Way too far for light rail. Should be a regional rail (a la septa’s regional rail) line. Run by MARC.

Transit that connects the county to the city more would make the county a better place to live, would help to bring money from the county into the city, and would mean less cars from the county on city streets! I don't really think it's contradictory to hate on the county while wanting to improve transit to the county, but maybe I'm missing something...

https://rtpcorridors.com/

I don't think making commuter rail trains stop as if they were metrorail makes sense. They serve different functions. MARC will never get the headways at the proposed stops to make "don't look at the schedule" transit a feasible reality, and the extra stops slow down commuters that want to use the line for its original purpose as a DC to Baltimore rail service.

I would definitely love to see what you are proposing though, if we could see that kind of Penn line frequency with that short of a travel time it would be huge for the Maryland economy. But understand that adding stations and more stops is directly contrary to having fast trains between two major hubs.

I don't think its infeasible to eventually widen the NEC to enable local metro trains, but its a really, really far off project we probably can't see realized in our lifetimes. It would have to come after so much other stuff is done - the red and yellow lines, the green line extension, etc. Unless Amtrak and the fed wants to pay for it.

[deleted]

I think we can concretely see with Amtraks performance around the country that commercial rail ownership with transit authority subleasing is a failed model. Hell, even MARC itself is a testament - the Camden line is way less flexible and has worse reliability than the Penn line, and thats because they run on CSX track. The Frederick Line is exclusively commuter with no flexibility and that sucks too.

That being said, there is no reason you cannot have concurrent transit and freight track. You just need 3 or 4 rails rather than 1 or 2, and the rights of way for rail can fit 4 rail lines in the space of a 2 lane with a turning median road.

I am definitely for expanding commercial rail lines, but I think private ownership of them is and has always been a mistake. Amazon doesn't build highways just for their trucks to drive on. Infrastructure is a public good that should be publicly owned and improved. Its in the entire state, nay nations interests to make Baltimore harbor as productive a shipping destination as possible, but if that means new freight rail is to be built, let it be built by the state and have the trains tolled to use the line so that the people can own those tracks and use them for their optimal purpose, or in cases like with modern transit needs be able to expand them to include passenger rail.

I don't think they're all that closeted. I've seen some pretty overt stuff.

You're really underestimating the racism, hated, and the sacrifices those people are willing to make because of it.

The people on nextdoor app seem overwhelmingly against it and claim to have a majority (nearly all) that supports opposing the yellow line in the recent meetings. I think if there are people who really want the yellow line they need to get to these meetings and voice their support.

I think the poster believes that just because they don't need to travel into downtown, the thousands upon thousands of people that do are unimportant.

As a HoCo resident, I agree with you.

fuck em

Yes, but it should be making MARC trains stop more often with new EMU rolling stock. None of this map works without having fully electric transits without the stop/acceleration penalties of stops with these frequencies. Of course, the NEC is already electrified and for some time MARC did use electric locomotives, but our idiot transit agencies swapped to diesel and are continuing to invest in diesel.

That said, I’m not sure I’d want the frequency of stops on local trains on the purple line. Certainly that’d be the last priority— I think it’s more important to use EMUs to get an easy, at minimum, 30 min ride to DC consistently leaving at :00 and :30 at least 12 hours a day.

I’d love for the HoCo version of that map to come true.

They have $100 Top Golf gift cards at Costco for $79 I believe. Whatever the price it is it will save you money.

Tis angering..

Pretty plz /u/bmorecitydot

I’m not good at being a pessimist so I have to disagree. I can’t help but notice that there are more voices and support for positive change. It’s always going to be difficult, and we likely will have to compromise, but I really think Baltimore and the region can have nice things.

Car dependency sucks

lol we can dream for 1st world accommodations like other nations have. we’ll never get them tho

The closet racists on NextDoor are having a field day trying to stop it

My understanding of the proposal for the purple and orange was a more hybrid rail approach like a septa regional rail, but running a more local service. still service intervals of around 30 minutes . this way it’s a more baltimore centric commuter service, but not necessarily rapid transit.

Outside of sporting events, there’s probably few HoCo residents who would ride a yellow line all the way into Baltimore City.

However, I believe there is tremendous opportunity in the stops west of Linthicum. Getting residents rail access to BWI and MARC seem like no brainers, especially if the stops can become TOD zones with increased density.

Having a connection to Baltimore shouldn’t be a deal breaker, but if residents make it a problem, a compromise could be that the HoCo to BWI connection will be its own line that requires a train change to get to Baltimore.

For all the hate the counties get in this sub, people always love suggestions that make it easier for the county folk to get here.

I remember seeing this in middle school in the newspaper, I was in 7th grade, I liked the color scheme. Lol