A section of the Rock Creek Trail around the Purple Line light rail bridge will temporarily close on or about February 14, 2024. The closure is scheduled to last for about four weeks, and a detour will be in place (see map above). This is necessary to rehabilitate Rock Creek and the trail itself from alterations and damage caused by the construction. Work will take place in shifts from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and 5:00 PM to 3:00 AM, as necessary. Crews are working against time, as environmental restrictions will take effect once spring arrives.
Some day in the not too distant future we Bethesdans that remain will lament this Purple Line. Any Urban Planner (of which I hold "minor" in) would say that the benefit for the "more successful" area comes from facilitating travel from deeper in the suburbs, not from importing problems from less vibrant and less successful areas.
ReplyDeletePlenty of classist idiots said the same thing about the red line in the "not too distant" past. And that's adorable you think Bethesda is the most "vibrant" part of the Purple Line's route. The only thing "vibrant" about Bethesda is that it has easy (soon to be easier) access to downtown Silver Spring and DC proper. Bethesda itself has a children's theater, the memory of Flanagan's, and that's about it.
ReplyDeleteThe question will be who will be courageous enough to carry valuable packages on our new Purple Line (or anywhere on the Metro system)? The safety and successful business model for Bethesda will always be car dependent. The Purple line will be nothing but a liability.
Delete7:04 The red line route, it seems to me, was an attempt to avoid easy travel from "less successful areas" to the moneyed hubs of North West DC and South West Montgomery Co. -Learning
ReplyDeleteMark my words. In a few years after the Purple Line opens, it will be rated as one the most successful and heavily used light rail lines in America. Folks don’t just want to go from the suburbs to downtown DC anymore. Circumferential transit is the key to creating connected communities to enhance access to jobs, housing, higher education and recreational spaces in a sustainable manner. Bethesda, Chevy Chase Lake, Silver Spring, College Park, New Carrollton are just the beginning of dense, walkable, transit focused areas. Just wait until the other 17 stations get more dense multifamily housing, retail and workplaces.
ReplyDeleteYes it is very expensive, disruptive, messy and is taking way too long, but in the end, the Purple Line will be heralded as a vital addition to the area. For a moment try to imagine what the DMV would be like without the Metro. A mess of freeways, disconnected communities, a downtown filled with surface parking lots and above ground parking decks.
8:39, Mark my words, there will soon nothing separating failed SS and environs from Bethesda. Do you really expect our future to improve by making it 'easier' to get in and out of Bethesda?
ReplyDelete1:50 I think the same people who use Metro. I am a long time urban dweller and also a neanderthal level conservative. The way I look at it in terms of odds of an life altering mishap. The odds of serious crime is more or less the same as the odds of a serious car crash. What you do is mitigate. Try to avoid Petworth after dark. Try to avoid the beltway in Virginia. I hope the PL is an asset. Learning
ReplyDeleteA liability that will allow Bethesda college students to live at home and attend the University of Maryland. A liability that will connect two dense downtown of Bethesda and Silver Spring creating a synergy of uses. A liability that will energize under developed community to develop dense walkable transit accessible neighborhoods. A liability that will create more options to get around even if portions on the Red Line are closed for service. A liability where 69,000 riders in 2030 and 74,500 riders in 2040 will use the Purple Line each, taking tens of thousands of cars off the roads and reducing the need for parking.
ReplyDeleteLots of racist dog whistles here, but you knew that already.
ReplyDeleteReality needs to be addressed.
Delete4:20 It’s not only about “our” future, but the future health and wellbeing of the entire region. More useful transit offers benefits to the whole area, and not just a select few who seem to want to live in a walled garden.
ReplyDeleteIf you can hear the "dog whistle" you must be a dog. I guess you didn't get the memo that the "racist" smear is played out from overuse. No one cares anymore.
ReplyDeleteThis particular forum is about Bethesda, not the "environs," because some say this benefits the County or area doesn't mean it benefits Bethesda proper.
ReplyDelete10:23 This particular forum is indeed about Bethesda, and how it contributes to the health and wellbeing of the region. Downtown Bethesda is indeed a dense hub of commercial and cultural activity that serves the region, not just wealthy local residents who can walk or easily drive from their MacMansions. The economy of downtown Bethesda relies on a much larger area of population. Having the Purple Line’s western terminus in downtown Bethesda means that thousands more folks can easily shop, dine, work and visit this kinetic and active destination.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, thousands of downtown Bethesdian’s will be able to hop on the Purple Line and ride to Chevy Chase Lake in two minutes, downtown Silver Spring in 8.5 minutes. If you live in the Bethesda Row area, getting to Silver Spring on the Purple Line might be actually quicker than walking to parts of the Woodmont Triangle. This transit connectivity greatly expands access from Bethesda to all the shops, restaurants, cafes, parks, cultural and entertainment options in other areas. Access to Rock Creek Park by the Purple Line or CCT will be much easier, as well as access to the massive University of Maryland campus. I imagine lots of students, most without cars, will use the Purple Line to dine and shop in Silver Spring and Bethesda.
So yes, enhanced transit does indeed benefit Bethesda proper.
There are 'positives and negatives' with any project but all the social negatives seem to be at Bethesda's peril: only time will fully tell. Look around, it appears the negatives might already be manifesting.
ReplyDelete