WHAT would make you use transit???

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by qjbusmaster

what needs to be done to make transit usable for you where should new routes be placed???

1. Better punctuality. When I drive I know exactly when I'll get somewhere, harder when I took the DC metro and bus system some time ago especially with transfers.

2. Less crime - hard in Baltimore due to the geography of the city. ANY route going from the suburbs into the downtown goes through ghetto areas, which means ghetto stops, since downtown Baltimore is completely surrounded by urban blight. In DC one can go from Rockville to Northwest Washington without passing through any ghetto stops (though the eastern half like the Green Line is very ghetto and feels unsafe to me).

Ovearll though I just like the freedom of my car. Plus I rather live someplace far from the city where there's no public transport and lower density. But if gas goes above $6.00 a gallon I'll probaly look into mass transit options.

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

1. Better punctuality. When I drive I know exactly when I'll get somewhere, harder when I took the DC metro and bus system some time ago especially with transfers.

2. Less crime - hard in Baltimore due to the geography of the city. ANY route going from the suburbs into the downtown goes through ghetto areas, which means ghetto stops, since downtown Baltimore is completely surrounded by urban blight. In DC one can go from Rockville to Northwest Washington without passing through any ghetto stops (though the eastern half like the Green Line is very ghetto and feels unsafe to me).

Ovearll though I just like the freedom of my car. Plus I rather live someplace far from the city where there's no public transport and lower density. But if gas goes above $6.00 a gallon I'll probaly look into mass transit options.

I heard the DC bus system is better than baltimore. Also by suburban bus to baltimore do you mean the commuter buses??? the triple digit ones??? cause those 310/320 and the 400 and 900 series rtes have NO ghetto stops they only serve downtown baltimore. If u are referring to anne arundel then get to light rail. And downtown DC for 900 series

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by qjbusmaster

I heard the DC bus system is better than baltimore. Also by suburban bus to baltimore do you mean the commuter buses??? the triple digit ones??? cause those 310/320 and the 400 and 900 series rtes have NO ghetto stops they only serve downtown baltimore. If u are referring to anne arundel then get to light rail. And downtown DC for 900 series

I wasn't thinking of the commuter buses. More of the Light Rail, the Baltimore Metro subway, and the MTA local buses, like the ones that link Port Covington, Edmonton Village, Mondawmin, etc. For example, to get from Hunt Valley or Linthicum to downtown Baltimore on the Light Rail, you mass through dicey areas in the northwest and south sides of the city like Westport or Baltimore Highlands which are dangerous. If they were build a new light rail line to Catonsville (I don't they don't actually) that would go through the blighted Route 40 corridor in West Baltimore. To get from Owings Mills to downtown you have to go through all those stops in northwest Baltimore.

I have a friend whose family lived along Liberty Heights back when it was a Jewish neighborhood and much nicer. They tell me its all messed up now with gangsters everywhere and the Jews forced to move out to the suburbs because of crime and gangs. Like so many Americans from everywhere the good ol days were better.

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

I wasn't thinking of the commuter buses. More of the Light Rail, the Baltimore Metro subway, and the MTA local buses, like the ones that link Port Covington, Edmonton Village, Mondawmin, etc. For example, to get from Hunt Valley or Linthicum to downtown Baltimore on the Light Rail, you mass through dicey areas in the northwest and south sides of the city like Westport or Baltimore Highlands which are dangerous. If they were build a new light rail line to Catonsville (I don't they don't actually) that would go through the blighted Route 40 corridor in West Baltimore. To get from Owings Mills to downtown you have to go through all those stops in northwest Baltimore.

I have a friend whose family lived along Liberty Heights back when it was a Jewish neighborhood and much nicer. They tell me its all messed up now with gangsters everywhere and the Jews forced to move out to the suburbs because of crime and gangs. Like so many Americans from everywhere the good ol days were better.

good news the new 99 express rte will go from old court to BWI with stops at security mall and university of baltimore sadly its only rush hour here is the detailed link June 2011 proposed schedule changes (http://mta.maryland.gov/services/bus/schedule/June_2011_schedule_change.cfm - broken link)
99 uses 695. Most of my bus improvements involved the 3 digit bus lines like 150 and 901 ect

if the new rte enters service you will be able to bypass those bad parts by using 99 or 77 to security mall then get QB40 heck why not use 77

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by qjbusmaster

good news the new 99 express rte will go from old court to BWI with stops at security mall and university of baltimore sadly its only rush hour here is the detailed link June 2011 proposed schedule changes (http://mta.maryland.gov/services/bus/schedule/June_2011_schedule_change.cfm - broken link)
99 uses 695. Most of my bus improvements involved the 3 digit bus lines like 150 and 901 ect

if the new rte enters service you will be able to bypass those bad parts by using 99 or 77 to security mall then get QB40 heck why not use 77

A bus that runs on the beltway. I'll be damned, I never thought I'd see it.

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

A bus that runs on the beltway. I'll be damned, I never thought I'd see it.

and thats only the beginning!!! However I dont know if they will try to unify their statewide network to be more like NJ where local rtes run in baltimore and carrol and anne arundel and regional rtes run everywhere else. Then another suburban network for the beach areas near ocean city,MD similar to NJT's layout. I made a proposal that would unify all MD transit systems except montgomery's ride-on well most of it. A few rtes they should extend and prince georges the bus gets slight expansion while commuter buses become zone based regional rtes with local and express segments and some hubs to facilitate transfers.