What kind of effect will the purple line have on campus traffic?As most UMD students know, Campus Drive is the main road on campus. The construction of the purple line on Campus Drive will force Campus Drive traffic onto alternate routes, which could potentially be disastrous. Also, campus drive serves as a main hub for both the UMD shuttle buses and the Metrobus - where will these stops be relocated to if a light-rail is built, and will this further inconvenience students?
Some people subscribe to the logic that the purple line will decrease campus traffic because off-campus students can simply take the purple line straight to Campus Drive and would therefore be less likely to drive. However, I don't believe that the purple line will have any positive effect on campus traffic. Students will most likely still prefer to drive directly onto campus than walk or drive to the nearest metro station, wait for the purple metro, and pay metro fees daily. What would you rather do? As Andrew Ortuzar pointed out in my interview with him, "People love to drive."
2 comments:
I think that the Purple Line is a little too hopeful of an idea. While it does sound as if it has the potential to be an efficient and cost-effective way to get around campus and the area, the students are the one's who will make it so, and I think that will take alot of time, effort, and promotion. While I don't drive, I'm going to make the assumption that many students who do drive will continue to do so, but be upset and pissed that they have to take alternative routes. It's unfortunately much easier to get in your car and have that liberty than to wait for a train, deal with the ticket process, spend money, and eventually get to campus. Also, while campus is large its not THAT large, and I think its kind of pointless to have so many stops on campus. No one is going to get on at Stamp and get off somewhere else on campus. I think it would be more effective for the Purple Line to run NEAR campus, maybe somewhere down on Route One and then continue its proposed route to Bethesda. That is the only true benefit to the Purple Line - quicker access to Bethesda. I think that those commuters might take advantage of the Purple Line the most. Otherwise, I think it will just create even more traffic and chaos on campus than usual.
The metro system is currently pretty inconvenient. My friend who lives in Bethesda drives to class because the metro would take longer. If you give them a direct route (like the purple line) and show people that public transportation is faster than driving, then I think more people will use it.
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