The "consolation prize" public plaza Ourisman Honda is constructing in exchange for building part of its new garage atop public right-of-way around the Capital Crescent Trail is nearing completion. Landscaping has been installed, as well as pavers on the plaza area. The plaza still does not resolve the fire truck access to the rear of the Flats at Bethesda Place issue. And a major bottleneck for the Montgomery County cartel's secret plan to extend the Purple Line to Westbard and Sumner Place will remain as long as the garage does. There currently is not enough width for a trail and two tracks, much less with buffering between them.
23 comments:
Always with the conspiracy theories. (sigh)
7:05 AM Better than the other blogger that "wanders around the Montgomery Mall food court plying kids with food coupons"
I think this plaza is a great addition to our growing community.
What do you say, "Woodmont"?
How come Dyer never lists the distance of the intrusion into the trial right-of-way? That would be useful information for readers.
Not sure what you mean by “fire truck access”. Why couldn’t the fire department just drive on the12’ wide CCT to access the rear of the Flats? In fact, the CCT is paved and wide enough for a fire truck to drive south to Bradley in an emergency.
I wonder if they still need to shift the paved area on the east side of the trail, to clear the slightly encroaching parking deck, as shown on the approved plans.
7:22: There was supposed to be room there for a ladder truck to access the rear of the Flats, to be able to turn.
Lots of light rail lines terminate with only one track at the last station, especially if ridership is expected to be light. Trains would simply reverse out of the Westbard station, as the trains have driver stations at both ends. Lots of room for a single track and a hiker biker trail in the existing right of way. Of course the bridges over Bradley and River Road would have to be widened and rebuilt.
The plaza by the chase bank could be a great public space. Put down some turf and make it as open as possible.
Why so snippy Woodmont. Maybe you need a nap.
Looks like crap!
The parking garage is not a major obstacle to extending the Purple line. A short underground section under the street and past the parking garage will be the most likely design element when the time comes to extend rail service.
The MoCo Cartel tore down the Regal Cineplex and the Chevy Chase Lake shopping center and blew up the Flower Branch apartments to make way for the Purple Line. What makes you think they will let this puny garage get in the way when it comes time to extend the Purple Line to McLean?
Seriously dude take your meds. You sound psycho
2:51, what exactly is a MoCo cartel?
1:59: From an engineering standpoint, that would not only be prohibitively expensive, but also nearly impossible to drop that far so short a distance from the Bethesda station.
7:38: The Purple Line is a two-track system, and under state law, the trail must be retained as well. So it doesn't fit now.
@ 5:32 PM Hans "Win2000" Riemer
Wrong.
Lots of light rail systems are two track systems that have one track wide “tails” at their ends that lead to less heavily used stations. Obviously Bethesda will be a very busy station, but Westbard, not so much. It could easily be served by a single 12’ wide track with reversible travel, and an adjacent 12’ wide hiker biker tail, separated by a fence, within the existing right of way.
Of course in the future if it extended further, a second track would be required, so it would need to expand to 36’ or do. All of this will easily fit in the existing 100’ wide easement. Yes, the Ourisman deck would need to be modified to make room for a second track. The deck could even be expanded to bridge the track and bear on columns between the tracks, as it will do under the Elm.
"From an engineering standpoint"
LOL
"That would be nearly impossible to drop that far so short a distance from the Bethesda station."
The minimum vertical clearance for tunnels on the Purple Line is 16 feet. The maximum gradient for ballasted track is 6% (i.e. 6 feet change in elevation for 100 feet of length), slightly steeper for street running.
To drop 16 vertical feet at a gradient not exceeding 6% would require at least 267 feet of length. The distance from the Landmark cineplex to Woodmont Avenue is 300 feet. So a drop into a tunnel at that location is totally feasible.
Another option for the narrow stretches is a "gauntlet track", in which the four rails of the two tracks overlap but do not merge. This is slightly wider than a single track but does not require rail switches at either end.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauntlet_track
If fact an extension to Westbard would be very economical, by transit standards. Just one track and overhead power in the existing easement, a relocated trail, new fence, and a small amount of bridge expansion at Bradley and River Roads, plus a modest station in Westbard. No new rolling stock or personnel or maintenance facilities would be required.
I bet when folks see how well light rail and trails can easily coexist in the same easement west of Bethesda, they will be more onboard for possible future expansion of the Purple Line to Westbard, Sumner Place, and maybe even Georgetown, all within the existing CCT that was designed and built for rail. Yes even to NoVa might be in the cards, as reported by GGW, directly connecting the two largest business centers outside of DC ( Bethesda and Tyson’s) with light rail.
"to NoVa might be in the cards, as reported by GGW, directly connecting the two largest business centers outside of DC ( Bethesda and Tyson’s) with light rail."
And don't forget the CIA headquarters, AKA the George Bush Center for Intelligence.
Plus the bonus of viewing the cherry blossoms in Kenwood along the way.
you call this piece of pavement a "plaza". gimmie a break
The triangular Ourisman plaza includes brick pavers, planters, shade trees and will soon include seating. CCT trailhead signage is proposed near Bethesda Avenue to mark the trail. They have recently removed the top layer of the asphalt on the trail portion, and re-paved and widened the trail. I sure hope they restore the landscaping that they have destroyed adjacent to the trail near the Flats.
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