Hello:
AY sent a correspondent to cover the County Board's Transportation CIP Work Session this week. The topic of transit service on Columbia Pike came up repeatedly. County Board Member Christian Dorsey dememaded higher capacity rush-hour transit service on the Pike. County Trasnportation Staff responded: 'Don't worry, be happy, plenty of excess capacity if everyone moves to the center of the bus'.
Insofar as bus rapid transit and double deck buses on the Pike, the County Board went along with County Transportation Staff's disapproval. County Board Chair Libby Garvey didn't mention bus rapid transit, articlulated buses, double deck buses, anything besides County Transportation Staff's recommendation that the County purchase new 40-foot buses, paint them blue, and designate them 'premium service' on various routes. Oh, same old lies from County Transportation Staff that a double deck bus won't fit under the new Washington Boulevard - Columbia Pike bridge which has over 17 feet of clearance over the Pike. Same old lies from County Transportation Staff that BRT 'won't work' on the Pike. Same old County Transportation Staff that throws cold water over traffic mitigation (except for bicycles) after including thousands of new vehicle parking spaces concomitant with new office and residential mixed-use site plans every year
So, after months of lobbying for bus rapid transit on the Pike two years ago, Libby Garvey is settling for premium Metrobus service by 2019. That's what we get for re-electing Democrats to the County Board -- more of the same-old, same-old.
Cindy
