Fisher, et. al. on the Purple Line/CCT Georgetown Branch

Marc Fisher writes more about the Purple Line debate. I agree with his conclusion

The trail is unique, precious and popular. The need for transit is palpable and using the trail's route makes the most sense.

The greater good lies in sharing the trail between transit and pedestrians. The greater joy lies in leaving the trail as an oasis of green. The alternative routes, by skirting major population and work centers, simply don't provide as great a service. There is no good answer; the least-bad solution is to build the light rail line along the trail route, creating as much buffer space as possible between pedestrians and trains and hoping that over time, the green and the Purple will survive a marriage of convenience.

It disturbs me, though, that the guy who said this

First of all, this is 2009 and biking or walking to work is not a valid option. Only the idiots advocate this approach.

and I are on the same side.
DCist weighs in with the same opinion as Fisher, even if fellow Longhorn Kriston Capps seem to want to talk about the present CCT and not the future CCT, and has some incorrect facts.

Note that the trail is already located alongside a trains[sic] track, albeit an inactive one.

Comments

[silverspringtrails]

I also agree with Marc Fisher's conclusion, but it bothers me that he presents Pam Browning as the principal spokesperson for "pro-trail advocates" and does not even mention the very different position of CCCT, WABA, or MoBike. The Washington Post continues to not look beyond a few NIMBY's in Chevy Chase when they try to cover this complex transit/trail compatibility issue.

[kenf]

"The trail is unique, precious and popular." So are a lot of other trails in the area, and the Anacostia trail system is sadly underused.

Do we need a trail for bicycle commuting between Silver Spring, Chevy Chase and Bethesda? Absolutely, but it doesn't need the trappings of precious and unique.

Do we need decent rail transit between PG county, Silver Spring and Bethesda? Again absolutely, and we need it more than we need another precious and unique recreational trail where people can walk down the middle, iPod in ear oblivious to the world.
BTW-When I lived in Chicago, one of my all time favorate places to bike and run was the Green Bay trail on the suburban North Shore. It, a former interurban line, was right along side an active commuter rail line, and it did just fine for everybody without benefit of any kind of buffering, save a fence.

[Jim]

I'm of the opinion that every effort made to alleviate suburban congestion is a tacit approval of sprawl, and as such, is ultimately self-defeating. The rail may be needed, but that doesn't mean its the right thing to do, nor does its construction promote the best overall development philosophy for the greater Washington area. We should stop destroying treasured and healthy public spaces while urban centers go underutilized. Until DC has been fully built-out and populated, tax dollars should not be spent nor domain exercised in an effort to make suburban life more tolerable. Don't take away from those who live a sustainable lifestyle to give to those who shun it.

[washcycle]

Are Bethesda and Silver Spring "suburban" or are they more urban? I honestly don't have an opinion on that.
I would say that not EVERY effort to alleviate suburban congestion is an approval of sprawl. If a suburb is trying to be more urban and dense isn't that the rejection of sprawl? And isn't that what the purple facilitates? I do have an opinion on that.
If your final point is that DC should be top priority for transit then, as a new member of DC's landed gentry, I agree. The divided Blue line is a higher priority IMO. Still I don't think we should foster a spirit of warfare between suburbs and city.