Posts tagged Marc
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MARC allows bicycles onboard, unless they’re electric
Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail (MARC) recently changed its policy to allow bicycles on most Penn Line trains, joining all the other major commuter rail systems in permitting bikes on rail. Unfortunately, like many of those other rail lines, its policy is also limited to non-motorized bikes, meaning they exclude e-bikes Keep reading…
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Events: Join your GGWash Neighbors at a regional rail talk or a trolley play date
Join fellow GGWash Neighbors at a regional rail talk or a trolley turnaround play date, walk in the spirit of Jane Jacobs in Arlington, learn about fair housing in DC, and more in urbanist events this week. Keep reading…
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The saga of Waldo Schmitt, the crustacean biologist obsessed with building a commuter rail subway in DC
Prior to World War II, there were even more commuter rail lines leading into DC than there are now. Most of them ended at Union Station, just like they do today. But in the 1940s a man named Waldo Schmitt proposed a commuter rail subway to bring workers closer to the center of downtown, and to connect rail lines from the east and west. Keep reading…
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There’s no regional rail between DC and Philly, so I tried the bus and van service that fills the gap
All but 63 miles of the 457-mile DC-Boston Northeast Corridor higher-speed rail line are served by commuter or regional rail trains, while Amtrak intercity trains cover the route’s entirety. If commuter trains were extended to fill these gaps, it would be possible to travel inexpensively from DC to Philadelphia with one change of train. Keep reading…
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Lessons MARC should learn from my most frustrating commute
This past summer was a particularly frustrating time to be a MARC commuter. Delays during July and August were the worst I had endured since choosing it as my primary transportation mode to work. To see just how much of my time was spent delayed, I logged my commute from Odenton to Union Station for the month of September 2018. Keep reading…
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Better transit, congestion pricing, and 18 other big ideas from a business group’s transportation blueprint
The super-Washington region, including DC, Baltimore, and Richmond, should improve the MARC and VRE rail systems including running service through DC. It should finish networks of trails and try congestion pricing in DC and adjacent parts of Arlington. It should improve bus service, promote employer incentives to not drive alone, increase equity, do more with technology, and better fund and govern transportation in the region. These are some of the recommendations from a wide-ranging new Blueprint for Regional Mobility, released Monday by the Greater Washington Partnership. Keep reading…
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GGWash Sandbox: For HQ2 in Crystal City, build the “Metro Express”
If Amazon moves 25,000 new jobs to Crystal City, the region needs to beef up transportation to and from that area. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some train tracks connecting many parts of Maryland, Virginia, and DC to Crystal City? Good thing there are! Keep reading…
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Metro Reasons: Metro is ending its free transfer program for VRE and MARC riders
A program allowing Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and MARC riders to use Metro for free when the commuter rail systems are disrupted is coming to an end on June 30, the agencies involved say. The ‘Metro Option,’ which has provided a limited benefit to some riders for at least a decade, will be canceled with no definite plans for a replacement. Keep reading…
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Why urbanists should be excited about the Caps going to the finals
Haven't you heard? The Washington Capitals are in the finals! Even if you aren't a hockey fan, you can still get excited about how sports can add value to urban public spaces. Keep reading…
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Election links: Valerie Ervin has decided to stay in the governor’s race
Valerie Ervin has decided to stay in the governor's race, Maryland gubernatorial candidates talk transportation, Bowser misleads on education progress, DC policymakers talk Initiative 77, and more in our election link roundup. Want to stay on top of our 2018 election coverage? Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Keep reading…