Posts by Ben Ross — Contributor
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A Maryland road widening will be more costly than the transit it replaces
Maryland governor Larry Hogan wants to build roads with money saved from cancelling the Baltimore Red Line and cutting back the Purple Line. The governor says the two light rail lines cost too much. But his marquee highway project, a wider Route 404 on the Eastern Shore, looks to be far less cost-effective than either. The Route 404 widening will turn 12 miles of two-lane… Keep reading…
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Montgomery won’t make (some) businesses fund parking anymore
Builders in downtown Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton are now free to build as little parking as they want, without violating zoning rules or paying extra taxes. The change eliminates a major subsidy to driving and will help these suburban centers evolve into walkable urban areas. The new policy, enacted as part of the new county budget, is the result of the simpler, more modern… Keep reading…
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Purple Line: It’s not the cost, it’s the country club
Maryland governor Larry Hogan may cancel the Purple Line because he says it’s too expensive, but given his sudden announcement last week of lower highway tolls, that’s clearly just an excuse. The real obstacle to building the light rail line is the pressure of a few well-placed opponents, chief among them the Columbia Country Club. Back when the Purple Line was a… Keep reading…
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Consumers say they like trains. Why don’t economists care?
One of the most basic tenets of standard economics is that consumer choice dictates the market. Yet in discussions about transit, many economic analyses seem to throw consumer preference out the window, insisting that riders’ preference for rail over bus doesn’t matter, or is imaginary. Opponents of rail projects often argue that trains are a waste of money because… Keep reading…
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A trade pact might change local land use decisions in a big way
A key principle of land use in the United States is that homeowners can often veto new buildings on nearby land that other people own. A trade agreement that’s currently in the works could have a huge impact on that long-established system of local control. The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade pact that would change the rules for investments and trade among its signers. … Keep reading…
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When a safety campaign blames victims it’s counterproductive
The region’s highway agencies have begun their annual Street Smart campaign promoting road safety. Unfortunately, many of the ads undermine safety by blaming the victim, and advocating the misconception that pedestrians are mere obstacles to cars. Keep reading…
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Whether they live close in or far from the city, people travel about the same number of miles on transit
Transit in the DC area is not just for urbanites. Residents of counties farther from the center of the region ride as many miles per day on transit as those who live closer in. Keep reading…
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The Intercounty Connector’s traffic is light so far, but the road’s future is still unclear
Planners routinely overestimate how much traffic will grow in the future in order to justify new highways. Usage of the Intercounty Connector is still growing but it looks like the ICC, too, will get less use than planners thought. Keep reading…
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If Maryland kills the Purple Line, it’s asking for a $650 million parking bill
If Governor-elect Larry Hogan chooses not to build the Purple Line, he will sock Maryland taxpayers, commuters, and businesses with a huge bill they don’t expect. Building parking garages for drivers who would otherwise take the train would likely cost over $600 million, much of it public money. Parking is expensive, and in the built-up areas where the Purple Line would… Keep reading…
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Chevy Chase grasps at straws in the Purple Line fight
The Town of Chevy Chase has run out of coherent arguments in its fight to keep the Purple Line away from its borders. Keep reading…