Charles Allen pushing for no parking for Union Station overhaul

[Anonymous]

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You're missing the point. The reason Union Station has that level of service and options is because it's in a dense, urban area. Which means that driving & parking is not the form of transit to prioritize. People who NEED to drive can drive to an outlying station if they don't want to deal with scarce parking at Union Station.

This is incorrect. Union Station serves the entire metropolitan region.

And who ever said driving was being prioritized? Plans are calling for a smaller garage than what’s currently there.

DP. It's not incorrect to say that Union Station is in a dense urban area.

And while a smaller garage is a good idea, an even smaller garage would be an even better idea. Parking should be scarce at Union Station.

Who disputed Union Station being in a dense urban area? The issue is the level of service provided at Union Station is due to the station serving as the central rail transportation hub for a metro area of over 6 million people. That’s not going to change.

Another thing that’s not going to change anytime soon is this region’s dependency on the automobile. As such, for a transportation hub that serves over 6 million people and has over 5 million annual passengers, parking should be made available to those who want or need to drive. I find nothing outlandish about the FRA proposal.

What folks in the city need to remember is that key assets like Union Station serve more than just the city. Don’t like it? Move to a real urban core like NYC.

It sure isn't going to change, as long as people keep building for cars on grounds that people have built for cars.

Union Station is in a city. Don't like it? Move to New Carrollton.

Union Station is in a city, but it serves an entire region, of which the city itself has only a fraction of the total population.

So what? I'm going to say it in capital letters: UNION STATION IS IN A CITY. If people in the region want to get there, they can get to it in a city way. If they want to get to a rail station in a suburban way (drive and park), there are plenty for them to choose from that are not Union Station.

NP here. The flagship line at Union Station is the Acela, which doesn't stop at the suburban stations. There are 39 trains to NYC tomorrow; 17 of them (about 43%) are Acelas. It's not as simple as "just drive elsewhere"

So let me get this straight - we should provide a 10-story parking garage for people who want to drive into the very center of DC from the suburbs to catch the Acela? Is that right?

When you have to resort to hyperbole and misrepresenting another's position, you should just concede the point. No one is suggesing the same parking capacity. But you are suggesting *no* parking, which is extreme, unnecessary, and counterproductive.

[Anonymous]

The most fascinating thig about this discussion is the continual focus on Uber/Lyft. Those businesses are running huge deficits, and are under continual regulatory attack regarding their business models. But sure, let's design our transportation infrastructure based on he assumption that they will always be around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most fascinating thig about this discussion is the continual focus on Uber/Lyft. Those businesses are running huge deficits, and are under continual regulatory attack regarding their business models. But sure, let's design our transportation infrastructure based on he assumption that they will always be around.

The discussion works just as well if you replace Uber/Lyft with taxis. And, in fact, the giant parking garage at Union Station was ridiculous before there was Uber/Lyft, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most fascinating thig about this discussion is the continual focus on Uber/Lyft. Those businesses are running huge deficits, and are under continual regulatory attack regarding their business models. But sure, let's design our transportation infrastructure based on he assumption that they will always be around.

Neither company has ever made a single dollar in profit. The lemonade stand you had as a kid made more money than Uber and Lyft combined.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

I have to look, because I drive and bicyclists are the most obnoxious, most unpredictable people on the road. Luckily, there aren't very many of them. I see a lot of empty bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

I have to look, because I drive and bicyclists are the most obnoxious, most unpredictable people on the road. Luckily, there aren't very many of them. I see a lot of empty bike lanes.

You see a lot of empty bike lanes because bike lanes are efficient for moving people. Bus lanes are, too. Please stay out of both when you're driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

I have to look, because I drive and bicyclists are the most obnoxious, most unpredictable people on the road. Luckily, there aren't very many of them. I see a lot of empty bike lanes.

You see a lot of empty bike lanes because bike lanes are efficient for moving people. Bus lanes are, too. Please stay out of both when you're driving.

I probably see on average between one and three bicyclists each morning on my way to work. They're like a very loud, but very small special interest group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

I have to look, because I drive and bicyclists are the most obnoxious, most unpredictable people on the road. Luckily, there aren't very many of them. I see a lot of empty bike lanes.

You see a lot of empty bike lanes because bike lanes are efficient for moving people. Bus lanes are, too. Please stay out of both when you're driving.

I probably see on average between one and three bicyclists each morning on my way to work. They're like a very loud, but very small special interest group.

Then evidently you don't work in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. The flagship line at Union Station is the Acela, which doesn't stop at the suburban stations. There are 39 trains to NYC tomorrow; 17 of them (about 43%) are Acelas. It's not as simple as "just drive elsewhere"

Then if you want to take the Acela, you should plan on getting to Union Station in a way that doesn't involve driving yourself and parking your car. That's how simple it is.

DC is not obliged to accommodate suburban residents who want to be able to drive to Union Station.

Aside from the sheer bizarreness of your thinking, you seem to insinuate that the city somehow owns or controls Union Station. It doesn’t. The facility is owned by an Amtrak subsidiary and the federal government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

I have to look, because I drive and bicyclists are the most obnoxious, most unpredictable people on the road. Luckily, there aren't very many of them. I see a lot of empty bike lanes.

You see a lot of empty bike lanes because bike lanes are efficient for moving people. Bus lanes are, too. Please stay out of both when you're driving.

I probably see on average between one and three bicyclists each morning on my way to work. They're like a very loud, but very small special interest group.

Then evidently you don't work in DC.

There are stretches of bike lanes that I've *never* seen a bicyclist use.

[Anonymous]

Give it up, dude. Seriously. Mind your own business, and let people on bikes mind theirs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands of people driving in DC every day, but will someone please think of the tens of people -- maybe even 100! -- who want to ride their bikes instead. Can we please focus on that tiny minority of people for once?

You haven't been in DC lately, have you?

And again, just because people are driving now, doesn't mean that DC must forevermore continue to accommodate drivers. Especially not drivers who don't even live in DC.

I see a lot of bike lanes that are barely used.

And been in DC since it was super dangerous, thank you.

If you're not seeing lots of people on bikes, you're not looking. Or you're going to the "super dangerous" parts of DC, which are undeserved by transportation infrastructure.

I have to look, because I drive and bicyclists are the most obnoxious, most unpredictable people on the road. Luckily, there aren't very many of them. I see a lot of empty bike lanes.

You see a lot of empty bike lanes because bike lanes are efficient for moving people. Bus lanes are, too. Please stay out of both when you're driving.

I probably see on average between one and three bicyclists each morning on my way to work. They're like a very loud, but very small special interest group.

Then evidently you don't work in DC.

Don't take my word for it. The evidence is right there before your eyes.

On your way to work tomorrow, count the number of cyclists you see. Compare that to the number of cars you see or the number of people on the subway or on buses.

People on bikes must represent something like 0.01 percent of commuters.

[Anonymous]

5% of commuters, actually.

And then there's the question of why only trips to/from work count.

And then there's the question of why you're hijacking a discussion about car parking at Union Station with your hatred of bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

This thread blew up!