Federal $ for Springfield commuter lot

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   I was looking through the "pork" book that CAGW puts out and I noticed that there was $1 million appropriated for a commuter lot in Springfield.  Does anyone know what lot that is for?

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Wagonman Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wagonman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Federal $ for Springfield commuter lot Posted: 06 Apr 2006 at 2:38pm
	I was looking through the "pork" book that CAGW puts out and I noticed that there was $1 million appropriated for a commuter lot in Springfield. Does anyone know what lot that is for?

Wagonman Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wagonman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2006 at 2:44pm
	I found it on the Vdot web site. Looks like it is for a lot on Backlick Rd. under the Franconia-Springfield parkway. 273 spaces.

sluDgE Members Profile Find Members Posts Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluDgE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2006 at 5:39pm
	Hope it will get more use than the one we taxpayers spent about the same money on at Gambrill Rd and Fairfax Parkway. That lot is never more than 25% full, and none of the attempted slug lines starts have worked there either. [:(]

DaVetsAtHome Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote DaVetsAtHome Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Apr 2006 at 8:34am
	I hope that you have more luck than we have had with the 234 lot. The State (Virginia) has set aside $5.8M to expand the 234 lot. However, the local supervisor, caddigan, is dead set against the expansion -- it butts up against propoerty that she wants to convert to a condo project. So, despite over a year of effort by commuters to have more parking, the project has gone nowhere. You can call caddigan at 703 792 4645 and ask her what's going on. See what third person evasive bs answer you get.

Wagonman Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wagonman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Apr 2006 at 3:01pm
	quote: Originally posted by sluDgE [br]Hope it will get more use than the one we taxpayers spent about the same money on at Gambrill Rd and Fairfax Parkway. That lot is never more than 25% full, and none of the attempted slug lines starts have worked there either. [:(] I really think one of the necessary parts of starting up slugging is a reliable backup like a bus route. Right now, the Fairfax Connector is so screwed up I wouldn't want to have that as plan B. I tried to use the bus everyday, but it has been so inconsistent and off schedule that I couldn't bear it. It really is sad. Bus service can't be done half-"blank"ed, either you have a service people can rely on so they'll use it, or you just don't bother spending tax money on it. Doing something in between just wastes money and adds to congestion with empty buses driving around. I've complained to "the powers that be" in Fairfax but they just don't get it. You think any of them use the bus?

dickboyd Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote dickboyd Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Apr 2006 at 7:38pm
	quote: Originally posted by Wagonman [br] quote: Originally posted by sluDgE [br]Hope it will get more use than the one we taxpayers spent about the same money on at Gambrill Rd and Fairfax Parkway. That lot is never more than 25% full, and none of the attempted slug lines starts have worked there either. [:(] I really think one of the necessary parts of starting up slugging is a reliable backup like a bus route. Right now, the Fairfax Connector is so screwed up I wouldn't want to have that as plan B. I tried to use the bus everyday, but it has been so inconsistent and off schedule that I couldn't bear it. It really is sad. Bus service can't be done half-"blank"ed, either you have a service people can rely on so they'll use it, or you just don't bother spending tax money on it. Doing something in between just wastes money and adds to congestion with empty buses driving around. I've complained to "the powers that be" in Fairfax but they just don't get it. You think any of them use the bus? Yes, I agree. For slugging to work, there has to be a plan B. But I would ask you to wash your mouth out with soap for suggesting that buses would be first choice as a backup. I suspect you are talking about Dottie Cousineau as a "powers that be"? Or Sharon (VRE) Bulova? The guaranteed ride home program might work if it wasn't used as a promotion for starting new bus lines. Do any of them use the bus? You bet, every day. But not as you might think. Buses are like the carload of sardines that salesmen use to make a living by buying and reselling. One day a buyer decided to taste the sardines. Yuck, these taste horrible! The response was that these sardines were for selling, not for eating. Buses are for show and to get tax money, not for riding. Does anyone other than Mason students or METRO transfers ride the Fairfax Connector? dickboyd@aol.com