Comments on: Baltimore’s billion-bucks transit shopping spree: how not to blow it http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2009/05/22/if-you-had-a-billion-bucks-or-two-for-transit-how-would-you-use-it-to-make-baltimore-better/ Stirring Up Baltimore News and Views Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: geraldneily http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2009/05/22/if-you-had-a-billion-bucks-or-two-for-transit-how-would-you-use-it-to-make-baltimore-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1190 geraldneily Sat, 30 May 2009 17:27:25 +0000 http://baltimorebrew.com/publish/?p=2408#comment-1190 So, Some Guy, I take it that you're not quarreling with the quality of my proposals, only that The Brew is not the place or time for them. I've made similar proposals going all the way back to when I was the MTA liaison at the Baltimore City Planning Department in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. But the MTA needs fresh ideas now more than ever. Out of over 600 respondants to the Red Line Draft Environmental Impact Statement, less than ten of us (including me) expressed support for the MTA's only rail alternative which meets federal effectiveness standards - the all surface plan. Everyone else who expressed a preference (including the City government) wants the MTA to submit a plan which the feds would need to reject for policy violation. The Red Line's best "friends" could easily be the ones who kill the project. Four of the five ideas I've presented here are intended to make the MTA's all-surface alternative more palatable to all the groups that have rejected them. They could also be adopted during the preliminary engineering phase, although traditionally, that is when plans are usually cheapened up, not improved. The fifth idea to tunnel into Leakin Park addresses the West Baltimore community which has demonstrated the strongest opposition to the Red Line. This is a modification of a plan that the Transit Riders Action Council (of which I am not a member) has been pushing tirelessly throughout the various Red Line meetings. So, Some Guy, I take it that you’re not quarreling with the quality of my proposals, only that The Brew is not the place or time for them. I’ve made similar proposals going all the way back to when I was the MTA liaison at the Baltimore City Planning Department in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

But the MTA needs fresh ideas now more than ever. Out of over 600 respondants to the Red Line Draft Environmental Impact Statement, less than ten of us (including me) expressed support for the MTA’s only rail alternative which meets federal effectiveness standards – the all surface plan. Everyone else who expressed a preference (including the City government) wants the MTA to submit a plan which the feds would need to reject for policy violation. The Red Line’s best “friends” could easily be the ones who kill the project.

Four of the five ideas I’ve presented here are intended to make the MTA’s all-surface alternative more palatable to all the groups that have rejected them. They could also be adopted during the preliminary engineering phase, although traditionally, that is when plans are usually cheapened up, not improved.

The fifth idea to tunnel into Leakin Park addresses the West Baltimore community which has demonstrated the strongest opposition to the Red Line. This is a modification of a plan that the Transit Riders Action Council (of which I am not a member) has been pushing tirelessly throughout the various Red Line meetings.

]]> By: Some Guy http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2009/05/22/if-you-had-a-billion-bucks-or-two-for-transit-how-would-you-use-it-to-make-baltimore-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1180 Some Guy Sat, 30 May 2009 01:04:37 +0000 http://baltimorebrew.com/publish/?p=2408#comment-1180 When did you make these plans known to the many public meetings that have been held on this subject? Because if you didn't you're just jerking off in public, which isn't usually considered attractive. When did you make these plans known to the many public meetings that have been held on this subject? Because if you didn’t you’re just jerking off in public, which isn’t usually considered attractive.

]]> By: Gerald Neily http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2009/05/22/if-you-had-a-billion-bucks-or-two-for-transit-how-would-you-use-it-to-make-baltimore-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1142 Gerald Neily Tue, 26 May 2009 00:22:36 +0000 http://baltimorebrew.com/publish/?p=2408#comment-1142 Thanks for the kind words, Larry, and time to 'fess up: Yes, I live almost exactly six blocks north of the northernmost Red Line alternative on (or under) Eastern Avenue. But Baltimore is a small town. We're all more or less NIMBYs - guinea pigs in this urban laboratory. That's why I wrote about five things we SHOULD do in our backyards. Thanks for the kind words, Larry, and time to ‘fess up: Yes, I live almost exactly six blocks north of the northernmost Red Line alternative on (or under) Eastern Avenue. But Baltimore is a small town. We’re all more or less NIMBYs – guinea pigs in this urban laboratory. That’s why I wrote about five things we SHOULD do in our backyards.

]]> By: Larry Moon http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2009/05/22/if-you-had-a-billion-bucks-or-two-for-transit-how-would-you-use-it-to-make-baltimore-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1131 Larry Moon Mon, 25 May 2009 00:07:29 +0000 http://baltimorebrew.com/publish/?p=2408#comment-1131 Gerald -- Nice piece. A lot of good stuff here. One suggestion for future pieces: Fully disclose early on that you live in the neighborhood (about six blocks from the proposed line, if I'm to believe your Anywho record). Otherwise, this could come off as NIMBYism in sheep's clothing, which I'm sure was not the intention. Gerald –

Nice piece. A lot of good stuff here. One suggestion for future pieces: Fully disclose early on that you live in the neighborhood (about six blocks from the proposed line, if I’m to believe your Anywho record). Otherwise, this could come off as NIMBYism in sheep’s clothing, which I’m sure was not the intention.

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