Wednesday, December 12, 2012

John Salatti wants you to ask for a Metrorail station at McMillan: take the WMATA survey on the future of transit in the region

Here is an opportunity for people to have some input into the future development of the Metro bus and rail system.  Everyone ask for a Metro station at McMillan!



Have a great day,
John

John T. Salatti
(202) 986-2592
John.Salatti @ gmail.com
``Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale``


From: ``Chisholm, Ann``
To: ``Chisholm, Ann``
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 10:06 AM
Subject: Have a say in the future of transit

Ready for a rail station in your neighborhood? Wishing for a bus-only lane on your commute to work? Want to make sure Metro`s improvement efforts continue to deliver results? Now is your chance to tell Metro what you think should be included in its strategic plan for the next decade and beyond.

Metro launched an online survey this week as another means of collecting input from customers and stakeholders about their ideas and views on the future of transit in the region.

The Metro Momentum online survey, available until Dec. 31, asks customers for their opinions on a range of topics including how to improve safety and service, how to make the system more accessible for people with disabilities, and how to fund Metro.

Metro will use the results of the survey to help prepare for and identify priorities, including how best to improve safety, deliver quality service, meet future needs and help create transit-connected communities.

For more information, visit www.wmata.com/momentum.

To read the release, visit:

3 comments:

Scott Roberts of Bloomingdale said...

Okay, looking for feedback here....

Kirby said...

i did the survey, and there's no place in there for prose about requesting
a mcmillan subway stop -- though that's an interesting idea -- and no
questions about even increasing the number of existing subway stops.
good questions, but more modest than line extensions.

John said...

I've had a couple of people ask where they could suggest having a Metro Station at McMillan. Here's how I did it.

You have to bounce around to find a place to make such a suggestion. Try here: http://wmata.mindmixer.com/connect-areas-with-high-speed-frequent-transit. Here you can pick among places where more transit options should be in place (one of which is the North Capitol Street corridor). And further down the page you can add your comments, suggestions, and desires (like a Metro station at McMillan).

You can also refer WMATA planner to this fantasy plan put out a view years ago on the blog Greater Greater Washington: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/634/even-more-fantastic-wmata-fantasy-map/. From the Bloomingdale/Eckington/Stronghold point of view, the Brown line extending north out of Union Station and serving the south end and middle of Bloomingdale before going on to the Washington Hospital Center and the Armed Forces Retirement Home would be huge for us. I believe this fantasy plan envisions the line running up North Capitol Street, but with the NOMA station on the Red line just east of North Capitol, I believe the better alignment would be along First Street with stops at First & Florida, First & Rhode Island, First & Michigan (just south or north of the intersection), and at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

As for the development plans for McMillan, they say little or nothing about transit. At best, they talk about where cars will go when they get to the Site and possibly a Circulator bus along Michigan Avenue between Brookland and Columbia Heights Metro Stations (possibly a medium-term precursor to a streetcar, but nothing much is said about that). No mention of Metro rail. No mention of improving transit along North Capitol Street (street cars, bus rapid transit). No mention about what will happen to all the cars that will flow through Bloomingdale and Truxton Circle/Bates/Hanover (and bleed off into side streets as they try to avoid the backups).

The reason the developers and the city say nothing about these things is that they have no solutions. The District and WMATA are not prepared to spend the money needed to build these things, which is why I suggested (somewhat tongue-in-cheek including a McMillan Station in the survey).

Have a great day,
John

John T. Salatti
(202) 986-2592
john.salatti@gmail.com

"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"