Bethesda Row after the Purple Line Opens?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This may sounds bad, but I am not looking forward to the Purple Line opening. Bethesda Row is already congested with people and Purple line will make it exponentially worse.

I also worry we'll see a lot more crime and bad people. BR is, at present, a pretty safe, wealthy enclave where teens can roam freely without worry. Sure there's crime, but it's mostly not locals. We've all seen the Nike Store robbery videos. Purple line will be low cost transit for people in lower income areas and that isn't always a great combination.

It's also a giant waste of public money, but I guess that ship has sailed. Ugh. Just wish it wasn't happening.

Also, poor Tacombi with that hideous construction plaza blocking all foot traffic for years on end. I hope they are getting a rent concession.

[/quote]

Log off. There are plenty of non wealthy residents in Bethesda who need public transport. Also, aren’t we moving towards more sustainable modes of transportation?![/quote]

Are there a lot of residents of Bethesda that are dying for public transport? Where are they going?[/quote]

The staff who serve your coffee want to get to work more easily. Is that such a bad idea? They're coming from the East. They just want to clean your stores and serve your McDonald's. Cut them some slack.[/quote]

That’s not what the other poster said, they talked about how people in Bethesda want mass transit for commuting.

I just hope that the purple line will be maintained and will have an effective police presence to keep it usable, unlike the current Metro.[/quote]

You better do more than hope. Don’t think it’s in the budget. Write your rep and the Council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some neighborhoods in Bethesda used to contribute to private cops. I am guessing this was less pressing during COVID when everyone was home, but might come back with the Purple Line opening (whenever that is)?

Are you thinking of Chevy Chase? Not aware of any Bethesda neighborhoods doing this. If you know them, please name them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda has more crime since the moment the first houses were built there in an old corn field yet funny how there was never concern about that. Crime also goes up whenever high rise apartments are built as well but we hear no protests against the crime induced by luxury condos hm?

See recent post in thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op isn’t wrong to worry. Ever since Tysons got the metro, we have seen crime go up. I live a mile from Tysons in McLean, so we are acutely aware of the changes . The only difference is Fairfax county police does not coddle criminals like in MoCo, thank god for small mercies.

+1
Also leave near Tysons. Crime has greatly increased and the timing is in direct line to the metro opening there.

Is it in the core of McLean or just the mall areas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may sounds bad, but I am not looking forward to the Purple Line opening. Bethesda Row is already congested with people and Purple line will make it exponentially worse.

I also worry we'll see a lot more crime and bad people. BR is, at present, a pretty safe, wealthy enclave where teens can roam freely without worry. Sure there's crime, but it's mostly not locals. We've all seen the Nike Store robbery videos. Purple line will be low cost transit for people in lower income areas and that isn't always a great combination.

It's also a giant waste of public money, but I guess that ship has sailed. Ugh. Just wish it wasn't happening.

Also, poor Tacombi with that hideous construction plaza blocking all foot traffic for years on end. I hope they are getting a rent concession.

Move to Great Falls, Falls Church, Rockville or Gaithersburg. You could also rent in Georgetown or Foxhall

I agree with OP - look at Pentagon City Mall. It used to be nice but it's kind of a mess now.

+1. The parking lot reeks of pot and you see some of the most low class human beings in the DMV. Avoid it like the plague.

If the problem is the parking lot, then the Metro probably isn't to blame.

+1 !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The purple line is the worst and dumbest tax taxpayer funded project in MD history. Such a colossal waste of our money.

And yes, Bethesda Row will have much, much more crime and overcrowding.

+1 And we are not even touching on the destroyed trees and bike path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The purple line is the worst and dumbest tax taxpayer funded project in MD history. Such a colossal waste of our money.

Bethesda and Silver Spring are the largest economic centers in the county. How do you propose people travel between them as the county grows? East-West Highway and 495 both cannot be expanded due to housing already in place.

Only because people work from home!Look at the number of self-employed consultants!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op isn’t wrong to worry. Ever since Tysons got the metro, we have seen crime go up. I live a mile from Tysons in McLean, so we are acutely aware of the changes . The only difference is Fairfax county police does not coddle criminals like in MoCo, thank god for small mercies.

+1
Also leave near Tysons. Crime has greatly increased and the timing is in direct line to the metro opening there.

This is a feature, not a bug. To those making transit decisions in the DC metro area, it is more equitable to spread crime to high SES mostly white areas. If some neighborhoods are crime-ridden and unsafe, all must be.

Exactly. Then they let the State try to deal with declining numbers of high income households!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never been to downtown Bethesda, is it worth going there?

No, it's terrible. Don't waste your time.

It has good schools professors at Maryland want a nice place to live, that is why the purple line is going in.

Going out in Bethesda is like entering the 9 circles of he$$

LGBT friendly.
Is it LGBT friendly there or is it mostly straight people that would look at a visibly queer couple like we don't belong there? I've been to Takoma Park and felt safe and absolutely fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The purple line is the worst and dumbest tax taxpayer funded project in MD history. Such a colossal waste of our money.

And yes, Bethesda Row will have much, much more crime and overcrowding.

The freight rail line was planned for decades for light rail conversion by the county. Discussions began in the 1970s well before many of us were even alive. Then a republican governor went all in to enthusiastically support the Purple Line project posing for the photo ops and what have you. Even years of lawsuits by a seemingly endless array of anti-transit advocates—bike advocates, nature lovers, rail trail boosters, the town of Chevy Chase, friends of the chevy chase library, and the wealthy country club members—couldn’t stop it.

Overall the Purple Line will be an economic boon for the region. And despite the naysayers, will be wildly popular for years to come. Imagine taking the Purple Line from Bethesda to College Park for a public lecture by an academic followed by a relaxing dinner in Silver Spring, at Red Lobster for example.

I stopped going out in Silver Spring when the shootings and thievery ramped up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never been to downtown Bethesda, is it worth going there?

No, it's terrible. Don't waste your time.

It has good schools professors at Maryland want a nice place to live, that is why the purple line is going in.

Going out in Bethesda is like entering the 9 circles of he$$

Is it LGBT friendly there or is it mostly straight people that would look at a visibly queer couple like we don't belong there? I've been to Takoma Park and felt safe and absolutely fine.

They are LGBT tolerant people who vote against your rights for tax purposes.

It’s safe and friendly for LGBT people, but you won’t find many LGBT people there.

Untrue. The neighborhoods in Bethesda all have gay couples or gay families or trans kids just like everywhere else. - Bethesdan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The purple line is the worst and dumbest tax taxpayer funded project in MD history. Such a colossal waste of our money.

And yes, Bethesda Row will have much, much more crime and overcrowding.

The freight rail line was planned for decades for light rail conversion by the county. Discussions began in the 1970s well before many of us were even alive. Then a republican governor went all in to enthusiastically support the Purple Line project posing for the photo ops and what have you. Even years of lawsuits by a seemingly endless array of anti-transit advocates—bike advocates, nature lovers, rail trail boosters, the town of Chevy Chase, friends of the chevy chase library, and the wealthy country club members—couldn’t stop it.

Overall the Purple Line will be an economic boon for the region. And despite the naysayers, will be wildly popular for years to come. Imagine taking the Purple Line from Bethesda to College Park for a public lecture by an academic followed by a relaxing dinner in Silver Spring, at Red Lobster for example.

I stopped going out in Silver Spring when the shootings and thievery ramped up.

Many people stopped going when Hechts and Penny’s closed in the 80s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never been to downtown Bethesda, is it worth going there?

No, it's terrible. Don't waste your time.

It has good schools professors at Maryland want a nice place to live, that is why the purple line is going in.

Going out in Bethesda is like entering the 9 circles of he$$

Is it LGBT friendly there or is it mostly straight people that would look at a visibly queer couple like we don't belong there? I've been to Takoma Park and felt safe and absolutely fine.

Bethesda is in Montgomery County. There are visibly queer couples everywhere in Montgomery County. Even in Damascus at the Jimmie Cone.

I wouldn't go to Bethesda as a tourist destination, but it's a perfectly fine place, unless you're somebody who's super mad about tall buildings and the fact that it's not 1970 in Montgomery County anymore.

In 2021 a lgbt couples house was firebombed in Gaithersburg so you don’t know what you are talking about

Gaithersburg is to Bethesda like bland food is to spiciness. Irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long before the Purple Line breaks even?

Ha, ha, ha. You have not been following this closely, have you?

[Anonymous]

According to the U.S. Dept of Transportation the Purple Line will travel times by 40% and eliminate 17,000 auto trips daily. Those are the benefits. So even the auto-dependent should benefit from less road congestion.

Crime uptick would be minimal in my opinion, since it is relatively slow transit, not conducive to successful getaways.

Overall the pros outweigh the cons, otherwise why would a republican governor publically support it?