Transit on Thursday: Long and Short Edition

Senate Joins the Metro Lovin'
Since we don't have our own Senators and Representatives to bug, we rely on the kindness of our neighbors for all our Congressional needs. We were psyched when last year, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia introduced legislation to give Metro $1.5 billion over 10 years, on the condition that D.C., Maryland, and Virginia collectively match that amount. Davis has been a tireless advocate for the bill, passing it out of committee last month even as his Republican colleagues derided it as a wasteful pork project.

While Davis' bill still needs a vote in the full House, last week we picked up some new support on the other side of the Hill. Maryland's Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski introduced legislation similar to the Davis bill, which was immediately co-sponsored by Virginia's John Warner and Jim Webb. When the Davis bill was passed by the full House last year, the Senate never acted on it. Now that the ball is rolling in the Senate, the chance of Metro actually seeing the federal money, and the dedicated local funding that comes along with it, are the best they've been yet.

Another Over/Under
The debate has been raging for months in Northern Virginia, and we still don't have a final word on whether the Dulles Metro extension will include elevated tracks above Tysons Corner or a tunnel below it. Though Governor Kaine has said that the tunnel is off the table, tunnel proponents have spent millions of dollars trying to build enough support to change the governor's mind. With debate still raging in NoVa, it seems like there is no end in sight.

So you can imagine how we felt to hear that Maryland is gearing up for its own over/under fight. Design studies for the Purple Line Metro extension between Bethesda and New Carrollton are just beginning to be seriously examined by the state. As the results emerge, so far transportation officials seem to be favoring an option that would run below ground. What's more, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley apparently agrees, and also is leaning towards a rail option, rather then a rapid bus alternative that has also been proposed.

The debate is shaping up much the same way it did in Virginia. While building a tunnel is more expensive, most transit advocates see it as the best way to integrate transit into a well-developed area such as Montgomery County. It is also less objectionable to Montgomery County residents who want the transit service, but not the noise and disruption that go along with it. However, Maryland's transportation finances are in serious trouble though. Even if a tunneled route would be better for the community, paying economic dividends down the line, there's the chance that the short term bottom line will win out, as it seems to have in Virginia.

The Grass is Always Greener
When we wrote about the fact that, despite passing the largest funding package in Virginia history, the state still faces a shortfall of cash for transportation projects, we never thought it would go this far. Apparently, due to lack of funds, there's little money to mow the grass in roadway medians. To stay under budget, VDOT decided to reduced the number of of times the grass would be cut to three for the entire summer. As a result, the grassy strips that run down the center of the road have turned into waist-high de facto jersey barriers. Fairfax residents are outraged, claiming that the overgrown thickets are not only unsightly, but dangerous, since they block the view of motorists around corners.

VDOT has agreed to mow more frequently where safety is an issue, but that will still leave plenty of grass uncut. Our suggestion: offer the neighborhood kids $50 a mile to mow the grass. We guarantee that area roads will look like manicured fairway all summer long!