RT. 1 Between College Park and Hyattsville Set To Look Very Different in 3 years. (Baltimore: zoned, suburban)

[lookingbutnotlost]

Originally Posted by CBMD

More supermarket news.

Two local Safeway's set to close in July. Seat Pleasant and Rockville. While TJ is looking to open 2nd Rockville location at Travillah.

Since they merged last year Safeway have closed 100+ stores in western sates. Wouldn't be surprised to see the focus turn east.

I've never been a fan of Safeway. The two newest I've been in, Hyattsville and the rebuilt Croom, are abysmal. Not nearly as attractive as Arundel Mills which opened maybe 10 years ago. Both new Safeway's use as their primary lighting, old style long fluorescent tubes.......in 2016!

GE has already announced that it is discontinuing production of the newer CFL's in favor of LED.

Aldi are now asking for ZIP codes at the checkout. Trying to get a jump on Lidl?

The new one in PG Plaza just opened and is supposed to be nicer. High end grocers are fine but not everyone wants to shop there, can afford to shop there, and their inventory is just different.

[terplandlord]

Originally Posted by lookingbutnotlost

Well some of those things are not regional in appeal. Why is the BIG 10 so different from the ACC? UNC has a wonderful college town. Duke....not to much. Idk if IA that conference is what is making the difference here.

The big ten schools represent huge states with giant alumni populations. That's why UMD is making almost double the money than the Acc over the next 5 years. The football games have huge numbers of visiting alumni tailgating. The Acc does not have the numbers.

[lookingbutnotlost]

Originally Posted by terplandlord

The big ten schools represent huge states with giant alumni populations. That's why UMD is making almost double the money than the Acc over the next 5 years. The football games have huge numbers of visiting alumni tailgating. The Acc does not have the numbers.

I see. Thanks.

[lookingbutnotlost]

The coffee and wine shop was supposed to open earlier this year. Do we know the holdup? I just see the liquor license on the door.

College Park Business Owners to open Coffee House & Wine Bar – College Park City-University Partnership

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by terplandlord

The big ten schools represent huge states with giant alumni populations. That's why UMD is making almost double the money than the Acc over the next 5 years. The football games have huge numbers of visiting alumni tailgating. The Acc does not have the numbers.

I forgot about Ikea too. That is definitely a regional draw. It is the only Ikea close to 495 I believe.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by lookingbutnotlost

The coffee and wine shop was supposed to open earlier this year. Do we know the holdup? I just see the liquor license on the door.

College Park Business Owners to open Coffee House & Wine Bar – College Park City-University Partnership

Never believe opening dates from the media. I'm learning that hard lesson. Whole Foods was technically, per the media, supposed to open last December. The new date is now sometime this fall. Who knows what holds these projects up for so long. Lots of moving pieces I guess.

[lookingbutnotlost]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Never believe opening dates from the media. I'm learning that hard lesson. Whole Foods was technically, per the media, supposed to open last December. The new date is now sometime this fall. Who knows what holds these projects up for so long. Lots of moving pieces I guess.

lol lesson learned. Like you I wish the new development to get rid of the quality inn were breaking ground next year year because with 2018 who knows when it will actually happen. And don't they plan on adding bike paths to Route 1? There is a lot of moving parts.

[DoughLow805]

Upgrading traffic on Baltimore Ave starting way down in Hyattsville up through UMD Campus needs to be a priority. Bike traffic, car traffic, and especially foot traffic. Walking on Baltimore Avenue is terrible and the density of development is going to increase foot traffic. Then I look at East-West Hwy and Baltimore Avenue as the junction between all of the development PG Plaza, Arts District, Collect Park. Traffic at that corner is already congested, they are going to have to come up with something more than just a bridge to Riverdale Park Station and widening north of Campus Drive or whatever street they begin to plan on.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by DoughLow805

Upgrading traffic on Baltimore Ave starting way down in Hyattsville up through UMD Campus needs to be a priority. Bike traffic, car traffic, and especially foot traffic. Walking on Baltimore Avenue is terrible and the density of development is going to increase foot traffic. Then I look at East-West Hwy and Baltimore Avenue as the junction between all of the development PG Plaza, Arts District, Collect Park. Traffic at that corner is already congested, they are going to have to come up with something more than just a bridge to Riverdale Park Station and widening north of Campus Drive or whatever street they begin to plan on.

AS each of the communities you mentioned moves more towards walkability, don't look for any benefits to vehicular traffic coming any time soon. East-West Highway will actually lose two lanes in their new master plan to turn it into a BLVD type street near the mall. They will also be adding bike lanes.

These towns don't want to be places where people just drive through anymore. So, they will look to slow the traffic down when they redevelop the streets. Most of College Park on RT. 1 is already 25 mph. Downtown Hyattsville has street parking.

[DoughLow805]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

AS each of the communities you mentioned moves more towards walkability, don't look for any benefits to vehicular traffic coming any time soon. East-West Highway will actually lose two lanes in their new master plan to turn it into a BLVD type street near the mall. They will also be adding bike lanes.

These towns don't want to be places where people just drive through anymore. So, they will look to slow the traffic down when they redevelop the streets. Most of College Park on RT. 1 is already 25 mph. Downtown Hyattsville has street parking.

Well I thought they did plan to make improvements to vehicular traffic, I hope the light at Van Buren helps a bit, but also I remember seeing plans to make traffic improvements around UMD starting at Campus Drive.

I'm sure East West won't be widening or anything like that, it's already 3 lanes on each side is as wide as it can reasonably be without becoming a full on freeway. But some sort of traffic flow adjustment on both streets would be nice, something like removing that hazardous street parking in DownTown Hyattsville which I think is pretty likely to happen once they build a parking garage or two.

What I would really like to see is improved sidewalks for foot traffic along both East-West and Baltimore Avenue, the sidewalks are too close to the road and uncomfortable to walk on. We've seen how many cars crash into buildings on these roads? Pizzaria Paradiso, Liberty Tax, etc...those accidents could have hit people directly without even a slight chance of saving themselves. Google Maps says its a 7 minute walk from my house to Whole Foods, I'd love to walk that with my wife and son, but there is no way that I'll walk with them on the sidewalks on RT 1 as currently constructed, I barely feel comfortable walking on them alone.