My Kingdom for a Purple Line
By Silver Springer • Oct 25th, 2007 • Category: Business and Economic Development, Government and Politics
Right now, according to the Maryland Transit Administration, drilling is proceeding in East Silver Spring to determine if tunneling is feasible, checking soil and rock types, the study is smart move on the part of the MTA.
Is there any concern that the Purple Line will significantly fall short of expectations as proposed? And why isn’t there more emphasis and support for tunneling?
Of course the age old argument by opponents is that tunneling is cost prohibitive, another term for value engineering where cost comes before effective transit. The argument can only be valid after an independent study is presented containing estimates from different firms who specialize in tunneling; including new methods.
But regardless there are a few things that must happen in order for the Purple Line to be a success,
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It must be able to reach destinations or travel at speeds equal to or greater than current forms of transit, whether by car, bus etc.
- It must not compromise existing infrastructure, this means that taking road lanes for light rail or BRT defeats the purpose, where the light rail doesn’t even have the capacity of heavy rail Metro.
Bus Rapid Transit seems laughable at best, with being only slightly faster than your conventional bus. And the forces are against BRT. It doesn’t do anything for Transit Oriented Development and it carries the negative stigma of being a glorified bus line, which it is. People don’t like buses, especially higher income earners who have the cars.
This brings us to Light Rail. According to the MTA
“Maximum speeds of Light Rail trains can be as high as 60 miles per hour, with the average operating speed being closer to 45 miles per hour. The actual speed largely depends on the extent to which the train is separated from cars and pedestrians.â€
So in other words, with an exclusive above grade line, expect the trips to be long and arduous, with the conductor ever so watchful of pedestrian s and left turning cars.
This is in contrast to heavy rail metro system which is largely underground and can run at speeds approaching 80 miles per hour.
“Depending upon the specific system, the distance between Light Rail stations is shorter than with heavy rail systems due to the type of propulsion and braking systems.â€
Again, don’t expect to get to your destinations any quicker than you are now. Unless there will be an “express†train the stops and starts might not be worth the ride. The most heavily used stations will be Silver Spring, Bethesda and College Park and there are a lot of College students from Montgomery County on this line. But there are a whole slew of stations in between complicated by above grade methods.
One of the core problems with the Purple Line is that it’s tying to play commuter rail with inner city methods. Densely packed single family homes aren’t destinations.
Benefits to tunneling include,
- More efficient Transit Oriented Development, where the transit right of way isn’t impeding on building structures in any way. Land is already expensive in the D.C. area, tunneling would allow greater efficiency.
- Faster travel times
- Less room for accidents
Tunneling is a totally different scenario for Silver Spring than Tysons Corner,Va with the Silver Line. The difference here is that the push for tunneling in Tysons Corner was for pure aesthetics sake. They are two different beasts where Silver Spring is urban and Tysons is just a large office park.
Everything between Silver Spring and Bethesda and those neighborhoods in the Sligo Creek area are intensely dense and forested, far denser than Tysons Corner and anything on the Silver Line right of way. In addition, there are hilly conditions that will slow the travel times considerably; the steep inclines and declines will ensure that people will continue to use their cars.
Tunneling makes sense mostly due to the densely packed single family homes in wooded settings right outside the Silver Spring and Bethesda Central Business Districts. Tunneling for residents would be a short term commotion for long-term peace. This doesn’t mean that tunneling shouldn’t be through downtown Silver Spring, in fact the proposed above grade methods are creating obstacles to Transit Oriented Development in downtown area.
There are numerous examples in the D.C. area where metro has tunneled under neighborhoods of single family homes, in far less dense areas than Sligo Creek or West Silver Spring. Prince George’s Plaza station is good example of this.
Covering Costs
The County and State Government have not yet reached out to the Business community of Maryland to see if they can help with this project. Surveys by Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development and Montgomery County’s own Economic Development Department show that Businesses are discouraged by the severe traffic congestion of our region. This would be an opportunity for them to do something about it.
One has to wonder if the Purple line is being pushed because it will be a good system that will actually alleviate traffic or for transit for transits sake.
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This is why we need an underground Metrorail heavy rail line from Bethesda to Silver Spring, which would be phase I of the real Purple Line. later phases could extend it further. The goal is to build a fast, attractive transit line that is compatible with existing Metro. Some of these anti-heavy rail zealots want light rail no matter what, even if it means tunneling. BTW tunneling for light rail can be more expensive than heavy rail becuase the light rail cars are larger and the tunnel would have to support the overhead caternary. Tunneling would make the Purple Line a seamless transition to the existing Metro lines and would save the Capitol Crescent Trail, one of the greatest linear open spaces in America. A tax on commerical landowners nearby future station sites would finance the State’s portion of the cost with the feds funding the rest. Commercial landowners will benefit the most from the added density that will inevitably follow additional transportion capacity. Right now the business community as well as the majority of the population has not firmly backed these proposals for a Baltimore-style noisy, boxy, trashy light rail system. Purple Line supporters are lying to the public in claiming that the Purple Line is part of Metro, when it will be owned and operated by the MTA, the same agency that operates the Baltimore light rail disaster. They also claim that the Purple Line will use sleek, modern cars. But doesn’t it make more sense for MTA to double its purchasing power by keeping standards with the Baltimore light rail, cars and all. This trolley is a bad deal for Montgomery County, for Maryland, and for America.
Every city in Europe is building light rail and has been for the last 10+ years if it didn’t already exist before that. Dublin, for example, just built a brand spanking new one a few years ago. And every single one is a wild sucess and above ground. Yes, you heard me… on the street, mingling with traffic, above ground. They have sensors that trigger the traffic lights for them so they don’t need to wait for lights. They are more reliable than buses. Most of the time their lanes are dedicated, but when space is sparse (which is more often in Europe than it is here for sure) they share lanes with traffic. When the lanes are dedicated they provide a PERFECT right of way for emergency vehicles when needed. Huge success… every last stinking one… and abOVE ground. Why does this country have it in our head that cars on streets are ok, but cars on rails on the street are baaaad. We are BEHIND the rest of the world with respect to urban transit and urban living in general. People are flocking back to urban areas. Europe has better things to spend milliosn and billions on, like healthcare (and no, i’m not advocating socialized healthcare, just using an example) instead of wasting it burying their trains underground.
Sanjay said “The goal is to build a fast, attractive transit line that is compatible with existing Metro. Some of these anti-heavy rail zealots want light rail no matter what, even if it means tunneling.”
Everybody wants an underground heavy rail. But that is not going to happen because there is no money for it. The next best option is underground light rail. Some people are fighting that, holding out only for heavy rail. That is not going to happen.
Paul is correct. I went to Geneva recently and they have these beautiful light rail trains that are super quiet that go down busy main streets. These light rail trains looked nothing like what they have in Baltimore. I would guarantee that those individuals who oppose the light rail trains would change their minds in a heartbeat if they saw the type of light rail system they have in Europe (unless you are part of the NIMBY crowd, then nothing could change your mind).
You don’t have to be a NIMBY to understand that taking away a travel lane from streets in Silver Spring to accommodate an on-surface rail system will only make traffic worse. Underground light or heavy rail or an elevated monorail is the only way to go. We are better off using buses rather than spending a huge amount to build on-surface light rail.
Light rail/trolleys are fine through business streets, but not residential streets such as Wayne Avenue.
It makes perfect sense to connect the Bethesda and Silver Spring metro stops with an underground purple line. That is fast, efficient, and less intrusive on the community.
sanjay: I didn’t realize you were in “favor” of a Purple Line (therefore, sorry for the previous comment). Either way, I agree with paul & commuter. Heavy rail tunneling isn’t going to happen in our current atmosphere of politics.
I would favor routing the Purple Line along Philadelphia and Ethan Allen Avenues in Takoma Park. That would connect the Purple Line to PG Plaza from SS directly without tunneling. but I guess the Takoma Park anti-transit NIMBY’s wouldn’t support all those “different people” coming through their exclusively white neighborhoods.
Isn’t Takoma Park a sanctuary city of criminals and illegals?
Sanjay suggests that a tunnel is essential for the same kind of speed we see with Metro. Pardon me, but isn’t Metro in Silver Spring on the surface?? It is not the tunnel that allows speed, it is the separated right-of-way.
It has been suggested we should tunnel so we can connect seamlessly with Metro at the stations. Pardon me, but aren’t three of the four Metro stations the Purple Line will connect to above ground??
It is suggested Bethesda has too many houses and trees for us to build on the surface there. But the County already owns an abandoned Railroad r.o.w. for almost three miles from Bethesda to North Silver Spring, wide enough to build both the light rail and a new CCT, without taking any new property or a single house. And somehow we should believe it will be cost effective to tunnel for three miles there instead?
And if tunneling costs more we should just tax or assess more to pay for it. And we should ignore the federal government rules for competing against other transit projects to get federal matching funds. We will be heavily penalized if the project becomes more expensive, regardless of whether we are willing to pay more with local money.
I will support limited tunneling where it is essential to the project. But let’s be real about where it is needed and what it costs.
silverspringtrails…
the above-ground metro stations you refer to run along railroad right of ways where there is room for such infrastrucutre. No matter what the Purple Line will be above ground along the CSX tracks through Silver Spring. The real debate is what happens in the quiet neighborhoods where a lovely trail runs through. The Georgetown Branch was purchased for a transit right of way and was always envisioned as a single track trolley from Bethesda to Silver Spring. They could have retained the rails from the old Georgetown Branch and built the thing for a fraction of today’s cost. Now the Capitol Crescent Trail has replaced the rail use for two decades and the right of way has become unofficial parkland. The once a day train that ran through this route is not comparable to the 15 minute headways of the double tracked, creaking Purple Line trolley which would narrow the trail and eliminate its park setting. In fact we do not need federal funding at all. A special tax on commerical property in Bethesda and Silver Spring along with increase density rights would cover the other half of the $500 million cost of building the Georgetown Branch route (the only route envisioned in the Master Plan) underground using deep tunneling technology proven in Europe utilizing the existing above ground Silver Spring station and the below ground Bethesda station.
Justin, please play the self-righteous race card somewhere else.
To those who say the funding is not available for the purple line, I respectfully disagree. Funding for large public projects in this nation is almost always a political question. After all, we have a trillion dollars for war in Iraq, but allegedly not enough for children’s health insurance or an underground train. I still believe that given the political will, funding can surely be made available for a below-ground train — and above ground light rail where feasible. Given the oil crisis that is here now and only getting worse, this country of our will have no choice but to get serious about subways, light rail, and other railroad services.
In Amsterdam I witnessed a street as wide as the corner of Bonifant & Georgia Ave. which shared 2 way, light rail, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. This is in the Leidsplein which is far busier than Bonifant. Georgia is busy, but the train would cross at the light. Not only would it work, it would add charm & ambiance to local business south of the downtown island.
Sanjay, check your position about the trail being narrowed. The Interim CCT is now barely 8′ wide and gravel on the Georgetown Branch r.o.w. The MTA plans would rebuild it at 10′ wide and paved with asphalt, separated from the Purple Line tracks by a fence and approx. 10′ of planted buffer.
Also, I live in Woodside and am still waiting for the CCT to come to my neighborhood, and on to Silver Spring to complete the regional trail network. I was on the North Silver Spring Master Plan Advisory committee, and also the Interim CC/MetBranch Trail Facility Plan citizens advisory committee, and continue to be an active member of the Coalition for the CCT. None of these groups have been able to develop a credible plan to finish the CCT as a direct off-road trail that does not use sections of the CSX corridor. Opponents of the Purple Line make vague claims that they have a plan to finish the trail, but their plans always evaporate when they are asked for specifics on how they will do it. Yes, Bethesda has a lovely trail, but this should not just be about Bethesda. The CCT should be in Silver Spring too.
And finally, even the single track Georgetown Branch Trolley had a ridership estimate of 22,000 a day, which is about 15 times greater than is the counted use of the Interim CCT today. My point is the CCT, great as it is, is only a part of the puzzle and should not be expected to dominate the decision about how to provide needed transit. Expecially when even the CCT issue has two sides.
Sanjay, we could build heavy rail above ground between Bethesda and Silver Spring if we got rid of the trail.
Sanjay, is the Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring “one of the greatest linear open spaces in America” (your first post” or “unofficial parkland” (your last post) or a railroad right of way on which there is an unpaved trail, which the neighbors like that way because they don’t want outsiders, whether bicyclists, rail commuters, or rollerbladers, in their neighborhood (closer to the truth).
tt; why even suggest getting rid of the trail?? The existing Georgetown Branch r.o.w. is more than wide enough for two transit tracks (whether light or heavy rail), and a full width trail with a buffer in between.
Light rail train, vehicle collide; 1 hurt
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-train1026,0,4523441.story
There’s a story in the Baltimore Sun every week or so with someone getting hit or an accident involving a light rail car. These things are dangerous when mixed with traffic as they will in Fenton Village. Silver Spring is not Europe where people are used to such vehicles. Baltimore has had a light rail system for over a decade now and they still have not got used to it. This thing needs to be undergrounded east of the Silver Spring Metro. Lets build a quality addiiton to the Metro system, not some second-rate bus on rails (essentially what a light rail car is)
There are stories everyday on someone getting hit by a car or accidents involving cars. Far more accidents occur with cars than light rail. An above ground light-rail can be first class as evidenced by what goes on in Europe. Also, the hundreds of millions of dollars that we save by not having the train go underground could be used for healthcare, education, etc. Doesn’t that appeal to folks?
Has anyone been to Baltimore and seen/rode the light rail. That truly is a glorified bus on rails. Slow. Noisy. Dirty. Boxy. Inconvenient. That is why no one rides it. I am convinced the MTA will use the same technology and cars on the Purple Line. It makes economic sense to use the same technology. The Purple Line WILL be operated by MTA, not WMATA. This means inferior quality. O’Malley is not going to build a modern asian/european light rail system in Montgomery County of all places. We are going to eventually get that dangerous, ugly, empty, and outdated Baltimore light rail. Thats what is cheapest and price is what matters to the anti-heavy rail people who support light rail (the same people who didn’t want the Red Line to go to Glenmont) so that it will destroy our lovely suburban neighborhoods.
pj…
How many collisions does Metrorail have every week? Not many. It wouldn’t have any if WMATA would run it properly. Don’t we want the safer, cheaper, and more efficient mode of transportation? Destroying our quality of life in our local neighborhoods is not worth the benefit of reducing my taxes a few cents. An Europe is only a model of a racist, socialist society where whole nations are being run by a secret central government that cannot make any decisions, and relies on other nations to carry out global foreign policy and defend the world against evildoers.
Quote from Anonymous Guy:
“An Europe is only a model of a racist, socialist society where whole nations are being run by a secret central government that cannot make any decisions, and relies on other nations to carry out global foreign policy and defend the world against evildoers”.
Now see…you were making persuasive posts regarding underground rail transportation and then you post this garbage above. So are you a conservative, right-wing Republican who wants to pay much higher taxes so we can have a tunnel dug between Bethesda and Silver Spring? Wow, I have seen it all now.
Thanks for being an oasis of sanity on the issue. Light rail is the worst of both worlds. The expense of a major capital project with the speed and aesthetics of a bus. Add to that what it will do to traffic and it is a net loser. Spend big on the metro or don’t do it at all.
Also, in Europe, street cars are used mostly as a substitute for buses in densely populated areas. In that role they are fine. But there’s little point in substituting them for buses in SS. Ever ridden the Muni in San Francisco? Worse than the bus - if that is possible. Crowded, slow, inconvenient.
silverspringtrails said….
“Sanjay, check your position about the trail being narrowed. The Interim CCT is now barely 8′ wide and gravel on the Georgetown Branch r.o.w. The MTA plans would rebuild it at 10′ wide and paved with asphalt, separated from the Purple Line tracks by a fence and approx. 10′ of planted buffer.”
The paved portion of the Capitol Crescent Trail will eventually be widened to 14 feet with separated bike and pedestrian lanes. By placing bascially a freeway through our last green space in Bethesda there will be room for a narrow trail that impinges on the neighborhoring single family homes. The reason the CCT has not been completed to Lyttonsville (not that expensive of a feat)is that Purple Line supporters oppose the trail. An the woodside people oppose running a bike lane down Second Avenue. Those Woodside people are almost as big NIMBYs as us in Bethesda.
Sanjay:
You can’t be serious about running a full width shared use trail down Second Avenue? Maybe a narrow bike lane in traffic, crossing two state highways at-grade (16th Street and Colesville Road), yes. But a dedicated bike path that even begins to resemble a full width trail like the CCT?
When anyone suggests even temporarily detouring the CCT traffic in Bethesda around the tunnel to cross Wisconsin Ave. on an at grade route, people come out to “save the children”. But apparently it is OK for you if the trail runs down Second Avenue in traffic for one mile, and across two major highways where the crossings are even more difficult than at Wisconsin Ave.
This is the kind of nonsense I was referring to when I said the transit opponents never manage to come forward with any plan to complete the trail into Silver Spring that is credible.
As I said, its always the same story with you Woodsiders.
Sanjay: So, that was your plan for the CCT in Woodside, bike lanes on Second Ave.?
MTA proposes a full width, off-road CCT adjacent to the west side of Woodside, along the CSX corridor, continuous into downtown Silver Spring, as part of the Purple Line project. Our Woodside Civic Association has expressed its support for the Purple Line transit and trail, being one of the sponsors of the Oct. 10 Purple Line Now fundraiser. I know we can have our own NIMBY moments in Woodside at times, but supporting both transit and trail on the west side of our neighborhood is not very NIMBY like.
As I said earlier, the CCT should not be only for Bethesda. We are still waiting for transit opponents to present a credible plan for a CCT into Silver Spring. Your plan for bike lanes on Second Avenue makes my point, thank you.
I used to date someone in Baltimore. So, I’ve driven there many times. Trust me, people in Baltimore are Jaywalkers. I was always amazed driving down the street and people running right in front of my car. These weren’t isolated cases. This was every time I entered the city of Baltimore without fail.
Woodside NIMBY…
I prefer having the CCT with its own route on the CSX ROW. But that may not be acheiveable even with the Purple Line as CSX will not give up the ROW or they will cut the trail. I think bike lanes and/or an offroad bike path down Second Avenue would be server the goal of extending the CCT to the SS Green Trail and Metro Branch Trail without costing $3 billion. I’d rather have bike lanes on Second than having the CCT dead end in some junk yard in Lyttonsville. But Woodside NIMBYs have long opposed the pedestrian friendly, environemtnally friendly, cost effective options for bringing quality recreation trail access to Silver Spring. Similarly the anti-trail pro-Purple Line people have opposed paving the trail past Bethesda 15 years after the trail was built. These people are set out to destroy the most beautiful linear open space in America by lamming the transit equivalent of the ICC through the last open spaces in lower Montgomery County.
Sanjay:
I can’t figure out where you get your information. When did Woodside residents obstruct a bike route down Second Avenue?? I was on the North and West S.S. Master Plan Advisory Committee circa. 1999 and also the CC/MetBranch Advisory Group in 2000. At no time did any community or trail planners seriously propose the CCT be on Second Ave. for one simple reason - some sections of Second Ave. are too narrow for even bike lanes unless all street parking is removed.
Where do you get all of this stuff? Or do you just make it up?
Woodside NIMBY…
You do not suggest any alternative routing for the CCT. What if CSX will not allow it to be built or the state will drop it as part of the Purple Line as they did the ICC trail for cost/environmental reasons? At least say that you don’t want this terrible trail running in your backyard. They can always route it along 16th street. Classical NIMBY.
Sanjay:
The Purple Line is our best shot at getting access to the CSX corridor for the trail. But in the event that nothing can get us access to any of the CSX corridor, then something like the “Interim CCT” as recommended in the 2001 CC/MetBranch Trail Facility Plan is the best that can be built. That alignment is described in the Coalition for the CCT website http://www.cctrail.org on its “Action Page”. That alignmnent is a poor substitute for the direct CCT along the CSX r.o.w. all the way, but is head and shoulders better than any route on Grace Church Road/Second Avenue. Putting bike lanes along Second Avenue is like putting lipstick on a pig.
Lets build a 2 billion dollar, obsolete upon completion, Light Rail system so “Silverspringtrails” can have easy access to the bike trail.
I will be the first to say that the CCT should not dominate the decision on the Purple Line. The trail is only one piece of the puzzle, and even that piece has two sides to consider. The Purple Line decision should be made based on all of the issues.
But it also follows that we should not kill the Purple Line just so Bethesda residents can keep their trail like a local park.
We all know that the state will drop the CCT project due to cost issues. The state did the same with the ICC. This green space is set aside by the County for a mix of uses. By running a $3 billion train highway down the middle of the greatest linear open space in America we are destroying some of our last open space downcounty. All for the price of serving PG commuters. The Master Plan only envisions the Georgetown Branch Trolley as serving Bethesda and Silver Spring. It was supposed to be a trolley and one track. The Georgetown Branch was never a major transportation corridor and should not be reserved as such. Lets build the Purple Line, but underground along the Georgetown Branch into Bethesda. The cost would be minimal but the benefits would be vast. Save the Trail. Save our open space.
The old MoCo Master Plan is way out of date and being currently revised to include the new PL plans along with the CCT connections.
Sanjay, for much less money than it would cost to put the Purple Line underground, we could condemn Columbia Country Club, reforest the fairways, and turn this heavily taxpayer-subsidized (via the real estate tax exemption for golf courses) playground for the rich into a state park for the enjoyment of the entire population. That would provide much more public green space than the capital crescent trail.
And, by the way, when I said you could build heavy rail above ground on the Georgetown Branch right of way if there was not trail. I was not suggesting eliminating the trail. I was pointing out that the original choice of light rail rather than heavy rail as the technology represents a compromise which is less than optimal for transit riders but provides the benefit of the trail. If you really believe that heavy rail is needed to handle future passenger loads between Bethesda and Silver Spring, you should advocate for eliminating the trail and building heavy rail above ground.
tt: - can you explain why we must remove the trail if we build heavy rail? The trail will be separated from the Purple Line rail by a planted buffer and a fence, and in many areas the fence will be on top of a retaining wall that elevates the trail a few feet higher than the level of the tracks. The MetBranch Trail is being build alongside the Metro Red Line now, and you can see some of that trail already completed directly alongside the heavy rail tracks at the New York Ave. Station.
I think you are presenting a false choice when you suggest heavy rail would require we give up the trail. Light rail is the best choice for the Purple Line for affordability and for the design flexibility light rail offers, and not because it is needed to keep the trail.
silverspringtrails…
you have not presented an alternative for the CCT once the state decides to drop it as part of the project east of Lyttonsville. Do you want it to end in a junkyard? Lets run a interim trail down Second Avenue to connect to the SS Green Trail. With bike lanes and/or an off-road bikepath, even if it eliminates a parking lane and requires you Woodsiders with your Lexus and Mercedes to slow down. We need this trail now with or without the Purple Line. We could build it now if these Woodside people would stop opposing it.
Sanjay:
Pay attention. In an earlier post here, I pointed you to the approved Interim CCT plan described in the CC/MetBranch Trail Facility Report, available an the CCCT website http://www.cctrail.org on their Action Page. What do you have against that?? It does not use any r.o.w. controled by CSX and does not depend on the Purple Line. It is not nearly as good as the CCT proposed with the Purple Line, but sure beats your idea of bike lanes on Second Avenue.
By the way, how do you propose taking the trial from Stewart Avenue to Second Avenue under your plan?? The streets in this area are far too narrow to support any trail facility, not even bike lanes. Second Avenue is not your biggest problem.
Woodside NIMBY…
Why don’t you just say that you don’t want this trail running through your front yard. Your little plan just diverts the CCT away from your Lexus and Mercedes in Woodside to poorer parts of your neighborhood. There is nothing wrong with running bike lanes down Second Avenue instead of building a $10 million trail along right of way that the County does not control. Just don’t hit me with your Mercedes.