In what is already a two-bus transit desert, WMATA is proposing to reduce what little bus service there is even further. Among ridership-based cuts on the table, is reducing rush hour service on the T2 Metrobus from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes. Such a cut would make using the bus even less viable for commuters.
Should the service cut be made, transit capacity would be reduced 50% during peak travel times. That should require the County to recalculate its transportation impact analysis entirely. By the most conservative estimate, the growth allowed by the 2016 Westbard sector plan will bring over 3000 people and over 4000 more cars to a 1.5 block area in the next 5 years. A Maryland State Highway Administration official became alarmed at a Development Review Committee last year when he heard the County planned to not pursue any projects to increase vehicle capacity on River Road, despite the growth numbers I just cited.
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has said, when I asked him a few years ago, there are no plans - and no money, he emphasized - to add a new bus route to the Westbard area. Now the T2, which runs between the Friendship Heights and Rockville Metro stations via River and Falls Road, could provide even less service. To give you an idea of how far Westbard is from Metro, you can literally reach Rockville Town Center faster from River Road on the T2 bus than by subway. Oops.
The cuts are not a sure thing. WMATA is trying to drum up public support for new taxes and fare hikes using the specter of cuts. But the important point is that WMATA decides which routes to put on the chopping block based upon ridership. WMATA's decision shows that the already-minimal use of transit in automobile-dependent Westbard is in decline, not increasing.
For all of its talk about transit, the County Council didn't feel it was a priority in the Westbard sector plan it passed last May. The Council deleted a planned transit center from the Westbard Avenue redevelopment of property owned by Equity One/Regency Centers, and dropped any firm requirement for a new shuttle service. No member of the Council uses transit to commute regularly.
Once again the Council and Planning Board have proven to be shoot-from-the-hip amateurs at (sub)urban planning, approving Metro-proximity density where there is no Metro - and where Metro itself is now bearish on future demand for transit. Humiliating.
39 comments:
I can't wait to see 3000 people driving 4000 cars. That sounds like quite a trick!
The County Council had grand plans of Urbanization (that few residents supported with thousands of locals in opposition)), had to provide more transportation through busing even free shuttles (that no one apparently uses), Mr. Hands had to lie about the distance it is to Metrorail (cause he never walked it) all the while keeping their developer friends happy. I'd say this sneaky trick FAILED miserably...
This is terrible news for folks who depend on transit. It's almost like our transit agencies are trying to intentionally make riding the bus & Metro less appealing.
G. Money, surely you aren't advocating allowing children under 16 to drive cars?
6:00: Hands Riemer!
6:08: Yeah, 30 minute headways will definitely put more people back in their cars. The existing lack of transit is what makes it so embarrassing that our grossly amateur Planning Board would approve building heights higher at Westbard than a building that is right next to the Purple Line at Chevy Chase Lake. What do these people smoke before the meetings? Hands Riemer wants to legalize it, whatever it is.
The additional 1,000 cars will presumably be driven by outsiders commuting to Westbard for shopping.
As I keep saying - build a more direct path between Willard Avenue and the shopping center, and you'll knock off a half-mile or more off the walking distance to the Metro.
It's not a "1.5 block area", Birdbrain.
6:47: Yes, it is. Ridgefield between River and Westbard is half-a-block, and there's a block between Ridgefield and the stoplight at Park Bethesda on Westbard. All of the approved development is within that block and a half. Do the math.
Why no mention of Ride-on Route 23? It more than the Metrobus T2 route serves the Westbard area. It is a 7 minute ride to the Metro rail system at Friendship Heights. (And from there, a 17 minute ride to Rockville Station.)
It is a faster method than your touted use of the T2 bus.
But what is completely missing in your analysis is that the scheduling of buses today says absolutely nothing about the scheduling post-Westbard Buildout. Your assumption that there will be no increase in demand for public transportation after the Westbard plan is actualized is suspect in the extreme.
This isn't because of Westbard, it's because WMATA has been so, so poorly managed and they ned to make cuts to haev money to pay for long-deferred maintenance. It's not WMATA saying, "Hey, let's target Westbard", it's them saying "We need $$ so let's cut back on routes." They've proposed to cut back on many routes.
These cuts are almost system-wide. Red Line service will be extended (longer wait time between trains) during rush hour, and _every_ metrorail line will go from 12-minute to 15-minutes between trains during weekends and non-rush. Metrorail ridership, while on the decline, is still massive and it's the #2 busiest subway service in the country. Even there, they can only afford 15-minute gaps between trains, so it's no surprise T-2 is getting changed to 30 minute gaps.
Here's a link to all proposed cuts:
https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/budget/fy18-proposed-service.cfm
You can see how many bus lines are affected, between many important destinations. They aren't targeting Westbard due to low ridership. They're targeting across the board.
6:55: The Ride On 23 does the same thing as T2 for "Westbard"-area residents, but with even more restrictive schedule.
How will taking the bus become more appealing simply by dropping more people into the same spot? Do you assume the neighborhood will somehow physically move closer to the Metro? 3000 more people doesn't make the walking distance shorter, or the bad transit options better.
Your claim of 24 minutes via bus from Westbard Avenue to Rockville Metro station is causing some chuckles among those who have actually made that trip hundreds of times. You might have a job on Hans Riemer's staff if you keep talking like that, my friend.
6:57: Not true. If you read the list, very few bus routes are getting frequency trimmed. T2 is one of those few. That decision is based on ridership. If both buses within 30 minutes are packed with fare-paying riders, they wouldn't cut back to 30 minute headways.
Now, as I said, WMATA is trying to scare with these cuts more than anything else. But they are not treating every route equally, or else they'd all say the same thing.
Dyer @ 6:51 AM - referring to that development site as "1 block", because it is along a roadway between two consecutive traffic lights, is disingenuous to an extreme.
That distance of that section of roadway is 0.5 miles, 4 standard city blocks, and in terms of area, the site is between 10 and 20 square blocks.
I note that buses to Dulles Airport are among those being completely eliminated.
So it appears that Dulles is even more moribund than Westbard.
"How will taking the bus become more appealing simply by dropping more people into the same spot? Do you assume the neighborhood will somehow physically move closer to the Metro? 3000 more people doesn't make the walking distance shorter, or the bad transit options better."
Isn't the whole point of riding a bus, to cover a distance that is not convenient to walk? Why is the walking distance relevant to whether a bus route would be viable?
And why wouldn't adding a bus "make bad transit options better"?
7:15 am - The area of "a block and a half" would be contained within a square that is 800 feet on each side.
Dyer is an innumerate birdbrain.
The Ride On 23 doesn't service all of the neighborhoods up and down River Road that the T2 covers. Not an apples to apples comparison.
Cutting T2 will hurt.
Bus service cuts on River Road mean that the Westbard project will add congestion, not alleviate it, in Bethesda/Chevy Chase.
7:25: You're simply making my point - if the bus trip is "viable," why aren't large numbers of people using it now?
Conversely, how does packing in over 3000 more people suddenly make that unpleasant bus commute any more appealing?
No one is "adding a bus." Red herring.
7:44: Cuts in service would also be pertinent to the Save Westbard lawsuit in that respect.
7:15: I realize that the prospect of jamming 3000+ people into the block-and-a-half between Park Bethesda and River Road sounds so much like a dystopian novel that you feel compelled to create your own new definition of a "block." Understandable.
That is not feasible-- you would have to cut through developed land and arterial roads. Too expensive and impractical.
Sorry, Dyer. It is you who are "creating a new definition". The standard city block is 1/8 of a mile. The length of that stretch roadway is 4 standard city blocks, regardless of how few intersections it has. If you're not going to use standard definitions of terms, then apples-to-apples comparisons are impossible.
Robert, I agree with you that the approved size/scope of Westbard is far in excess of what is appropriate. BUT...
Your critics are right that it is misleading to describe the site as 1.5 blocks. That might be *technically* true (no break in the Westbard sidewalk for what would be roughly 4 standard blocks), but it is a fundamentally deceptive description.
There are many sound reasons to oppose the Westbard project (congestion, school overcrowding, incompatibility with the surrounding single family neighborhoods), all of which you have covered in your reporting. You don't need to make misleading arguments and doing so only weakens your credibility and leaves you open to attack.
The block size debate is getting silly. There is no standard block size in this country, it varies from city to city and suburb to suburb. And the count for cars exceeds the number of new units or residents because the formulas (which also vary around the country) include the impact of things like nannies driving to the home, added delivery vehicles and so on. Finally, if WMATA is looking at cutting service now, it makes it more likely that those who move to any new units in Westbard will plan on driving to work. WMATA is not going to just add back bus service in hopes that new residents will use the buses; that is not how it works.
What a surprise that Dyer comes back to this anti-factual talking point about block sizes!
We've had this discussion before. Dyer won't ever let reality get in the way of his political agenda.
7:15 and supporters are correct: The Westbard project extends ~4 standard blocks (a half mile) along Westbard Ave. Time to retire the 1.5 block meme-- it's inaccurate and easily disproved.
Unfortunately, the 1.5 block discussion undercuts Dyer's larger, accurate argument: the Westbard project will result in more auto use and traffic.
Agree on the bus cuts: WMATA will not add back service to accommodate future demand.
@7:02 AM - I did not write that the trip would be 24 minutes. Using Google Maps, the estimated total time for a trip using Ride-on Bus 23 and the Red Lion is between 36 and 40 minutes, depending on the time of day. This includes walking and waiting times. Using Google Maps, using a T2 bus is a significantly longer total trip time.
@7:33 AM - The point of comparison was a trip originating in Westbard. Not "...up and down River Road that the T2 covers." In any case, I am not advocating for T2 service cuts.
Dyer (in his 7:44 comment) is correct about the Westbard lawsuit. Under a 2008 MoCo law, the County was supposed to do a "carbon footprint" study before approving the Westbard sector plan.
The County never did a carbon study for Westbard, even though it has done them for
other sector plans. That suggests that Westbard might add to carbon use, not reduce it. The proposed reduction in bus service on River Road makes it even more likely that Westbard will add to carbon emissions due to more cars.
The "there's a bus" argument was a red herring to push along the Westbard plan.
All those shiny new EYA luxury townhomes will all have 2 car garages for a reason: these folks are gonna drive.
If you look at the list of cuts, you will see that most are designed to shift commuters to alternate Metro or bus lines serving the same route.
The frequency reduction in River Road service is one of the few frequency cutbacks and no alternative routes are noted. This leads to the inference that the T2 is under utilized, so WMATA feels justified in cutting frequency.
I think that Dyer is right about the frequency cuts for T2-- that would not happen if the buses were full, especially during rush hour. To cut to 1x every 30 minutes means low current ridership.
Well, if everyone complains that there's too much traffic while driving by themselves in a car, then yeah, good luck with that, idiots. Maybe try taking the bus, and the bus service won't get cut. Or carpool. Or ride a bike. Or live closer to the places you travel regularly.
12:04pm great ideas. Mr. Dyer has been an advocate of preserving affordable housing around our Metro stations.
12:04: Reality: Bus service has always been poor around Westbard. It meets the low bar for basic public transportation - you can get anywhere from River Road or Massachusetts Avenue if you are willing to put in the time. Most people, however, have schedules and responsibilities that make bus travel illogical this far from Metro and to complete daily errands.
You can't blame residents for the failure of government. Government is obligated to provide a functional road and highway system for the way the majority of us will continue to get around until the Star Trek transporter is invented: the automobile. The Council has failed to do that. The SHA guy was incredulous when he was told 3000+ people, no highway capacity will increased, and not even a serious traffic study had been done. The proverbial "grown-up in the room," which the government discussion of Westbard has lacked from the beginning.
Block size in Westbard - Dr. Tauber certainly didn't follow any standard like what you're describing. I invite anyone to drive River-Ridgefield-Westbard-Park Bethesda to confirm that the distance is indeed a block and a half. Under your numbers, you would claim Willard Avenue between River and the corner of the Irene is multiple blocks. Pedestrians and drivers would disagree. The density impact is going to be in a shockingly small physical space at Westbard, which has been a point of contention since day one.
Dyer, if you can't use the term "blocks" consistently, then don't use it at all! Either use it to mean number of intersections, or a specific distance. NOT your bullshit notion that one equals the other.
Since you mentioned Willard Avenue, the distance along that street from Willard Avenue is 0.3 miles, or 2.4 standard city blocks (of 1/8 mile each).
The distance along Westbard Avenue between Ridgefield and the Park Bethesda is 0.5 miles, or 1.67 times the distance between River Road and the Irene along Willard Avenue.
(BTW, "The Irene" hasn't been called that for several years now.)
Clarification of second paragraph of @ 3:49 PM:
"Since you mentioned Willard Avenue, the distance along that street from River Road to "The Irene" is 0.3 miles, or 2.4 standard city blocks (of 1/8 mile each)."
Dyer, if you're going to call the stretch of Ridgefield Road between River Road and Westbard Avenue "a half block", that would mean that the stretch of Westbard Avenue between Ridgefield Road and the Park Bethesda, which is six times as long as the former, would be "three blocks", by your definition,
The "half-block" is actually closer to 0.7 standard city blocks (1/8 mile).
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