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233 comments on DrumBeat: August 23, 2007

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AlanfromBigEasy on August 23, 2007 - 9:15am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Graphics Help Needed

Ed Tennyson and I have developed a list of all viable Urban Rail Projects in the Washington DC Metro area. The list below is transcribed from his hand written notes and is awaiting correction.

I would like to show three slides from this at ASPO-Houston and elsewhere; A blank map of DC, current DC Metro lines and a map with these new lines.

I could do it myself, but I estimate that it would take me 40 hours (I am NOT skilled) to do this (I did a comparable map of New Orleans). I do not have that much time ATM and am looking for a volunteer. My email is in my profile.

Knowledge of the DC area would be helpful.

1) Dulles Metro Silver Line to Leesburg - 29 miles $5.6 billion (up from 23 miles $5 billion
2) Purple Light Rail Bethesda to New Carrollton - 15 miles $1.5 billion
3) Columbia Pike - Crystal City-Skyline-Tyson’s Corner – 5+ miles $200+ million
4) Capital Cities Light Rail - Shady Grove to Fredrick - 30 miles $1 billion
5) Centreville Light Rail - Vienna, Manassas, Dulles - 20 miles $800 million
6) Richmond Hwy Light Rail - Huntington-Metro-Ft. Belvoir-Springfield Metro- 15 miles $500 million
7) VA Beltway Light Rail - Springfield-Tyson's Corner - 12 miles $450 million
8) Anacostia Light Rail - Bollin Field to Minnesota Ave Metro Station - 9 miles $300 million
9) H Street DC Light Rail - Minnesota Ave to New Jersey & Florida Avenues
10) Georgetown Subway - Bethesda-Georgetown @ Wisconsin (reroute Red Line for 2 stations and use 2 current Red Line stations in new subway)-P Street-Union Station -7.5 ? miles - $1.8 billion (a new line developed by Ed (80%) & I (20%))
11) Red Light Rail in Baltimore - Charles Center to Social Security (?) - 8 miles $350 million
12) Electrify Railroad - Union Station & Landow(?) to Richmond - 120 miles $750 million
13) Extend Baltimore Light Rail Cromwell to Harundle(?) & Marley - $90 million
14) Wilson Bridge Light Rail - Alexandria to B? Ave Metro Rail Station $500 million
15) Charles Gunty Light Rail - Branch Avenue to La Plata MD - $800 million

Ed also had a list of four projects to avoid, so this is not a "kitchen sink" plan with every possible option included, but one assembled with mature judgment. Raise gas to $9/gallon and those 4 projects might require further scrutiny.

Do the above and what will DC Metro VMT decline to ? Especially in an oil scarce era.

And apply to same approach across the nation.

Best Hopes for fewer VMT,

Alan

Funny postscript - Laurence Aurbach (TOD poster & TOD (Transit Orientated Development) expert) was familiar with the unit of measurement "tennyson" but though this was named for some long dead 19th Century scientist. He was floored to find that Ed is alive and kicking and that I talk with him :-)

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Laurence Aurbach on August 23, 2007 - 9:53am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I was just confused, that's all. Thinking of Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Not in vain the distance beacons. Forward, forward let us range
Let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change.

-- Tennyson, Locksley Hall, 1842

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AlanfromBigEasy on August 23, 2007 - 10:20am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

As a DC area resident (from memory) what do you think of the specific list ?

The Georgetown subway is de nova in it's entirety and would create a new corridor for density along P street (and to a lesser extent along Wisconsin Avenue).

Any additions, extensions or subtractions ?

Thanks,

Alan

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dinopello on August 23, 2007 - 10:19am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The Columbia Pike project (3) runs from the Pentagon to Skyline, replacing a heavily used bus corridor.

http://www.piketransit.com/

It is the Dulles rail project (1) that has proposed stops in Tysons Corner. This is a split off the Orange line.

http://www.dullesmetro.com/

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AlanfromBigEasy on August 23, 2007 - 10:47am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

According to Ed, the Columbia Pike Light Rail Line should be extended past Skyline to Tyson's Corner (also served by the Metro Silver Line and Virginia Beltway Light Rail Line).

From my memory, he said that Fairfax County had not yet bought into the extension from Skyline to Tyson's Corner.

However, having two strong anchors on either end of the line (Tyson's Corner & Pentagon/Crystal City) with Metro connections at each terminus would guarantee strong ridership and high density (i.e cheap $/pax-mile).

It is part of creating a strong inter-connected web of Urban Rail.

Best Hopes for fewer VMT,

Alan

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dinopello on August 24, 2007 - 7:03am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It would be nice to connect a lot of these density centers, I agree. But, I thought this was a list of likely projects in the next, say 25 years. Skyline is poorly designed but actually has quite a lot of office, residential and retail and the whole Baily's Crossroads area will redevelop as a dense node before Tyson's gets connected to this line (is my bet). Ridership will not be an issue on the Pike. The line would be replacing probably the most heavily used bus corridor in the system.

There is still unmet demand for public transport in many places. For example, the owners of much of Skyline (Vornado) runs private shuttles (although anyone can get on) on 20 minute headways from Ballston to Skyline all day due to the demand.

Also, I'll say Tysons has a long way to go before it can be a successful transit-served area. You could put the line in, but the design of the place does not support arriving by transit. You can't walk anywhere easily or comfortably. People say transit to Tyson's because the traffic is such a mess, they think that will help. But the traffic is a mess because of the

1)culture of driving,
2) large amounts of free parking
3) Everything is so spread out
4) roads have been widened making hostile walking enviro.
5) Uses are not integrated
6)... there are more variations on these themes

In short, good luck.

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AlanfromBigEasy on August 24, 2007 - 7:59am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Although I have only been in Tyson's Corner once, I agree with your points. IMHO, Tyson's Corner would be comfortable in Phoenix. It was developed in the age of the automobile served by sprawl.

Three inter-connected transit lines will form a basis for a TOD redevelopment of the complex.

And I would hope to have all lines on the list open by 2018 to 2020. We will be deep into post-Peak Oil when the last line on this list opens, regardless of how fast we build them.

I would hope that this transit web with associated TOD would allow many the option of living w/o a car or with a single low use auto for a couple.

Best Hopes for Lower VMT,

Alan

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Laurence Aurbach on August 23, 2007 - 1:03pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I'm not familiar with all those areas, but I would classify into 3 tiers.

A. In DC and inner suburbs, routes that currently have enough bus ridership and population density to make rail instantly successful. In other words, the routes that are ready to go right now. Some of them have a lot of political and grassroots support and only await funding. Others face an uphill NIMBY and political battle. Ironically, some in DC might be the hardest-fought, like Wisconsin Ave.

B. Routes in outer suburbs but still in the urbanized area (here's a map of urbanized area). These would require regulatory changes and walkable TOD redevelopment to fully maximize ridership. But they could still serve as commuter stations with existing densities.

C. Routes outside the urbanized area. These are currently not viable for high ridership. They would require a political and social revolution to enable the conditions required for viability. Wholesale relocation and reconfiguration of of job centers and commercial areas to more compact, walkable patterns.

Here are my guesses about the routes with question marks:

11) Red Light Rail in Baltimore - Charles Center to Woodlawn/Security Blvd. - 8 miles $350 million
12) Electrify Railroad - Union Station & Landover to Richmond - 120 miles $750 million
13) Extend Baltimore Light Rail Cromwell to Harundale & Marley Station Mall.

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