White's Ferry ceases operations (Gaithersburg, Rockville: living in, zoning, legal)

[bus man]

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2...ourt-decision/

I certainly don't claim to know the details of this case, but it seems to me that a company that has been using a piece of land continuously for 200 years ought to have some sort of legal claim to that land.

[venture2000]

This year was only good for 2.5 months.

The other 9.5 it has SUCKED... SUCKED... SUCKED... SUCKED.

[MrRational]

The WaPo story cited 'legal' reasons ... rather that operations.

[The Very Man Himself]

I've used it twice. Seemed to me that it's more valuable to Va than Md, simply because there are more people living in closer proximity on the Va side than Md. It's a bit of a hike back to Gaithersburg or Rockville.

That said, don't know who owns the land on the Md side, but if the operator was making a net profit of $675,000 a year moving 6-800 cars a day, that's nearly $3 per car, they could afford to pay $0.25 - $0.50 per car on each side. It stuck in my craw that the ferry was named Jubal Early.

[Gerania]

He said, she said.

https://loudounnow.com/2020/12/28/af...-ferry-closes/

[slcity]

Will they finally build a bridge between Montgomery and Loudoun? Seems like that's what they should have done instead of building the ICC that barely gets used apparently.

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by slcity

Will they finally build a bridge between Montgomery and Loudoun? Seems like that's what they should have done instead of building the ICC that barely gets used apparently.

That might seem like a good idea. Loudoun County for awhile was actually the fastest-growing (population) county in the entire United States.

But, Maryland authorities have never supported the idea. Upper Montgomery County Md. has always been a protected, low-density zoned area, designated an agricultural preserve. The narrow rural roads around Poolesville cannot handle the massive traffic that a bridge would bring. A major highway of many miles would have to be built to connect the bridge to the I-270 area, requiring years of environmental impact studies first. It would then invite massive exurban sprawl development along that new highway, if zoning were to allow it. Lastly, a bridge would encourage more Maryland residents to use Dulles Airport, instead of supporting their own BWI Marshall airport as Maryland governmental authorities prefer.

[The Very Man Himself]

Loudoun County has selected two potential sites for a bridge, both are close together, and a good way south of the ferry, just a little north of where Va 28 T's into 7.
If selected, that would leave it much closer to the Md 28/190 intersection, so more likely less new road, and more existing road upgrading. Anyone flying internationally has little choice other than Dulles. Neither county makes the decision, that's up to the states.