Baltimore/Washington Transit News & Proposals

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by Mirage52

I am really amazed people still drive to NYC from DC/Baltimore when you can take Bolt or Megabus at a fraction of what it would cost to just fill your tank for the drive -- not including tolls and parking fees in NYC.

Not everyone driving on I-95 north is heading into New York City proper. If I was traveling from say Rockville to Massapequa (in Long Island) it would honestly make more sense for me to drive up there than take Bolt Bus into the city and transfer to the LIRR especialy when you consider I would need a car to get around there as well.

[scando]

Originally Posted by pfd103

Very true, though I feel like that mentality is shifting (albeit slowly). More and more people seem to know about local transit as ridership has grown substantially over the last few years. I for one was a bit surprised to learn just how heavily used commuter buses are used in Baltimore.

It has grown, but the metro region is so decentralized that there really isn't much usable transit for most home-job pairings in suburban areas. Unless you work downtown or in one of the few other well served areas, transit isn't really a viable option for anybody who doesn't want to spend 3 hours per day getting to and from.

[LtBk]

Not only that, but 77% of the Baltimore metropolitan area is auto-centric sprawl.

[jam5]

Originally Posted by Scba

Yikes.

Just saw the Sun article about how the Maryland and Chesapeake Houses on 95 are going to be rebuilt, and can't say that I'm a fan. The Maryland House, to me, is great looking on the outside, and looks like it fits and represents the area well. Inside, eh, not so much, probably could use an overhaul, but to raze the whole thing for the structure proposed is a horrible idea. The new building looks like some kind of modern church or college building, zero connectivity to local style.

Where is this? What do you mean by 'Maryland and Chesapeake Houses'?

[Scba]

Originally Posted by jam5

Where is this? What do you mean by 'Maryland and Chesapeake Houses'?

The Maryland House and Chesapeake House are rest stops in Harford and Cecil County, respectively.

[CU_rak]

A world-class transit system for Baltimore
The potential exists for a true public transportation hub downtown

By Gregory Spencer Jr.
11:14 a.m. EST, February 1, 2012

The corner of Howard and Lombard streets has the potential to be the pulse point of a healthier city and region. This is where the proposed Red Line and the existing Light Rail line will directly connect, addressing two long-standing deficiencies with mass transit in this city: the lack of an east/west rapid transit line and the absence of a direct transfer between rail lines to create a true "system." Baltimore and Maryland should consider taking this transfer point one step further.

If a new arena does rise alongside an expanded Convention Center, as proposed, the current arena and its parking garage should be razed, the area cleared, and the space transformed into a modern, multilevel and multi-modal transit hub. This would be similar to what is being constructed in Silver Spring or, on a grander scale, the existing Port Authority Terminal in New York. The Maryland Transit Administration's local routes that terminate and/or pass through downtown could be reconfigured to terminate and originate at the facility. The same could be done with the MTA's commuter and express lines. Giving all lines a common terminal would allow seamless transfers in a comfortable, climate-controlled facility that's centrally located and easily accessible. This is an excellent site for an intercity bus terminal given all the connections at the facility as well as its easy access to I-95.

Ground level of the transit center would be for unloading of the MTA's local, commuter and express lines, as well as for connections to the rail lines. (The Metro Subway entrance is only a block away and could be connected via moving sidewalk.) This would be the level to get information, pick up schedules, and purchase tickets and passes. Next level up would be for boarding of local buses; above that, a level for boarding of commuter and express buses; next, a level dedicated to Greyhound. The top of the facility could be dedicated to tour buses and discount carriers such as BoltBus and MegaBus.

Outside of the facility would be stops for the Charm City Circulator, which would only need slight modifications of its routes to serve it, expanding its role of circulating people throughout downtown. Sharing these stops would be the MTA's Quickbus, which would retain its through-routings downtown. Additionally, there would be areas dedicated for "Kiss and Ride" dropoffs and bike storage. Street-level retail and as much green space as possible would also complement the facility in an area of downtown that would benefit from more foot traffic. Another possible bonus of the site is that it sits next to the Howard Street Tunnel. Should CSX ever decide to abandon it, the MARC Camden Line could be extended further into the Central Business District.

Of course, funding this project would have to be addressed. I would suggest a public/private partnership between the city, the state (MTA), Greyhound Lines and a private developer who sees the huge potential in the site. Above this Transit Center could rise Baltimore's signature skyscraper. Its tallest structure, with a hotel, space for retail, offices, condos and apartments with phenomenal views of the city. Imagine the incentive of living and/or working in a structure where all you need to do is take the elevator downstairs and be within walking distance of some of the better destinations of the city or have a direct connection via bus or rail to take you anywhere you want to go in the region and beyond.

MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blakewants to expand Baltimore's population in the next decade, and I share her sentiment. A more populous Baltimore is a healthier one. This city has some catching up to do, especially to be competitive in the Northeast Corridor. A successful city needs a robust transit network. Public transit that works well for all of its citizens, poor or rich, young or old is the fabric that ties a city together.

With the price of oil and increased global demand for it sure to rise astronomically in the next couple of decades, now is the time to start positioning ourselves for a time when driving everywhere in our personal vehicles is no longer practical. Having a well-connected transit system in place will play an important role in the long-term health of this city. The Red Line and the proposed transit center could be at the heart of that, a destination to destinations. It's time for this region to reverse its decades-old opposition to mass transit and embrace it for the catalyst is has the potential to be.

Is this "pie in the sky"? The same thing at one point was said about the Inner Harbor. It was said about Camden Yards. Look at the destinations they have become. The late, great Mayor William Donald Schaefer's legacy is not only these iconic landmarks but the ideal that Baltimore is capable of anything if we believe in what is possible.

We have world-class tourist attractions and world-class stadiums. Why not a world-class transit system for our citizens and visitors alike?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opi...,6017897.story

[scando]

Originally Posted by CU_rak

A world-class transit system for Baltimore
The potential exists for a true public transportation hub downtown

By Gregory Spencer Jr.
11:14 a.m. EST, February 1, 2012

The corner of Howard and Lombard streets has the potential to be the pulse point of a healthier city and region. .....

Of course, funding this project would have to be addressed. I would suggest a public/private partnership between the city, the state (MTA), Greyhound Lines and a private developer who sees the huge potential in the site. Above this Transit Center could rise Baltimore's signature skyscraper.

And wow, is the funding a problem. We need billions. I guess that one step in all this is the Red Line. Nothing much about that recently, but sometimes no news is better than bad news.

[pfd103]

From the Redline PAC:

"Breaking MTA approves one lane option for #Redline on #Boston St permits #Completestreets dedicated #bikepath #pedestrian safety #Awesome !"

[NovaWolverine]

Originally Posted by jam5

Where is this? What do you mean by 'Maryland and Chesapeake Houses'?

They're rest stops. Haven't you driven on I-95 between Baltimore and Wilmington?

[Mirage52]

Originally Posted by pfd103

From the Redline PAC:

"Breaking MTA approves one lane option for #Redline on #Boston St permits #Completestreets dedicated #bikepath #pedestrian safety #Awesome !"

So it will be single-tracked on Boston Street?

That is going to severely slow down the east side of the red line but I guess anything to get the project moving at this point.

[oneworld25]

Originally Posted by Mirage52

So it will be single-tracked on Boston Street?

That is going to severely slow down the east side of the red line but I guess anything to get the project moving at this point.

I don't think this is what they mean. By single lane I think Red Line Now means that Boston St. will be reduced to one lane.

[Nexis]

By 2050

Current / Proposed , Planned , Under Construction Stations

Next Gen High Speed Rail Northeast

Next Gen Super Express (Max : 220mph : Average : 180mph)
Washington DC Union Station
Philadelphia HSR Market East Station
New York Penn Station
New York HSR Grand Central
Boston Back Bay Station
Boston South Station

Next Gen Express (Max : 200mph : Average : 160mph)
Washington DC Union Station
BWI Airport Station
Baltimore HSR Charles Center
Wilmington HSR Station
Philadelphia HSR In't Airport Station
Philadelphia HSR Market East Station
Trenton Transit Center
Newark Liberty In't Airport
Newark Penn Station
New York Penn Station
New York HSR Grand Central Station
White Plains HSR Station
Danbury HSR Station
Waterbury HSR Station
Hartford Union Station
Worcester Union Station
Boston Back Bay
Boston South Station

Next Gen Shoreline Express (Max : 160mph : Average : 125mph)
Washington DC Union Station
BWI Airport Station
Baltimore Charles Center
Wilmington HSR Station
Philadelphia HSR Market East
Newark Penn Station
New York Penn Station
Stamford HSR Station
New Haven Union Station
Providence Union Station
Boston Back Bay Station
Boston South Station

Intercity Amtrak , Entire system will be Electrified Eventually

Max : 125mph : Average : 90mph

Northeast Regional - Main line
Boston South Station
Boston Back Bay Station
Route 128
Providence
Kingston
Westerly (Limited)
Mystic (Limited)
New London
Old Saybrook (Limited)
New Haven Union Station
Bridgeport
Stamford
New Rochelle
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Newark Liberty International Airport (Limited)
Metropark
New Brunswick (Overnight)
Princeton JCT (Overnight)
Trenton
Cornwells Heights (limited)
North Philadelphia (Limted)
30th Street Station
Wilmington
Newark
Aberdeen
Baltimore Penn Station
BWI Airport
New Carrollton
DC Union Station
Alexandria
Woodbridge
Quantico
Fredricksburg
Ashland
Richmond Staples Mill Road
Richmond Main Street
Williamsburg
Newport News

Northeast Regional - Springfield Branch
Springfield
Windsor Locks (shifted to commuter rail in 2018)
Windsor (shifted to commuter rail in 2018)
Hartford
Berlin (shifted to commuter rail in 2018)
Meriden (shifted to commuter rail in 2018)
Wallingford (shifted to commuter rail in 2018)
New Haven Union Station
Bridgeport
Stamford
New Rochelle
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Newark Liberty International Airport
Metropark
New Brunswick
Princeton JCT
Trenton
Cornwells Heights
North Philadelphia
30th Street Station
Wilmington
Newark
Aberdeen
Baltimore Penn Station
BWI Airport
New Carrollton
DC Union Station

Northeast Regional - Lynchburg Branch
Boston South Station
Boston Back Bay Station
Route 128
Providence
Kingston
Westerly
Mystic
New London
Old Saybrook
New Haven Union Station
Bridgeport
Stamford
New Rochelle
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Newark Liberty International Airport
Metropark
New Brunswick
Princeton JCT
Trenton
Cornwells Heights
North Philadelphia
30th Street Station
Wilmington
Newark
Aberdeen
Baltimore Penn Station
BWI Airport
New Carrollton
DC Union Station
Alexandria
Burke Centre
Manassas
Culpepper
Charlottesville
Lynchburg
Roanoke
Bristol

Vermonter
St. Albans
Burlington-Essex Junction
Waterbury-Stowe
Montpelier-Barre
Randolph
White River Junction
Windsor-Mt. Ascutney
Claremont
Bellows Falls
Brattleboro
Greenfield - 2015
Northampton - 2015
Holyoke - 2015
Springfield
Windsor Locks
Windsor
Hartford
Berlin
Meriden
Wallingford
New Haven Union Station
Bridgeport
Stamford
New Rochelle
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Metropark (weekends only)
Trenton
30th Street Station
Wilmington
Baltimore Penn Station
BWI Airport
New Carrollton
DC Union Station

Keystone Service
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Newark Liberty International Airport (Limited)
Metropark
New Brunswick (Overnight)
Princeton JCT (Overnight)
Trenton
Cornwells Heights (limited)
North Philadelphia (Limted)
30th Street Station
Ardmore
Paoli
Exton
Downingtown
Coatesville
Parkersburg
Atglen
Lancaster
Mount Joy
Elizabethtown
Middletown
Harrisburg

Pennsylvanian
New York Penn Station
Newark Penn station
Trenton
30th Street Station
Ardmore (train 44 only)
Paoli
Exton (trains 42 & 44 only)
Downingtown (train 44 only)
Lancaster
Mount Joy
Elizabethtown
Middletown
Harrisburg
Lewistown
Huntingdon
Tyrone
Altoona
Johnstown
Latrobe
Greensburg
Pittsburgh

Empire Service
New York Penn station
Yonkers
Croton Harmon
Poughkeepsie
Rhinecliff-Kingston
Hudson
Albany-Rensselaer
Schenectady
Amsterdam
Utica
Rome
Syracuse
Rochester
Buffalo-Depew
Buffalo-Exchange St.
Niagara Falls

Downeaster Service
Boston North Station
Woburn
Haverhill
Exeter
Durham
Dover
Wells
Saco-Biddeford
Old Orchard Beach
Portland
Freeport - 2013
Brunswick - 2013

Proposed / Planned lines

Lackawanna line
New York Penn Station
Newark Board Street Station
Summit
Morristown
Dover
Delaware Water Gap
East Stroudsburg
Analomink
Pocono Mountain
Tobyhanna
Scranton
Binghamton

Cape Cod Service
New York Penn station
New Rochelle
Stamford
Bridgeport
New Haven
New London
Westerly
Kingston
Providence
Pawtucket
Taunton
Buzzards Bay
Barnstable

Norfolk Service (Opens in 2013)
Boston South Station
Boston Back Bay Station
Route 128
Providence
Kingston
New London
New Haven Union Station
Bridgeport
Stamford
New Rochelle
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Newark Liberty International Airport (Limited)
Metropark
New Brunswick (Overnight)
Princeton JCT (Overnight)
Trenton
Cornwells Heights (limited)
North Philadelphia (Limted)
30th Street Station
Wilmington
Newark
Aberdeen
Baltimore Penn Station
BWI Airport
New Carrollton
DC Union Station
Alexandria
Woodbridge
Quantico
Fredricksburg
Ashland
Richmond Staples Mill Road
Richmond Main Street
Chester
Petersburg
Suffolk
Norfolk

Lehigh Line
New York Penn station
Newark Penn Station
Easton
Bethlehem
Allentown
Emmaus
Macungie
Lyons-Kutztown
Fleetwood
Reading
Wyomissing (Could be shifted to Regional Rail after Reading line restored)
Lebanon
Hershey
Harrisburg

[Nexis]

Northeastern Regional / Intercity Rail Network


The New Haven - Springfield - Brattleboro Corridor is being upgraded to handle speeds of 125mph and will be completely double tracked from New Haven to Vermont which is about 119.08 Miles. The line will stay Diesel for now , but room will be left to Electrify in the future. The Upgrade will also reroute the Vermonter onto a New Route adding 4 new stations and shaving 45-70mins... The line will be rebranded as the Knowledge Corridor and run 10-12 round trip trains between DC/NY to Brattleboro and Interior Vermont. Hartford Union Station could be moved when I-84 is rebuilt as a Tunnel or covered through Downtown Hartford. If this were to happen the station would get 2 Island Platform's and 4 Tracks which would service Boston - NY HSR Trains and Knowledge Corridor trains. Springfield Station would also be rebuilt , although there isn't enough funding to do the master plan yet. New Haven Union Station would receive a European style shield above the platform area. The Projected Ridership for the Commuter and Intercity Rail by 2030 is 64,700....I think that warrants Electrification...which is only expected to cost 150 Million more onto of the 270 Million cost of Upgrading this feeder line.

The Downeaster is being extended 2 stations in Maine , with Maine launching studies to extend it as far North as Bangor. This line will also be upgraded and more sidings added to allow speeds up to 125mph south of Old Orchard Beach via Electrified trains in Push-Pull set. There is no target date for the Speed Increasing projects although the first Extensions to Brunswick,ME should in the Fall of this year. The line will enhancements and Future Commuter Rail and Streetcar feeders in Portland and Massachusetts will see between 6,800 people a day by 2030.

Hudson Valley Empire Service , Will be upgraded to support Speeds of at least 110-125mph , from Schenectady to New York Penn Station. All of the 159 miles between Schenectady and NY will be double tracked and concrete tracks laid to handle the increased speeds. All Stations will receive High Level Platforms and a New Station hall , Schenectady , Hudson & Rhinecliff–Kingston will be upgraded by 2025. A Swing Bridge between Manhattan and The Bronx will have to be replaced to handle all extra trains. New Equipment is being looked into for the faster service whether that is DMUs or the line is Electrified and its push-pulls that haul passengers up and down the line. Projected Ridership with Enhancements and including Hudson line riders by 2030 will be 95,300.

Lackawanna line will run from NewYork Penn or Hoboken Terminal to Binghamton about 195 miles. With 14 stations , a key part of line which will reconnect it to PA is under Construction. Phase 1 will open by 2013 , Phase 2 into PA could be completed by 2019 depending on funding. Once in PA , 70 miles of second track will need to be restored and space made for future Electrification... The Commuter Rail portion will run from New York Penn or Hoboken to Analomink,PA. Amtrak would pick up the rest of the 7 stations which are further apart and in less populated areas to support commuter rail.... The Top speed of this line even with upgrades would be 90mph... The Cost of this line is expected to be between 500-800 Million $ , most of which is the cost of restoring 2 Long viaducts in NJ to handle trains once again. Projected Ridership of the Lackawanna Intercity and Commuter Rail services by 2030 is expected to be 35,600 with seasonal ups and downs. This line would connect the popular Pocono Ski Resorts and Gateway Parks of the NYC region.... Seeing how this line was dead a few years and all the sudden is under construction gives me hope for other lines.

Lehigh line would run from New York Penn or Hoboken Terminal to Harrisburg via Allentown and Reading,PA. This line would be 168 miles long , and have 11 stations. Of the 168 miles , 70 miles needs double tracking to allow Amtrak , Commuter rail and Freight to all move smoothly...and in some areas of NJ 4 tracking is needed. This line would be Diesel....and have a top speed of 110mph. The Commuter Rail portion of the route would be operated by NJT and is an Extension of Raritan Valley line from High Bridge,NJ to Allentown,PA. The Lehigh Service would connect over 9 Colleges and Universities , Service a population of 1.5 Million and link together numerous Tourist traps between Harrisburg and NY/Hoboken. Projected Ridership for the Intercity & Commuter Rail services is expected to be 54,900. In Reading the line would connect to the future Reading line for Service south to Norristown and Philly and in Harrisburg to numerous Commuter rail lines to Lancaster , York and Carlisle,PA.

Keystone Corridors runs between Philadelphia and Harrisburg , its 104 miles long with 20 stations. 8 stations will be replaced or upgraded to include high level platforms , heated and A/C waiting area and some stations will have cafes and other leased space. The Wires along the Keystone line will be replaced by 2020 with constant tension to allow speeds up 125mph. 3 Grade Crossings will be separated later this decade. From Lancaster to Harrisburg a new Commuter Rail service will share the tracks which plans call for 2 tracks to be restored in some areas to allow for Amtrak and Commuter Rail service to pass by without any issues. Another station will be added between the 26 mi gap between Parkersburg and Lancaster to service the Amish Country which is a huge Tourism trap in that part of PA. Another Station is being considered in West Philadelphia and would have Trolley / Tram Connections. Commuter Rail Service which runs from Philadelphia to Thorndale,PA will be restored to Parkersburg when the New Switches to allow train turning is put in. A New Amtrak and Septa yard will be built in Thorndale in a former Freight yard. Downingtown will see its station move 400 ft to the East and the US 30 Underpass replaced to allow trucks and buses under. The New Station will have a Bus Terminal , Waiting Areas , and High Level platforms. In Philadelphia a Flyover that carries commuter rail service will have to replaced along with upgrades to the Zoo Interchange to allow trains to move faster and without conflicting... All Sub Stations will also be replaced , half of the keystone Corridor is already upgraded. Projected Ridership combining the Intercity and Commuter Rail Services is expected to be 110,000 by 2030.

Downstate Corridor service would run from New York Penn Station to Ocean City,MD , this line would be 122 miles along mostly straight track which would be replaced. This service would 12 stations. Trains would run up to 125mph on this corridor and connect the high population areas to the popular Coastal Gateway areas of Delaware and Maryland... There would be no commuter service on this line just Intercity Rail service. The line would merge onto the NEC in Newark,DE and service other cities and towns in Northern Delaware like Churchman's crossing , Wilmington and Claymont before heading to Philadelphia , Trenton , Newark and New York. Projected Ridership of this line would be 9,400 with seasonal ups and downs.

Northwest line will run for 86 miles between Baltimore and Harrisburg and have 8 stations. The line would service the I-83 corridor and the numerous historic sites and towns in between. The line would also connect into MARC service in Baltimore and with Commuter Rail service in Harrisburg and York. The line would have a top speed of 90mph and could be Diesel or Electric... Projected Ridership on this line combined with future commuter Rail ridership would be 13,000.

Virginia Regional Service , will be Upgraded to Speeds of 125mph and Electrified. The System will one day cover all of Virginia with 610 miles of track , with 10-15 round trips per day along the Main Trunk between DC and Richmond. Richmond to Newport News and Norfolk will see between 10-12 trains a day when the full build is completed. Richmond to Norfolk service is expected to start in December. Regional Service will be extended sometime later this decade from Lynchburg to Roanoke,VA. And all stations will be High level platformed to allow faster boarding and ADA accessibility... The Network currently connects various cities and towns in Virginia and is expected to grow to 120,800 daily riders by 2030 factoring Commuter Rail in Northern Virginia and Norfolk which will be running by then along the Norfolk branch.

Misc Northeastern system upgrades and mini projects to be done by 2030


-All Substations to be replaced
-Voltage on the entire Northeastern network to be brought up to 25 kV AC ,60 Hz
-Newark Penn Station Roof , Platform replacement
-Newark Penn Station platform extension to accomendate 22 cars
-European Style Train shield to cover the Platforms at New Haven Union Station
-South Station 5 Track Expansion and Train Shield
-Baltimore Penn Station Platform and train shield replacement
-All Lower Empire Service stations to be High Level platformed and expanded
-All Downeaster Corridors stations to be High Level platformed and expanded
-Downingtown Station will be moved to make way for a redevelopment and replaced
-Coatesville Station will be replaced as part of the long term Coatesville Plans
-Parkersburg Station will be upgraded to ADA compliance and expanded to handle Septa Service
-All Keystone Service stations will be high level platformed and expanded
-The Beast or Dock Bridges repainting
-New LED Signals to the Entire Northeastern Network
-50 New Acela Cars
-70 New Cities Sprinter Locomotives to replace HHP-8 and AME7 locos operating along the NEC and Keystone corridors
-60 New Amfleet cars for Regional Service not including the New cars for the new feeder lines
-Constant Catenary along the Keystone Corridor
-High Level Platforms to all Septa Stations along Amtrak corridors
-High Level Platforms to all MBTA Stations along Amtrak corridors
-High Level Platforms to all MARC Stations along Amtrak Corridors

[Woonsocket54]

Greater Greater Washington
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/...of-whats-next/

WMATA wants longer trains, more tunnels, better service
by David Alpert • January 24, 2013 7:52 am

WMATA hopes to lengthen all its trains to 8 cars, add pedestrian connections at downtown stations, and maybe build new rail tunnels for the Blue and Yellow Lines in the region's core. That's part of a strategic plan which its media relations team showed only to the Washington Post this week, and which board members will see at a meeting today.




The potential for new downtown tunnels and connections between existing lines.

More broadly, the agency will focus on safety, service quality, better regional mobility, and its own financial stability in the strategic plan. Besides a set of still somewhat amorphous connections and service improvements, the plan calls for building a system where riders can more easily "plan, pay, and ride" in a smoother customer experience.

The big money, up to $20 billion, in the plan would be for tunnels to separate the Blue Line at Rosslyn and the Yellow Line at L'Enfant Plaza, the two major chokepoints, as part of a vision for Metro by 2040. Silver Line trains from Dulles Airport could also turn at Rosslyn to go toward Arlington Cemetery, then stop at Pentagon before crossing the Yellow Line bridge into DC.


Map by the author, from 2009.

By 2025, Metro wants to have the railcars and power stations to run all trains with the full 8 cars. It would like to build pedestrian tunnels to link Farragut North with West and Metro Center with Gallery Place, and a train tunnel so that some Dulles trains can go down to Franconia-Springfield, which would relieve some of the immediate Blue Line problems of Rush Plus, which will only get worse once the Silver Line opens.




Potential connections between existing lines and stations.


WMATA Media Relations team makes transit supporters' task harder

This plan covers a lot of ground, and is at times very detailed yet at others quite vague. I wasn't able to get all of the details, because WMATA decided to give an exclusive look at the plan to the Washington Post.

This has been the agency's practice every since Barbara Richardson, Lyn Bowersox, and Dan Stessel took over at WMATA communications and media relations. This isn't a matter of blogs versus traditional media, though that's been an ongoing problem as well; WMATA also does not tell the Washington Examiner about its major initiatives.

This seems inappropriate, and really disrespects the journalists and bloggers who care about transit in the region. It's also pretty foolish, because it forces others to write about the plan in a more hurried way than they otherwise would.

WMATA planning head Shyam Kannan spent an hour talking to me after midnight last night, and this post was still not done by 4:30 am as a result. Still, there are plenty of questions I did not have time get answered.

What will happen with Union Station and commuter rail?

While the plan goes into a fair amount of detail about how there could be a second Pentagon station for the trains making the new track connection, the plan does not talk about whether the new lines would serve Union Station, the system's biggest point of overcrowding. It seems obvious for any separated Blue Line to go there.

One of the biggest opportunities to improve regional travel would be to let MARC trains reach L'Enfant Plaza, where riders can transfer to all four lines that don't serve Union Station, and onward to Virginia. Unfortunately, perhaps bowing to political realities, the plan just calls for WMATA to play a role of supporter and advocate.

Finally, the plan shows some diagrams with vague arrows depicting potential extensions to the ends of lines, regional transit in the suburbs, and streetcars crossing the river:




Vague arrows showing possible line extensions and surface transit connections.

All of these ideas and more were part of a study WMATA has been working on for a few years, called the Regional Transit System Plan. That also included proposals to send the Yellow Line through the rapidly-growing Capitol Riverfront and up to Union Station.

According to Kannan, the RTSP study is still going on, and even many decisions about which routes WMATA wants to pursue in the future are not fully set.

Customer service, trip planning are even more central to the plan

Kannan emphasized that the rail expansions and connections are not the "real meat" of the plan, despite what was in the Post article; instead, it really focuses on "an improved customer service experience today" that will let riders plan, pay, and take transit more smoothly than today. The vision for 2025, which is not far away, is fundamentally about "the completion of a journey to a self-service system. He explained:

Imagine, for a moment, walking into a Metrorail station or a Metrobus platform and not needing to ask for assistance in either route planning, fare payment, and even walking to or from your bus or train. There would be improved lighting so you can read your book, mobile payment options so you can use your smartphone to pay your fare.
With these added services, Kannan said, station agents will not need to sit in their booths all day to handle everyday needs. Instead, Metro could dedicate its staff to "customer-facing ambassadors" who could roam around and help people, and choose people for those jobs best suited to a customer service role, which as we all know is not always the case with today's station agents.

Another big element of this self-service world is better trip planning. Kannan talked about having a "unified regional trip planning technology" so a rider can use a desktop computer, smartphone, or other device, pick where he or she wants to go, and get transit suggestions that could use Metro, commuter rail like VRE or MARC, or regional buses like Ride On and DASH.

The plan describes that as "Provide transit riders with a regional trip planning system that is mobile-device friendly." Hopefully this language does not lead the agency to decide it should issue a procurement for a big IT project to build one single integrated trip planner that works on today's mobile devices, and that's all. WMATA is not in a position to be a good customer-facing software company, and a big contracted software project will build something that will likely be obsolete as soon as it launches.

Rather, the agency needs to offer open data and support open source projects to create the building blocks of trip planning. VDOT funded a grant, which I wrote for Arlington County, to make progress on some open source technology for trip planning. If WMATA can support the efforts of the people who are going to do this work, and other developers who contribute and create other tools of their own, it will do far more to "provide" this kind of "unified regional trip planning technology."

The plan is not very detailed about how to reach this or most other goals, from "Educate the customer about transit coverage and usage in regional emergencies" to "Work with partners to ensure seamless connections between Metro and other transit systems in the region." Those are fodder for future plans. Meanwhile, though, if top management buys in and directs the organization to follow this plan, it can get the 13,000-person organization moving all together in some important directions.

The WMATA board will discuss the document at a meeting today. As usual with WMATA's process, since staff don't release anything until the very last minute before a board meeting, that means board members won't have the opportunity to hear any considered feedback from riders, to the extent they are interested in riders' views, as some are, while others are not.

Matt Johnson and I have also been working on some posts about the core capacity Metrorail proposals, and will try to better illuminate what kinds of tradeoffs Metro faces as it tries to deal with its bottlenecks and overcrowded segments.

[desertpunk]

Proposed TOD and train shed at Baltimore Penn Station

image hosted on flickr

Proposed TOD and train shed at Baltimore Penn Station by BeyondDC, on Flickr

[desertpunk]

Prurple Line Sta. Bethesda

image hosted on flickr

Bethesda 2 by BeyondDC, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Bethesda 1 by BeyondDC, on Flickr

[StevenW]

Cool.

[hpal3]

lots of conversation from both sides of transportation funding/projects!! Good idea to sticky this thread DP.

[urbanaturalist]

Originally Posted by Woonsocket54

Greater Greater Washington
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/...of-whats-next/

Finally, the plan shows some diagrams with vague arrows depicting potential extensions to the ends of lines, regional transit in the suburbs, and streetcars crossing the river:

Hopefully, what that is just bad wording.....anything less than connecting/extending the suburban Maryland's Purple Line Light Rail to VA would be a travesty.. .....basically creating a Light Rail Beltway....... they can work out the details of jurisidictional ownership along the way....or pass responsibility to Metro...or form a bi -state transportation utility just for the light rail...idk..

Sierra Club has already proposed and a few off the cuff remarks by politicians have indicated this is the obvious way to go......

http://home.comcast.net/~phyilla1/ss...raclub2005.pdf

image hosted on flickr

[hpal3]

how far along is the reconstruction of I-95 north of B'more?? Its been awhile since I have traveled trough that area and hoping someone could provide an update...thanks