Comments on: Transportation Hearing in Review http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:03:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: SuchitraBalachandran http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/comment-page-1/#comment-8447 SuchitraBalachandran Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:09:03 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/#comment-8447 Anyone who thinks the Connector Road is a solution to anything (except happy alumni going to football games) should take a look at the two SHA Connector road reports and the Connector bus transitway report that have already been published. The third Connector Road study for $1 million is currently underway. The fraction of traffic on Rte 1 which is University-related is 10-15%. The Connector is estimated to cost $100 million. Remember too that $100 million is the estimated cost for Rte.1 upgrade which the city is hoping to get in 2 or maybe 3 chunks. Where should we spend the money? For the benefit of 10% of the traffic or 90%? Think about it. Anyone who thinks the Connector Road is a solution to anything (except happy alumni going to football games) should take a look at the two SHA Connector road reports and the Connector bus transitway report that have already been published. The third Connector Road study for $1 million is currently underway. The fraction of traffic on Rte 1 which is University-related is 10-15%. The Connector is estimated to cost $100 million. Remember too that $100 million is the estimated cost for Rte.1 upgrade which the city is hoping to get in 2 or maybe 3 chunks. Where should we spend the money? For the benefit of 10% of the traffic or 90%? Think about it.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Kevin Fallon UM '93 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/comment-page-1/#comment-7481 Kevin Fallon UM '93 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 18:19:00 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/#comment-7481 yeah that whole zoning thing has irritated me since I first learned of our challenges (back in the days of Mayor Anna Owens.) Couldnt the city PARTNER with the University and PARTNER with the County and PARTNER (catch what Im driving at?) with the state to form a cohesive political force to help everyone understand the importance of College Park as the home of The State's Flagship University and as such put an end to this madness? EVERYBODY WINS when College Park improves - when College Park is a nice attractive college town, the residents benefit (the value of their real estate will soar), The University becomes even more prestigous and that BENEFITS ALL MARYLAND RESIDENTS!!!! ALL OF THEM. The county wins because visitors to the University may actually stay (and eat and shop and spend spend spend) IN COLLEGE PARK instead of over in Bethesda. I have been to Alumni Board meetings with prominent alums who visit from NYC and stay in Georgetown. I find that completely unacceptable. (You can bet I sleep and eat in CP on every visit - all 12-15 of them per year) When companies send their corporate recruiters to campus to recruit they rarely stay (and spend) and recruit on or near campus. Again - unacceptable. yeah that whole zoning thing has irritated me since I first learned of our challenges (back in the days of Mayor Anna Owens.)

Couldnt the city PARTNER with the University and PARTNER with the County and PARTNER (catch what Im driving at?) with the state to form a cohesive political force to help everyone understand the importance of College Park as the home of The State’s Flagship University and as such put an end to this madness?

EVERYBODY WINS when College Park improves – when College Park is a nice attractive college town, the residents benefit (the value of their real estate will soar), The University becomes even more prestigous and that BENEFITS ALL MARYLAND RESIDENTS!!!! ALL OF THEM. The county wins because visitors to the University may actually stay (and eat and shop and spend spend spend) IN COLLEGE PARK instead of over in Bethesda.

I have been to Alumni Board meetings with prominent alums who visit from NYC and stay in Georgetown. I find that completely unacceptable. (You can bet I sleep and eat in CP on every visit – all 12-15 of them per year)

When companies send their corporate recruiters to campus to recruit they rarely stay (and spend) and recruit on or near campus. Again – unacceptable.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Robert Catlin http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/comment-page-1/#comment-7463 Robert Catlin Fri, 02 Feb 2007 16:43:53 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/#comment-7463 You can understand why we would like to have our own zoning authority. Rules written for a County of almost 900,000 people that are largely used to regulate suburban development do not always make sense in College Park, but you still have to use them. Without the 2002 Route 1 sector plan and DDOZ (District Design Overlay Zone) nothing would have been possible here. That plan took about three years to make and get adopted. Perhaps this summer we can get a process started with the County to fix some elements that are not working. You can understand why we would like to have our own zoning authority. Rules written for a County of almost 900,000 people that are largely used to regulate suburban development do not always make sense in College Park, but you still have to use them. Without the 2002 Route 1 sector plan and DDOZ (District Design Overlay Zone) nothing would have been possible here. That plan took about three years to make and get adopted. Perhaps this summer we can get a process started with the County to fix some elements that are not working.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Kevin Fallon UM '93 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/comment-page-1/#comment-7435 Kevin Fallon UM '93 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:44:24 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/#comment-7435 Point #1. Creating a hip Urban type of feel in the new East Campus Development and by Redeveloping the Knox Box area with higher density housing options (think lofts!!!) geared towards students and young professionals will draw more folks to the area and provide alternatives to living in far flung places that require cars that have to clog up Rte 1. Bottom line: increase the housing options along the perimeter of campus and students will move closer. "Build it and they will come." Point #2. Lets start talking compromise here with regard to the Connector. Stop thinking super highway and start thinking limited / controlled access greenway. I will send David a diagram of some other options that may be more palatable in terms of location for posting to this site but let me try to describe in words: Look, I love the environment as much as the next person and prefer green over asphalt any day BUT I cant stand the smog created by cars stuck in traffic along Rte 1. What if the University pushed the road West of the power lines (google the I95 and 495 interchange and look at an aerial view and just south of the park and ride you can see the actual concrete road bed that was poured when there was thought that 95 may someday continue south into DC) then the road would slice just south of the UM System admin bldg, along the northeastern edge of the golf course (will have to relo or reconfigure one of the fairways) then connected with Terrapin Trail. Then - and this is the key part: the road is gate controlled and only open 7am - 7pm M-F and for sporting events. Heck you could even put a parking garage up near the park and ride, sell deeply discounted parking permits and run shuttles down to campus. Also - the road would be heavily landscaped to build a green buffer between the road and the homes in CP Woods Compromise folks. Compromise. Think "everybody wins." Push the road west of the power lines and 1) it is further away from College Park Woods and 2) it does not disrupt the agricultural lands Point #1.

Creating a hip Urban type of feel in the new East Campus Development and by Redeveloping the Knox Box area with higher density housing options (think lofts!!!) geared towards students and young professionals will draw more folks to the area and provide alternatives to living in far flung places that require cars that have to clog up Rte 1.

Bottom line: increase the housing options along the perimeter of campus and students will move closer. “Build it and they will come.”

Point #2.

Lets start talking compromise here with regard to the Connector. Stop thinking super highway and start thinking limited / controlled access greenway. I will send David a diagram of some other options that may be more palatable in terms of location for posting to this site but let me try to describe in words: Look, I love the environment as much as the next person and prefer green over asphalt any day BUT I cant stand the smog created by cars stuck in traffic along Rte 1.

What if the University pushed the road West of the power lines (google the I95 and 495 interchange and look at an aerial view and just south of the park and ride you can see the actual concrete road bed that was poured when there was thought that 95 may someday continue south into DC) then the road would slice just south of the UM System admin bldg, along the northeastern edge of the golf course (will have to relo or reconfigure one of the fairways) then connected with Terrapin Trail.

Then – and this is the key part: the road is gate controlled and only open 7am – 7pm M-F and for sporting events. Heck you could even put a parking garage up near the park and ride, sell deeply discounted parking permits and run shuttles down to campus.

Also – the road would be heavily landscaped to build a green buffer between the road and the homes in CP Woods

Compromise folks. Compromise. Think “everybody wins.” Push the road west of the power lines and 1) it is further away from College Park Woods and 2) it does not disrupt the agricultural lands

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: David Daddio http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/comment-page-1/#comment-7433 David Daddio Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:48:12 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/290/#comment-7433 A traffic study for the View that assumes people are driving to the university seems rather ridiculous doesn't it? The university master plan plans for a very large garage directly across the paint branch from the view. It won't be all that long until people using the trail will see sweeping vistas of 6 parking decks (many hidden under buildings but visible from the back). I'm sure the developers would be happy to forgo parking restrictions and it seems they should be allowed to for student projects - especially those near the university. These students could be treated as on campus and if they really want a car they could be thrown in the same pool as everyone else and the price of permits could go up to regulate demand. Stand in front of the View on any given day, you won't see too many people driving in or out. When faced with buying a $376 parking permit or begging people to take me to the grocery store, I regretfully chose the former. A traffic study for the View that assumes people are driving to the university seems rather ridiculous doesn’t it? The university master plan plans for a very large garage directly across the paint branch from the view. It won’t be all that long until people using the trail will see sweeping vistas of 6 parking decks (many hidden under buildings but visible from the back). I’m sure the developers would be happy to forgo parking restrictions and it seems they should be allowed to for student projects – especially those near the university. These students could be treated as on campus and if they really want a car they could be thrown in the same pool as everyone else and the price of permits could go up to regulate demand.

Stand in front of the View on any given day, you won’t see too many people driving in or out. When faced with buying a $376 parking permit or begging people to take me to the grocery store, I regretfully chose the former.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]>