4 ms·

Just because someone doesn't ride the subway doesn't mean they don't benefit from it. More people on the subway means fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and wa

Just because someone doesn't ride the subway doesn't mean they don't benefit from it. More people on the subway means fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and water, less maintenance on roads, safer streets.

rayiner 8y ago
Only for people commuting in the same general pattern as the rail routes. The problem in DC is that most jobs in the metro area are actually in the suburbs. Reduced congestion going from Arlington to DC helps road commuters going from Arlington to DC, but does nothing for the folks commuting from Ashburn to Reston or Bowie to Bethesda. I live in Anne Arundel. Folks here are now footing the bill for WMATA thanks to the Maryland funding commitment. Metro is doing nothing to reduce congestion anywhere around here (there is no Metro station in the county).
- jacobwil 8y ago
  Are you saying that there are zero people that take the MARC commuter rail out of Odenton and transfer to Metro? People that would (without Metro) have no way of getting from MARC to their DC jobs would disagree with you that Metro it doesn't reduce congestion on 295 and other congested roads that pass through Anne Arundel.
  - rayiner 8y ago
    Anne Arundel’s share of the Metro commitment is about $13 million (probably more because the county has higher median income than Maryland as a whole). Just 3,000 daily riders board at Odenton. Let’s say 2,000 are going to DC and 1,000 to Baltimore. That means the county is paying $6,500 per year to facilitate Metro connnections for each rider. 295 moreover carries over 100,000 cars per day (more than double the entire MARC system). Another 2,000 would be a rounding error.
    - Anechoic 8y ago
      Another 2,000 would be a rounding error. 2,000 would be 2%. That's in the range of a traffic change (1% - 5%) that would degrade the Level of Service of a highway from D (design goal) to E or F. It doesn't take much of a reduction in traffic to significantly improve free-flow. Or, conversely, it doesn't take much an increase in numbers to make traffic suck more than it already does.
- aqme28 8y ago
  I can't tell if you're arguing that the Metro should be expanded, or that is a waste of resources.

rayiner 8y ago

Only for people commuting in the same general pattern as the rail routes. The problem in DC is that most jobs in the metro area are actually in the suburbs. Reduced congestion going from Arlington to DC helps road commuters going from Arlington to DC, but does nothing for the folks commuting from Ashburn to Reston or Bowie to Bethesda. I live in Anne Arundel. Folks here are now footing the bill for WMATA thanks to the Maryland funding commitment. Metro is doing nothing to reduce congestion anywhere around here (there is no Metro station in the county).

jacobwil 8y ago
Are you saying that there are zero people that take the MARC commuter rail out of Odenton and transfer to Metro? People that would (without Metro) have no way of getting from MARC to their DC jobs would disagree with you that Metro it doesn't reduce congestion on 295 and other congested roads that pass through Anne Arundel.
- rayiner 8y ago
  Anne Arundel’s share of the Metro commitment is about $13 million (probably more because the county has higher median income than Maryland as a whole). Just 3,000 daily riders board at Odenton. Let’s say 2,000 are going to DC and 1,000 to Baltimore. That means the county is paying $6,500 per year to facilitate Metro connnections for each rider. 295 moreover carries over 100,000 cars per day (more than double the entire MARC system). Another 2,000 would be a rounding error.
  - Anechoic 8y ago
    Another 2,000 would be a rounding error. 2,000 would be 2%. That's in the range of a traffic change (1% - 5%) that would degrade the Level of Service of a highway from D (design goal) to E or F. It doesn't take much of a reduction in traffic to significantly improve free-flow. Or, conversely, it doesn't take much an increase in numbers to make traffic suck more than it already does.
aqme28 8y ago
I can't tell if you're arguing that the Metro should be expanded, or that is a waste of resources.