Readers of this blog are among the few who have any sense of the coming catastrophe that BRT will be, if implemented. The only other published critique I've found of MoCo BRT was a letter to the editor.
So with a 3 minute time limit (hastily corrected from the press release claim of only 2 minutes of testimony), I had to present the devastating case against BRT. But was still able to talk a bit about what we could better spend the money on (Rockville Freeway, M-83, Purple Line).
The weirdest part of the night was the venue. The press release stated the hearing would be in the "1st Floor Auditorium of the County Council Building." I just assumed they meant that swanky new hearing room with the leather seats that the council wasted taxpayer money on. It's right off the lobby to the left when you enter the building.
Well, I pull the big door open, and it's pitch black inside. Okay.
Is it on the 7th floor? Nope.
Finally a county employee directs me to... the 1st Floor Auditorium.
Huh?
This musty chamber must have been opened for the first time in 40 years. Funereal colors and aging wood paneling dominate the small "auditorium." I think Jim Gleason was probably the last County Executive to preside over a hearing in that room. Behind Ike Leggett's seat on the stage were two breakaway panels in the wall. Any minute you'd expect the panels to open, and the ghosts of councils Past to stagger forward.
This BRT plan is so bad, just such a paranormal event could well occur!
Fortunately, despite efforts by developers and their allies, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, to stack the deck, opponents outnumbered supporters.
The only reporters I recognized were Victor Zapana from the Post, and Rachel Baye of the Examiner.
I have to comment on a couple of points Mr. Leggett made at the end of the evening. First, he reassured attendees that he had not yet made a decision on BRT. That is not what he said a few months back. He vehemently stated then, that the county absolutely was going to build this system, and the only questions were cost and how soon.
Second, he made a point often made by supporters of the oversized Science City and White Flint sector plans: that the massive BRT system is not imminent, and will take "20 or 30 years" to complete.
But just as almost the entire White Flint "I" sector plan permits have been issued within only 2 years of its passage, so too are these empty reassurances on BRT.
In fact, the state of Maryland has already begun the official process of studying Veirs Mill Road, and Georgia Avenue between Olney and Glenmont, for construction of BRT routes on both. They've even held a public workshop for each.
Like Science City and White Flint, BRT too will explode out of the gate. You'll have lost 2 lanes to buses on 355, 97, etc. within a year or two of passage. And you'll get that higher tax bill, too.
The reason is that billions and billions of dollars are at stake for developers, and the politicians who get fat checks from them.
Oh, yeah, one other thing: Stewart Schwartz, I believe, testified that we could never solve traffic gridlock. Again, my friends, billions of developer profits depend upon you believing that statement.
The fact is, if we built the master plan highways (Outer Beltway, Rockville Freeway, M-83, Northern Parkway, Northwest Freeway), gridlock would cease to exist in Montgomery County. Period.
Without further adieu, here is my speech from last evening:
This task force's mantra appears to be, "The debate is
over."
The fact that you produced your report, some elected officials
have said we're going to build it, and the public only now is allowed to speak,
is an outrage. But looking at the facts of BRT, I can understand why you're
scared to debate.
* 85% of people drive
* Your own master planner says
we lack the density to support it
* "Rapid" is an Orwellian name for a bus
that goes 15 miles in 50 minutes
* BRT will increase congestion, taking car
lanes, and throwing off synchronized signals
* BRT duplicates Red Line
service
* You've understated the annual BRT tax - Bethesda residents could
pay $1000 or more
* Why should Bethesda and Silver Spring subsidize BRT, when
it ends in our towns, and we won't even be able to ride it to work?
We've
passed the tax limit. I understand the [County] Council has a new benefactor -
Mitch Rales. Maybe you can get him to pay for it.
We should focus on
building the Purple Line, and our Master Plan highways.
The M-83
upcounty.
We could build the Rockville Freeway - which would connect White
Flint and Columbia, two areas we already know are going to have massive growth - for less than half the cost of BRT. And the Rockville Freeway would carry more
commuters per day than the entire BRT system.
BRT is a sprawl generator
in places like Olney. You can call building a city in the country a lot of
things, but "smart growth" isn't one of them.
To summarize:
* We
can't afford it
* Your own planner says it won't work
* It will increase
sprawl and traffic congestion
I guess you're right, the debate is
over.
Thank you.
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