Dresser on the ICC

[Gerald Neily]

Sun transportation columnist Michael Dresser still has no opinion on the InterCounty Connector, yay or nay, only a week before its opening between Georgia Avenue and I-270. That's what he says in his lame column today. Since he talks at length about how involved he has been in covering it over the years, I guess this proves he really doesn't have a planning bone in his body.

Here it is: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/commuting/bs-md-dresser-getting-there-0214-20110214,0,256202.story

He doesn't even mention two extremely important impacts - on SPRAWL and on STATE FINANCES.

The central problem is that proponents like the IDEA of the ICC, connecting the State's "economic engine" in the northern MontCo corridor to the state's central spine on I-95, but unfortunately, that's just a matter of putting one bad planning idea in the context of many others. The corridor from Gaithersburg to Clarksburg to Frederick is only the state's "economic engine" because of bad planning in the first place (such as the recent decision to move a huge Social Security facility there). And from a financial standpoint, people and government seem to be making decisions to grovel for federal money and because moving out there is relatively affordable and expedient. But with the huge cost of things like the ICC and MDOT's proposed I-270 widening, is it really?

So we can put the support of Dresser and others in the mainstream media (including the City Paper) for the Red Line in that context. They like the IDEA of the Red Line, but that must be put in the context of all the other bad planning that has been done by the MTA and the city - the chaotic transit route structure, the desolate Franklin-Mulberry corridor, and the city's waterfront obsession while much of the inland city continues to rot.

I specifically recall Dresser writing about how the Red Line would be good for the quality of life along Edmondson Avenue, increasing parking for example, with his column accompanied by a picture of the Red Line with no parking on Edmondson, with all the traffic attempting to squeeze into only two traffic lanes pressed against the sidewalk next to the houses. Of course, the MTA's artist conception looked "nice", but it was just the portrayal of an IDEA, not any kind of reality. 

I also recall the city DOT's Jamie Kendrick describing Dresser's column as "eloquent". What it really represented is the lack of real planning.

--

Gerald Neily

BaltimoreBrew.com

BaltimoreInnerspace.blogspot.com

[bosconet]

I'd just like to make one clarification about SSA's new facility in
Frederick County. What SSA is building there is a data center to house
(primarily) computers not people. The article I've seen on the subject
all reference approximately 250 people being employed at the facility.
They are not looking to move the large worker population now in
Woodlawn to Frederick.

Not that that really impacts your main point below.

On Feb 14, 7:54 am, Gerald Neily <geraldne...@cavtel.net> wrote:
> Sun transportation columnist Michael Dresser still has no opinion on the
> InterCounty Connector, yay or nay, only a week before its opening between
> Georgia Avenue and I-270. That's what he says in his lame column today.
> Since he talks at length about how involved he has been in covering it over
> the years, I guess this proves he really doesn't have a planning bone in his
> body.
>

> Here it is:http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/commuting/bs-md-dresser-getting-...

[Gerald Neily]

True, Bosco. A better example would have been the decades's 650% population increase in Clarksburg recently headlined in the Sun. Still, 250 new employees in a big new facility out on the virgin land is nothing to sneeze at.