Study: Bus Rapid Transit feasible for Montgomery County
 

Study: Bus Rapid Transit feasible for Montgomery County

$500,000 study shows route would improve traffic congestion

by Erin Cunningham
May 4, 2011
Gazette

"A rapid bus system in Montgomery County would draw more commuters to transit and off local roads, eliminating some traffic congestion, according to a feasibility study of such a system.

The study, a portion of which was released Tuesday, revealed the so-called Bus Rapid Transit system, would increase transit ridership from 9 percent to 11 percent — pulling 85,000 drivers off the roads.

The news is encouraging for supporters of the transit line, who say Bus Rapid Transit is a good solution to many of the county's traffic woes.

Some have suggested portions of the system could be in place as soon as 2014..."

http://gazette.net/stories/05042011/...3928_32533.php

Gray will talk to airports board members about vote to build Dulles Metro station
 

Gray will talk to airports board members about vote to build Dulles Metro station underground

5/4/2011
Washington Post

"WASHINGTON — District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray says he will speak to members of the board overseeing the region’s two major airports about their vote to build an underground Metrorail station at Dulles International Airport.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has asked the board to reconsider its 9-4 vote last month. The underground station would cost about $300 million more than an aboveground station. Gray says he recently spoke to McDonnell by phone and will talk to the D.C. representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

But the mayor is leaving little doubt that he supports the underground station. He says board members have made “a very strong case” for it...."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...JqF_story.html

Metro adding more hybrid-electric buses to its fleet (Washington Post)
 

At last week's House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing on the Recovery Act, Roy Kienitz of the US DOT noted that one of the many successes of the stimulus was to replace the older vehicles in many transit fleets with new buses. As a result, the average ages of buses in has declined pretty significantly.


Metro adding more hybrid-electric buses to its fleet

By Dana Hedgpeth
May 10, 2011
Washington Post

"Metro takes plenty of heat from bus riders, who complain that older buses break down too often and wheelchair lifts don’t work properly. But on Tuesday, transit officials showed off a new hybrid-electric bus that — in theory — is supposed to solve some of those problems.

The “New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40” is an updated version of Metro’s diesel buses, some of which are 15 years old. The new buses are supposed to break down less frequently and be more fuel efficient, saving more than a gallon of gas per mile. Some of Metro’s older buses break down every 3,000 to 4,000 miles, officials said. On average, a single Metrobus drives about 100 miles a day.

“This is the Prius of buses,” said Jack Requa, assistant general manager of Metro’s bus service department. “This is truly an efficient, intelligent bus.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...VkG_story.html

BikeShare Under Consideration (Alexandria Gazette Packet)
 

BikeShare Under Consideration
Critics say the program would be a waste of money.

By Michael Lee Pope
Thursday, May 12, 2011


"Those ubiquitous red bicycles that have flooded Arlington and the District of Columbia may be coming to Alexandria. But even as city officials are answering questions about where the stations would be located and how the program would work, opposition is growing.

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/...22_5129351.jpg
Image courtesy of Connection Newspapers

Last month, Transportation Director Rich Baier sent a proposal to the city manager’s office outlining a proposal for a pilot BikeShare program that would put 54 bicycles at six stations in Old Town and the Carlyle neighborhood. The cost of the first year would be $400,000, which could be financed with money from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Funding Program.

"We’re excited about the possibility of bringing BikeShare to Alexandria," said Carrie Sanders, pedestrian and bicycle coordinator for the city government. "At this point, we are still trying to determine where to put the station and answer questions about how the pilot would work."

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/...per=59&cat=104

Need to recharge your car? Try Capitol Hill (Washington Post)
 

Need to recharge your car? Try Capitol Hill.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/ima...EeCx7xrm7jHbTg
A Toyota Prius Hybrid charges on a city street. Soon hybrids might be able to charge up on Capitol Hill. (Rick Bowmer - AP)

By Ed O'Keefe
5/11/2011
Washington Post

"Looking for a place to recharge your electric car? Pretty soon you might be able to plug in on Capitol Hill.

A bipartisan klatch of senators is trying to tackle rising gas prices by installing automotive battery recharging stations in Senate parking lots and garages.

The group plans to introduce a bill Wednesday that Senate aides said would cost about $7,000 initially for the installation of the plugs. But they said the program would pay for itself by charging users $20 to $30 a month..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...g.html?hpid=z9

How long does it typically take to charge a car at a station like this?

According to this article in the SF Chronicle earlier this week, a 480 volt charger can charge the vehicle in less than 30 min. I think a standard 120 volt charger takes 6-8 hours (most people are predicted to charge their vehicles overnight).

SF to install 80 electric car charging stationshttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BAJM1JE0CJ.DTL

Just in the past week here in DC, I've seen three electric vehicles. I saw a Chevy Volt on display at Gold Cup, I saw someone driving another Volt in our neighborhood, and I saw someone taking the Tesla roadster (Tesla has a dealership on K Street) for a test-drive on Wednesday.

University of Maryland drops opposition to central campus route for Purple Line
 

University of Maryland drops opposition to central campus route for Purple Line

By Katherine Shaver
June 1, 2011
Washington Post

"University of Maryland officials have dropped their long-held opposition to running Purple Line light rail trains through the heart of the College Park campus, giving a major boost to the project as Maryland transit officials seek federal funding for its construction.

The university has fought the Maryland Transit Administration’s plan to run trains along Campus Drive since at least 2007. University leaders have said trains would ruin the campus’s pedestrian-friendly feel, endanger walkers and cyclists, and create electromagnetic interference for sensitive lab equipment. The university had proposed a tunnel or other setups farther from the campus core.

Frank Brewer, the university’s vice president for administrative affairs, said Wednesday that the MTA had addressed those concerns..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...gGH_story.html

Is there a timeline on when Maryland will apply for funding from the federal government to construct the purple line? I ask because I worry about the project's future if they're unlikely to do so before the end of 2012. If Obama happens to lose the presidency, we'll most likely have a Republican in office that focuses mostly on roads and won't be kind to further government spending on public transportation. Seems to me they need to get this thing funded as soon as possible to avoid that potential roadblock.

^
Nah, the president doesn't matter all that much. Congress is the much bigger worry. We need them to pass another 6-year transportation spending authorization bill. Losing Congressman Oberstar in 2010 was probably a bigger hit to progressive transportation than a bad president would be.

I guess. However, the USDOT under Mary Peters was all too happy to send money to Dallas, Charlotte, and Phoenix for light-rail systems, while the Silver Line risked cancellation despite having ten times the projected ridership of the sunbelt projects.

Not to mention 10 times the cost.

Not to suggest that Mary Peters was as good as Ray LaHood. LaHood is fabulous, and Peters was quite awful. The president does have a role. It's just much much less important than the role Congress plays.

Will D.C. area residents commute by water? (Washington Post)
 

One day I want to bike from my apartment to Georgetown, take the water-taxi the the baseball stadium/Navy Yard and then take the Green line a couple of stops from work. It will cost more and take longer than my normal commute but it would be an interesting way to get to work for a day.


Will D.C. area residents commute by water?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/ima...1306428480.jpg
Matt McClain/THE WASHINGTON POST - American River Taxi owner, Shaun Guevarra, walks onto his vessel before it departs from Gangplank Marina to Washington Harbour.

By Lori Aratani
June 9, 2011
Washington Post

"Hot coffee. Check. Gas. Check.

On a bright and sunny Wednesday morning, Washington’s newest water taxi commuter service was ready to go.

There was just one thing missing: commuters.

For decades, regional leaders and private entrepreneurs have dreamed of harnessing the Potomac to relieve congested highways. But despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on studies, a network of ferries and water taxis that quickly deliver commuters from their homes to their workplaces has yet to materialize. But that might be changing..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...prss=rss_local

Seems like one of those ideas that everyone says, "Hey, that sounds neat," but nobody actually is willing to do it once it becomes clear what it would take to commute to work by ferry in the DC area.

It's just not the right time. In another 20 years when the waterfronts are much more heavily developed then there will be much more demand.

I guess someone who lived in Georgetown and worked in SW(too bad the tidal basin is what the name suggests and a canal through it would be a pain) or Alexandria or something. Limited market. National Airport could be served though.

How fast can those things go?

Not that fast, but there are no obstructions or other traffic.

Other than the Nats Stadium area (does that area have a better name?) and maybe Buzzards Point, what other waterfronts do you think are possibilities for heavy development as large employment centers?

They don't have to be employement centers. Any kind of density along the water will induce trips. The problem now is that almost nothing actually goes up to the water. Alexandria and a 2 block stretch of Georgetown was it 5 years ago. Today the ballpark and National Harbor have been added to the mix. In 5 years Georgetown's waterfront will be much more open, and both the ballpark and National Harbor will have filled out considerably. In 10 years the Southwest Waterfront will be completely redeveloped at much higher densities, and Poplar Point should be chugging along. In the longer term redevelopment further up the Anacostia River is bound to happen, and Rosslyn, Crystal City, and National Airport could all be replanned to take better advantage of their waterfronts. Once there's demand from those sorts of uses riders will start to access recreational uses along the river that can't generate enough trips to start a ferry but would be good stops if there's one running anyway, such as the National Mall, Roosevelt Island, Hains Point, and Long Bridge Park.

Basically DC completely turned its back on the river for most its history. Now almost all of the major redevelopment areas are along the waterfront.

Alexandria is currently considering plans for a significant redevelopment of its waterfront that would include a new hotel, restaurants, and retail:

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/...per=59&cat=104

Fifteen years ago Rosslyn was considering a large waterfront development proposed by Arthur Cotton Moore that would have included a six-story elevator to connect from Rosslyn's business district to the waterfront. This would have also offered water taxi to Washington Harbour, which was also designed by Moore. Before any of you lament that this wasn't built, it would have also included 15,000 parking spaces.

Waterfront Complex Would Link Va., D.C.

Lan Nguyen
3/14/96
Washington Post

"The architect of the Washington Harbour is promoting an idea for a Rosslyn waterfront complex with a restaurant, boathouse and space for ferries, saying it could create a river link between Northern Virginia and Washington attractions such as the Kennedy Center and Georgetown.

Washington architect Arthur Cotton Moore's idea calls for a covered pedestrian bridge from a Rosslyn office building to a six-story elevator that would lower people to the Rosslyn waterfront development. By then using ferries to cross the Potomac River, Moore said, people could park in one of the 15,000 spaces in Rosslyn, easing congestion in the District.

"They can take the ferry, go to the Kennedy Center for dinner and a show, have drinks afterward at Washington Harbour and come back," he said. "There is a natural interconnection. Every place that's had this, like Hong Kong, it's been a wonderful feature..."