The new 16th Street NW Transit Priority Planning Study will look in detail at a 2.7-mile stretch from Arkansas Avenue south to H Street NW, a section an earlier study noted as optimal for a dedicated bus lane. DDOT will hold a public meeting March 31 to hear from residents, transit users and other stakeholders. Once this latest study is completed, some riders and public transit advocates say they expect the city to move from planning to action.
Category: Better Public Transit
Public transit on the ropes
As badly as the D.C. streetcar — and projects like the Silver Spring Transit Center — have been managed, transit has created enormous value for homeowners and companies. Fortune 500 CEOs are insisting that their employees have access to it. It’s safer than driving. It produces less greenhouse gas. The newest addition, the Silver Line, is already showing strong ridership numbers.
Metro’s fancy new railcars were supposed to be rolling by now
Eight of the new cars, the first batch acquired by Metro, have been undergoing tests since early 2014.
The planned acquisition of the new cars will allow Metro to scrap cars that date to the 1970s while also expanding its rail fleet, which currently numbers just over 1,100 cars, most built in the 1980s, ‘90s and early 2000s.
Purple Line goes to Hogan in May
Maryland transportation officials say Gov. Larry Hogan will get options about the future of the Purple Line in mid-May.
Metro committee delays vote on budget options for two weeks
Transit advocate groups also agree that between fare increases, service cuts or increased subsidies from the jurisdictions, only the third is palatable. “Eighty-percent of those you polled support increasing state and local investment to meet Metro’s full operating budget shortfall, rather than include $46 million in fare increases and service cuts. When we see $46 million, we think of the spending on road and interchange projects where a single interchange can cost that much,” says Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Metro’s Board heard public reactions Thursday to proposed fare hikes
Though not yet set in stone, the budget proposal being considered would provide for up to a 10-cent increase for both Metrorail and Metrobus fares. Additionally, rail headways would increase, leaving more time between trains in some cases, and late-night rail service would be eliminated, with some bus routes being eliminated and airport service ending entirely.
Montgomery County’s Independent Transit Authority Proposal
Montgomery’s planned 81-mile Rapid Transit System offers incredible potential to transform the county’s aging commercial corridors into vibrant, sustainable, walkable, transit-oriented communities. With dedicated lanes, service every 5-10 minutes, weather-protected stations, Wi-Fi, and many other amenities, Rapid Transit will provide high quality transit service at a far lower cost than building new highways.
Hogan’s budget plan includes money for Purple Line
Gov. Larry Hogan has proposed to continue funding the Purple Line, but his administration has warned that the $2.5 billion project is under review.
Hogan praised for retaining Purple Line funding
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was only sworn into office on Wednesday, but he is already busy at work. Reports Thursday show Hogan has retained state funding for the Purple Line in his first state budget, Montgomery Community Media reports. The 16-mile route of the proposed light-rail Purple Line between Bethesda and New Carrollton received approval in March 2014 for state authorities to begin condemning property needed.
Coalition for Smarter Growth Director praises Hogan for keeping Purple Line on track
Reports today indicate that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has initially retained state funding for the long-planned for Purple Line in his first state budget. Based on those reports, Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz applauded the decision in the following statement: