BETHESDA TO SILVER SPRING METRO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people in the cars transporting their kids to and from activities are nto going to put their kids on the purple line, ...

I absolutely would ride my kids to school on the Purple Line, and when they're old enough to go on their own, that's what they'd do. Why do you think that wouldn't happen? Kids all over the city ride the Metro to school.

You can't reduce the volume, if you widen a road, the builders will build up around it bringing in more cars. Here is a perfect example, the Dulles Toll Raod, look at the history of the access road and then why the toll road was built, you will find that once they built the access road, the farms were soon bought up and homes built and now look how the traffic there, the road has been expanded several times, and still backed up during rush hour,

First, I don't think that's a very apt comparison since there's not much open farmland along East-West Highway. Second, is anyone even proposing a widening of East-West Highway? I thought the point was that a Metro line would reduce volume on East-West Highway, and lessen the need for any widening. If your point is simply that there's always going to be traffic on the road, then sure I'd agree with that, but the point of the Purple Line (and really any Metro line) is to let people who ride the train avoid all that traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've ridden the bus too, and while it's faster than taking the Red Line all the way around, it's still pretty slow. I think having a Purple Line would make the trip much faster, and would get lots of people out of cars who choose to drive that route rather than bus it. In theory, it also would be a commercial benefit to businesses in both Bethesda and Silver Spring.

I understand there are complex property and construction cost issues, so it's not as simple as I'm making it sound. But it's not accurate to simply dismiss the project by saying "a bus already goes there."

Yes, thank you. Whether one takes a bus or the Red Line, I hear it's a long trip no matter what. Anyone who lives in the Silver Spring area and who travels to Bethesda (or the opposite) is absolutely going to benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to change yoru questions to: what is the purpose of the purple line? To lighten the traffic going east and west, but spend sometime sitting on a corner at Connecticut Ave and Jones Bridge and East West Highway and along the proposed route (hold a sign with a up and you can pay for your education). The people in the cars transporting their kids to and from activities are nto going to put their kids on the purple line, the traffic builds for rush hour, no matter how wide you build a road, how big you make a train, the rush hour will always be busy. You can't reduce the volume, if you widen a road, the builders will build up around it bringing in more cars. Here is a perfect example, the Dulles Toll Raod, look at the history of the access road and then why the toll road was built, you will find that once they built the access road, the farms were soon bought up and homes built and now look how the traffic there, the road has been expanded several times, and still backed up during rush hour,

I already know these answers. The purpose of the Purple Line is simply to provide mobility from east to west. The project manager for the Purple Line said no, this will not help decrease traffic on 495, etc. Its purpose is to fill the gap in which the Metro lines lack (East from west ... from New Carrollton to Bethesda)

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm no commuter but I like the idea of being able to go to both City Place and Friendship Heights on the same shopping trip.

Now, I make choices. But, it would be nice to get a massage at City Place and get a Clyde's burger.

Also, a young man we know is a student at UDC. Living in Silver Spring would certainly be more affordable than what he has now, but the commute feels daunting. The J bus sounds like something I should let him know about though.

Good luck with your article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I'm no commuter but I like the idea of being able to go to both City Place and Friendship Heights on the same shopping trip.

Now, I make choices. But, it would be nice to get a massage at City Place and get a Clyde's burger.

Also, a young man we know is a student at UDC. Living in Silver Spring would certainly be more affordable than what he has now, but the commute feels daunting. The J bus sounds like something I should let him know about though.

Good luck with your article.

Thank you! Any chance I can talk to the student at UDC. From Silver Spring to UDC (Connecticut Ave, I believe?), there are 3 stops in between! I want to see if he'd more interested in taking the Purple Line as opposed to whatever he's using now. Let me know! He would be a great source to show there will be people positively affected by the Purple Line.