There are a few proposed routes for the Purple Line that would run through campus, although the SGA officially endorses the Campus Drive route. Which route do you think would be most beneficial and why; Campus Drive, Stadium Drive, or another route?
Although the University officially endorses the Campus Drive route, there was still some disagreement among the people that I interviewed. There are many issues to consider when deciding where to put a rail line, which will be addressed in later posts. I, however, found it interesting that the people I interviewed were pretty much split between the Campus Drive alignment and the Stadium Drive alignment. If I were a UMD student during a time period in which the purple line would be operating, I'm not sure how I'd feel about the purple line running through Campus Drive. It would certainly have a large impact on the look and feel of the UMD campus if a rail line were to be placed in such a populated central area. Where would you like to see the Purple Line placed, ideally - Campus Drive, Stadium Drive, another route?
3 comments:
I don't particularly think that any of the proposed Purple Line routes are going to be very beneficial. If I were to choose one, I would say they might as well go all the way and use the Campus Drive route, for that is the route most commonly used by students and by the existing bus lines. As ugly as cars may be constantly driving up and down Campus Drive, I can't really imagine a train cutting the campus in half. I consider the campus layout and its architecture aesthetically pleasing and maybe I'm just used to seeing cars everywhere, but I see a train sort of diminishing some of the features of campus. We don't seem to have much litter from the cars which pass by, and yeah, it's not environmentally friendly but that's a personal choice each individual student needs to make. Also, I've noticed that the campus is really only filled with commuter cars in the early morning, and in the afternoon, otherwise it doesn't really seem to be a problem, considering there are over 35,000 people here. In retrospect, I do not think traffic is a huge issue or eyesore, considering the surrounding area and the mess that is the Beltway.
Also, like I said before, I think that the best idea, if they don't run it right through campus, is to keep it close to campus, maybe near Knox or Route One, and forget the four stops on campus. Kids can walk. Or take the existing free buses.
I believe a route outside of campus would be most beneficial, but it seems the Campus Drive route has already been decided on. Construction will be horribly inconvenient, but the aesthetic value of the campus once the line is completed could be possibly improved with the proposed tramway...in a San Francisco/Amsterdam way.
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