  D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 742 Registered: 12-2007 |
So, I just returned from a long weekend in our nations Capitol...and I have to admit, having a transit system like DC's was a breathe of fresh air when it comes to driving everywhere. The convience and cleanliness of being able to ride a system like that, made me yearn for even ONE line in Detroit. Seeing how many people took the trains...makes me wonder if the trains DO help build density... | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 2431 Registered: 09-2007 |
Paging Danindc... | ||
Yooper Member Username: Yooper Post Number: 164 Registered: 12-2006 |
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Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4523 Registered: 10-2003 |
WHAT??? Michiganders don't want to ride public transportation! Ever! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to DC, and got to experience our wonderful Metro system. I just hope you didn't get stuck in any of the Orange Line disasters that occurred recently. Metro sure has its problems, and they're scrambling to accommodate massive influxes in ridership over the next 20 years, but it beats the hell out of sitting in traffic, and having a downtown full of parking lots. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 7179 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yooper, what IS that picture you keep posting? | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 743 Registered: 12-2007 |
Actually...On friday when I was taking the Orange from Dunn-Lorring to Rosslyn, there was a "police emergency" and I was forced off the train at East Falls...where I remained for an hour and a half at Midnight...other than that, I had nothing but good experiences on it, trains were timely, people weren't rude, trains were clean, for the most part...and I was maybe in the car..twice in 5 days...and thats only because we had to drive to Northern Virgina... I had heard about the Orange Line Derailments, but the only trains I used there were the Orange, Blue, and...I think the Yellow line. If detroit, and metro detroiters would pull their heads out of their collective asses, and realize that transit done right is a GREAT asset to a region. One facet isn't the silver bullet, busses and trains need to work together...if Detroit is interested in rebirth...an adequate mass transit system is Desperately needed...and if you doubt me...Go to DC and ride the the Metro...I'm sure you'll see the light shortly after. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 1369 Registered: 12-2006 |
D, it isn't metro Detroiters who don't see the need, it's our so-called leadership. | ||
Mortgageking Member Username: Mortgageking Post Number: 132 Registered: 12-2006 |
Somebody jumped in front of my Metro Train last week. I had to wait in the station for more than an hour. I think she survived. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4524 Registered: 10-2003 |
One thing I'm sure you noticed, then, is the disparity between the outer stations (like Dunn Loring and EFC) and inner "urban" stations (like Rosslyn). In my opinion, Fairfax County really screwed up by 1) running the Orange Line down the median of I-66 and 2) building ginormous park-and-ride lots instead of focusing on access by bike, bus, and foot. Fairfax has only recently started to change this policy, but they're running into a whole lot of NIMBYism. Arlington, in particular, has done a fantastic job of maximizing this asset. Parallel to the Orange Line, the main roads in Arlington (Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards) are only 2 lanes in each direction, yet traffic flows very readily, since the subway below is moving much larger numbers of people. | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 283 Registered: 02-2004 |
I've ridden the Metro many times while visiting my in-laws in the D of C. I've always found the system to be safe, clean, and reliable. (Message edited by gary on June 17, 2008) | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 745 Registered: 12-2007 |
Yeah... Some stations seemed really far apart, but thats to be expected as you get farther from the city center. I liked it though, I would honestly consider moving to DC simply because I know that my car could collect dust untill I really needed it. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 5603 Registered: 12-2005 |
Johnlodge: quote:The mouseover says "pee." I think it's a photo of someone's crotch. How it's related to DC Metro is beyond me. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 2438 Registered: 09-2007 |
Yeah Jimaz, that's what I thought. In other words, he's saying... "Kiss my ass", "Suck my dick" or something like that. (Message edited by DetroitRise on June 17, 2008) | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 192 Registered: 02-2008 |
I can't wait to go to Montreal next month and ride their Metro. I hear it's clean, safe, and quiet as it runs on rubber wheels. | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 267 Registered: 11-2007 |
Montreal Metro is cool. In my opinion it isn't that quiet, but the sound is different than a steel-wheel train. DC Metro is an example of a newer system where the trains aren't that noisy either. I love Montreal, have a great time. July is one of the best months to visit. If you have time and are the kind of person who likes that kind of thing, check out the botanical garden. I believe it is the largest in North America. | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 1701 Registered: 11-2004 |
quote: I hope you're not disabled in any way. There is practically zero handicap access on Montreal's subway. At least that's the impression I got from lugging my baggage up and down a bunch of stairs because the absences of elevators and ramps. God help the person trying to navigate that in a wheelchair. The subway is nice and all, but the lack of handicap access points is disturbing. | ||
Publicmsu Member Username: Publicmsu Post Number: 719 Registered: 11-2003 |
A few more months until the commuter rail from Leander (northern suburb) to downtown Austin is complete. Sadly, the station near my home will not be complete at this time. Wouldn't mind a 30min train ride downtown without the traffic! One thing I don't understand is the lack of connectivity to the airport, that just doesn't make sense to me. :| | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 1866 Registered: 02-2006 |
quote: Pretty common. It is only within the last 10 years or so that some stations in Chicago have been made accessible...in fact, less than half of the downtown stations are, and good luck outside downtown (except the newly-renovated Brown Line stations and a handful of stations renovated since the 80s). I believe almost none of the NYC Subway is accessible. They didn't build to ADA specs 100 years ago. | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 193 Registered: 02-2008 |
E_hemingway, don't worry I'm not handicap, knock on wood. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4530 Registered: 10-2003 |
From today's Washington Business Journal: http://tinyurl.com/67wk65 Metro Breaks Another Record With Riders Washington Business Journal - by Joe Coombs Senior Staff Reporter Metro no longer needs a special event to set records for ridership. High gas prices may have forced more people onto the trains Tuesday, when Metro handled 812,686 passengers. It was the ninth-busiest day in the 32-year history of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The record-setting day came just days after Metro was plagued by a series of power outages and the derailment of an Orange Line train in Arlington County. Of Metro's 10 busiest days for train ridership, six have occurred in 2008, all since mid-April. The five previous days this year, however, were all attached to some type of event that generated large crowds -- professional baseball and basketball games, the annual cherry blossom festival and a visit from Pope Benedict XVI all fell on Metro's other record-setting days this year. Related: Gas Prices Prompt SEPTA Ridership Surge Philadelphia Business Journal http://tinyurl.com/543q33 The commuter rail system in Philadelphia was among six nationwide that experienced double-digit increases in ridership in the first three months of this year, the American Public Transportation Association announced Monday. "There's no doubt that the high gas prices are motivating people to change their travel behavior," said APTA president William W. Millar. "More and more people have decided that taking public transportation is the quickest way to beat the high gas prices." Ridership on SEPTA climbed on all modes of transportation in the first quarter, except for the heavy rail (subway and elevated trains) which declined by 1.12 percent. SEPTA's commuter rail ridership was up 10.4 percent, bus ridership was up 3.1 percent and light rail, considered to be modern streetcars, trolleys and heritage trolleys by APTA, was up 54.2 percent. That was the biggest ridership increase nationwide for light rail, APTA said. Ridership on SEPTA's purchased bus services increased by 27.27 percent, according to APTA. Commuter rail ridership increased 17 percent in the first quarter in Harrisburg, Pa., the second highest of the six cities that experienced double-digit commuter rail ridership increases. Nationwide, 2.6 billion trips were made on public transportation in the first quarter, nearly 85 million more trips than last year over the same period, APTA reported. | ||
Rax Member Username: Rax Post Number: 477 Registered: 11-2007 |
Seems like it would make sense for Detroit to build one of these. Oh yeah, the money part. | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 776 Registered: 12-2007 |
Money isn't the issue Rax...its lobbying for federal funds...but we have CCk in our district...soo.....we're....fu cked? pardon my language | ||
Lnfant Member Username: Lnfant Post Number: 6 Registered: 05-2008 |
I never took public transit until moving to DC. I hesitated to use it at first because of my experience in Detroit. But in DC, all walks of life use it, even bicyclists. It's safe and usually reliable. I can read the whole length of my trip instead of attention on traffic. My car has never had so few miles. My oil changes are determined by length of time gone by, not mileage! If the car companies had an interest in the mass transit system, the plans would be on the drawing board next week. They have been the bread'n butter for Detroit, so I wouldn't expect much support from them unless they benefit in some way. Could the automakers participate in this project? This critical issue relies on the citizens of Metro Detroit uniting to demand it. (Message edited by Lnfant on June 20, 2008) | ||
Rax Member Username: Rax Post Number: 483 Registered: 11-2007 |
quote: Sounds like money to me. | ||
Jan Member Username: Jan Post Number: 37 Registered: 07-2006 |
The DC metro is a good thing with lots of problems. In the almost 9 years since I've moved here, I really, however, don't take it all that much because it really isn't convenient (the closest stop is about 2 miles from my place, and I live in the District). DC also has a relatively decent bus system, which is part of Metro, and I do take that everyday -- almost door to door -- to work. I'm fortunate that I have free parking where I live, so I have my car, but my '96 Honda Civic only has about 44,000 miles on it, and I had 28,000 of those when I moved here. But the car is definitely great for grocery shopping and other weekend errands, getting out to the suburbs for assorted reasons, and just being free of public transportation schedules and carting things around. | ||
Yooper Member Username: Yooper Post Number: 185 Registered: 12-2006 |
That, is, an, interesting, story, Jan. | ||
Lnfant Member Username: Lnfant Post Number: 7 Registered: 05-2008 |
In the burbs, car parking at the DC Metro stops is an issue. Multi-storied parking structures have been built and the ones in my area fill up by 9 am. | ||
Benfield Member Username: Benfield Post Number: 7 Registered: 06-2008 |
Which is why our car centered lifestyle is so stupid. People drive to get to the stop instead of taking transit. It's time they got out of their SUV and started using mass transit. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4533 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: What happens with the Metro, unfortunately, is that the end-of-line stations have massive (and massively expensive) parking garages. Typically, they can park 5000 to 6000 cars at each of the end-of-line stations. Then, people will drive 20+ miles to reach the end-of-line stations. For example, people who live in Frederick, MD will drive to Shady Grove. People in Loudoun County, VA will drive to Vienna, and people from Annapolis will drive to New Carrollton. The issue? None of those counties pay into the Metro system, yet Metro (and the localities) plunk down $20,000 per car to accommodate them. I think it speaks to the weakness of our commuter rail systems (MARC and VRE). It's politically more popular to build these ridiculous garages (on very valuable real estate) and forego potential TOD than to upgrade the regional rail system. Metro has done a pretty good job of providing access by bus and bicycle, but many of the suburban stations have horrendous access by foot. | ||
Benfield Member Username: Benfield Post Number: 15 Registered: 06-2008 |
Why don't people take the bus to the Metro? Screw 'em if they don't want to ride with the other "dirty smelly" suburbanites. Since when does everyone have a right to drive where ever they want to go? Maybe they should have Metro stops with no roads leading to them, except for buses. Then people would have to use transit like they should. If they can't get to the Metro to get to their job in the central city then that's their fault for not living in the central city. Fuck 'em. What makes them so much better than people in the city? Stupid fucking SUV driving suburban sprawl idiots. There simply shouldn't be parking lots at any transit stop. Not one fucking parking space. Come by bus, train or bike, or stay the fuck home. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4534 Registered: 10-2003 |
^^^The problem is, in a lot of those outlying areas, bus service is very limited, or completely nonexistent. There is, however, a sizeable network of commuter buses that come all the way into town. Metro is the largest parking operator in the National Capital Region, owning some 58,000 spots. That just doesn't sit right with me. Never mind that the station parking rates (about $4) are WAY below market price. | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 785 Registered: 12-2007 |
Yeah Dan, My friend lives about 2 blocks from Dunn-Lorring, and I noticed the parking issue there, but not as bad as say Vienna-Fairfax. I think for what it is...the DC metro is great, and I mean the busses that are part of the system as well, we rode the bus when we were in Foggy Bottom between stations and the GW campus, and I had ZERO complaints. | ||
Benfield Member Username: Benfield Post Number: 19 Registered: 06-2008 |
Well, why is bus service limited? Because the idiot suburbanite who moved out to BFE is so strapped paying the mortgage on the Hummer and the McMansion that they won't pay a few extra dollars on their property tax for a bus system. $20/gallon gas will fix that. They'll be begging to live in some little shithole in DC then. I'd almost hate to ride the Metro in DC knowing that the guy next to, I'm subsidizing the suburban asshole's parking spot, his mortgage deduction and his endless highways. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4536 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: That's still better than the monster SUVs with Virginia tags barreling down the street, with the driver bitching about potholes and not being able to find parking. | ||
D_mcc Member Username: D_mcc Post Number: 792 Registered: 12-2007 |
And ben...its not like they aren't paying to USE the system... They have to PAY to board the train... |
