Is Gaithersburg poised to become an urban metropolis? (lease, schools)

[MDAllstar]

Originally Posted by Pitkin

so when is this light rail construction gonna start? I swear projects in MD are so slow to start. It'll be 2025 by the time the purple line is done.

Meanwhile NoVa is building the silver line, which is heavy rail and takes far more money and time to build than light rail, will be done by 2015-2016 (Phase II)/ 2013 (Phase I).
NoVa seems to be a lot more progressive then MD sadly.

If Maryland could:
-Build the purple line
-Build the CCT
-Build a light rail to Waldorf/St. Charles from Branch Ave station on Rt. 5 via Camp Springs, Clinton and Brandywine.
-Get some type of rail service to Annapolis (Annapolis is the only state capital without any form of rail service)
-Run the Penn line on weekends too and extend the hours
-Build a light rail up to Laurel from Greenbelt station along Rt. 1
-Build a light rail to Burtonsville from Silver Spring station along Coleville road and Columbia Pike via Four Corners, White Oak, Briggs Chaney and Greencastle.
-Build a rail connection to the National Harbor and other points southward such as Friendly, Ft Washington, Accokeek, and Indian Head to the Naval base.

It'll bring the MD suburbs on par with NoVa, or at least close.

In the original WMATA plans the orange line was supposed to go to Bowie, but I think building a light rail would be better now.

I don't think NIMBY-ism would stop this, I have fam in SoMd and know other people don't there too, they would love a rail connection to other parts of the metro area.

I wonder how much all of those projects would cost and if they would ever happen in our life time.

Well, the right away's are already in place and the new study with the Seneca life science center city included has over 40,000 daily riders. The only thing left is money now. Nobody is fighting it and everyone wants it. But Maryland is broke so whenever the money comes available, construction will start.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by stars99

IDK, but they need to start connecting suburb to suburb (not spoking everything through the DC)

That's great for someone who lives in Florida and has no tax burden to build all that infrastructure. The reality for those who live here is that every time greedy outlying cities stop being bedroom communities and start stealing jobs we're the ones who have to pay the bill to build the transportation, sewer, power, and all the other infrastructure to support their selfishness. The region would be very smart to focus "urban metropolis" style development inside and near the beltway, get the purple built all the way around, and use the infrastructure we already have.

There's also plenty of bars and restaurants in the suburbs. If you trolled the Maryland and Virginia forums you'd probably learn about them. Keep in mind, though, that market demand created nightlife focused in the city. No one forced it, so why you as a Floridian want to force people to gather elsewhere is beyond me.

[stars99]

Originally Posted by Bluefly

That's great for someone who lives in Florida and has no tax burden to build all that infrastructure. The reality for those who live here is that every time greedy outlying cities stop being bedroom communities and start stealing jobs we're the ones who have to pay the bill to build the transportation, sewer, power, and all the other infrastructure to support their selfishness. .

I don't understand this mindset. Is Silicone Valley is stealing jobs--all those jobs should really be in San Francisco? Tell it to Mark Zuckerberg ...I don't see how it's poaching jobs if someone lives in Olney and works in Rockville (ie. bypassing the District completely). How does that cost you extra taxes. Are people supposed to commute 40 miles into the District?

[HurricaneDC]

Bluefly, I'm not sure what you're referring to by "we." If you mean DC, then I find it highly unlikely that DC is paying for Gaithersburg's development.

As for 'stealing jobs,' that's a bit strong.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Pitkin

so when is this light rail construction gonna start? I swear projects in MD are so slow to start. It'll be 2025 by the time the purple line is done.

Meanwhile NoVa is building the silver line, which is heavy rail and takes far more money and time to build than light rail, will be done by 2015-2016 (Phase II)/ 2013 (Phase I).
NoVa seems to be a lot more progressive then MD sadly.

If Maryland could:
-Build the purple line
-Build the CCT
-Build a light rail to Waldorf/St. Charles from Branch Ave station on Rt. 5 via Camp Springs, Clinton and Brandywine.
-Get some type of rail service to Annapolis (Annapolis is the only state capital without any form of rail service)
-Run the Penn line on weekends too and extend the hours
-Build a light rail up to Laurel from Greenbelt station along Rt. 1
-Build a light rail to Burtonsville from Silver Spring station along Coleville road and Columbia Pike via Four Corners, White Oak, Briggs Chaney and Greencastle.
-Build a rail connection to the National Harbor and other points southward such as Friendly, Ft Washington, Accokeek, and Indian Head to the Naval base.

It'll bring the MD suburbs on par with NoVa, or at least close.

In the original WMATA plans the orange line was supposed to go to Bowie, but I think building a light rail would be better now.

I don't think NIMBY-ism would stop this, I have fam in SoMd and know other people don't there too, they would love a rail connection to other parts of the metro area.

I wonder how much all of those projects would cost and if they would ever happen in our life time.

TRUE.

I'm thinking of relocating to the Washington DC area.

I LIKE the idea of MARYLAND...but it does seem that everything is much better in VIRGINIA.

Just for example, I was looking at trains from 50 miles out. Frederick Maryland versus Fredericksburg Virginia.

On the Maryland side (from Frederick), there are only 3 trains going in, about 60-90 minutes apart. Sounds horrible from a commuter perspective. On the Virginia side (Fredericksburg), you have 7 trains going in, each about 25 minutes apart!

Just a lot of little things like that, and yes, Maryland does seem far behind Virginia.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by stars99

The entire DMV needs to become more decentralized.

In MD it's called the MVA and there are 2 locations in Gaithersburg. Seems decentralized to me.

[ffknight918]

Originally Posted by stars99

The District used to be a realtistic place to live and raise a family, but now for 95% the it's totally unviable. People are realizing they can move to the outer burbs to get more space and QOL and they are doing it in droves. The idea that everyone is going to be (or wants to be) packed into small apartments or rowhouses in DC in semi-dodgy neighborhoods commuting by Segway and/or Metro is non-starter.

So that's why DC is GROWING huh? It's actually growing faster than most major cities. Once again you prove that you have no idea what you're talking about since you don't even live here. I don't get why you even post here.

[stars99]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

TRUE.

I'm thinking of relocating to the Washington DC area.

I LIKE the idea of MARYLAND...but it does seem that everything is much better in VIRGINIA.

Just for example, I was looking at trains from 50 miles out. Frederick Maryland versus Fredericksburg Virginia.

On the Maryland side (from Frederick), there are only 3 trains going in, about 60-90 minutes apart. Sounds horrible from a commuter perspective. On the Virginia side (Fredericksburg), you have 7 trains going in, each about 25 minutes apart!

Just a lot of little things like that, and yes, Maryland does seem far behind Virginia.

Well, a lot of people prefer MD because MD is considered more liberal. In VA for example you will find people who are still bragging about their membership in the D.A.R. Both MD and VA are much cheaper to live in than the District though.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

TRUE.

I'm thinking of relocating to the Washington DC area.

I LIKE the idea of MARYLAND...but it does seem that everything is much better in VIRGINIA.

Just for example, I was looking at trains from 50 miles out. Frederick Maryland versus Fredericksburg Virginia.

On the Maryland side (from Frederick), there are only 3 trains going in, about 60-90 minutes apart. Sounds horrible from a commuter perspective. On the Virginia side (Fredericksburg), you have 7 trains going in, each about 25 minutes apart!

Just a lot of little things like that, and yes, Maryland does seem far behind Virginia.

There's truth to this overall. Montgomery County used to be the jewel of the region. But NoVa has overtaken Maryland as the better part of the region for now. It is more expensive to live there, however.

[ffknight918]

Originally Posted by stars99

Well, a lot of people prefer MD because MD is considered more liberal. In VA for example you will find people who are still bragging about their membership in the D.A.R. Both MD and VA are much cheaper to live in than the District though.

WRONG again. Arlington is just as expensive as most of DC. I pay more in Arlington than I did when I lived in DC.