More light rail issues
by Lori Barrett | June 3, 2008 at 11:28 am
Posted in Baltimore, travel
At a time when more people are turning to public transit to save on gas costs, the light rail will be closing some stops.
Starting June 16, Warren Road will be the end of the line for the light rail — for about six weeks. The Gilroy Road, McCormick Road, Pepper Road and Hunt Valley stops will be closed while the MTA completes a $1.5 million project to replace a crossing at Warren Road. Shuttle buses will replace rail service to those stations.
The light rail just recently returned to full service after several weeks of crowded, single-car trains. Riders are skeptical that the bus shuttle service will be any less of an inconvenience. Said one rider: “It’s going to be packed. It’s going to be hot. People are going to be complaining.”
In April, an average of 578 people per day boarded the light rail at the Hunt Valley stop. However, MTA officials are confident that they have enough buses in service to accommodate everyone. MTA’s spokeswoman said: “We’re not going to see system delays and people aren’t going to experience things that [they would see] if we just shut the system down.”
Hopefully, you can quote her on that.
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June 3rd, 2008 at 6:42 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I'd walk or pay $5/gallon of gas before I ever got on the light rail.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:48 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Why? Is it anything other than some variation on "because I can?"
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:17 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Hmmm, you have to cross the Warren Road crossing to get to the Warren Road light rail stop. If anything I would think that they would make Timonium the end of the line? If trains are crossing over Warren Road anyway, why not let them go all the way to Hunt Valley? Another stupid MTA maneuver!
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:21 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
You know, the public transportation in Bmore just sucks. That the Light rail and metro, augmented with buses is the only public transportation so close to the capitol of the free world is a downright disgrace. And don't start me on the MARC train. "Attention MARC customers. Train blah, blah, blah, blah will be delayed. Attention MARC customers." Down. right. Dis. grace. ful.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:34 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
The reason MTA gets a bad rap is because they're underfunded. Always have been, always will be, because of shortsighted politicians and NIMBYists everywhere. That's why many major MTA projects end up half-assed (like the Metro To Nowhere and the original single-track Light Rail). As gas gets more and more pricey, it's time to make MTA more able to do its job more effectively. Get Red Line, Green Line, MARC plans, etc. up and running as soon as possible, as the steadily growing customer base demands it.
The Warren Road project sounds like routine maintenance, scheduled long before the April fiasco. While I won't doubt that the construction is probably needed, it could have been better timed.
Though I wonder if they considered going single-track from Timonium to Hunt Valley during the work? Maybe that was a safety issue?
June 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Funding has nothing to do with the backwards ass route planning. It takes up to TWO HOURS to get from dowtown to Towson. That's ridiculous. I could ride my bike faster than that.
!
June 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
The Lightrail IS NOT back to full service. Trains are leaving the Cromwell Station going Northbound every 30 minutes as opposed to every 20 minutes when it is at full service. Also, trains going Southbound to Cromwell and BWI are 30 minutes apart and still crowded!
June 11th, 2008 at 1:18 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
a good read.