New bike lane on Old Georgetown Rd in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Setbacks are not government property, it is private property. It is not for the government to use as they wish without compensation.

It’s clear the problem here is that there are a bunch of really foolish people advocating for something without having basic understanding of how the world works. Decision making based in ignorance never leads to good outcomes.

Guess what guys and girls, the traffic is not going to magically “evaporate” without the rain evaporating the downtown Bethesda economy. Even more ridiculously, the County Council purposefully did not identify Old Georgetown Rd as a “growth corridor” in Thrive so it will not have significantly increased density to support whatever car free dream that you have for at least the next 50 years.

The practical effect here is that reduced capacity on Old Georgetown Rd will end up discouraging further urbanism in Bethesda because it now strands the downtown sector in a moat of congestion. Well done people!

If only there were ways to get to downtown Bethesda without driving yourself on Old Georgetown Road during peak weekday car travel times.

There are very few ways that involve freeway access and downtown Bethesda lacks direct freeway access which will always be a big problem for further development. Even Manhattan has a couple freeways. Downtown Bethesda is only sustainable as an urban center if it can be an activity center that can accommodate intra-suburban travel. Looks like the county has decided to purposefully shift their attention to White Flint. Watch retail in downtown Bethesda start to suffer.

Utterly silly and misinformed.

Bethesda is booming right now despite all of the ills you cite and after the Purple Line opens will be as well served by public transit as most downtown DC neighborhoods while also being much closer to the Beltway.

Montgomery County gets it and thankfully isn't listening to chest beating exurban drivers like you.

And once people decide that it’s not worth it to go there because traffic is too awful (thanks idiots), they will just go to Pike n Rose instead.

Nobody goes to Bethesda anymore, it's too crowded.

Less people can go because there is less road capacity. The streets in downtown DC have crushing congestion and yet half the retail shops are closed. You’re not as clever as you think.

Maybe for a half hour in the morning and evening, but generally these days, the streets are pretty empty. I have had no issues driving around or biking around over the past couple of years. I have not encountered anything akin to crushing congestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Setbacks are not government property, it is private property. It is not for the government to use as they wish without compensation.

It’s clear the problem here is that there are a bunch of really foolish people advocating for something without having basic understanding of how the world works. Decision making based in ignorance never leads to good outcomes.

Guess what guys and girls, the traffic is not going to magically “evaporate” without the rain evaporating the downtown Bethesda economy. Even more ridiculously, the County Council purposefully did not identify Old Georgetown Rd as a “growth corridor” in Thrive so it will not have significantly increased density to support whatever car free dream that you have for at least the next 50 years.

The practical effect here is that reduced capacity on Old Georgetown Rd will end up discouraging further urbanism in Bethesda because it now strands the downtown sector in a moat of congestion. Well done people!

If only there were ways to get to downtown Bethesda without driving yourself on Old Georgetown Road during peak weekday car travel times.

There are very few ways that involve freeway access and downtown Bethesda lacks direct freeway access which will always be a big problem for further development. Even Manhattan has a couple freeways. Downtown Bethesda is only sustainable as an urban center if it can be an activity center that can accommodate intra-suburban travel. Looks like the county has decided to purposefully shift their attention to White Flint. Watch retail in downtown Bethesda start to suffer.

Utterly silly and misinformed.

Bethesda is booming right now despite all of the ills you cite and after the Purple Line opens will be as well served by public transit as most downtown DC neighborhoods while also being much closer to the Beltway.

Montgomery County gets it and thankfully isn't listening to chest beating exurban drivers like you.

And once people decide that it’s not worth it to go there because traffic is too awful (thanks idiots), they will just go to Pike n Rose instead.

Nobody goes to Bethesda anymore, it's too crowded.

Less people can go because there is less road capacity. The streets in downtown DC have crushing congestion and yet half the retail shops are closed. You’re not as clever as you think.

Maybe for a half hour in the morning and evening, but generally these days, the streets are pretty empty. I have had no issues driving around or biking around over the past couple of years. I have not encountered anything akin to crushing congestion.

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Setbacks are not government property, it is private property. It is not for the government to use as they wish without compensation.

It’s clear the problem here is that there are a bunch of really foolish people advocating for something without having basic understanding of how the world works. Decision making based in ignorance never leads to good outcomes.

Guess what guys and girls, the traffic is not going to magically “evaporate” without the rain evaporating the downtown Bethesda economy. Even more ridiculously, the County Council purposefully did not identify Old Georgetown Rd as a “growth corridor” in Thrive so it will not have significantly increased density to support whatever car free dream that you have for at least the next 50 years.

The practical effect here is that reduced capacity on Old Georgetown Rd will end up discouraging further urbanism in Bethesda because it now strands the downtown sector in a moat of congestion. Well done people!

If only there were ways to get to downtown Bethesda without driving yourself on Old Georgetown Road during peak weekday car travel times.

There are very few ways that involve freeway access and downtown Bethesda lacks direct freeway access which will always be a big problem for further development. Even Manhattan has a couple freeways. Downtown Bethesda is only sustainable as an urban center if it can be an activity center that can accommodate intra-suburban travel. Looks like the county has decided to purposefully shift their attention to White Flint. Watch retail in downtown Bethesda start to suffer.

Utterly silly and misinformed.

Bethesda is booming right now despite all of the ills you cite and after the Purple Line opens will be as well served by public transit as most downtown DC neighborhoods while also being much closer to the Beltway.

Montgomery County gets it and thankfully isn't listening to chest beating exurban drivers like you.

And once people decide that it’s not worth it to go there because traffic is too awful (thanks idiots), they will just go to Pike n Rose instead.

Nobody goes to Bethesda anymore, it's too crowded.

Less people can go because there is less road capacity. The streets in downtown DC have crushing congestion and yet half the retail shops are closed. You’re not as clever as you think.

Maybe for a half hour in the morning and evening, but generally these days, the streets are pretty empty. I have had no issues driving around or biking around over the past couple of years. I have not encountered anything akin to crushing congestion.

Just like the bike lanes are always empty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Setbacks are not government property, it is private property. It is not for the government to use as they wish without compensation.

It’s clear the problem here is that there are a bunch of really foolish people advocating for something without having basic understanding of how the world works. Decision making based in ignorance never leads to good outcomes.

Guess what guys and girls, the traffic is not going to magically “evaporate” without the rain evaporating the downtown Bethesda economy. Even more ridiculously, the County Council purposefully did not identify Old Georgetown Rd as a “growth corridor” in Thrive so it will not have significantly increased density to support whatever car free dream that you have for at least the next 50 years.

The practical effect here is that reduced capacity on Old Georgetown Rd will end up discouraging further urbanism in Bethesda because it now strands the downtown sector in a moat of congestion. Well done people!

If only there were ways to get to downtown Bethesda without driving yourself on Old Georgetown Road during peak weekday car travel times.

There are very few ways that involve freeway access and downtown Bethesda lacks direct freeway access which will always be a big problem for further development. Even Manhattan has a couple freeways. Downtown Bethesda is only sustainable as an urban center if it can be an activity center that can accommodate intra-suburban travel. Looks like the county has decided to purposefully shift their attention to White Flint. Watch retail in downtown Bethesda start to suffer.

Utterly silly and misinformed.

Bethesda is booming right now despite all of the ills you cite and after the Purple Line opens will be as well served by public transit as most downtown DC neighborhoods while also being much closer to the Beltway.

Montgomery County gets it and thankfully isn't listening to chest beating exurban drivers like you.

And once people decide that it’s not worth it to go there because traffic is too awful (thanks idiots), they will just go to Pike n Rose instead.

Nobody goes to Bethesda anymore, it's too crowded.

Less people can go because there is less road capacity. The streets in downtown DC have crushing congestion and yet half the retail shops are closed. You’re not as clever as you think.

Maybe for a half hour in the morning and evening, but generally these days, the streets are pretty empty. I have had no issues driving around or biking around over the past couple of years. I have not encountered anything akin to crushing congestion.

Just like the bike lanes are always empty?

Are you saying the bike lanes are "always empty" IN DC? Are you that guy who shouts curse words at parents in front of an elementary school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

"Commuters" includes everybody going to work or from work, whether they're driving, walking, taking the bus, taking the Metro, bicycling, or anything else. Also, why are trips to or from work more important then trips for other reasons? If you need to drive your car on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, I need to ride my bike on Old Georgetown Road to get to a medical appointment, my neighbor needs to walk on Old Georgetown Road to get to religious services, and my other neighbor needs to take the bus on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, why is your trip the only one that gets talked about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

"Commuters" includes everybody going to work or from work, whether they're driving, walking, taking the bus, taking the Metro, bicycling, or anything else. Also, why are trips to or from work more important then trips for other reasons? If you need to drive your car on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, I need to ride my bike on Old Georgetown Road to get to a medical appointment, my neighbor needs to walk on Old Georgetown Road to get to religious services, and my other neighbor needs to take the bus on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, why is your trip the only one that gets talked about?

Agreec..but the needs of 50 walkers are not equal to the needs of 5000 drivers. (totally made up numbers no idea how many of each there are)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plus how even could you "gentrify" BETHESDA?

These bike lanes solely benefit people who live in expensive, exclusive neighborhoods and make the jobs on the other sides of those neighborhoods less accessible. Adding an extra 15 minutes to a single parent’s commute can make that job impractical from a child care standpoint. We have said yes to more housing and it’s not getting built, so save the housing memes for another thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

"Commuters" includes everybody going to work or from work, whether they're driving, walking, taking the bus, taking the Metro, bicycling, or anything else. Also, why are trips to or from work more important then trips for other reasons? If you need to drive your car on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, I need to ride my bike on Old Georgetown Road to get to a medical appointment, my neighbor needs to walk on Old Georgetown Road to get to religious services, and my other neighbor needs to take the bus on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, why is your trip the only one that gets talked about?

Agreec..but the needs of 50 walkers are not equal to the needs of 5000 drivers. (totally made up numbers no idea how many of each there are)

Our transportation system prioritizes driving over everything else, and then more people drive, and then that gets used as justification to continue prioritizing driving over everything else.

No, you're not more important just because you're in a car on a road with lots of other people in cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus how even could you "gentrify" BETHESDA?

These bike lanes solely benefit people who live in expensive, exclusive neighborhoods and make the jobs on the other sides of those neighborhoods less accessible. Adding an extra 15 minutes to a single parent’s commute can make that job impractical from a child care standpoint. We have said yes to more housing and it’s not getting built, so save the housing memes for another thread.

Because car transportation is so much more affordable than bicycle transportation or bus transportation! Wait, what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Setbacks are not government property, it is private property. It is not for the government to use as they wish without compensation.

It’s clear the problem here is that there are a bunch of really foolish people advocating for something without having basic understanding of how the world works. Decision making based in ignorance never leads to good outcomes.

Guess what guys and girls, the traffic is not going to magically “evaporate” without the rain evaporating the downtown Bethesda economy. Even more ridiculously, the County Council purposefully did not identify Old Georgetown Rd as a “growth corridor” in Thrive so it will not have significantly increased density to support whatever car free dream that you have for at least the next 50 years.

The practical effect here is that reduced capacity on Old Georgetown Rd will end up discouraging further urbanism in Bethesda because it now strands the downtown sector in a moat of congestion. Well done people!

If only there were ways to get to downtown Bethesda without driving yourself on Old Georgetown Road during peak weekday car travel times.

There are very few ways that involve freeway access and downtown Bethesda lacks direct freeway access which will always be a big problem for further development. Even Manhattan has a couple freeways. Downtown Bethesda is only sustainable as an urban center if it can be an activity center that can accommodate intra-suburban travel. Looks like the county has decided to purposefully shift their attention to White Flint. Watch retail in downtown Bethesda start to suffer.

Utterly silly and misinformed.

Bethesda is booming right now despite all of the ills you cite and after the Purple Line opens will be as well served by public transit as most downtown DC neighborhoods while also being much closer to the Beltway.

Montgomery County gets it and thankfully isn't listening to chest beating exurban drivers like you.

And once people decide that it’s not worth it to go there because traffic is too awful (thanks idiots), they will just go to Pike n Rose instead.

Nobody goes to Bethesda anymore, it's too crowded.

Less people can go because there is less road capacity. The streets in downtown DC have crushing congestion and yet half the retail shops are closed. You’re not as clever as you think.

Maybe for a half hour in the morning and evening, but generally these days, the streets are pretty empty. I have had no issues driving around or biking around over the past couple of years. I have not encountered anything akin to crushing congestion.

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

If you don’t understand why municipalities try to cater to ensuring that jobs are available and accessible for high wage, white collar workers in their jurisdictions then you are more helpless than I could have imagined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus how even could you "gentrify" BETHESDA?

These bike lanes solely benefit people who live in expensive, exclusive neighborhoods and make the jobs on the other sides of those neighborhoods less accessible. Adding an extra 15 minutes to a single parent’s commute can make that job impractical from a child care standpoint. We have said yes to more housing and it’s not getting built, so save the housing memes for another thread.

Because car transportation is so much more affordable than bicycle transportation or bus transportation! Wait, what?

Oh look how privileged you are. How long does it take to bike or bus from Germantown to downtown Bethesda? Not everyone can afford to live on a metro line or close enough to bike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus how even could you "gentrify" BETHESDA?

These bike lanes solely benefit people who live in expensive, exclusive neighborhoods and make the jobs on the other sides of those neighborhoods less accessible. Adding an extra 15 minutes to a single parent’s commute can make that job impractical from a child care standpoint. We have said yes to more housing and it’s not getting built, so save the housing memes for another thread.

Because car transportation is so much more affordable than bicycle transportation or bus transportation! Wait, what?

Oh look how privileged you are. How long does it take to bike or bus from Germantown to downtown Bethesda? Not everyone can afford to live on a metro line or close enough to bike.

Not only that, the bikes that many of these people ride cost tens of thousands of dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

"Commuters" includes everybody going to work or from work, whether they're driving, walking, taking the bus, taking the Metro, bicycling, or anything else. Also, why are trips to or from work more important then trips for other reasons? If you need to drive your car on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, I need to ride my bike on Old Georgetown Road to get to a medical appointment, my neighbor needs to walk on Old Georgetown Road to get to religious services, and my other neighbor needs to take the bus on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, why is your trip the only one that gets talked about?

Agreec..but the needs of 50 walkers are not equal to the needs of 5000 drivers. (totally made up numbers no idea how many of each there are)

Our transportation system prioritizes driving over everything else, and then more people drive, and then that gets used as justification to continue prioritizing driving over everything else.

No, you're not more important just because you're in a car on a road with lots of other people in cars.

Not just our transportation system, but our entire built environment. I wonder which one is the chicken and which one is the egg. I’ve never seen anyone, including the so-called smart growthers, so much as criticize a builder for having too much parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

"Commuters" includes everybody going to work or from work, whether they're driving, walking, taking the bus, taking the Metro, bicycling, or anything else. Also, why are trips to or from work more important then trips for other reasons? If you need to drive your car on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, I need to ride my bike on Old Georgetown Road to get to a medical appointment, my neighbor needs to walk on Old Georgetown Road to get to religious services, and my other neighbor needs to take the bus on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, why is your trip the only one that gets talked about?

Agreec..but the needs of 50 walkers are not equal to the needs of 5000 drivers. (totally made up numbers no idea how many of each there are)

Our transportation system prioritizes driving over everything else, and then more people drive, and then that gets used as justification to continue prioritizing driving over everything else.

No, you're not more important just because you're in a car on a road with lots of other people in cars.

This is not true because cyclists can use every road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100
The only perspectives commuters have of DC and its roads, traffic and congestion are the ones they create themselves with their own congestion. And rather than yelling anonymously on a message board perhaps they'd be better off pursuing any number of other, better options, like using more mass transit, or lobbying their employers for more remote work, or more flexible work schedules, or finding jobs in less congested areas.

"Commuters" includes everybody going to work or from work, whether they're driving, walking, taking the bus, taking the Metro, bicycling, or anything else. Also, why are trips to or from work more important then trips for other reasons? If you need to drive your car on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, I need to ride my bike on Old Georgetown Road to get to a medical appointment, my neighbor needs to walk on Old Georgetown Road to get to religious services, and my other neighbor needs to take the bus on Old Georgetown Road to get to work, why is your trip the only one that gets talked about?

Agreec..but the needs of 50 walkers are not equal to the needs of 5000 drivers. (totally made up numbers no idea how many of each there are)

Our transportation system prioritizes driving over everything else, and then more people drive, and then that gets used as justification to continue prioritizing driving over everything else.

No, you're not more important just because you're in a car on a road with lots of other people in cars.

Not just our transportation system, but our entire built environment. I wonder which one is the chicken and which one is the egg. I’ve never seen anyone, including the so-called smart growthers, so much as criticize a builder for having too much parking.

DC was planned before automobiles existed but sure whatever.