Comments on: Washington Post Covers Alignment Debate http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:30:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ben Ross http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/comment-page-1/#comment-77055 Ben Ross Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:27:07 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/#comment-77055 No one is proposing that we sacrifice the bus system to promote light rail. In fact, the coming of Metrorail has led to an enormous expansion of bus transit in Montgomery County. Ride On was started as a system to feed into Metrorail. ACT has been working to oppose the recently announced cuts in Ride-On service. The reality is that there is far more public support for rail transit than for buses. The rail system is the backbone of public and political support for transit, and bus service benefits from that support. No one is proposing that we sacrifice the bus system to promote light rail. In fact, the coming of Metrorail has led to an enormous expansion of bus transit in Montgomery County. Ride On was started as a system to feed into Metrorail.

ACT has been working to oppose the recently announced cuts in Ride-On service. The reality is that there is far more public support for rail transit than for buses. The rail system is the backbone of public and political support for transit, and bus service benefits from that support.

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]]> By: J.L. http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/comment-page-1/#comment-76562 J.L. Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:53:21 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/#comment-76562 I drive to the CP Metro and take the Metro downtown. I also take the bus frequently to get around the city, just took it the other day actually. I guess it's mostly a matter of personal preference. I drive to the CP Metro and take the Metro downtown. I also take the bus frequently to get around the city, just took it the other day actually. I guess it’s mostly a matter of personal preference.

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]]> By: Kevin Fallon http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/comment-page-1/#comment-76511 Kevin Fallon Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:17:29 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/#comment-76511 jeuill How quickly you forget! This is the good old sue-happy U - S - of A! Too many people looking for their gravy train to pull in to the station! and too many schlock lawyers looking to help them "realize the american dream" of a nice fat settlement so they can collect money and do nothing. Its quite sad, but fear of litigation is a major force at play here. jeuill

How quickly you forget! This is the good old sue-happy U – S – of A! Too many people looking for their gravy train to pull in to the station! and too many schlock lawyers looking to help them “realize the american dream” of a nice fat settlement so they can collect money and do nothing. Its quite sad, but fear of litigation is a major force at play here.

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]]> By: jeuill http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/comment-page-1/#comment-76504 jeuill Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:00:33 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/#comment-76504 The University of Maryland administration is screaming that the world is flat while the rest of the world looks on in amazement. The safety issue is not a valid argument. College age students are adults. They know how to look both ways when they cross the street. Also, college students know how to read. They can read designated crosswalks with big red or orange flashing "Don't Walk" signs. They can also hear if they happen to be visually challenged a horn or a bell signaling an approaching rail car. The University is not a daycare center. Come on people. Does the administration not have any faith in the cognitive ability of the students it admitted to its institution? One thing is for sure. The administration sure didn't think about safety when they forced students to cross RT 1. and walk a mile to get to the College Park Metro station. To me, that's just as dangerous. I visited Long Beach two years ago. People seem to get along fine there with the light rail running tight down the middle of a shopping district. And thanks to God, I didn't get hit! My question is, what distinguishes a rail car from a bus? They both weigh tons. They both move. They both have breaks. They both have lights, etc. One runs on rubber tires and the other on rails. That's it. The University of Maryland administration is screaming that the world is flat while the rest of the world looks on in amazement.

The safety issue is not a valid argument. College age students are adults. They know how to look both ways when they cross the street. Also, college students know how to read. They can read designated crosswalks with big red or orange flashing “Don’t Walk” signs. They can also hear if they happen to be visually challenged a horn or a bell signaling an approaching rail car. The University is not a daycare center. Come on people. Does the administration not have any faith in the cognitive ability of the students it admitted to its institution? One thing is for sure. The administration sure didn’t think about safety when they forced students to cross RT 1. and walk a mile to get to the College Park Metro station. To me, that’s just as dangerous.

I visited Long Beach two years ago. People seem to get along fine there with the light rail running tight down the middle of a shopping district. And thanks to God, I didn’t get hit!

My question is, what distinguishes a rail car from a bus? They both weigh tons. They both move. They both have breaks. They both have lights, etc. One runs on rubber tires and the other on rails. That’s it.

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]]> By: Joe Dexter http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/comment-page-1/#comment-76467 Joe Dexter Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:47:41 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2008/545/#comment-76467 The educational community is starting to laugh at the University of Maryland: http://chronicle.com/blogs/architecture/1482/u-of-maryland-wants-state-officials-to-move-planned-transit-line The totally lack of logic to the university position (e.g. safe in between Lefrak and S. Campus Dining Hall, but not on Campus Drive) would be their business if they weren't going to be adding cost to the Purple Line, supressing ridership by poorly locating a stop AND simultaneously going hat-in-hand to both the county and state for funding assistance the east campus project which is beginning to smell of a too-many-cooks-spoil-the-soup syndrome. It is truly disgraceful. Maybe the Purple Line should just connect between Bethesda and Silver Spring and UM should get its little highway tether to I-95 and build lots of pretty brick-clad garages for the alums who don't otherwise set foot in Prince George's County. The educational community is starting to laugh at the University of Maryland:

http://chronicle.com/blogs/architecture/1482/u-of-maryland-wants-state-officials-to-move-planned-transit-line

The totally lack of logic to the university position (e.g. safe in between Lefrak and S. Campus Dining Hall, but not on Campus Drive) would be their business if they weren’t going to be adding cost to the Purple Line, supressing ridership by poorly locating a stop AND simultaneously going hat-in-hand to both the county and state for funding assistance the east campus project which is beginning to smell of a too-many-cooks-spoil-the-soup syndrome. It is truly disgraceful. Maybe the Purple Line should just connect between Bethesda and Silver Spring and UM should get its little highway tether to I-95 and build lots of pretty brick-clad garages for the alums who don’t otherwise set foot in Prince George’s County.

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