[RP TownTalk] more Camden line?

Fri Dec 21 04:46:02 UTC 2007

Thanks for all the history, Chris!  And, yeah, I've thought even a sign at
the station on Queensbury saying something like "Get to Union Station in
just 10 minutes" or some such might at least make people aware of the
existence of the train and the convenience provided.

More bang-for-the-buck might be got from a billboard on the E-W Hwy bridge.
"If you were in the train below instead of up here, you could be in downtown
DC before you get through the light at Route 1"

And the 'welcome wagon' idea is a great one.

On Dec 20, 2007 9:45 PM, CHRISTINA DAVIS <book-smart at verizon.net> wrote:

>  I sure miss riding the MARC train!
>
>
>
> The town's ridership has ebbed and flowed since my grandfather rode the
> train in the 1950s and 1960s and me in the 1990s and 2000s. There were
> several years when the town was threatened with the cancellation of service
> at our stop altogether, as ridership was deemed too low, the last time when
> MTA was looking to add a stops in Greenbelt and Beltsville (Muirkirk) with a
> large commuter parking lots and wanted to keep the overall trip time from
> Baltimore to Washington about the same. And there were several years when it
> was just me on the 9:03 to Washington and it was a flag stop (meaning
> that, if they didn't see me, the train didn't stop in Riverdale Park).
>
>
>
> The Hyattsville Station went inactive when the last rider, a long-time
> passenger of some stature, retired back when I was a kid. Many of the train
> conductors who knew of some of this history on the line have either died or
> retired, but I'll bet there might be 1 or 2 who could recall some tidbits
> passed on to them.
>
>
>
> Berwyn Heights lost passenger service, with a stop surrounded by houses
> and a small but loyal group of riders who walked to the station, when
> Greenbelt opened, with MTA giving the reason in pubic hearings that those
> riders could DRIVE to Greenbelt or College Park. Not exactly the point.
>
>
>
> I fear that the opening of the EYA project down the road could lead to
> calls to reopen the Hyattsville station at the expense of the Riverdale
> Park station (they are probably 1 minute's distance apart on the train).
> If I were still on the council, I would be talking to MTA and the state
> about the town's desire to maintain/increase service and pushing hard for
> new riders. Although the prevailing thought is that because the Calvert
> family allowed the B&O through the Riversdale property with the provision
> that passenger service be provided, the paperwork on that still needs to be
> uncovered, and it did not stop the closing of passenger service for a while
> when my grandfather was a rider.
>
>
>
> Of course, a vibrant Town Center would help the town's case, as would the
> construction of high-density residential within walking distance of the
> tracks. It seems that at least one of those things is already in the works.
>
>
>
> I used to take the train to my job at Union Station (15 minutes) and later
> to Union Station with the red line connection to Bethesda (40 minutes). It
> was faster than the 1.5-hour drive on East-West Highway through Takoma
> Park, and we could walk to the station (although not as often as we should
> have). There are probably many new residents who are unaware of the
> possibilities the train has to offer, and even getting the local real estate
> agents involved in touting this amenity in their ads might (1) help sell
> some houses and (2) attract people who want to live near public transit. And
> shouldn't every new resident receive a train schedule in their welcome
> packets?
>
>
>
> Just some thoughts.
>
>
>
> Chris
>
>
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org [mailto:
> towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] *On Behalf Of *Dwight Holmes
> *Sent:* Wednesday, December 19, 2007 10:56 PM
> *To:* TownTalk
> *Subject:* Re: [RP TownTalk] more Camden line?
>
>
>
> Nancy, I've no idea about any history on that -- maybe Chris Davis can
> fill us in?
>
> Given there are only 6 trains in the peak direction, morning and evening,
> I'd be amazed if they gave up either of the 2 express trains (I can imagine
> riders from Baltimore getting pretty irate if they did).
>
> The new plans recently announced have new rush hour trains being added in
> 2015.  I've copied the details announced here on the Wiki: http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/page/O%27Malley+wants+MARC+to+grow
>
>
> Other than that I would think they only basis for lobbying for additional
> Riverdale stops would be if EYA and Cafritz developments greatly increase
> demand from our end.  Even then, I'd guess this is an uphill battle.
> O'Malley's proposals seem pretty ambitious in this day and age of structural
> deficits and ongoing bias towards roads rather than mass transit.
>
> An 8:20 stop would be wonderful, though -- no doubt about it.
>
>  On Dec 19, 2007 10:27 PM, Nancy Augustine <nya_md at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Neighbors -
>
> Has anyone ever tried to convince Marc to increase service to our
> Riverdale station? Is there any interest in trying?   Any suggestions in how
> we might go about it?
>
>
>
> There are several Camden line trains that go through without stopping at
> our stop; http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/MARC_CAMDEN_LINE_HTML.cfm
> .
>
>
>
> I'm most interested in adding service on the train that comes through
> Riverdale (but does not stop here) around 8:15am and arrives at Union
> Station at 8:28am.
>
>
>
> In the evening, there's a train that leaves Union Station at 5:51pm and
> comes through Riverdale just after 6:00pm.  This train does stop on
> "special" schedule days only (certain holidays).
>
>
>
> Nancy
>
>
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>
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>
>
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>
>
>
> --
> "A budget is a moral document." --Jim Wallis
> "Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what
> you value." --Sen. Joe Biden
> Riverdale Park Community Wiki
> http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/
>

-- 
"A budget is a moral document." --Jim Wallis
"Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what
you value." --Sen. Joe Biden
Riverdale Park Community Wiki
http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/
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