Catholic University of America and
Masonic Eastern Star
in Blocking PEPCO-B&O Washington, D.C. I-95
as property holders along the route
Deleted conversation from Imagine DC:---
Douglas A. Willinger said...[Dave Murphy- Imagine D.C. quote]
" Now, I'm not endorsing HOV and HOT lanes (and certainly not any new construction of such roads) as any sort of a cure for our traffic problems here in Washington. But this is a very poignant reminder of how entitled we believe are cars should be. "
[my reply]In that area?
With that giant gap in the northern radial net and the center hub?!
I do not ever see the original 1955-59 system being built for good reason - aka footprint. Why clear cut trees and or houses when there is a 250 foot wide power line, a rr industrial corridor and a 147 foot wide street to go beneath?
I do see a modified version of the 1971 plan somewhat with a redesigned center section (see "Trip" Nov 2007) with the northern I-95 continuation via the PEPCO route.
But only after something major politically happens about what runs that area (aka that Masonic Eastern Star property [on New Hampshire Avenue near Eastern Avenue], which I am suspicious of given the lack of anything from them about that route or the logical to me option of it as a cut and cover tunnel to preserve the property's dignity.
Likewise with CUA's apparent lack of interest in a deck along the B&O corridor. Please note the 1966 plan proposed it to run north to Taylor Street, but that is deleted by the 1971 plan.
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/05/1966-1971-covered-north-central-freeway.html
And as well that attitudes I have witnessed, aka at the end of the following article; do recall the active participation of the Jesuit Georgetown Law Center in the anti highway crusades.
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/02/sampling-of-attitudes-towards-dc-i-95.html
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/01/physical-realities-undermining-north.html
Knowing my history beyond that of the planning of the D.C. area highways, I see no reason to go along with any sort of white is black and black is white placating (as I witnessed at say college frat parties).
Dave Murphy said...Douglas,
I fail to see the relevance of this...- Douglas A. Willinger said...
You made a strict statement against any new highways in an area with huge gaps in the road network and in common sense.
I think a far better constitutional argument would be the lack of the freeways in the northern sector as placing a disproportionate amount of the traffic burden to the south east of the Anacostia River as classic environmental racism.
Of course Georgetown Law Center apparently would make the situation worse by truncating I-395 at Mass Ave, and with their unjustified influence get their way.
That our government continues with these completely unjustified strict anti freeway policies and boondoggles as street cars while pushing domestic surveillance (while ignoring civil defense) speaks volumes about its nature.- Dave Murphy said...
I made a passing opposition to new construction of HOT lanes and HOV lanes. Are you saying lack of construction of HOT lanes and HOV lanes is unconstitutional?
I fail to see how any of what you said relates to this post.- Douglas A. Willinger said...
No, rather the lack of freeways in the northern sector relative to placing the burden where it is, might be.
HOT/HOV lanes though are a good way IMHO to throttle usage, particularly with transfers to WMATA rail parking garages.
Also the tolls are good for funding the extra high dollar designs of cut and cover and drilled tunnels necessary for accommodating a high speed highway in an urban area.
If you search misc.transport.road, my late 1990s advocacy of the PEPCO-B&O route coupled it with a southbound variable rate toll at Fort Totten and rail transfer facility.
- Dave Murphy said...
In the future, I'd appreciate it if you kept the comments focused on the issues presented in the articles I post and save your crusade to have I-95 constructed through NE DC for your own website (unless, of course, it is pertinent to something written about here.) Any further such comments will be deleted.
- Douglas A. Willinger said...
The comment was relevant to this and your preceding post.
I did not see any reason to post it twice.
- Douglas A. Willinger said...
The link to my blog on your blog vanished, though I do not know why.
Masonic Eastern Star Homeon New Hampshire Avenue
between railroad and Eastern Avenue
Proposed D.C. I-95dashed lines indicating connecting segment of
PEPCO power line-B&O route
through Masonic Eastern Star property
1966 D.C. I-95 proposalwith red area of proposed air rights development
extending alongside CUA northwards to Taylor Street
1971 D.C. I-95 proposalwith proposed air rights development extending south from CUA
(leaving area alongside CUA uncovered-
hence preserving the local isolation from the east via the surface railroad)
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/05/1964-north-central-freeway-routing_08.html
http://cos-mobile.blogspot.com/2008/07/homeland-security-goal-would-be-better.html
http://cos-mobile.blogspot.com/2009/05/romish-masonic-religious-drive-against.html
--- added February 1, 2010
Note- contrast the above February 28 - March 1, 2009 conversation with that about 4 months earlier from the comments section reproduced below from my December 17, 2008 article at 'A Trip Within The Beltway' that republished and expanded upon an article by Richard Layman
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/12/under-selling-b-metropolitan-branch.html
6 comments:
- Dave Murphy said...
-
I think burying the Metropolitan Branch is a fantastic idea, and making it multi-modal would be great. But I have my typica question: where would the freeway end? I don't see it getting to the Beltway through Silver Spring, considering all the high density development along the tracks. I can't imagine they'd approve the Fort Totten Park alignment because it would still tear out a good bit of Chillum before it hits the Beltway. I certainly hope you aren't recommending another dead end freeway!
- 2:53 AM
- Douglas A. Willinger said...
-
The plan would have I-95 split from the rr as a cut and cover tunnel beneath the field of the Masonic Eastern Star Home alongside NH Avenue, displace about 27 brick houses just inside DC and then 13 strip retail properties (with a monumental traffic circle at the DC-MD line, and then some cut and cover in MD with new development atop); there is no reason to use the Fort Totten (Fort Drive) Park route with the existence of the NHA-PEPCO route.
It could and should include the Silver Spring segment, either by ripping out some of the misplaced development on the rr's eastern side, or even a segment as drilled tunnel.
It would not displace the historic Cady Lee Mansion in TP, nor the houses facing the rr along Takoma Avenue, though it would take some of the misplaced Montgomery Gardens apartment complex.
Grade requirements will require placing the heavy rr in a drilled tunnel to northwest of 16th Street, but the WMATA could stay upon the existing Georgia Avenue overpass, which could have a surface street placed on it where the heavy rr is to better connect the area locally.
Some of Cedar Crossing might have to go, along with the entire Elevation 314 building.
However a replica of the historic TP rr station could and should reappear in a new Takoma Station Town Square. - 11:47 PM
- Douglas A. Willinger said...
-
Please see:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmqBLaso6uklFbH8gB_MlvwZn31Un448Yia3Zolm7126DvcmJd70vRDGxn25SoY9HZpghUh6oKrBtxoFcuhyQrqO2iXRwGNTFfKmha9JQsiPnTbVtkjNXKM2Tig_4AAHbRkfT/s1600-h/Takoma_Station_Tunnel.JPG - 11:49 PM
- Douglas A. Willinger said...
-
The above url may not be readable; it is the illustration in this blog's post of July 2007:
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
try this blog's tag "Grand Arc Mall Tunnel"
http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/search/label/Grand%20Arc%20Mall%20Tunnel
Also see the 2 redundant tags about the B&O rr corridor. - 11:53 PM
- Dave Murphy said...
-
the PEPCO route seems to be logical, reconnecting at College Park's interchange, I presume. I also imagine it would be two lanes in each direction, and above the railroad ROWs?
I'm a huge fan of burying the Metropolitan Branch, but I have never seen any sort of an estimate for how much it would cost to do so, and what kind of service interruptions the red line, MARC, and CSX would face during reconstruction. - 2:39 AM
- Douglas A. Willinger said...
-
The rail lines would first be replaced to avoid service interruptions, before the removal of the existing rail lines and the construction of the underground highway.
- 8:24 PM
