Thursday, August 31, 2017

First sign of the Purple Line in downtown Bethesda (Photo)

Maryland officials continue their public campaign to demonstrate that Purple Line construction is underway. A sign appeared on the plaza at the intersection of Bethesda Avenue and Woodmont Avenue, near the future terminus of the tail tracks of the light rail route (at least until it is extended to Westbard and Sangamore Road). It refers to the "Purple Line light rail transit project," and sports the name of Governor Larry Hogan and the agencies involved.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

No mention of the Georgetown Branch Trail closure?

Or the alternative route through the Town of Chevy Chase?

Or the pearl-clutching and gnashing of teeth from the natives of the ToCC?

Anonymous said...

Thank you Hogan for pushing forward this critical infrastructure project and resisting to urge to fund a extremely costly and self-harming bridge project! It's no wonder you're the most popular gov in the country!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to hear there's resolution, and the project will (finally) advance. The people in Georgetown wish they hadn't fought the metro, and its no coincidence the city has drifted eastward (where there is ample metro access). Marriott chose to move to Bethesda because it's becoming a hub of mass transit.

Anonymous said...

@ 12:19 PM... Ahem... there was never a Metro station proposed for Georgetown. Any approach from Rosslyn would have been extremely difficult, and at the time the Metro was originally designed, Georgetown wasn't the upscale destination that it later became in the 1970s and 1980s.

Anonymous said...

It's too bad 12:19PM posts false facts to this board. As usual, he has no idea what he is talking about, acting like an expert, when he really knows little about local history. He clearly wasn't here during the community debates happened in Georgetown, and he doesn't realize that Georgetown has always been an upscale section of the city. I realize his motive is to be annoying, and that his true goal is troll people.

Btw, the "Ahem" is his tell. He frequently includes this obnoxious article to his false facts posts.

Anonymous said...

"He clearly wasn't here during the community debates happened in Georgetown"

There were none, and Metro's routes were finalized prior to 1969, and Georgetown was never part of them. How old do you claim to be, that you imagine yourself at these "community debates in Georgetown"?

Anonymous said...

"Btw, the "Ahem" is his tell. He frequently includes this obnoxious article to his false facts posts."

A total of four instances of "ahem" on Dyer's blog, and at least two of them are in Sheepshill comments:

"Oct 11, 2016 - Ahem, Mr Timekeeper? Notice how all these posts are within minutes of each other? It's called conversing. Or do you only voice your time ..."

"Oct 21, 2015 - If you're not always publishing the County government's PR and sucking up to the councilmembers (ahem...Riemer), then it's conceivable that..."

Anonymous said...

"ahem" was voiced by 12:31, not 12:19. So if your alleged tell is to be true, your disdain of the obnoxious should be directed towards 12:31.
You could direct some of that disdain of the obnoxious to yourself too.

Anonymous said...

Robert, are you for or against the purple line?

Robert Dyer said...

5:42: I was in favor of the original, single-track commuter rail version. I understand why they expanded it to 2 tracks, but with the trail, median, fence it is just too wide and should have been a subway under Chevy Chase and Long Branch. I would have supported that, with a different financing agreement.

Anonymous said...

That's a really good answer, Robert. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Robert. What different financing agreement do you propose and what are its different implications?

Anonymous said...

"should have been a subway under Chevy Chase and Long Branch."

Why? It's already in a completely separate right of way in Chevy Chase.

Bill Castner said...

Dyer said: "... and should have been a subway under Chevy Chase and Long Branch. I would have supported that, with a different financing agreement."

This is a bizarre, and costly, suggestion. Bizarre, because to suggest tunneling between Jones Mill Road and Bethesda Avenue when an above-ground solution exists as noted above. Costly, as tunneling would add $400 million per mile. or a total of at least $1 Billion to the project.

This is a good example of Robert's consistent faulty reasoning that if the cost can be shifted to the State and/or Federal Governments, it is essentially costless in his reasoning. Perhaps to the County. Not for a taxpayer.

It also incredibly complicates the politics of getting the Purple Line done. Adding 20-25% to the project for tunneling costs is non-trivial at both Federal and State levels.

I believe Robert is blinded by his love of watching large construction equipment move earth around.


Anonymous said...

The calliope crashed to the ground
The calliope crashed to the ground
But she was
Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce
Another runner in the night