American Legion Bridge expansion is a mistake

[Anonymous]

The last thing MD wants to do is make VA and its employment centers more convenient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another Potomac crossing might make sense if the connector were a true limited access highway (think Pa Turnpike west) with no exits between I-270/Washingtonian Blvd and the river crossing. Absent that restriction, the new highway extension and crossing will quickly become a sprawl generator, yielding yet more fast casual chains, big box shopping centers, warehouses, office parks and subdivisions, all of which will leverage comvenient access to the highway. That would be true induced demand.

That’s called economic development. It’s like arguing that the Dulles Toll Road should not have had exits between 495 and the airport because Reston Town Center should still be farmland instead of HQ to several multinational corporations.

It’s called shitty development. MoCo set aside an agricultural open space reserve. An outer beltway type Potomac crossing would destroy it and bring even more traffic. Then development shills would start calling for a third circumferential crossing.

Turning your nose up at six figure jobs in cutting edge sectors just because you don’t like the aesthetics certainly is something. It’s not a successful something but it is something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another Potomac crossing might make sense if the connector were a true limited access highway (think Pa Turnpike west) with no exits between I-270/Washingtonian Blvd and the river crossing. Absent that restriction, the new highway extension and crossing will quickly become a sprawl generator, yielding yet more fast casual chains, big box shopping centers, warehouses, office parks and subdivisions, all of which will leverage comvenient access to the highway. That would be true induced demand.

That’s called economic development. It’s like arguing that the Dulles Toll Road should not have had exits between 495 and the airport because Reston Town Center should still be farmland instead of HQ to several multinational corporations.

It’s called shitty development. MoCo set aside an agricultural open space reserve. An outer beltway type Potomac crossing would destroy it and bring even more traffic. Then development shills would start calling for a third circumferential crossing.

Turning your nose up at six figure jobs in cutting edge sectors just because you don’t like the aesthetics certainly is something. It’s not a successful something but it is something.

The US may be in an inflationary period but it’s doubtful that more Chipotle’s and Best Buy’s will being 6-figure jobs. Nature and watersheds have value also. It’s one thing if a new road will truly address gridlock; it’s another if it’s planned to induce more sprawl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another Potomac crossing might make sense if the connector were a true limited access highway (think Pa Turnpike west) with no exits between I-270/Washingtonian Blvd and the river crossing. Absent that restriction, the new highway extension and crossing will quickly become a sprawl generator, yielding yet more fast casual chains, big box shopping centers, warehouses, office parks and subdivisions, all of which will leverage comvenient access to the highway. That would be true induced demand.

That’s called economic development. It’s like arguing that the Dulles Toll Road should not have had exits between 495 and the airport because Reston Town Center should still be farmland instead of HQ to several multinational corporations.

It’s called shitty development. MoCo set aside an agricultural open space reserve. An outer beltway type Potomac crossing would destroy it and bring even more traffic. Then development shills would start calling for a third circumferential crossing.

Turning your nose up at six figure jobs in cutting edge sectors just because you don’t like the aesthetics certainly is something. It’s not a successful something but it is something.

The US may be in an inflationary period but it’s doubtful that more Chipotle’s and Best Buy’s will being 6-figure jobs. Nature and watersheds have value also. It’s one thing if a new road will truly address gridlock; it’s another if it’s planned to induce more sprawl.

I guess you missed the buildings with names on them for companies you may know, like Oracle, Google, AWS, and VMWare.

I can understand why you might be confused if you never leave Montgomery County, because the only jobs here are retail and food service and that’s literally the only jobs the urbanists folks are trying to create. Just a more “dense and walkable^TM” bedroom community with more “vibrant” retail.

If we want jobs we need to change things up dramatically.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax is kicking MoCo's ass jobwise and nobody seems to care

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax is kicking MoCo's ass jobwise and nobody seems to care

There is a resounding refusal to do what it takes due to aesthetic objections, which is funny because downtown Silver Spring is a pretty soulless place that looks like crap. Cannot have sprawl and yet the only Fortune 500 company interested in MoCo “urbanism” had to be paid off with massive subsidies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone flying out of BWI to an international destination is likely going to the Caribbean, Mexico or Canada.

Summer of 2019 (e.g. pre-pandemic), we took a flight to Beijing out of BWI. American Airlines has several flights out of BWI that are heading internationally to Japan, China and other parts of the Pacifica/Asia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The last thing MD wants to do is make VA and its employment centers more convenient.

And yet Maryland is going to expand the ALB. Hmmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone flying out of BWI to an international destination is likely going to the Caribbean, Mexico or Canada.

Summer of 2019 (e.g. pre-pandemic), we took a flight to Beijing out of BWI. Americans Airlines has several flights out of BWI that are heading internationally to Japan, China and other parts of the Pacifica/Asia.

American only flies to its central and eastern US hubs out of BWI.

BWI is the LCC and ULCC hub for the DMV. It’s a frustrating airport for business travelers. DCA and IAD offer better amenities and better flight options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last thing MD wants to do is make VA and its employment centers more convenient.

And yet Maryland is going to expand the ALB. Hmmm.

Expanding an existing bridge is not the same as building new crossings at other strategic locations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone flying out of BWI to an international destination is likely going to the Caribbean, Mexico or Canada.

Summer of 2019 (e.g. pre-pandemic), we took a flight to Beijing out of BWI. Americans Airlines has several flights out of BWI that are heading internationally to Japan, China and other parts of the Pacifica/Asia.

American only flies to its central and eastern US hubs out of BWI.

BWI is the LCC and ULCC hub for the DMV. It’s a frustrating airport for business travelers. DCA and IAD offer better amenities and better flight options.

BWI serves more passengers than Dulles.

[Anonymous]

Dulles is the least used airport in the region lmao

[Anonymous]

There is a tiny little chance that we will get an expanded American Legion bridge and necessary lanes on the beltway in my lifetime. That is why this is this suboptimal option is being discussed.

There is zero zero zero chance of another Potomac crossing being constructed in the next 50 years.

This is simply the reality of 21st century America: It is really hard to get anything major built. Some projects can overcome issues like encroaching on natural areas (the Potomac River) or multiple governments (US and Maryland and Virginia). Almost nothing can overcome inconveniencing the rich and powerful. If you disagree, I'll ride the Purple Line to your house to explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a tiny little chance that we will get an expanded American Legion bridge and necessary lanes on the beltway in my lifetime. That is why this is this suboptimal option is being discussed.

There is zero zero zero chance of another Potomac crossing being constructed in the next 50 years.

This is simply the reality of 21st century America: It is really hard to get anything major built. Some projects can overcome issues like encroaching on natural areas (the Potomac River) or multiple governments (US and Maryland and Virginia). Almost nothing can overcome inconveniencing the rich and powerful. If you disagree, I'll ride the Purple Line to your house to explain.

I am not sure what planet you live on, but it is an interesting one. There is a 100% chance of the ALB getting expanded and HOT lanes added to 270 in the next 5-10 years. You must have missed the vote on that. This will 100% have an impact on the “rich and powerful”, as you seem to define it. Some houses will necessarily get condemned get demolished.

It is more likely that Point of Rocks will get expanded than another, new crossing is built in the next 10-20 years. However, new crossing is inevitable in a 20-30 year timeframe and its inevitability is in significant part thanks to the Ag Reserve, which is ironic.

[Anonymous]

There's a very good chance we see another Potomac River crossing between P.O.R and the ALB. Hopefully they construct something at White's Ferry.