacity element can be separated out of the speed discussion, as both high-capacity and low-capacity roads can operate at lower speeds. While additional lanes certainly contributes toward higher speeds, on major arterials I’ve seen successful uses of vertical displacement (speed humps, speed tables, speed cushions), horizontal displacement (chicanes), signals coordinated for lower speeds, and even shared space environments.</div>
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Common to New Zealand and Italy (and surely many more places) are downtown arterials where, every day, a crew puts out reflective barriers, planters, and chairs+tables to narrow an arterial down to a single lane (and in some cases even restrict completely). During the peaks they opening up additional lanes (sometimes for reversible flow), storing the street furniture along the edge of the wide sidewalks or at an off-site location. The crews tend to be financed by partnerships between the government and the local business community, which benefits by operating their cafés within the additional space.</div>
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There isn’t anything physically stopping us from implementing those; it’s just policy. Jurisdictions don’t want horizontal displacement because of impacts to emergency response, but a properly designed hump/table shouldn’t slow anyone down at all; and a speed cushion could still permit emergency response to travel even faster. Concerns about horizontal/vertical displacement surprising motorists & posing safety risks miss the point of a program versus a spot treatment: do it only here & there and yes, it’ll surprise the users; but make it consistent and it will become less and less of an issue.</div>
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As far as the physics of moving traffic goes: a 10-20 MPH road could arguably be considered optimal, as beyond that speed the increases in predicted flow becomes prone to diminishing returns (<a href="http://www.transportpolicy.org.uk/Future/20mph/20mph.htm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">see Fig.4</a>), and in practice there are many studies finding that a speed of about 20-30 MPH achieves optimum vehicle density (<a href="http://www.tft.pdx.edu/greenshields/docs/greenshields_1935_1.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">see Fig.6</a>- <i>though I believe more recent studies have suggested a 25-35 MPH range</i>).</div>
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The saturation point (when traffic jams start to form) also varies relatively little based on speed (<a href="http://www.sidrasolutions.com/documents/AA_SpeedFlowModels_UninterruptedFacilities.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">see Fig.7.1</a>). And on facilities with frequent interruptions (such as signals), a road’s saturation point becomes less relevant; and on short cycle lengths under congested conditions (as with an urban area): higher speeds becomes of less concern when it comes to the capacity of signalized intersections. By the time the queue has started up and achieved free flow speed: the green is ready to gap out and move on to the next phase. And signals can be coordinated for whatever speed is desired.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">>>> <i>In the practical world, however, funding and other resources are limited, and such projects are difficult or impossible to achieve. Strict traffic enforcement, whether through cameras or other means, is a necessary and effective mechanism to assure public safety as well as raise needed revenue in support of road calming measures. </i><<<</span><i></i></div>
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I’m not necessarily against using cameras to finance modifications <i>per se</i>. One of the items I propose is exactly that: requiring that revenue be dedicated toward alleviating the issue that is causing it. Indeed, I have a bias toward this in that that money would help fund the very industry I work in :)</div>
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On the one hand, that revenue could potentially go toward fixes at spots along lesser arterials and more local streets where the standard traffic calming toolbox can work well. But many of our arterials – particularly many roads named after states – just aren’t feasible to calm so easily: they’re wide, straight, and carry high volumes. It’s possible to implement a design to slow them down, but we need to consciously decide what we want: a slow road or a fast road. If we <i>really</i> want a slow road: perhaps we need to reconsider our policies that keep us from designing a high-capacity but lower-speed road. Otherwise, dedicated revenue might just end up accumulating in a pot that’ll never be spent.</div>
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One alternative could be to pool revenue into a fund that goes toward calming treatments anywhere, or perhaps follow in Maryland’s footsteps where revenue goes toward a general goal of public safety. Revenue in Maryland is dispersed across fire/EMS, police, and transportation projects, and each subsequent agency sometimes has a broad definition of how “public safety” is defined… I’m not sure how Chevy Chase’s interest in purchasing Tasers (<a href="http://origin.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=92247" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">WUSA</a>) with their funds helped do much <i>traffic </i>safety, even if it may technically fall within the letter of the law for <i>public </i>safety. My preference is for greater specificity toward a goal of <i>traffic</i> safety and, in particular, design; but DC could chart its own course and choose the definitions & designations it deems the best fit.</div>
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Targeting the worst 15% is one thing, but if the remaining 70% remain fair game on account of road design: where revenue is considered we just need to be honest, as the voting public, with what it is that we really want. The primary criticism against speed cameras is that they feel like they’re solely revenue generators, and so if that <i>is </i>what we want them to be: we need to be honest with ourselves that that is what they are going to be – revenue-oriented rather than safety-oriented.</div>
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But it’s also worth keeping in mind that it is exactly this criticism which has undone a number of automated enforcement programs around the country and around the world. Going down this path could potentially doom the entire program should public backlash turn starkly against it. And if that happens: both revenue and safety become a moot point.</div>
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Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-35269471920945592292012-09-04T20:48:00.001-04:002012-09-06T00:05:29.501-04:00Automated Photo Enforcement in DC<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Emailed on 4 September 2012...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-TO-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jonathon Kass (jkass@dccouncil.us)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Will Handsfield (whandsfield@dccouncil.us)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Thomas Wells (twells@dccouncil.us)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Mary Cheh (mcheh@dccouncil.us)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Jack Evans (jackevans@dccouncil.us)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Vincent Gray (eom@dc.gov)</span></span></div>
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As a traffic engineer I am generally supportive of enforcement in all its forms, but recogise that it is the last tier of our approach to safety: engineering, education, and enforcement. From my experience working with automated enforcement in Maryland I wanted to share some input on its continued implementation in DC, as I have some concerns of how the programs operate on both sides of the border and wanted to share some suggestions on how DC’s program might be improved:</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Appropriate Speed Limits</u></span></i></b></div>
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Maryland's <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a> includes a requirement that speed limits be "established using generally accepted traffic engineering practices". While in practice police agencies have not sought counsel with transportation agencies to confirm this: I believe it to be an important criterion toward ensuring cameras are properly placed and target legitimate offenders; not the general populace burdened by a road that is improperly designed.</div>
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I'm an urbanist and avid supporter of walking, biking, and transit. I support slow-speed roads; but we can't just slap a sign on it and call it a day. Inappropriate speed camera placements are dangerous for all users: sudden braking & lane changes can result in rear-end, sideswipe, and departure-from-road (fixed object, ped/bike) collisions. Furthermore, motorists eyes become attuned to their speedometer and not the roadway -- yet another hazard for everyone. Borrowing from traffic engineering parlance: enforcement should be picking off the upper 15% echelon of offenders; not the remaining 85% of regular motorists. When reaching into that 85%: it’s not the drivers who are wrong; it’s the road that’s wrong.</div>
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Speed studies at DDOT should consider the 85th percentile speed, which tends to reflect a motorist's natural behavior. If we wish to reduce speeds: we must implement traffic calming methods: road diets, street furniture, narrowed lanes, chicanes, speed humps/tables, etc. Speed studies should also consider the percent within a 10 MPH pace, which is an indicator of the range of speeds -- a greater range means a greater discomfort with conditions and an increased risk of collisions. A larger percentage within the pace lends greater support that the 85th percentile speed is representative of the natural driving speed for those conditions.</div>
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Furthermore, speed limits signs should be posted at the start of any block with an automated enforcement camera. This ensures that motorists have been made duly aware of the law – including those who have just turned onto the roadway. In cases where speed limits are reduced by 10 or more MPH – particularly within close proximity to a speed cameras – <a href="http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/BusinessWithSHA/bizStdsSpecs/desManualStdPub/publicationsonline/oots/pdf/W3-5.pdf">W3-5 "Speed Reduction"</a> signs must be properly installed and maintained.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Speed Slack</u></span></i></b></div>
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Maryland's <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a> now triggers citations at a minimum 12 MPH over the posted speed limit, and in its initial form the slack was 11 MPH. As long as speed limits are regularly posted beneath 85<sup>th</sup> percentile speeds: I feel this slack is at least someone applicable; but in a more ideal case whereby roads are properly designed for the desired speeds: I would support an elimination of such slack and adherence to a “speeding is speeding” philosophy. But again, enforcement should be targeting that 15% of “F” drivers; not the rest that have a passing grade.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Appropriate Clearance Intervals</u></span></i></b></div>
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Similar to ensuring appropriate speed limits for speed cameras, appropriate clearance intervals should be set in accordance with adopted DDOT policy for any traffic signals with red light cameras. Such policies will typically consider grades, operating speeds, posted speed limits, sight distance, signal coordination (green waves & red waves), and occasionally some other factors. Red light running tends to be prominent where clearance intervals are too short for conditions, signal heads are poorly located, &/or where signal coordination encourages speeding (commuters are quick to learn where <i>not</i>speeding means they get stuck at a red).</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Demonstrated Safety Risk</u></span></i></b></div>
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DDOT should be tasked with documenting the safety risk that justifies installation of the automated enforcement. I specify DDOT rather than police agencies because traffic engineering staff have the professional expertise to properly interpret collision data and on-the-ground conditions. With all due respect to police staff: they are not licensed to interpret collision data and on-the-ground conditions, whereas the professional licensure to practice traffic engineering includes knowledge of how to analyse and interpret collision data. Though I certainly concede that police officers be consulted by DDOT staff leading the analysis, as police can still provide a wealth of information that may not be readily available to a traffic engineer. Engineering judgment may be permitted in cases where no collision history exists, but documentation should be maintained as to why the automated enforcement was justified proactively.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>School Cameras</u></span></i></b></div>
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Maryland's <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a> requires that cameras installed under the school warrant operate during school hours only. I support this. If there are other safety issues beyond just the school to address, so be it; but if it is *only* the school then it should only be operating when the school is operating (after-school programs may be included).</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Minimum of Two Time-Stamped Photos</u></span></i></b></div>
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Maryland's <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a> requires that speed cameras obtain “at least two time-stamped images of the motor vehicle that includes the same stationary object near the motor vehicle.” This requirement helps provide additional evidence in ensuring that the camera is operating properly and, when it is functioning properly, can help provide additional evidence for use in prosecuting offenders. It provides clear proof of speed via the simple <i>distance = speed * time</i> equation to complement the more complex radar- &/or laser-based system measurements.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Require Regular Inspections</u></span></i></b></div>
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Maryland's
<a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a> requires daily inspections of speed cameras. I support this for all types of automated enforcement: it is a good step toward building public trust in the system. It's also important to remember that weekend inspections are also necessary (this has resulted in a number of tickets being dismissed in Maryland).</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Base Fine Amount</u></span></i></b></div>
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The base fine should be an initial amount to deter violators from treating it as a fee that <i>allows</i> one to drive illegally. Research shows that higher fines do not change behavior. Furthermore, higher fines can add to burden of court system from violators seeking to contest the charges. I am fond of Maryland's $40 fine established under
<a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a>, though I do know anecdotally that on rare occasion people consider than an acceptable price to speed (in each case this is a mindset only on the work zone cameras on expressways, where a motorist is likely to only pass one camera and be readily capable of operating at a high speed). I believe a $40-$50 base fine would be a reasonable amount for DC, except perhaps $50-$60 should any cameras be justified for placement on an expressway.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Graduated Fines</u></span></i></b></div>
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While acknowledging the previous paragraph in that higher fines do not tend to result in changes in behavior, that's not to say I'm entirely against a certain degree of retribution against the most egregious offenders.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Regressive Fines</u></span></i></b></div>
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Fines (as we apply them today) are regressive. Fines linked to a person’s income (as is used in some European countries) may be more equitable if it’s deemed feasible to implement.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>Dedicated Revenue</u></span></i></b></div>
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Revenue should be dedicated specifically toward addressing the safety issue that the camera is intended to address.</div>
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Red light cameras, for example, might fund the maintenance and operations of signal systems -- including a corridor timing study at that location; or perhaps resurfacing along intersection approaches to make drivers more comfortable with stopping on what might be a worn, slick surface. Speed cameras might fund traffic calming treatments, of which there's a large toolbox of options for every road.</div>
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The public goal of an automated enforcement camera is to earn zero revenue; to operate at a loss. We *want* the problem at the cameras to go away so that there's nothing left to enforce. Keeping revenue local to the camera can help people understand that the fines are going directly toward reducing fines and improving safety.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><u>No Per-Citation Contracts</u></span></i></b></div>
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As noted, the public goal is to earn zero revenue & operate the cameras at a loss. This is in direct conflict with a private goal of maximising revenue and operating at a profit. While Maryland's <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/articles_net/pdf_output/gtr/21-809.pdf">§21-809</a> attempts to address this, I have been displeased with its interpretation and implementation by jurisdictions whereby police are officially the operators but still pay private companies maintenance fees on a per-citation basis. It is my opinion that per-citation contracts with private entities is a direct conflict of interest and must be avoided. This is critical toward building public trust in the system. The role of private companies should be that of supply, design, installation, and maintenance; not any degree (or even insinuation) of an operations role.</div>
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<i>Update 2012.09.05, 1955</i> - Received an email from Jonathan Kass at 1:20am last night (!) asking I give him a call when I'm able. Very quick response & at such a late hour! Unfortunately my daytime schedule makes it a bit tricky to call folk, but I'll update this post if the discussion convinces me to change any of the above thoughts or to add in some more.<br />
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<i>Update 2012.09.05, 2355</i> - In response to a comment below, I've added <a href="http://philatransport.blogspot.com/2012/09/automated-photo-enforcement-in-dc-part.html">a follow-up post</a> to offer a bit more elaboration and clarification.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-52902726511107782292012-06-24T18:30:00.001-04:002012-07-09T22:04:45.776-04:00Pedestrian MOT for Special Events<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7539742640_0039f07bff_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7539742640_0039f07bff_z_d.jpg" width="320" /></a><i>This is retooled from an email I wrote to Mayor Vincent Gray and my Councilmember, Jack Evans (whose constituency includes this particular area), with a carbon-copy to the District Dept. of Transportation after some experiences with navigating around a special events in downtown DC today. The subject line of this post refers to "Maintenance of Traffic", which is engineer-speak for what paths users take around a closure.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The variety of festivals and activities that come to DC are one of the very things that inspired me to move into DC from the suburbs: every weekend brings something unique to do. I am delighted that we have events such as the recent Barbecue Battle to enliven our city both for locals as well as tourists.</span><br />
<br />
This annual festival is but one of a long listing of special events that take place along Pennsylvania Avenue as well as elsewhere throughout DC, regularly introducing numerous road closures that can disrupt flow for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike.<br />
<br />
The Barbecue Battle fenced off almost a half-mile span of Pennsylvania Avenue as well as portions of each of the side-streets. While vehicular traffic was light that day, posing relatively little issue for motorists to divert to other streets: pedestrians and bicyclists were dumbfounded to find lengthy detours with no direction provided and pedestrian paths that posed difficulties to disabled individuals.<br />
<br />
I would like to offer a couple suggestions for future special events which may help to address these concerns:<br />
<br />
<b><i><u><span style="color: red;">Detour Length</span></u></i></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7539716214_2b585d1f2a_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7539716214_2b585d1f2a_z_d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="background-color: white;"><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Problem:</b></b><br />
My concern with the BBQ Battle stemmed primarily from the length of the pedestrian detours: it took me 20 minutes just to make a 30-second walk across the street from the Old Post Office. And with an entrance fee of $15 it felt like people were being charged as much just to cross a public street. While the closure along the length of Pennsylvania Avenue was one thing; closures along the side-streets further increased the length for those thinking they could just follow the fence line along Penn Ave.<br />
<br />
<b>Solution:</b><br />
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7539722574_974fae8277_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8144/7539722574_974fae8277_z_d.jpg" width="320" /></a>Enact either a maximum distance or a maximum number of block faces which may be closed to pedestrian movements along a single path. Today's closure spanned from 9th to 14th plus side-streets. My path to cross Penn at 12th required 20 additional minutes and crossed 7 additional blocks.<br />
<br />
I recognize that events can not provide openings at every single block: staffing costs/availability as well as additional security barriers at entry/exit checkpoints would likely make this infeasible. Furthermore, customers would feel it to be a hassle to have to repeatedly enter and exit through every gate, breaking up the continuous feel of an event.<br />
<br />
My suggestion is for a maximum 7 minute detour, which per the <a href="http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/">MUTCD</a>-established walking speed of 3.5 ft/s would equate to a maximum detour of approximately 1500 ft. As applied to the BBQ Battle: a single opening across Penn Ave at 12th Street would have met such a criterion.<br />
<br />
I do recognize that some events are outright infeasible to provide for short detours (some examples being July 4th or Inauguration). Those events of an almost city-wide scale and spanning multiple jurisdictions are certainly in a league of their own, with many travelers about the city pretty much only doing so because of those very events. My suggestion is intended for the less-epic events that occur a bit more regularly and over which DC has greater direct control.<br />
<br />
<b><i><u><span style="color: red;">Lack of Direction</span></u></i></b></div>
<b style="background-color: white;">
</b>
<div>
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></b>
<b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;">Problem:</b></b><br />
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7539711868_6360eb2cff_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7539711868_6360eb2cff_z_d.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;">Along my detour over and around Freedom Plaza: I assisted many confused (and in some cases: angry) tourists at navigating around the closure, at one point having a group of about a dozen people following me and at another point I had a line of about a dozen people deep waiting to ask me for directions. Apart from me, it seemed MPD officers were also serving more as direction-providing guides than their intended roles. For a local: the detour is not particularly confusing; for a tourist it is bewildering. Summertime is certainly DC's season to put our best foot forward in accommodating our visitors and the revenue they bring in.</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white;"><b>Solution:</b></b><br />
<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7539703838_7afc1b7c41_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7539703838_7afc1b7c41_z_d.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;">Standard pedestrian detour signs -- in today's case directing westward for those west of 12th Street; eastward for those east of 12th Street -- would have helped unfamiliar visitors understand how to continue along their intended path. And perhaps highly-visible guides (minding staffing resources/availability, of course) could be positioned to help direct people around large closures.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Guides might also suggest attractions along the way. For example: if you're already swinging all the way out to 14th Street to get around the festival... why not continue just a little bit more and check out the White House? Or it's a toasty day (as it was during the BBQ Battle): perhaps highlight a local café along the route or a nearby CVS / 7-Eleven to pop-in and get a drink to-go.</span><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></div>
<b style="background-color: white;">
</b>
<br />
<div>
<b style="background-color: white;"><b><u><i><span style="color: red;">Cluttered Detour Paths</span></i></u></b></b></div>
<b style="background-color: white;">
</b>
<div>
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7539732192_8c9c4f57a1_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7539732192_8c9c4f57a1_z_d.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white;">Problem:</b></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">At 13th/E a fire truck enclosed the detour path such that pedestrians were stepping over sign stands and sandbags between the truck and fence. I am reasonably healthy and able-bodied: the detour's length, narrow paths, and obstacles along the way really don't pose much issue to me, personally; but an elderly woman visiting from Pakistan fell to the ground after tripping over a sign stand. She was alright other than a bruise and a sore wrist.</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white;"><b>Solution:</b></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Ensure that the applicant provide adequate ADA-compliant paths. This may include:</span><br />
<ul><span style="background-color: white;">
<li>Improved staging areas, as one of the issues at 13/E was with the position of the fire truck.</li>
<li>Periodic walk-arounds to clear debris, adjust cones, drums, and signs.</li>
<li>Providing temporary ADA ramps where closures occur midblock.</li>
<li>For closure endpoints at intersections: make efforts to position the closure such that pedestrians can continue to cross just one intersection leg rather than having to navigate around three (otherwise people will continue to make their way across that single closed leg, anyway).</li>
</span></ul>
</div>
<b style="background-color: white;">
</b>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-9262052608255804872012-02-29T00:55:00.000-05:002012-02-29T00:55:53.039-05:00Private Investment in Bikesharing<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I've given thought to how in an ideal world, within specified growth areas, it could be beneficial to incorporate bikeshare docks &/or bike racks for varying land uses alongside the parking requirements which are already standard practice. In mid- and higher-density areas, in particular, if non-automotive modes could be made easier and more convenient: it could contribute toward a greater non-automotive mode shift – eventually reducing demand for additional roadway capacity, roadway maintenance costs, environmental costs, and costs to individuals through reduced vehicle and fuel needs. Businesses could potentially receive increased customers owing to greater access and foot traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, as I thought about this idea, I then tried to switch gears and think "Why isn't this already happening?" Particularly on that point about how businesses might acquire greater customers: if a business could replace one parking space with five bike docks or a dozen bike racks – which, in an urban environment, should have the potential to provide a somewhat corresponding number of increased customers – then why are they not already doing this? Several ideas that have crossed my mind, to which I will readily admit that none of them have been fully thought out or answered:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 49.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -20.25pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The land use may not be oriented toward non-automotive trips. Many big box stores fit this bill, as it is difficult to bike home half a pallet of mustard from Costco or a new sink from Home Depot. Sure, both have smaller items; but likely not on the same degree of attraction as smaller-scale retail, food/drink establishments, schools and recreational facilities, or offices with a staff than turns ravenous at lunchtime.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 49.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -20.25pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are requirements stipulated by public agencies such that a business faces too much difficulty if they try to replace a parking space with bike infrastructure (running askew of minimum parking requirements) or if they attempt to incorporate bike infrastructure into the pedestrian domain (potentially triggering streetscape &/or ADA obligations)? Could any such requirements be loosened; and should they be? Or are sentiments toward abundance too strong; or are sidewalks too cluttered and narrow as they are?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 49.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -20.25pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There may be some concern from a business that if they pay to install &/or maintain a bikeshare station or bike racks: what control do they have to ensure that it services their customers? Particularly with more expensive bikeshare docks: what if all its users go to the competing business next door? If the business is on the hook for maintenance: they may cut down on maintenance or perhaps even remove the station if they do not feel it justifies their benefit.<span style="color: red;">*</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 49.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 49.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -20.25pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is the proprietary nature of bikeshare any limitation to private developers being required to install them? If we imagine that businesses are now conditioned to provide stations, then several years later the bikeshare contract is put up to bid, and the selected winner is an entirely different company… is the existing bikeshare technology compatible? If not, who is going to be responsible for upgrading/replacing existing bikeshare infrastructure? Clearly, if businesses are potentially on the hook every time there is a change in contract this would be a pretty big obstacle to acceptance.<span style="color: red;">**</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I reiterate that none of these themes have been thought-out to any degree of completion – I am admittedly a bit short on the finer details of the contracting and technology currently in use in the DC region as well as other regions using similar bikesharing systems. However, it is at least the first thoughts I've managed to semi-coherently assemble as to how private industry may be brought in as a stronger partner toward improving transportation throughout our cities, states, and nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>Financing Mechanisms<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To this end I have wondered if it makes logistical sense to encourage businesses to <i>install</i> stations but public government would maintain them, but I quickly think it to the extreme whereby many businesses install stations & quickly sap the government's budget to maintain. So I then wonder if there is a middle-ground mechanism, for instance a financing zone extending from each docking station whereby those nearer in proximity pay more; those further pay less. Future research may contribute toward some differentiation based on land use: as an example, if a study finds that bars/restaurants generate greater net bikeshare usage than offices, perhaps bars/restaurants may contribute a higher portion than equidistant offices.<br />
<br />
Such a financing mechanism could potentially be opt-in at an individual level, but this could result in a spotty and inconvenient system with few stations of any rational placement. It could be opt-in at the level of a downtown improvement district or some other representation of business interests, whereby a larger-scale system could be rolled out at a more comprehensive level. Or perhaps the government may finance installation and maintenance for some time, with costs eventually being shifted toward local businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, refining & changing a financing mechanism could certainly be difficult – if someone gets to pay less: someone else invariably pays more. Any changes would have to very clearly demonstrate the benefit to those being asked to contribute a greater cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>Proprietary Technology<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If the infrastructure is proprietary and incompatible: it may also be worth considering how competitive new bikeshare contact bidding may be to begin with. Regardless of whether public or private industry is paying for installation &/or maintenance, if the infrastructure is already there – clearly there would be a huge cost to change it should a competing bikeshare provider be selected; and that cost would have to be burdened by someone. If the previous contract-holder is selected: voila, no additional costs. If that extra cost is worked into the bid process: the previous contract-holder will win every time. If the extra cost is covered by existing public &/or private industries, then would that potentially-regular cost of infrastructure upgrading/replacement justify the potential savings attained from free market competitiveness? With a big enough system: I would assume not.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In response to this, I have wondered whether an open source bikeshare technology may be applied to ensure competitive practices as well as compatibility (assuming this is not already the case). Public industry's role would be more to define necessary specifications and standards, bikeshare providers' roles would become more hardware-focused and less software-focused, and developers could potentially handle a greater obligation toward investment and maintenance of the infrastructure itself. Developers may benefit from the reduced element of risk as well as greater cost savings from selecting among multiple vendors; and the local-oriented nature of bikeshare systems as well as readily-apparent usage may help developers feel that their investments are justified.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-56155427419836515092012-02-22T20:35:00.004-05:002012-02-29T00:58:26.671-05:00A Conservative's Argument for Transit<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm a small government fiscal conservative who comes from rather rural roots... and that's exactly why I'm an urbanist.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A sales pitch to those who identify with that first part but are confounded by the second part…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red;">Strong Cities mean Strong Towns</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The structure of our country favors the rural regions, with the large tax bases in cities helping to finance the rural areas around them, just as envisioned by Jefferson with his dream of a nation of citizen-farmers. Improved city transit helps support that tax base, further growing its capability to support the schools, roads and rails serving the villages in the countryside.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Strong cities are also strong markets for rurally-produced goods, including both food and craft. A strong and vibrant city core helps preserve the countryside from runaway development, helping our family members' farms remain in the family as well as profitable.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Regional transport helps move our goods to market and also enables us to more readily travel to and from the city, either with our products or at our own leisure. Our small towns, by their smaller scale, rarely have quite the same recreational or entertainment amenities as cities can provide, and transit helps us easily travel into the cities to learn at universities or museums, wander through parks and monuments, or enjoy the nightlife of theaters, clubs, and other destinations.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red;">Freedom of Movement; Freedom of Choice</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Transit does not replace our roads; it complements them. Transit grants us greater freedom of movement and freedom of choice, letting us choose our own paths, our own schedules, and enjoy more of our own time as we wish.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Those who wish to take transit may enjoy time to distract themselves without worrying about attention to the roads, and those who prefer to drive may travel on roads with that much fewer other cars on them. I absolutely love a weekend drive: the freedom of the road and the power of man and machine; but I love commuting by train: more time to rest or to work on the tasks that busy my day.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red;">A Small Home Budget and a Small Government</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It may sound counter-intuitive, but a good transit system is also small government at its finest. Sure, it serves a social good – it benefits lots of people even if it may not *directly* appear to benefit you; but it serves these people at lower cost. It's expensive for every person to own, maintain, and operate their own vehicle; and it's expensive for all of us to provide the necessary roads... it's cheaper if you carpool with a friend, and transit is that extension: lots of people using only one vehicle, needing only a few "roads" to move many more people.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Some can hear "efficiency" and "socialism" and think of some Orwellian world. But in some cases -- particularly when dealing with infrastructure -- efficiency means we're using less of our taxpayer dollars; each dollar is being stretched further, doing more, and getting more people where they need to go.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Your car takes up about 10%-15% of your annual budget… what if you could get where you need to go without your car? Imagine getting a 15% raise: what would you spend that money on?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red;">Serving Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Transit works in partnership with business – both Wall Street and Main Street. Both are important: Wall Street invests in our factories and sometimes even our farms; Main Street is what keeps our villages, towns, and cities interesting, vibrant, and serving our daily needs. Transit caters to what businessowners already know: customers arrive into their stores on two feet, not on four wheels; and transportation investment, in general, recognizes that our goods and produce travel by engines, not by our hands.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Transportation in all its forms supports our cities as much as it supports our countryside, providing jobs, getting people to their jobs, and ensuring that they’ll continue to have jobs well into the future. It affects absolutely every aspect of our society, from our education to our health to our environment. Transportation is infrastructure; the backbone of our society; running behind-the-scenes to keep our civilization going.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><u><span style="color: red;">Take Action!</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There is always room for discussion on what projects are most appropriate for where, but there is simply no good basis for partisanship in transportation. Transportation of all modes benefits each and every one of us, even if we never use it. Republican President Eisenhower contributed to great strides in transportation, and President Reagan likewise played an important role in supporting transit. There is a strong tradition of Republican leadership in supporting transportation.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are two starkly different transportation bills before Congress right now – a bipartisan bill in the Senate (<a href="http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=6d1e2690-6bc7-4e13-9169-0e7bc2ca0098">MAP-21</a>) with strong funding for transportation; and a partisan bill in the House (<a href="http://www.speaker.gov/Blog/?postid=269320">H.R. 7</a>) with severe cuts. <a href="http://images.politico.com/global/2012/02/r42350.html">There are good traits to both as well as bad</a>, but I will admit that of the two I find the Senate’s bill to be the most appealing. I strongly encourage you to take an interest and <a href="http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml">share your opinions with your elected representatives</a>, regardless of what your support or opposition may be.</div></div>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-84363225764950315182011-08-04T01:04:00.002-04:002011-10-31T00:39:55.986-04:00My Daily DataNearly a year ago I put up a link to my commuting data, then only with a couple months of information. Now I offer an update: <a href="https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aAZTMzY2I5MWYtMzdkYi00MWY4LWIxNzctNDM5YzJjNjEwNWY5&export=download&hl=en_US">click here to open the Excel spreadsheet</a>. It was prepared in Excel 2010, but I think 2007 can also open it... those with older versions will have to get Microsoft's converter and hope it works properly with the spreadsheet. Click "Enable Editing" to be able to play with the charts. You can also view it in <a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aAZTMzY2I5MWYtMzdkYi00MWY4LWIxNzctNDM5YzJjNjEwNWY5&hl=en_US">Google Docs</a> (which is where I'm hosting the Excel file), but Google converts it quite woefully... the Excel version is strongly encouraged.<br />
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The first sheet plots my commute during my year of traveling to Greenbelt. The cooler-colored lines are transit; the warmer lines are driving. You can use the checkboxes to toggle each mode, of which my driving has been broken up into three segments: roughly the Beltway & BW Pkwy (<b>MD</b>), NY Ave east of Florida (<b>NY</b>), and NY / Mass Ave west of Florida (<b>DC</b>). You can see I tried the bus between the Metro Station & my office a few times, but soon gave that up when it often took longer to go by bus than to walk. I also gave up transit altogether once cold weather set in, and once warmth returned: construction on NY Ave made my commute <i>better</i> and I ultimately stuck with driving. Only a few times did I have much issue on the rails, and even on the worst of days it was just a couple minutes more... whereas you can see that my worst days on the roads were far less pleasant. There was one day where I'd made it halfway via transit when I remembered I needed my car for a meeting... that's the trip that tops 80 minutes.<br />
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The second sheet plots my current commute out to Merrifield. It uses the same color scheme, but I deleted the car data as I haven't driven it yet (nor do I intend to). The two car-related items are just me moving my car per street-sweeping schedules... though I failed at that at one point, paying $30 to the city for the privilege of not having to move my car for another week. That's one problem of going car-free: you can forget you have a car. If you turn on the "DC Walk" time, you'll see that there are two days without an input... I diverted quite heavily from my usual route after passing McPherson & didn't tally the walking time on those days. There are also several omitted entire days where I diverted before reaching McPherson.<br />
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The third sheet displays data on train cars I've ridden & their temperatures. There's not too much data yet as I haven't been on this commute too long yet (it feeds off the same data as the previous sheet to/from Merrifield).<br />
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Next up is my personal health since 1 June 2010 -- the first day I moved into DC. It tracks numerous variables... <b>weather </b>is somewhat self-explanatory: higher values indicate lovely weather. Snow can throw it off a bit as I rate snow rather highly... nuts to folk who fear trudging through it; I look forward to that every year! <b>Body</b> tracks various variables in my physical form each day as well as several personal grooming factors. <b>Sleep</b> is also pretty self-explanatory... it's at its peak in the 6-8 hr range and loses points if I get more or less than that. <b>Diet </b>tracks breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacking on whether they were healthy or unhealthy meals. <b>Exercise</b> looks at a slew of different physical activities from each day. Lastly, <b>Net</b> is just the average of any data sets currently turned on.<br />
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The last sheet tracks how much I walk each day. It's kind of thrown off by a huge surge owing to my recent vacation... my hobbies are rather introverted back home, but abroad I become an outdoor hiker & city explorer from awakening to when my muscles finally give out.<br />
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Enjoy!Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-58762797088180186902011-07-27T01:49:00.002-04:002011-08-04T00:37:10.168-04:00DC Metro SpiralI definitely should've thrown this up long ago, but I was distracted by photographing DC's Fringe Festival. But nonetheless, I present to you the WMATA Metrorail map... in a spiral.<br />
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The backstory is explained on the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thisisbossi/5953580704/in/set-72157615820454522/">Flickr page</a>... but otherwise the map itself is rather self-explanatory to any DC resident. It's generated some interesting attention among the blogosphere, with the commentariat pondering just what defines a "map".<br />
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My own two cents: a map is something that presents you with the info you need to accomplish a task, in this case getting from point A to point B. All the information to do that is there: I'd say it is a map... just admittedly not a good one; you'd have to be pretty eccentric to want to use this for any real navigational purpose.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5953580704_f3cea48f85_b_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5953580704_f3cea48f85_b_d.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-65376484961233684152011-01-21T01:48:00.009-05:002011-01-23T18:26:29.547-05:00Fantasy Metro Map - DC 2100<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Yes, this is an absolute pipedream... hence the 2100 moniker. While I laid these out to be at least somewhat technically feasible, everything shown would still require immense amounts of funding, right-of-way, and political will. What is shown are all heavy rail; I have a separate file for light rail / BRT systems (in Google Earth) which would make one's head spin (if you want to see an older version of that, check out <a href="http://philatransport.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html">this post</a>).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thisisbossi/5374196051/sizes/o/"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5374196051_30fda97742_z_d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Hosted on Flickr; click to view full-size</span></i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>From Existing</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">First are the changes to the existing lines. First and foremost: the Blue sees a major realignment as it runs along a new line toward Fairfax & also crosses the Potomac at a new location. It includes a station right at the Marc Center, home to a new military facility as part of the ongoing BRAC realignment. The Pink fills in the reach of our current Blue line. I swapped these around largely because I felt it better to have each line go "through the city" a bit more than skirt the edge; and I also wanted to relieve Rosslyn of its existing bottleneck.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Red and Orange still look almost the same, though only Orange was left nearly unchanged (I think). Red and Green are both pretty similar to their current forms, though each has been extended. The Silver was realigned a bit toward its eastern end so that it continues out with the new Cyan line. This was intended to try and provide an airport line (Dulles) toward the area which is least served by major airports.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Yellow and Green lost their "bulge" as they reach out toward Columbia Heights; I had to take that out simply to fit everything in... though it does sort of cause both lines to take on the aesthetic of the only solid straight lines on the system; almost like a backbone of the system. Although it's kind of fun to think about aesthetics, considering the spaghetti nature of this map... I'm an engineer; not a graphic artist.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Amtrak, MARC, and VRE service are all shown based on existing locations, so any extensions that pickup new stops also show those new connections. Capital Bikeshare locations are shown based on existing dock locations as of January 2011.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>What's New - Extensions</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I've already covered Silver and Blue, so looking at Red: the Red Line extension out to Germantown pretty much parallels the CSX and MARC tracks. This results in some significant redundancy with MARC, potentially either meaning that the Metro stations aren't needed, MARC stations aren't needed, or perhaps some rebalancing of the two. The Germantown station is a bit of a bother given that Germantown has been developed so remotely from the station... so this would really function more as a Park & Ride.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Green extension out to BWI brings each of the three major airports onto the Metro system. I actually have a couple different layouts for this... some vary in Laurel, either hitting Konterra or instead getting a better Contee location. Another runs east toward Ft Meade (which could be a security issue if traveling through there) and another instead hits Savage and Jessup. Then another terminates into BWI and I have a slew that instead head to Columbia. ...Though in truth, I think Columbia would be better served by new MARC service.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Yellow line is realigned to run up the US 29 corridor. I have another option which skips Ft Totten and instead goes from Petworth to Manor to Chillum. This would help relieve Ft Totten, as it could become a hefty bottle given that the Yellow, Green, and Brown lines would all be on the same tracks.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>What's New - New Lines</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I'll start with Cyan, helping to offset the Red Line's crush a bit by enabling riders not destined for the core to instead ride something a bit more direct to Northwest and Northeast. It hits critically underserved AU along with Georgetown & then continues into the areas home to much of the housing for those very students... I'd hazard a guess that the average age of riders will be about 22.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Pink is the other new radial line, duplicating Green and Yellow a bit on each end; but pioneering its own way through the city. New attractions include the Hospital Center & Howard University; in addition to bringing some much-needed access to the western reaches of the National Mall.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Two circumferential lines are included: first an inner line (gray-ish) which hits a strong mixture of residential, offices, retail, entertainment, and recreation.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The outer Brown Line helps link the suburbs, enabling each of them to become stronger origins/destinations in their own right. The Brown Line has two recreational destinations which would likely operate seasonally: Brookmont (right on the Potomac) and Rock Creek Park. At some point I might readjust it on the south side so that it runs across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and serves National Harbor's Beltway Parcel, but the "real" National Harbor would still be rather distant & ridership would be pretty low among the communities along the Beltway... so it was tough to justify. I think that's all better covered by light rail.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>What's New - New Stations</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Of course, there are the suburbs which are now brought into the system & also those recreational stops on the Brown Line. The Langley station is located at the front gate of the CIA, potentially helping to persuade some of its workers to opt for transit. Cyan hits a variety of new reaches in the far Northwest, but the real fun is on the new options in Northeast: this area has been starved for some higher-capacity transit.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Increasing density in the core: Logan Circle could very likely come to rival Dupont as a city center, with the direct connections to McPherson (White House) as well as Union Station (Capitol) enabling embassies to find some primo options among the housing stock in these areas.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A new Foggy Bottom station (the old one being renamed to Washington Circle) can help serve the plethora of businesses & government-related companies in this section.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As previously mentioned, Lincoln Memorial and Potomac Park both provide sorely needed access to the touristed reaches of Southwest... these would also help offset the pressure on Smithsonian during the tourist season; although these two would undoubtedly become mob scenes during Cherry Blossoms... but at least it's two stations instead of our current one.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Potomac Park also provides improved transit access to the slew of recreational facilities just south (including a pool!) and I'd love to see the backside of the Lincoln Memorial be converted to a beach or something... I know, a beach in the Potomac sounds a bit far-reaching, but hey far-fetched is the general theme of this whole thing, anyway. While we're at it: we can take out I-66 / E St's massive interchange and put it to better economic use. Toss a couple CaBi stations in at Lincoln Memorial & at the Kennedy Center, and voila: a lovely riverfront ride instead of standing-room only shuttles.<br />
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While not "new" per se, I also combined the Farragut Square stations. The basic assumption is that they could be linked by either a city-built tunnel; or perhaps tunnels constructed in segments as part of eventual redevelopments of the parcels between the stations.<br />
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Shady Grove is missing... that's simply because I forgot it; just imagine that it's still there.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>What's New - Potential Problems</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Forgetting the sheer scale of what's shown, operational issues are likely to arise at Pentaon & Pentagon City, where 4 lines travel along the same alignment. It'd likely need a third or potentially fourth track simply to handle the loads; and both stations would need *major* reconstruction. Given that the Department of Defense owns one and the other is built into a major mall: both locations face some big problems.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">There are 3 lines sharing trackage at Waterfront, Navy Yard, Potomac Ave, Stadium/Armory, Ft Davis, Benning Ridge, Logan Circle, possibly Dupont Circle, U St, and Ft Totten. I think that's all of them. All of these could potentially face some hefty capacity issues -- not necessarily that the train cars are full; but that the number of tracks & capabilities of the signals can't handle the number of trains themselves.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Keep in mind that this map doesn't necessarily reflect how the tracks will actually be aligned... so just because you see lines parallel to each other: in practice they might be crossing perpendicularly; and vice versa.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>Other projects</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I have this drawn up at a more technical level in Google Earth in addition to my light rail / BRT system map... it's a HUGE map that mostly covers the Maryland reaches. I also have a Circulator map for DC and have some rail networks (heavy and light rail) that I've been working on for Pennsylvania -- particularly around Dutch Country & Philly because that's where I'm from.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>Credits</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A big thanks to <a href="http://tracktwentynine.blogspot.com/">tracktwentynine </a>for the base map, although there's not too much that can be recognised anymore. The small icons for Amtrak, MARC, and VRE icons were all lifted from <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page" rel="nofollow">Wikimedia</a> and edited to fit more nicely. The icon for Capital Bikeshare was obtained from its <a href="http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/" rel="nofollow">website</a>. The car icon came from somewhere on the internet... I think <a href="http://www.huntsgamepreserve.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webassets/car-icon.gif" rel="nofollow">here</a>? I can't quite recall that being the same site, though it's certainly the same icon. This was all laid out in Adobe Illustrator CS5 -- my first time ever using it; it was a very "learn as you play" experience.<br />
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</div></div>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-22977402977605058332011-01-10T23:47:00.001-05:002011-01-10T23:55:25.088-05:00Maneuvers/Modes and Volumes/SplitsI threw together a spreadsheet which can plot modes and movements over time. <a href="https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aAODk0OTJiOGUtM2U1NS00MjQ5LTgxZjItODRmMjQzYjU4NThl&export=download&hl=en">Here's a link to it</a> (capability to read Microsoft Excel 2007 or newer required). I've been using it extensively at work; I've spotted a massive amount of trends which I wouldn't have otherwise taken heed of... it's been spectacularly useful. Here are some screenshots of what it ultimately outputs:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3xwilVBAwux47hHvc5PMpNt3x1q88gcM2y78r1sandtST0uZvt6ssI7wz5zjt22SDfYTfRxSSjFHIMFyPgLcO11AdNZticVkFPeVvb0G6Ov-bvFuK9ceOCtHECP7cnzJEBK5h8wueH4m/s1600/Silver+Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3xwilVBAwux47hHvc5PMpNt3x1q88gcM2y78r1sandtST0uZvt6ssI7wz5zjt22SDfYTfRxSSjFHIMFyPgLcO11AdNZticVkFPeVvb0G6Ov-bvFuK9ceOCtHECP7cnzJEBK5h8wueH4m/s320/Silver+Spring.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Downtown Silver Spring</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC04vq0bUrX3zb8Bp_obDW8nnfSlX5sHpf4-y0x_Qg5nzwySlTFXXgO3ftl4jSCFxCNLGna1E1M5HZ4hEpME6b7gNQNufckAXN-PB-R07FVl2aEYzlJKIWePB5TnKs_Q924xiBTzTxJAe/s1600/Friendship+Heights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC04vq0bUrX3zb8Bp_obDW8nnfSlX5sHpf4-y0x_Qg5nzwySlTFXXgO3ftl4jSCFxCNLGna1E1M5HZ4hEpME6b7gNQNufckAXN-PB-R07FVl2aEYzlJKIWePB5TnKs_Q924xiBTzTxJAe/s320/Friendship+Heights.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Friendship Heights Metro Station</i></div><br />
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The top graph shows 13-hr traffic volumes over time at a 15-minute resolution. The bottom graph shows 13-hr mode splits (out of 100%) over a 15-minute resolution.<br />
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The warm-colored palette is for motorists & the purple palette is for pedestrians, broken up by directionality. Specifically:<br />
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<ul><li>Northbound Vehicles - Bright Red</li>
<li>Southbound Vehicles - Dark Red</li>
<li>Eastbound Vehicles - Light Orange</li>
<li>Westbound Vehicles - Dark Orange</li>
</ul><ul><li>North Leg Pedestrians - Darker Pale Purple</li>
<li>South Leg Pedestrians - Lighter Pale Purple</li>
<li>East Leg Pedestrians - Darker Bold Purple</li>
<li>West Leg Pedestrians - Lighter Bold Purple</li>
</ul><br />
In the spreadsheet, you can turn on/off specific movements, such as which way motorists are turning. In some cases, data was available on which way a pedestrian was crossing, such as eastward on a northern crosswalk; or westward on a northern crosswalk.<br />
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The time span is 13 hours on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, corresponding to a typical traffic count. These only include vehicular & pedestrian data, though I designed the spreadsheets to be capable of including bicycles, trucks, and transit data. It's particularly useful with transit data, where entering in ridership can really help show the difference between measuring <i>users</i> rather than just vehicles. Alas, none of these include any data beyond pedestrians & motorists.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-36373874033756780272010-08-11T21:23:00.000-04:002010-08-11T21:23:46.245-04:00Plotting my commute & lifestyle in Excel ;; Transit Systems updateEver since I moved into DC from the suburbs, I've been keeping track of a variety of things in Excel... essentially they boil down to tracking my commute times (which includes both transit & personal car commutes) as well as my general personal health & well-being considering a multitude of factors. It's been interesting, and it's a project I fully intend to continue. <a href="https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aAOTVmZWEzZjAtNDcwYi00NjRiLTlmOTAtNjMwMjFhYTg1ZjZm&export=download&hl=en">Click here</a> to see the data as of midday on 11 August 2010, but note that you need to be able to open Office 2007 files.<br />
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Also, having discovered that Google Docs can host Google Earth files: I now have a new host for my transit lines! <a href="https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aANjZjZjJmOTctNWI0OC00N2RkLWI5ZTctZjg5ZjM1YWQ0N2M3&export=download&hl=en">Click here</a> for the latest of those & open it up in Google Earth... I recently cleaned up the Indian Head Line, Beltway Montgomery Line and Beltway Prince George's Line.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-61052399205048713842010-02-05T02:09:00.003-05:002011-08-04T01:19:35.554-04:00MD Feeder System - FULLHere's a link to the full system hosted on <a href="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aANTk2YmUxYjYtODY0Yy00MmQyLWE1NjctNjFjYmY0NTlmNGFj&hl=en_US">Google Docs</a> (<a href="https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B1lm0iEyM5aANTk2YmUxYjYtODY0Yy00MmQyLWE1NjctNjFjYmY0NTlmNGFj&export=download&hl=en_US">direct link</a>; .kmz file). I haven't been happy with the format in which I've been presenting it, so I'm just giving the whole thing to the world. I'm still working on the alignments for some lines -- I'll be saving updated files to that same link, so whatever you download will always be the most recent file I've uploaded.<br />
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In the meantime I'm going to ponder the best way to share details of each segment of each alignment... I may just throw the Excel spreadsheet up in full, too. But that makes for a boring blog... but then again, I'd prefer less frequent posts directing to new data rather than more frequent posts of nothing but endless streams of text. So I may start using this blog as a mechanism for linking to my Google Earth files & also highlighting major updates.<br />
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We'll see... I'm still drawing systems; it's just that I don't quite have the time to write such wordy posts. Suggestions always welcome. Cheers!Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-81642055926729346032009-11-19T02:30:00.001-05:002009-11-19T02:30:35.346-05:00I'm outta here til New Year'sPosts have been rare thanks to my last-minute preparations for my annual trip. This year will be taking me to New Zealand, so I'll be concentrating on my other blog, which hosts my daily summaries of my voyages far far away from here. I just hashed it together over the last hour, so it's still a work in progress... particularly the almost total lack of photos.<br />
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<a href="http://intentionallylost.blogspot.com/">http://intentionallylost.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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So I'm off to NZ for a month. Happy holidays, everyone!Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-19717218621983419172009-10-28T21:09:00.000-04:002009-10-28T21:09:39.134-04:00Preview of the NorthWith <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=3899">GGW's post</a> about a Green Line extension, I felt obligated to rush some of my own ideas to prominence. Here's what I currently have drafted for the northeastern reaches of the DC Metropolitan area... and let me first say that if my Southern PG Preview was still a work in progress, this is even moreso.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000477086073f26f8c337&ll=39.159882,-76.799927&spn=0.25556,0.439453&z=11&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000477086073f26f8c337&ll=39.159882,-76.799927&spn=0.25556,0.439453&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Ft Meade Preview.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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The Green Line is extended to Laurel. I later drew an extension to BWI, but I feel that's getting a bit too far. There are two potential spots for maintenance yards north of Laurel. Transitways branch off in all directions from new stations at Beltsville, Cherry Lane, and (Old) Laurel.<br />
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Here's why it's a work in progress...<br />
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First, one of my lines goes right through Ft Meade. When I first drew it, I thought "just line it with a secured barrier, put gates at crossings, blah blah blah" ... and then common sense eventually arrived and I realised that no military base in their right mind would ever buy into that. Security risks aside, the barriers would cut the base in two... their own internal transport would be hindered. So that's gotta change. What I post here is solely to spur thoughts and generate ideas; not because I think it's a winning alignment.<br />
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I might ultimately tweak it to be similar to GGW somehow... staying outside the secured area, readily servicing NSA & the southern portion of Ft Meade, and maybe linking into Odenton. However, I want to preserve some of the stops on the northern reaches of the base & surrounding communities. I haven't quite decided how I want to accomplish that.<br />
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Second, my Columbia loop out into Jessup just barely misses the MARC station. I just haven't looked into this much yet, but I'm sure I can finnagle a way to keep a connection there.<br />
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Third, terrain in Columbia is horrendous, and I haven't yet advanced my alignments to a point that I'm ready to account for terrain to a precise degree.<br />
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Fourth... well I'm sure there are more; I <i>know</i> there are more. Like I said, this is an early draft open for comment or brainstorming.<br />
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Cheers!Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-79905521096586774142009-10-28T01:06:00.000-04:002009-10-28T01:06:29.903-04:00Elrich's BRTThe proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system by Councilmember Elrich is getting some renewed press lately. I've had this placemark sitting about for several months now, so I figured I'd make it available.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476f7b51cf6ce746be&ll=39.065581,-77.061539&spn=0.255902,0.439453&z=11&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476f7b51cf6ce746be&ll=39.065581,-77.061539&spn=0.255902,0.439453&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Elrich BRT.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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It's based on maps which were on the County Council website in early 2009. I only assume that (1) they're still there; and (2) they haven't changed too much.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-32105006849179339592009-10-27T00:06:00.000-04:002009-10-27T00:06:29.891-04:00Preview of Southern PG CoWith the Prince George's County Transportation Master Plan making news, I wanted to at least show what I've been intending for this area... I'll be curious to see how closely my own ideas match up with what MNCPPC actually proposes.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476e267aa2266544f6&ll=38.79343,-77.010727&spn=0.128443,0.219727&z=12&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476e267aa2266544f6&ll=38.79343,-77.010727&spn=0.128443,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Southern PG Preview.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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First: there's a lot that's not shown. There's a line between Southern Ave Metro & Clinton, another from Branch Ave Metro down to Waldorf, a line eastward out of Suitland Metro, a line out to Upper Marlboro, and then a slew of more stuff in mid-County and northward.<br />
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To focus in on National Harbor, which is the confluence of all those colorful lines: I'm still trying to work out the details. The problem is that National Harbor's position puts a big kink in the system if you're trying to run from points eastward, hit NH, and then continue into Virginia (or vice-versa). Its spread-out nature, with the primary area around the convention center physically separated from the parcels nearer to Oxon Hill Road, renders it a bit tricky to cover it all without an over-abundance of stations.<br />
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Furthermore, there's Oxon Hill Farm to the north which is tentatively proposed to be developed into a PGA-class golf resort... that'd certainly place a whole new class of demands on a transport system, but the more I try and fit in a stop right at the would-be gates: the more it screws with the rest of the alignment & station placements. So I think it'll get the shuttle bus treatment from another station if it ever came to fruition. I'm still working on that...<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476e267aa2266544f6&ll=38.908934,-76.874084&spn=0.128234,0.219727&z=12&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476e267aa2266544f6&ll=38.908934,-76.874084&spn=0.128234,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Southern PG Preview.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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To shift over a bit, there's been a lot of chatter about extending the Purple Line past New Carrollton. I think it's a fantastic idea, though I'm a bit mixed on just where, exactly, it should go. This is why my one line goes to Morgan Blvd whilst my other line goes to Largo.<br />
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The west alignment, to Morgan Blvd, helps put a bit more ridership into the Morgan Blvd station -- getting people out of Largo and also helping those coming in / going to DC cut one stop out of their trip. It could continue south along Ritchie Road and then cut west into District Heights / Forestville.<br />
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The east alignment heads into Largo, where I have three individual alignments that branch out to span the mid-County area -- one line cutting right through the middle of Mitchellville Road at its end, another following MD 214, and another following MD 202. On the one hand, linking into Largo improves access to these three lines, which are intended to turn Largo into a hub. However, that could add more crowds to what would be an already-crowded station when game days roll around, unless that Morgan Blvd station handles DC travelers.<br />
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As far as continuity, the approach into Largo could certainly be reversed, allowing it to readily continue southward along the Beltway. It could rejoin my western alignment not too far south, either cutting over via MD 214, the high-tension power lines just above Ritchie-Marlboro Rd, or Ritchie-Marlboro Rd itself.<br />
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One problem, in either case, is down near Andrews Air Force Base (or whatever it was officially renamed to recently). That problem is that there's no direct Metro connection once you get past the Blue Line. I'm just not seeing a good way to serve AAFB whilst also hooking up with the Green Line. Fortunately, there are three radials which provide 1-transfer access to Suitland, Branch, or Southern Ave Metro stations... though it's still less-than-preferable. Its next direct Metro connection, as shown, would be Eisenhower Ave in Alexandria.<br />
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...And yes, I fully intended to put both Eisenhower Ave <i>and</i> King St. I wanted King so I could pickup the Blue Line traffic, but my route through downtown Alexandria had 4f impacts all over it. I spotted an approach from the west, and just happened to spot that Eisenhower would make a fantastic P&R... and since I got Metro service at King St, I didn't have as much need to put my transitway's station right at the Eisenhower Ave Metro station. That let me shift it to the other side of the parking lot, garnering a bit more efficient use of parking spaces.<br />
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So that's where it stands. I'll see about refining costs, ridership, and so forth & getting those uploaded eventually, but vacation is nearing quickly & there's a good chance I'll find myself on a bit of a hiatus at that time.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-63862192570677173202009-10-26T19:50:00.001-04:002009-10-26T23:10:23.224-04:00DC Streetcar SystemI haven't forgotten posting... far far from it. I've been trying to advance my alignments in PG County, particularly working out some kinks down near National Harbor. I may try and get those out as part of my next published alignments. In the interim, I just through the master-planned DC Streetcar system into Google Maps/Earth, presented here for your amusement. I'm going to start working on reconciling this system with my Maryland system tonight, as well as making some changes to my Silver Spring alignment per Dan's comments, and will hopefully make some more headway on my alignments down near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge & National Harbor.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476df08e2ad5499fb7&ll=38.90466,-77.017593&spn=0.128242,0.219727&z=12&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476df08e2ad5499fb7&ll=38.90466,-77.017593&spn=0.128242,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">DC Streetcars.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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The DC Streetcar system was designed as per DDOT's .pdf available at:<br />
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http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/masstransit/streetcar/maps/map_futurealignments.pdf<br />
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Color-coding roughly follows the colors used in the above .pdf file.<br />
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UPDATE, 2009/10/26<br />
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I just consolidated the DC Streetcar System with my transit system. Here are the extensions that came out of it:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476e1c2b972919011a&ll=38.903858,-77.001801&spn=0.256487,0.439453&z=11&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000476e1c2b972919011a&ll=38.903858,-77.001801&spn=0.256487,0.439453&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">DC Streetcar Extensions.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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From top-left & clockwise around... there's first my extension of the two lines into Woodley Park. One caveat is that the station remains on Calvert Street, creating a disconnect from the Metro Station. Granted, it's not a far walk at all (and certainly shorter than the walk to the Zoo); but it's a disconnect nonetheless. It's next stop would be at the National Cathedral, where it intersects with Wisconsin Ave. It continues on to American University, Spring Valley, Ft Bayard Park, and Friendship Heights Metro -- where it continues on as my previously-posted Connecticut Ave alignment.<br />
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Extending along the K Street Line, a turn onto Wisconsin Ave takes it northward through Georgetown and past its thus-named university. It'd next stop at the National Cathedral w/ the last paragraph's line. It'd keep northward to tie into Tenleytown, with a potential continuation along Nebraska Ave until its termination at the Rock Creek Park.<br />
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The next around isn't terribly different from DDOT's own intentions, if indeed it differs at all. Instead of terminating at Takoma Park, it's rerouted to continue up to Silver Spring Metro -- a hub of a massive amount of other transit lines. Just as well, because navigating Aspen St and 4th St is not a particularly easy task.<br />
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The extension of the line along Michigan Ave -- proposed to terminate at the Brookland / CUA Metro Station, would instead take it up to West Hyattsville. While this isn't a big jump between Metro lines, it does pick up a lot of infill ridership. West Hyattsville is also a transfer point to one of my circumferential lines.<br />
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The extension to the alignment along Rhode Island Ave didn't take much imagination: I just bring it a nudge further into Mount Rainier to link into the same circumferential route mentioned in my last paragraph. It could continue on eastward along said circumferential route, taking it toward Bladensburg.<br />
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On the south end, I altered the alignments approaching Bellevue by way of MLK, instead shifting them onto 4th St. This was because Bellevue is bound in by I-295 to the west, and shifting eastward picks up more folks in that direction. Bellevue is still pretty close to 4th St. On the west side of I-295 runs the Anacostia Streetcar to pickup the barracks of the military bases, and it then curves east along the south side of Bellevue. Improved ped/bike amenities could ensure Bellevue is well-served, given the presence of transit on all sides of its periphery. These alignments rejoin at the border and head south along MD 210, where they immediately merge into my alignment out of Suitland Metro, destined southward to National Harbor and ultimately on to Indian Head.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-71987290730808678392009-10-12T18:08:00.005-04:002009-10-12T18:17:36.555-04:00How precise are these alignments?I haven't been posting recently, as I've instead decided to refine some alignments a bit more. Since I'm in need of saying something, I'll response to a couple of questions I've received... by which I mean, a couple separate messages asking the same question:<br /><br />Q - "How precise are these alignments?"<br />A - As I lay out my alignments, I essentially run through several draft versions. While my post last summer showing a national rail network (+1 maglev line) were 1st draft -- only intended for viewing at a national scale; not a state-level or smaller scale -- all of my other alignments of local transitways are accurate to about a foot. That is, if the line is along the side of a road: that's where I intend it to be. If the line is down the center of a road: that's where I intend it to be. So yes, I have considered whether it'd be median-alignment or side-alignment.<br /><br />Also, as I was converting one of my alignments in southern PG County from 1st to 2nd draft, there was one point where I almost skipped a part thinking "if this ever came to fruition, someone else could deal with that." It then occurred to me that I don't want to leave any open ends... I want to try and address as much as I can now. Skipping anything -- even the more difficult segments -- erodes the greater respect for everything else. That is, one might wonder that since I skipped that one hard part... maybe I've skipped others... maybe everything only *looks* simple and is actually far more difficult. I don't want that; my goal is to leave no stone unturned. However, I rely on others' feedback to let me know what I may have missed.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-39266799516829862372009-10-01T22:44:00.002-04:002009-10-02T00:03:42.595-04:00Silver SpringAfter a hiatus, I'm back with a vengeance... or something like that. Running almost completely up the US 29 corridor, this line spans between the Silver Spring CBD and Burtonsville -- running past multiple east-west connections and also filling in between some of my Yellow Line extension stops. Ridership is high, but from Silver Spring to Four Corners: so are costs. While this only spans a single line, Silver Spring Metro is joined by the Red Line, the Purple Line, and my proposed line along Georgia Ave heading all the way to Olney.<br /><br /><iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000474ebd31ed6b5cfae7&ll=39.053073,-76.982002&spn=0.255946,0.439453&z=11&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000474ebd31ed6b5cfae7&ll=39.053073,-76.982002&spn=0.255946,0.439453&z=11&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Silver Spring.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 4 - Burtonsville Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 100%;">10.40 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">???</span><br />Southern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Silver Spring Metro</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Burtonsville; or continues to Cherry Lane</span><br /><br />I haven't given any thought to maintenance... largely because it just doesn't pique my interest as much as drawing new alignments does. At its northernmost tier: I'm still not quite sure how I'll run my alignment out to Cherry Lane... I think I'll bring it in such that both terminate at Burtonsville; rather than continuing on as the other. Either way, it'll make more sense when I get to the Laurel lines...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">5, 5 - Silver Spring Metro to Spring</span><br /><span><br />This short haul will require some major committment to get built, and as such is unlikely to be realised anytime soon... unless it were put underground, in which case the "5" cost would still be 5... but it'd be a much much higher 5. It's the same principle as a high F versus a low F.</span> The good news, at least, is that ridership is spactacular -- picking up all the folk too lazy to traverse the CBD by their own two feet... and my assumption (and experience in knowing people who drive between parking garages) is that there's a good chunk of those.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">4, 3 - Spring to Dale</span><br /><span><br />Chasing along the reversible lanes, this otherwise nondescript line eats up budgets and spits out at least a bit of ridership -- slightly boosted by recreational treks along the Sligo Creek.</span><br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">4, 5 - Dale to Four Corners</span><br /> <span><br />The route into Four Corners continues a trend of impacts to motorised traffic -- likely necessitating replacing general purpose lanes & some major bridgework over the Sligo Creek as well as the Beltway. However, there are some decent benefits: Four Corners already has high transit usage via the bus network, and the nearby high school helps draw some youth to transit.</span> More critically, this is a transfer point to the Beltway Montgomery Line, running between Kensington and Takoma/Langley.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - Four Corners to Burnt Mills</span><br /> <span><br />There's really not too much spectacular to this line other than its crossing </span>over the stream and it's convenient location next to Trader Joe's... tempting me to rename the station "Trader Joe's" simply to try and garner free chocolate.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 5 - Burnt Mills to White Oak</span><br /> <span><br />Cutting through Lockwood Drive, this features a station adjacent to the White Oak Transit Center. It's greatest feature is a station on the Yellow Line extension, but it also connects with the Cloverly Line out of Ft. Totten. Each of them, individually, isn't a massive draw; but between heavy rail, another transit line, and bus services: they collectively make for the level 5 ridership... and when I say that, it suddenly feels like I'm playing a transit-themed game of Dungeons & Dragons. But apart from that, increasing levels of development density in the area also share in that ridership. ...That and the elves, those transit-riding elves.<br /></span> <br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 3 - White Oak to Lockwood East</span><br /> <span><br />A short hop just to pick up a large transit demographic.</span> I've had a couple friends that lives in this apartment community and have seen firsthand how ripe it is for ridership.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 5 - Lockwood East to Tech</span><br /> <span><br />Tech Rd assumes some higher-density development alongside a mid-sized Park & Ride -- anticipated to be the third of its kind heading southbound along US 29. This location was chosen for the P&R both for its existing plentiful supply of parking but also for its transfer capabilities: a Yellow Line station, the terminus of a line out of Ft. Totten, the terminus of a line which largely follows US 1 into Bladensburg, and the terminus of a line out of Beltsville.<br /></span> <br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - Tech to Fairland</span><br /> <span><br />The problem with this station is that there's nothing there... but there's a lot near to there. I have yet to quite figure out what planners were thinking when they anticipated the US 29 corridor as being oriented towards transit along US 29... because some of the more notable areas seem to confound that logic.</span> However, I still couldn't disregard this cross street as there is some ridership to be had toward the east & to some degree with the neighboring businesses.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 5 - Fairland to Briggs Chaney</span><br /> <span><br />Another problem with the "transit-oriented development" along US 29 is that by building a freeway in the middle of it all: it's pushed pedestrians away from where pedestrians were supposed to be drawn to. My line is anticipated to run directly beneath Briggs Chaney Road, with stairs linking up to each side of the bridge... maybe possibly.</span><br /><br />This station provides transfers to my Outer Beltway Line (running between Gaithersburg Metro, Shady Grove, Konterra, Muirkirk, Bowie, Six Flags, and Upper Marlboro... linking almost every radiating line there is) and also the Randolph Road Line (joining Glenmont, White Flint, and Parc Potomac). Even greater is that this is the terminus of the Yellow Line extension, hence my proposed conversion of the auto lots to the southeast into park & ride lots -- the 2nd (and potentially largest) of the P&R facilities along southbound US 29.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Briggs Chaney</span><span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> to Paint Branch</span><br /> <span><br />Named </span>for the adjacent high school (which I suppose is named after the stream), this would be anticipated to link each side of US 29 via pedestrian bridges connecting directly into the station. While density is low to the west, higher density on the east side & school-related ridership help boost the numbers here.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 2 - Paint Branch to Greencastle</span><br /> <span><br />With 1/4 mile radius rubbing shoulders with the Paint Branch 1/4, this isn't a particularly far-away stop, but I opted to include it to pickup some more riders out of the higher-density residences to the east.</span><br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 2 - Greencastle to Blackburn</span><br /> <span><br />As with the last couple stops, to the west isn't much; but to the east are some higher-density residences. This station might be a transfer point onto a line from Cherry Road in Laurel... it's technically my alternate alignment in the sense of I drew it after my other route, but I'm leaning more toward this alternative as being the more preferable of the Cherry Hill routes.</span><br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - Blackburn to Burtonsville</span><br /> <span><br /></span><span>Assuming I run the Cherry Hill Line's 2nd alternative, this segment trackage with the Cherry Hill Line, both of them terminating in Burtonsville. Or if I go with my original Cherry Hill alignment, then it's wrap around from the north & both of these lines could continue into the other. However, while that latter one might sound nice... I'm not convinced it's really worth it from a ridership standpoint.<br /><br />This stop could help revitalise the dueling shopping centers as well as the "village" of Burtonsville... a title the community has been struggling to (re)attain. The Park & Ride to the east is the first potentially rail-served P&R along southbound US 29, but the current location of the P&R and my station result in a bit of a separation between the two. <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327200.200-how-the-moving-walkway-nearly-overtook-the-metro.html?full=true">Moving walkways</a>? Absolutely.<br /><br />(I'm not entirely sure if I'm joking or not)<br /></span><span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Where we are thus far...</span><br /><br />I can't embed Google Maps anymore showing the whole thing, as it's gotten too big that Google Maps doesn't know what to do with it. So now I've got to link to a Google Earth placemark. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&vps=4&jsv=175c&oe=UTF8&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105555741256215816725.00046f6b748713e2c469a">Click here</a> for the Google Earth placemark of all the alignments thus far, noting that it may take quite some time to load. I'm really not sure what I'll post next... whether I'll fill in some more in MoCo, take care of some connector routes, start moving into PG... I'll decide that when I get to it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;"></span><span><br /></span><br /><span></span>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-54105517693775738702009-09-22T00:23:00.002-04:002009-09-22T00:28:23.067-04:00Breaktime this weekI picked up a concussion as well as a jellyfish burn whilst at the shore last week... foot-deep water + sizable waves = bad idea. Another bad idea is wondering whether that floating goo is a jellyfish or random garbage, and then disregarding it either way. So I'm taking a bit of a break... although if anything, "break" just means I'll try and get a bigger lead on posting stuff here.<br /><br />With the recent jibber-jabber about a Yellow Line extension over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, I'm going to post one line along the eastern portion of the Red Line, and then I'm going to see which of my Prince George's circumferential lines I want to do next. I have a route going over the WWB & connecting into King Street, but it covers so much that I didn't really want to put it up so soon... we'll see.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-20371561726883773332009-09-15T21:08:00.006-04:002009-09-16T19:53:52.331-04:00GermantownThe last of the alternatives to the CCT and the last stop along the Red Line's hypothetical extension to Germantown, this beast has a lot of far-reaching lines. Granted, the cost/benefit of some is a bit iffy -- particularly out to the Mouth of Monocacy -- but these lines largely provide recreational outlets moreso than commuter connections. Hence, the National Park Service might actually be a better candidate for funding than the Department of Transportation... granted, I'm not entirely sure how likely <span style="font-style: italic;">either </span>would be.<br /><br /> <iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000473ba9540b2bb9bf7a&ll=39.188094,-77.381516&spn=0.255457,0.439453&z=11&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000473ba9540b2bb9bf7a&ll=39.188094,-77.381516&spn=0.255457,0.439453&z=11&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Germantown.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br />For reference, I've included the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT, in light blue) below overlaid with my alignment (yellow):<br /><br /> <iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000473ba912daffdd2a91&ll=39.208847,-77.279205&spn=0.127691,0.219727&z=12&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000473ba912daffdd2a91&ll=39.208847,-77.279205&spn=0.127691,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">CCT-Germantown.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 3 - Damascus Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >11.25 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Old Baltimore, Kingstead, Soccer Plex</span><br />Southern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Poolesville or Clopper Lake lines.</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Damascus</span><br /><br />Right up to Clarksburg, costs are low and ridership is high. The last two stations steal away a bit of both, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave Damascus unserved -- it's a tiny little burg with a bit of potential if it could clear out its parking lots.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - Germantown Metro to Germantown Center</span><br /><span><br />I can't help but be annoyed that Germantown's "center" and its MARC station are so separated, with little indication that the MARC station even exists... which is a shame, since I think it's a pretty station. This segment serves to unite these long lost partners.</span> If the commercial properties redevelop with less parking, it wouldn't be a stretch for ridership along this segment to max out at 5.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Germantown Center </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Century</span><br /><span><br />This station essentially replaces the CCT's Cloverleaf station. It's located in the midst of offices, but residences are also nearby.</span> A grade-separated shared use trail across I-270 could link the area with the CCT alternative that runs east, with the trail connecting into Seneca Meadows Pkwy & possibly extending along the CCT alignment as a shared use trail rather than a transitway.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 5 - Century to Kinster</span><br /><span><br />To pull off its ridership of 5, there are two key traits necessary. First is bicycle connectivity to the west: that pulls it up from a 1 to a 2, reaching out to people along the Waters Landing loop. Second is an assumed park & ride at this location w/ direct links to I-270.<br /><br />At the lowest end, </span>the P&R would link from/to the SB ramp to WB Father Hurley Blvd... meaning an easy AM commute, but you'd have to U-turn at Crystal Rock Dr to get back to I-270 in the PM. At a higher end, the P&R might connect to NB I-270 by joining the transitway in the grade-separated I-270 crossing.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kinster </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Dorsey Mill</span><br /><span><br />In general, I have the station along Dorsey Mill Rd to get it nearer to the large buildings on Milestone Center Dr. I figure that it's not a compelling difference for the residents on the north side of Observation whether it's on Dorsey Mill Rd or Observation Dr.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Dorsey Mill </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to COMSAT</span><br /><span><br />A part of the CCT I agree with! I follow it spot-on, picking up the COMSAT stop along the way. I believe this is scheduled for some major redevelopment as per the rest of the Clarksburg area.</span> I'm was pretty conservative in my estimate of density when calculating ridership, so there's a good chance this could get a 4 or 5 depending on how it redevelops.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 5 - COMSAT to Gateway Center</span><br /><span><br />Despite the lack of stuff in this area per Google's satellite views, this stop has quite a bit going for it. On the one hand, I assume a park & ride here: the first of its kind along I-270. On the other hand, there's a high potential for higher-density redevelopment here given Clarksburg's track record. On on the third hand, on the other side of I-270 is a proposed massive-scale redevelopment that just about doubles Clarksburg's size. Shared use trails connecting into both COMSAT & Gateway Center would be critical for accommodating this development </span><span>(grade-separated across I-270)</span><span>.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 4 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gateway Center </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Clarksburg</span><br /><span><br />Here I leave the CCT behind for good. The CCT's last station is Clarksburg, but it keeps on going for an eventual connection into Frederick. Personally, I feel that even without the meandering in Gaithersburg, a BRT or LRT line all the way to Frederick would be a bit too hefty. Even my Leesburg Line is pushing it, but at least the Leesburg Line forms a new river crossing connection & has only a couple stops before Virginians reach the Metro station.</span> Frederick, in my opinion, is best handled by MARC... or <span style="font-style: italic;">maybe</span> a Red Line extension so long as it doesn't have any other stops, but egads that'd be a long line.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Clarksburg </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Clarksburg East</span><br /><span><br /></span><span>A rather short haul across that's now the "center-ish" / "core-ish" area of Clarksburg, if indeed there really is one. It's at least one of the main routes, given Stringtown Road's connection to I-270.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Clarksburg East </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Oak Ridge</span><br /><span><br /></span>If this line were to ever be realised: it'd more than likely stop at Clarksburg East... unless, perhaps, a park & ride were included in the Damascus area to pick up traffic traffic coming in from Frederick County. It's this long haul which results in a questionable cost/benefit, but as I said before: I just couldn't leave Damascus all alone.<br /><br />Oak Ridge forms an interim stop, chosen for its proximity to recreational facilities, schools, and a not-too-horrendous distance from residences. Improved bike accommodations could significantly expand the station's reach.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Oak Ridge </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Damascus</span><br /><span><br />The station brings folks right into (or out of) the core... like I said, there's some potential to Damascus, if only it'd replace its preponderance of pavement.</span><br /><br /><br />=========================================================<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />=========================================================<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Leesburg Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >24.72 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Leesburg, Soccer Plex, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Old Baltimore, Kingstead</span><br />Southern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Loops around Leesburg.</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Damascus Line to north</span><br /><br />Farmers be damned along this alignment... now don't get me wrong, I love farmers & agricultural: I'm from Lancaster County, after all. However, the fact is that rural land is cheap... regrettably cheap. That's what makes it a target for developers, and that's what made it a target for this alignment. I tried to follow contours where I could (take out erosion-fighting trees in the process), or I tried to do clean bisects to segment a field into pieces which could still be efficiently farmed; but in the end it's still taking land from the very people I'd sort of prefer to side with. Dibs on stalls at station-proximate farmer's markets might be a tempting lure, though, in addition to due compensation for purchasing land.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - Germantown Metro to Germantown South</span><br /> <span><br />This segment is shared with the Clopper Lake Line.</span> This continues the run parallel to MD 118 (Germantown Road), with a station near to some higher-density residences, commercial properties, schools, and recreational facilities.<br /><br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - Germantown South to Richter Farm</span><br /> <span><br />The crossing over both MD 117 (Clopper Road) and MD 118 (Germantown Road) is complicated, and could very likely necessitate at least 3 station platforms. Inbound trains heading toward the Metro would vie for priority in crossing the intersection, with those inbound from Richter Farm likely getting priority as they would have a dedicated phase; whereas vehicles from Northwest could move with MD 118's green.</span> Outbound trains would similarly demand different phasing for crossing the intersection, potentially resulting in stacking.<br /><br />I'm half-tempted to grade-separate the whole thing, but I don't have much space to bring it back to grade along Liberty Mill Road without wiping out a couple townhomes or significantly encroaching on the building & athletic field on the other side. However, grade-separation would let me nix the 15 MPH curves on each side of the station as well as the operational issues posed by the 117/118 signal. Any ideas?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 4 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Richter Farm </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Soccer Plex</span><br /><span><br />I don't think the maintenance facility surrounding the Soccer Plex's north side would have to be so large, but I highlighted it all, anyway. As for the alignment itself: this stop services a massive array of recreational facilities... all of them don't even fit within the 1/2 mile radius, there are that many.</span> The Soccer Plex lots might potentially double as a permitted park & ride for traffic coming from Poolesville or Whites Ferry (though the former is addressed by the very next stop).<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Soccer Plex</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> to Poolesville</span><br /><span><br />Round One of my blazing through farmland. There's not much to the alignment other than sheer distance.</span> The Poolesville station is right in its core, and with some good bicycle treatments it could be accessible from every resident in its subrural reaches.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">5, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Poolesville </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Riverside</span><br /><span><br /></span>I initially had this stopping at Poolesville, but while typing this post I figured I might as well make the jump into Leesburg. It's an expensive jump, but hey I'm not playing with real $$$ so why not give it a whirl. However, after dabbling about in Leesburg I came to realise something: this city has an even worse urban shape than Prince George's County. I'll admit I'm not too familiar with Northern Virginia, but I'd had a stereotype built up in my head of a more progressive urban-minded folk; but my two trips to Reston in the past few weeks & now this dabbling with Leesburg have thoroughly led me to wonder just what, exactly, Virginia's planners are aiming for.<br /><br />The top-tier price for this segment comes from environmental impacts, the cost of bridging the Potomac, and utility impacts given that I follow power line right-of-way almost the full distance.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 2 - Riverside to Battlefield</span><br /><span><br />Owing to Leesburg's apparent plan of "huge roads everywhere", the right-of-way for this was pretty easy. However, the low density results in low ridership. This station is really just to fill in the gap between Riverside & Outlook Mall... this station could probably be dropped initially.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Battlefield </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Outlet Mall</span><br /><span><br />I'm kind of saddened by the name I gave this, considering there's a perfectly good historic fort within easy walking distance. However, where's the ridership: the fort with a tiny parking lot, or the shopping center with the sea of asphalt? Bingo.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Outlet Mall </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Leesburg East</span><br /><span><br />This includes a grade-separated crossing of US 15. The Leesburg East station has the potential to enable lots of businesses to clear out the pavement; or at least redevelop & reorient their buildings.</span> With the Washington & Old Dominion Trail but a short walk/ride away, this area has definite potential.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Leesburg East </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Leesburg</span><br /><span><br />It took me a bit of effort to locate what I <span style="font-style: italic;">think </span>is the more traditional core of Leesburg: the town just sprawls out so much that the core has almost disintegrated.</span> Perhaps a station such as this could help keep it alive, with this station & the last station providing opportunity to compare both old and new.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">5, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Leesburg </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Cacotin</span><br /><span><br /></span>One caveat of more traditional grids, however, is that turning radii for a transit vehicle can be tricky... hence why I attempted to skirt around it a bit rather than diving right through along Market St or Loudoun St over to King St. The trek past the Madison House could include a shared use trail, improving connection between the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and the Cacotin station.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Cacotin </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Linden Hill</span><br /><span><br />I assume there must be something to the east of this station, but from only looking at the satellites: my assumptions are that there's nothing here. That means that my ridership is low, the alignment is along the side, and in the next segment I just cut directly across it. ...However, I suspect these assumptions aren't valid, as this area just cries "development".</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Linden Hill </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Schools</span><br /><span><br />A lousy name, I know: Schools; but that does pretty well describe it, as by-and-large that's all that this serves.</span> Non-school ridership is virtually zero, apart from those attending special events or recreating.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 2 - Schools to Godfrey</span><br /><span><br />Dropping off a couple skips away from the terminal, this provides ready access to shorter-haul flights.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Godfrey </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to W-OD Trail</span><br /><span><br />This won't see a huge amount of ridership, but it could capture some Trail users & could also pull in some residents from the neighborhood to the north as well as the more dedicated cyclists in the Ashburn area.</span> That latter one might sound a bit of a stretch, but keep in mind that this provides access to a whole new connection over the Potomac; and being car-free might itself be a draw for a decent share of the Trail-using demographic.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">W-OD Trail </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Riverside</span><br /><span><br />T</span><span>he transitway joins back with the power lines as it f</span><span>inishes the loop by returning to Riverside.</span> Some extra trackage at the Riverside interlocking enables a separate line to be run as a circulator around Leesburg.<br /><br /><br />=========================================================<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />=========================================================<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - Clopper Lake Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >2.14 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Old Baltimore, Kingstead</span><br />Southern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Clopper Lake</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Damascus Line to north</span><br /><br />This is a tough stub to justify, and the ridership assumes there's a decent chunk of outdoorsy people opting to visit the lake. Nevermind that there's a ring of Gaithersburg stations on the far side... but at least this line takes you right to the waterfront.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Germantown South </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Northwest</span><br /><span><br />[Copied from G*Town South to Richter Farm]<br /><br /></span><span>The crossing over both MD 117 (Clopper Road) and MD 118 (Germantown Road) is complicated, and could very likely necessitate at least 3 station platforms. Inbound trains heading toward the Metro would vie for priority in crossing the intersection, with those inbound from Richter Farm likely getting priority as they would have a dedicated phase; whereas vehicles from Northwest could move with MD 118's green.</span> Outbound trains would similarly demand different phasing for crossing the intersection, potentially resulting in stacking.<br /><br />I'm half-tempted to grade-separate the whole thing, but I don't have much space to bring it back to grade along Liberty Mill Road without wiping out a couple townhomes or significantly encroaching on the building & athletic field on the other side. However, grade-separation would let me nix the 15 MPH curves on each side of the station as well as the operational issues posed by the 117/118 signal. Any ideas?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Northwest </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Clopper Lake</span><br /><span><br />Following a stream & terminating at a lake </span>are certainly no help when it comes to environmental impacts... a bit ironic considering this line is intended to bring people closer to the environment in a more environmentally-friendly way. Nonetheless, this drops you off right at the shoreline: a great place for a picnic or recreation.<br /><br /><br />=========================================================<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />=========================================================<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Germantown East Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >2.62 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Middlebrook, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Dickerson</span><br />Western continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Dickerson Line</span><br />Eastern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates </span><span style="font-style: italic;">at Germantown East</span><br /><br />There's really not too much to this short line: it picks up workers & residents as part of the feeder into the Metro, with little else of interest to others.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 5 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Germantown Metro </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Gunners Lake Village</span><br /><span><br />This affords a rear access to the Dept. of Energy & could also be host to a decent park & ride -- assumed to replace what appears to be a car dealership on the northeast corner.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gunners Lake Village </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Middlebrook</span><br /><span><br />I'm not entirely sure what that big facility is on the north side, but this stop helps to serve it. I assume it's probably some federal thingimajig. I'm not completely sold on this station location... I'm thinking of sliding it eastward to get it nearer to the commercial properties. No one likes to lug groceries too far, and it's probably best to keep shopping carts at the stores & not at transit stops. However, sliding it further east only reduces the need for the next stop...<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Middlebrook </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Germantown East</span><br /><span><br />This final stop does a pretty good job of fitting the residents around here within its 1/2 mile radius, and with the widening & extension of Germantown Road on seemingly unending delay: perhaps the right-of-way will continue to be readily available.</span><br /><br /><br />=========================================================<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />=========================================================<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 2 - Dickerson Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >11.11 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Dickerson, Middlebrook</span><br />Western continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Mouth of Monocacy</span><br />Eastern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Germantown East Line<br /></span><br />A lengthy line with naught much to show for it, this is more a heritage line focused toward recreation & exploring Maryland's rural tier rather than commuting. ...Although it could support a bit more density around its stops, should those little burgs opt to convert high-priced white dwelling units (HPWDU) into a more diversified village-like atmosphere.<br /><br />...Though it could also be argued that half of the stations are right next to MARC stations, hence the need for a new transitway may be a bit questionable. What are people's thoughts: could this work together with MARC (lower-capacity but more frequent service at regular hours; and providing a couple new stops), against MARC (outright redundant), or should it replace MARC -- letting the commuter rail continue uninterrupted between larger cities?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Germantown Metro </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Churchill</span><br /><span><br />Shared use trails would extend in all directions: to </span>Wisteria Dr, Ranworth Ct, Briarwick St, Lullaby Rd, and each direction along the rail lines. Indirect access would be provided to Little Seneca Lake, though the next stop drops people off at a bit more convenient of a location.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">5, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Churchill </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Boyds</span><br /><span><br />Environmental impacts pile on top of one-another in the development of this segment, with wetlands' defenders crying fowl. Heh... fowl... ha ha ha.... sorry. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 1 - Boyds to Barnesville</span><br /><span><br /></span>Perhaps the long-lost general store in Barnesville (why there are sun-bleached "No Parking" signs along a shoulderless & narrow Old Hundred Road) could return in all its former glory. There's also plenty of history to be had: some areas not far from these stations were important stops on the Underground Railroad.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 1 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Barnesville </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Dickerson</span><br /><span><br />This racks up some more wetlands impacts, but other costs are really quite low -- hence only a 2 instead of a much higher cost. However, ridership in Dickinson -- despite the tasty food at the local convenience store -- isn't particularly astounding: horses may very well outnumber people.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Dickerson </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">to Mouth of Monocacy</span><br /><span><br />This last stop is at one of the more beautiful places I've been to in the DC area, hence why I felt the need to take this just a little bit further from Dickerson.</span> However, it's a bit pricey building this segment, and the ridership really isn't quite there. As lovely as it is, it's a long haul for a lot of folk throughout the county.<br /><br /><br />=========================================================<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />=========================================================<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Where we are thus far...</span><br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&vps=4&jsv=175c&oe=UTF8&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105555741256215816725.00046f6b748713e2c469a">Click here</a> for the Google Earth placemark of all the alignments thus far, noting that it may take quite some time to load. Next, I believe I'll return to the Glenmont side of the Red Line by introducing the lines out of Silver Spring. Given my recent preference for western MoCo, I might stick to the eastern side for a couple posts.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-53615785858303931132009-09-10T22:48:00.003-04:002009-09-16T18:16:08.047-04:00GaithersburgHere's my midway grouping along the CCT's alignment. These here lines span out of the Gaithersburg Metro Station per the previous post's Red Line extension. These actually share a bit of commonality with the neighboring Shady Grove lines, as 2 of 3 alignments terminate at the same locations as 2 out of 3 of Shady Grove's lines. However, the current termini of both of them are such that any trains continuing on would have to reverse... a time-consuming process not particularly conducive toward running them as continuous lines. Any suggestions are always welcome.<br /><br /><iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000473458d74c644cdfd7&ll=39.15722,-77.209854&spn=0.127785,0.219727&z=12&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000473458d74c644cdfd7&ll=39.15722,-77.209854&spn=0.127785,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Gaithersburg.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Kentlands Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 100%;">2.13 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Quince Orchard, NIST, Hadley Farms</span><br />Southern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Kentlands.</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Hadley Farms Line to north.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - Hadley Farms Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 100%;">5.37 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Quince Orchard, NIST, Hadley Farms</span><br />Southern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Kentlands Line to south.</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Hadley Farms.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Airpark Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 100%;">5.17 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Metropolitan Grove, Airpark</span><br />Souththern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Outer Beltway Line to south/east.</span><br />Northern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Airpark.</span><br /><br /><iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.00047345817fbd4825159&ll=39.144041,-77.228737&spn=0.063904,0.109863&z=13&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.00047345817fbd4825159&ll=39.144041,-77.228737&spn=0.063904,0.109863&z=13&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Gaith-CCT.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br />For reference, I've included the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT, in light blue) above overlaid with my alignment (green).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Gaithersburg Metro to NIST</span><br /><span><br />There's a chance I might be undervaluing the potential ridership at NIST, as I'm honestly not as familiar with its traffic patterns like I am more nearer to the Beltway. Between NIST to the east, the apartments to the west, and the commercial properties adjacent to the station: there's a chance the ridership for this could be bumped up to 4. That would cause the entire Kentlands Line to also bump up to a ridership of 4.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">NIST to Twinlakes</span><br /> <span><br />Improved ped/bike connections to the properties north & south could improve ridership projections to 3. Independent of the aforementioned ridership potential at NIST, bumping this up to 3 would also bump the entire Kentlands Line up to 4. Potential ped/bike connections could include a trail connecting into the roundabout at Highland Ridge Ave (to the south) and a trail joining into Wind River Lane & ultimately providing a connection to Dosh Dr (to the north).<br /><br />A possible maintenance facility might fit in along Center Drive on NIST property. As with my past instances where I delve onto federal land, however, the legality of this might be questionable... well not so much legality as it is massive amounts of bureaucratic hurdles.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 5 - Twinlakes to Kentlands North</span><br /> <span><br />The big box guys to the north would take a hit to their right-of-way whilst their competition to the south gets the most out of the transit station. Unless both areas are owned by the same entity, this would likely be a major source of contention. However, the northern parcels still benefit from the redevelopment potential: right now parking lots face toward the proposed station; but bringing buildings nearer to Kentlands Blvd could capture just as many customers as those on the south end.<br /><br />A possible maintenance facility to the west along MD 124, just north of Little Quarry Road, could be shared with the Quince Orchard Line. However, putting in tracks & associated signal impacts might render this facility a bit too hard-to-reach for light rail.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">4, 4 - Gaithersburg Metro to Russell</span><br /> <span><br />There's a part of me which wants to bring this station into the mall, and then another part which wants to keep it near the peripheral businesses. I'm running with the latter thus far... I'd envision a trail connecting the station to the mall, landscaped with view-shrouding shrubs & trees to hide the parking lot that this "park-like trail" would be navigating through.<br /><br />Or, alternately, the mall could flip itself inside-out: orienting a more "new urbanist" style design toward the station. However, those lakes could either be a hindrance or a boon... with the right landscaping, they could create a unique atmosphere between commerce & transit; but if left by the wayside, they'd be little more than an impedance to riders.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 3 - Russell to Montgomery Village Center</span><br /> <span><br />I'd thought about locating this station just south of Sedwick Rd rather than to the north of it. Its current location is chosen partly to keep it nearer to the commercial core & its neighboring residences, but also to reduce impacts to the lakes resulting from widening the cross-section. Unfortunately, this decision leaves those on the south side of the lakes outside the 1/2-mile radius. Bicycle infrastructure will be important toward getting those people to either the Russell or Montgomery Village Center stations.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Montgomery Village Center to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Montgomery Village North</span><br /> <span><br />This segment crosses over the Montgomery Village West and Montgomery Village East segment. No station was provided at this crossing as transfer rates are expected to be quite low. Anyone traveling between Hadley Farms & Airpark would more likely just bike or drive it... and anyone heading toward Gaithersburg would be better-fit to stay on the current line. Those destined for stops in between (Spectrum, Metropolitan Grove, or Russell) could easily bike from a stop on their line (with corresponding improvements to bike infrastructure, of course); and those traveling to either the Montgomery Village West or Center stations could easily get off at either & walk/bike to the same destinations.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Montgomery Village North to Hadley Farms</span><br /> <span><br />Following along the power lines (always a major utility issue), this rather direct alignment terminates into what's expected to be a pretty low-ridership facility. However, there's a chance that this could be a rather good place for a park & ride lot to try and attract all those folks that make Fieldcrest or MD 124 (Woodfield Rd) a part of their daily commute. Granted, the Airpark station might be a better draw, as its line to Shady Grove is a bit more direct. If I ever get around to computing travel times, that might help clear that up...<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 3 - Gaithersburg Metro to Metropolitan Grove</span><br /> <span><br />Pulled right out of the CCT's alignment, this station services the new developments along the Watkins Mill Road extension as well as the properties to the south. A bike path alongside the transit line could also provide ready access directly to Gaithersburg Metro & even onto the fairgrounds.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">4, 3 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Gaithersburg Metro to Spectrum</span><br /> <span><br />Serving the other end of the Watkins Mill Road extension, this station takes its name from the property on the opposite corner of the intersection with MD 355. I am a bit liberal on ridership here, anticipating that Spectrum will be a decent draw... if it ends up being a more typical shopping center, then I might revise this down to a ridership of 2.<br /><br />A large maintenance facility is planned on what is currently some untouched forestland and westlands. ...The environmentalists would probably despise me for this, but it did end up being a pretty handy location. I figured that since we already plowed I-270 through it, why not continue the trail of destruction? Alongside the Red Line's maintenance yard, I've located a possible maintenance facility for this transit line.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Spectrum to Montgomery Village West</span><br /> <span><br />As previously noted, riding the corridors of high tension power lines is sure to drive up costs related to utilities, and is likely to require threats of (re)regulation in order to get the power companies to "warm" to the idea of transit & energy arterials coexisting. Apart from that, this station provides ready access to Montgomery Village's core.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Montgomery Village West to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Montgomery Village East</span><br /> <span><br />I previously explained why this segment crosses over another line without a transfer station... either go back and read about the MV Center to MV North Line, or just settle for my quick synopsis of "transfers are expected to be minimal". The MV East station is intended just to service the residents between the center & Airpark.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;">(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 4 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Montgomery Village East to Airpark</span><br /> <span><br />As alluded to in my section about the Hadley Farms station, a Park & Ride at Airpark could be a handy addition for capturing traffic coming southward along MD 124 (Woodfield Rd). However, to fit in a park & ride would require merging all the existing parking... essentially creating an Airpark Parking District (Airparking District? Sounds a bit too futuristic), and potentially necessitating demolishing some buildings & redevelop them with separately-oriented parking/buildings; or replacing one or two with a parking garage.<br /><br />To add onto fanciful ideas: it'd be great if a ped/bike tunnel could travel beneath the runway, connecting to Snouffer School Road & enabling those folks -- some laying within the 1/2 mile radius -- to make use of the Airpark station. ...I thought about how neat it might be to have a bridge instead of a tunnel since then you could go plane-watching, but soon enough common sense got the best of me on that one.<br /><br />Onto maintenance facilities: I'm admittedly not familiar (yet) with the terrain where I'm showing a huge maintenance facility tentatively located. I figure that if it were flat and easy to build on, there'd probably be stuff there already... but for now I'm operating on the assumption that it IS flat & easy to build on, and some planner somewhere has been specifically saving it for my pipedream transitway's maintenance facility. Safe assumption, right?<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Where we are thus far...</span><br /><br />I can't embed Google Maps anymore showing the whole thing, as it's gotten too big that Google Maps doesn't know what to do with it. So now I've got to link to a Google Earth placemark. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&vps=4&jsv=175c&oe=UTF8&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105555741256215816725.00046f6b748713e2c469a">Click here</a> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&vps=4&jsv=175c&oe=UTF8&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105555741256215816725.00046f6b748713e2c469a" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;"></a> for the Google Earth placemark of all the alignments thus far, noting that it may take quite some time to load. Next I'll see about getting the Germantown Line up.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 85%;"></span><span><br /></span>Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-78980650123068050622009-09-09T00:51:00.002-04:002009-09-16T18:16:08.047-04:00Red Line ExtensionThis is to preempt my forthcoming posts for Gaithersburg & Germantown-based lines: an extension of the Red Line for two more stops past Shady Grove.<br /><br /><iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.0004731e02ad788c4523e&ll=39.147369,-77.22805&spn=0.127803,0.219727&z=12&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.0004731e02ad788c4523e&ll=39.147369,-77.22805&spn=0.127803,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Red Line Extension.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br />There's nothing too fancy to this: it directly follows the existing railroad right-of-way; albeit this would likely necessitate additional right-of-way to keep WMATA trains off of CSX lines. Hence, a 30' right-of-way becomes about a 100' typical right-of-way -- not itself a cheap endeavor, particularly in Gaithersburg: where anything beyond the existing 30' simply doesn't exist without demolishing properties.<br /><br />I anticipate redeveloping the Shady Grove maintenance yard, which is conveniently located immediately adjacent to a transit station; but inconveniently a land use that's not particularly trip-intensive. To compensate for the loss of a maintenance facility: a new one is proposed just past Watkins Mill Road. Between this extension's new maintenance yard & a likely maintenance facility for my local lines out of Gaithersburg: I quite thoroughly decimate a forested parkland... that's rife with issues in and of itself.<br /><br />I'm a bit perturbed to have kept the Red Line station away from Germantown's core (why did they develop the core so far from MARC?!), but alas it just remained easier to stick with existing railroad lines. My feeder lines will connect Germantown's core with the Red Line & MARC, located one stop away.<br /><br />Coming up later this week (possibly tomorrow, depending on how many of my backlogged photos I get uploaded to Flickr), I anticipate getting my Gaithersburg alignments uploaded -- it's lines reaching from Airpark to Kentlands. Next week I'll aim for Germantown, which includes some lengthy spans reaching out to Damascus, Poolesville, and Dickerson.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173716983683386890.post-62176585378439347532009-08-31T23:53:00.007-04:002009-09-04T13:53:24.591-04:00Shady GroveMuch of my time recently has been spent developing an ideal city pattern -- an idea I've had for quite some time. Essentially, I wanted to test how a standard grid system might translate to polar coordinates... it's all mathematics right now, optimising radial spacing and how frequently new radials form off of circumferential streets. Perhaps I'll see about drafting something eventually, converting numbers to image.<br /><br />...I've also been wrapping my mind about getting ready for my trip to New Zealand later this year as well as still trying to finish uploading my photos from last year's trip to Ukraine. ...I'm just a wee bit backlogged on Flickr.<br /><br />Back to these-here alignments: I really want to start rolling out my replacement of the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT)... but while I wanted to start in Germantown and work south, it turns out I haven't quite finished filling out the details of those northern lines. So instead I'll start with the southern end of the CCT and midway along my remaining Red Line stations: the alignments out of Shady Grove.<br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000472ba1dfe6076acb1a&ll=39.131126,-77.191315&spn=0.127832,0.219727&z=12&output=embed" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="480" width="640"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000472ba1dfe6076acb1a&ll=39.131126,-77.191315&spn=0.127832,0.219727&z=12&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">Shady Grove.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - Kentlands Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >3.36 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Airpark (on Airpark Line)</span><br />Western continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Kentlands.</span><br />Eastern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Airpark Line to east.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Lakelands Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >5.51 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Airpark (on Airpark Line)</span><br />Western continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Quince Orchard.</span><br />Eastern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Airpark Line to east.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Airpark Line</span><br /><span>Length -<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >3.96 miles</span><br />Maintenance - <span style="font-style: italic;">Airpark</span><br />Western continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Continues as Sam Eig Line & Lakelands Line to west.</span><br />Eastern continuity - <span style="font-style: italic;">Terminates at Airpark.</span><br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000472ba265f1d09f7b22&ll=39.112614,-77.218437&spn=0.063933,0.109863&z=13&output=embed" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" height="480" width="640"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105555741256215816725.000472ba265f1d09f7b22&ll=39.112614,-77.218437&spn=0.063933,0.109863&z=13&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">CCT-ShadyGrove.kmz</a> in a larger map</small><br /><br />For reference, I've included the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT, in light blue) above overlaid with my alignment (darker blue).<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 5 - Shady Grove to East Gaither</span><br /><span></span><br />I'll never forget the time I was observing traffic at MD 355 and King Farm Blvd only to note how many cars were traveling to the Metro station from King Farm, and vice-versa during the PM peak. For a TOD: these people sure drive a lot. Perhaps this infill station will assist.<br /><br />My original alignment went down Redland Blvd instead, but I opted to change it to bring it closer to the higher-density projects currently in development along King Farm Blvd; and also because I assumed that if the CCT expected go that route: so could I. No need to reinvent the wheel on that one.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 4 - East Gaither to West Gaither</span><br /><span></span><br />This station services the new high-density developments under development in its vicinity.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - West Gaither to Crown Farm</span><br /><span></span><br />Crown Farm is the site of a proposed high-density mixed use development... one which is presumably hinging on the fate of the CCT.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 3 - Crown Farm to Sam Eig</span><br /><span></span><br />This was originally the terminating station, but I recently opted to extend it out to Kentlands. While the nearby farm is likely to redevelop, I assume that this spot will have some Park & Ride spaces considering its proximity to both I-270 and the ICC. Given another proposed P&R on the east side of I-270, however, I expect that'll take on the lion's share of commuters.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Sam Eig to Kentlands</span><br /><span></span><br />The alignment cuts the corner of the CCT before rejoining along MD 119... only to part ways again by heading into Kentland's town center, which is also the terminating station for an alignment out of Gaithersburg.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - West Gaither to Piccard</span><br /><span></span><br />Trekkies unite! This station just covers some commercial buildings in the area.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - Piccard to Fallsgrove</span><br /><span></span><br />The alignment merges in with an alignment out of Rockville, of which both are destined for Fallsgrove.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - Fallsgrove to Adventist</span><br /><span></span><br />And so the alignment enters into <a href="http://www.montgomeryplanning.org/community/gaithersburg/documents/March182009forweb.pdf#page=9">Johns Hopkins</a> territory. This specific stop is in its core, within close proximity to the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), and the variety of other life sciences industries in the area. A shared use trail would connect from the station southward to the signal at Traville Gateway Drive, simplifying access to USG.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 4 - Adventist to PSTA</span><br /><br />I very nearly skipped over PSTA... for some reason I keep forgetting that it's slated for massive redevelopment as part of the aforementioned Johns Hopkins projects. My station location is shown slightly westward of the CCT's station, mostly to increase separation from nearby Adventist station. If my station stays west, a shared use trail should directly lead southward to Travilah Road rather than necessitating users to divert eastward to the existing road, only to have to backtrack.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - PSTA to Belward</span><br /><br />That large farm immediately north is also in the crosshairs for redevelopment. When I'm out in Montgomery or Prince George's Counties and I come upon a nice pristine farm like this, I don't see crops and animals; I see townhouses. Yeah, not a particularly inspiring thought... and furthermore: the history & intent of this farm was never meant for what's proposed for it. But leaving my personal opinions out of it: this transit line assumes a modest development on there... if it ends up being high density (and it likely will), then my ridership would likely go up to 4.<br /><br />My station is located a bit distant from the CCT's equivalent Belward station. My goal was to both cover the Belward Farm property itself as well as the higher-density residential to the south. However, this does leave Decoverly and DANAC a bit underserved; albeit both are still within a short bike ride of five stations: Crown Farm, Sam Eig, Adventist, PSTA, and Belward.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 2 - Belward to Washington Woods</span><br /><span></span><br />The Washington Woods stop is really just to provide a local station for the residents in this community: my gift for taking a whole bunch of backyards whilst en route to Lakelands.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Washington Woods to Kentlands South</span><br /><span></span><br />I'm not fond of situations where I append a cardinal direction to a name: north, south, east west. Considering the proximity of the Kentlands South station to Edison Park Drive, I wanted to name this station something like Tesla Station since Edison gets too much credit. But until I decide on a name without my personal interjections, it's Kentlands South.<br /><br />I don't expect it'll grab too much ridership out of the businesses nearby, but with a shared use trail connecting to the residents: I'd expect it could pull a good chunk of ridership from Kentlands commuters. It also drops people off in good line to recreate among the athletic facilities & lakes.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">5, 4 - Kentlands South to Lakelands</span><br /><br />Right in the core of Kentlands' more watery expansion, this segment would be quite expensive; but could also capture a sizable amount of ridership.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1, 4 - Lakelands to Quince Orchard</span><br /><span></span><br />Most of the time, I'd say a segment like this is too short to bother with, and that the introduction of another station at so short a distance just slows down everything too much. However, this is the last stop on the line... so it's not necessarily slowing things down as much as it would if I littered the area around Shady Grove Metro with a stop every block.<br /><br />This small segment furthers the reach into Lakelands, and both stops are a short jump from some commercial areas as well as a large high school. With some good ped/bike facilities: ridership could reach a pretty broad range despite being on the fringe of suburbia. No Park & Rides needed.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3, 4 - Shady Grove to ICC P&R</span><br /><br />I originally had an alignment heading down Shady Grove Road to Redland, but then I realised I was completely missing the higher-density residential areas of Washington Grove. This managed to increase ridership whilst knocking a 1/2 mile off the total alignment.<br /><br />The ICC Park & Ride is assumed to be just that: a large Park & Ride facility off the ICC. I assume that the area around Shady Grove Metro will redevelop considerably, replacing most of the surface parking with new development. While some garages may remain, I designated this spot as a potential overflow or partial-replacement facility.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - ICC P&R to Washington Grove</span><br /><br />Washington Grove doesn't just serve the nearby residents, but it's also proximate to some decent athletic facilities. A potential shared use path through the woods, between the station & the fields, would help connect these two generators.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 3 - Washington Grove to Woodfield</span><br /><br />Serving the nearby residents and adjacent commercial building, but with some bike amenities could take on some ridership from the industries skirting the 1/2 mile radius.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(cost, ridership) </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 = low; 5 = high</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2, 4 - Woodfield to Airpark</span><br /><br />Montgomery County's airport becomes linked into the carless world, potentially enabling the airport to take on a bit more air traffic. Granted, it can't handle larger jets given its runway size, but it could certainly expand as a feeder airport -- capable of handling small commercial airliners or private jets.<br /><br />This station is also the terminating station for a line out of Gaithersburg. The transfer ridership isn't expected to be significant, partly because both alignments <span style="font-style: italic;">terminate </span>here; they don't continue through here. While they could conceivably continue on the other's alignment (permitting the trains on this alignment to use a maintenance yard just along the Gaithersburg alignment), doing so requires reversing direction of the trains... generally a time-consuming process. Yes, you could put an engine on each side of the train: but you have to run safety tests before you start up again -- roughly ~15 minutes or so of delay.<br /><br />So the goal is to serve the airport & nearby industries; not to transfer...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Where we are thus far...</span><br /><br />I can't embed Google Maps anymore showing the whole thing, as it's gotten too big that Google Maps doesn't know what to do with it. So now I've got to link to a Google Earth placemark. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?t=p&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&source=embed&msa=0&output=nl&msid=105555741256215816725.00046f6b748713e2c469a" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">Click here</a> for the Google Earth placemark of all the alignments thus far, noting that it may take quite some time to load. Next I'll see about getting the Gaithersburg line up.Bossihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15032063076539453859noreply@blogger.com0