Forest Drive Commuter Shuttle?

Imagine a world in which commuters who live along the Forest Drive corridor could take the bus into Washington D.C. without ever having to get into their cars. Could it happen? Yes. Whether or not it does depends in part on whether there is enough interest to warrant a Forest Drive Commuter Shuttle.

The problem

Traffic moves at a snail's pace on Forest Drive and Aris T. Allen Boulevard during the morning and evening commutes. Commuters lament that it takes longer to drive from their houses to Route 50 every morning than it does to reach Washington D.C. once they're on Route 50.

The Maryland Transit Administration runs two popular commuter bus routes from Annapolis to the New Carrollton Metro station (Route 921) and into D.C. (Route 922). These routes pick up and drop off passengers at the Navy Stadium, at a few stops along West Street and at the Harry S. Truman Park-and-Ride off Riva Road. It is a convenient service for people who live in town.

The problem is that commuters who live along Forest Drive have to first get in their cars to reach the Park-and-Ride. And once someone drives down Forest Drive, it's usually easier to just keep driving into D.C. than to park and wait for the commuter bus.

A solution?

A possible remedy is a Forest Drive Commuter Shuttle. Its route would be a straight shot along Bay Ridge Road and Forest Drive to the Truman Park-and-Ride. It would stop at one or two intercept lots to pick up passengers. By offering commuters an alternative to battling Forest Drive traffic, it could encourage more bus ridership and take a few more cars off the road.

Where would the intercept lots be? One could be at Peninsula Park on Bay Ridge Road. It is ideally located near a dozen neighborhoods from Arundel on the Bay to Annapolis Roads. It's so convenient that people could bike there instead of drive. If a suitable location were found, another lot could be farther up Forest Drive near Spa Road or Hilltop Lane.

Would a Commuter Shuttle cure gridlock on Forest Drive? Of course not. But it would make a big difference for those who used the service. Imagine, leaving your house in the morning and taking the bus all the way into Washington D.C. without ever getting into your car.

Is there interest?

Right now this is just an idea. It is unclear if, when or how it might become a reality. The first step is to determine if there is enough interest to pursue this further. Please contact me with your input. I especially encourage feedback from people who live along the Forest Drive corridor and commute into D.C.

Annapolis Neck Zoning, at last

On March 5th, County Executive John Leopold and I introduced the long-awaited Annapolis Neck comprehensive zoning bill (Bill No. 13-07). This bill implements the zoning changes recommended by the 2003 Annapolis Neck Small Area Plan (ANSAP).

One of my first priorities after last Fall's election was to work with the Administration to get this bill introduced. Its zoning changes will help protect the character of the peninsula (Read today's story in The Capital.)

A Long Time Coming

This bill completes a process that spans three county administrations. In 1998 then-County Executive John Gary supplemented the countywide General Development Plan (GDP) with a localized planning process based on 16 geographic areas. The Annapolis Neck area was among the first round of Small Area Plans to get started.

The County Council adopted the Plan on March 17th, 2003. Adoption was the first step to formalize the Plan's recommendations. The next step was to implement the zoning changes. That's what this bill does.

What's in the Bill

The bill downzones five areas on the Annapolis Neck Peninsula:

• The most substantive change downzones 604 acres that extend into the South River south of Forest Drive. This land comprises much of the Childs Point, Melvin/Ferry Point and Persimmon Point peninsulas. Their current zoning is either R1 or R2 which allow 1 or 2 houses per acre, respectively. The bill downzones these peninsulas to RLD which is a more rural designation of 1 house per 5 acres.
  
  This downzoning protects about 20 vacant lots on these environmentally sensitive peninsulas from being developed. About 40 lots on these peninsulas are currently vacant, of which about 20 are already restricted by Critical Areas regulations. This zoning bill prevents development on the remaining lots.



• Two of the changes downzone a total of 18.2 acres along MD 665 at the interchange with MD 2.
  Current zoning: C4 and R15
  Proposed zoning: R2 and C3



• The remaining two changes are considered housekeeping and downzone to Open Space all 336 acres of Quiet Waters Park and a small 3.5 acre parcel next to Peninsula Park.
  Current zoning: R1 and R2
  Proposed zoning: OS

What's not in the Bill

The process has taken such a long time that some of the Plan's recommendations no longer apply. For example, the Plan recommended downzoning property next to the Cape St. John community off Riva Road. That property has since been subdivided under the current, higher-density zoning, so that change is not in this bill.

The bill also makes no changes to the Parole Growth Management Area (PGMA). The PGMA is a separate planning area within the Annapolis Neck that encompasses hundreds of acres of land. Parole's current zoning reflects the last adopted Parole plan from 1994, the Parole Urban Design Concept Plan.

In 1999 the County appointed a committee to revise Parole's zoning. The committee produced a report in 2003 titled Parole by Design but it was never adopted. Bill 13-07 maintains the 1994 zoning currently on the books.

The 2003 Parole Plan needs to be revived, but not at the cost of delaying the Annapolis Neck zoning bill even longer. The Administration and I are moving forward with this bill with an understanding that Parole will be revisited soon after the next GDP process.

Next Steps

Citizens can request zoning amendments for any property within the planning area. Amendments must be requested in writing by Monday, March 19th. Forms are available online.

The County Council's public hearing is set for Tuesday, April 3rd at 7 p.m. The public is encouraged to testify or contact the councilmembers in writing.

When the ANSAP process began in 1999, the county imposed a moratorium on any rezonings in the planning area. It was intended to be temporary but has remained in effect because the process has taken so long. As with the other Small Area Plans, the moratorium will expire once the council adopts the rezoning.

The council is expected to vote on the bill in late April or May. The zoning changes will take effect 45 days after the council adopts the bill.

More Resources

Maps

• Map showing all zoning changes


• Map showing peninsula zoning changes

Table of zoning changes

2003 Annapolis Neck Small Area Plan

1994 Parole Urban Design Master Plan

Description of zoning districts

Map of all 16 Small Planning Areas

Zoning amendment request form

Blog makes news

The Capital ran a recent story about this blog being a first for a county politician. While the medium may be new, the practice of keeping consituents informed has been around a long time. Councilwoman Cathy Vitale has written a monthly column for the Severna Park Voice newspaper. Several local pols have also contributed pieces to neighborhood newsletters.

The blog may be newsworthy today, but in just a few years' time it will probably be amusing to think back on the time that a blog was something special.

Growth Task Force a good first step; now we need a Growth Boundary

For too long, the City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have lacked a coordinated effort to manage growth and traffic on the Annapolis Neck Peninsula. The city's recently appointed Growth Task Force may signify the start of a more productive approach.

Mayor Ellen Moyer, County Executive John Leopold and I have all appointed members to this committee (Read the recent Baltimore Sun article about the committee's formation). This three-way participation is important for two reasons.

First, the committee needs buy-in from both the City and the County for its recommendations to have much of a chance. A committee appointed solely by one would be unlikely to carry much weight with the other. Because the County and City both had a role in appointing the Growth Task Force, they both have a vested interest in seeing that its recommendations reach fruition.

The second reason is symbolic but no less important. After many years of minimal city/county cooperation, this joint effort sends a strong signal of change. The mayor and county executive, working together, are the only ones who can set the tone. To that end, both Mayor Moyer and County Executive Leopold deserve credit for starting off on the right foot.

This joint appointment of the members is a good first step. The recently-announced appointment of city and county staff support is also positive. But the commitee has a long and difficult road ahead. For one thing, neither the city nor county has a long-term vision for the city's boundaries. Should the city continue to annex land or not? If so, where and under what conditions? No consensus has ever been reached about a long-term city growth boundary.

Need for a Growth Boundary

During my five years on the Annapolis City Council I was often frustrated by the piecemeal approach toward annexation. In the absence of a long-term growth plan, individual annexations were shaping our destiny for us. Each annexation became the proverbial tail wagging the dog.

The city administration supported each annexation request for several valid reasons: to maintain a robust tax base; to provide for efficient delivery of services; and to control the development of land right on its borders.

Non-city residents angrily opposed the annexations for equally valid reasons: concern about more traffic when Forest Drive was already over capacity; concern about the environmental impact of losing more land to development; and fear that the city would impose its urban vision of development on their suburban neighborhoods.

The one thing people on both sides of the debate agreed on was the need for a clear plan to govern annexations. Everyone agreed that the existing piecemeal approach made no sense.

Now is the time to do it. The Growth Task Force is the first body in years with the stature and political buy-in to pursue this goal.

Easier Said Than Done

Despite the need for an urban growth boundary, and despite the widespread agreement that we need one, there is a reason why we don't have one yet: talking specifics is a lot harder than talking in generalities. In other words, it's fine to talk about a growth boundary just so long as that boundary is nowhere near me.

I do not have a specific proposal to offer, but such a plan should not be the brainchild of one politician. It requires public input and serious discussion among stakeholders to find common ground between the city's and county's general development plans.

This is where the Growth Task Force comes in. It is comprised of both city and non-city residents. It enjoys the support of political leaders without the baggage of being perceived as "political." It has a unique opportunity to chart a new course for our future.

As difficult as this goal may be to achieve, we need to try. Otherwise we are willingly condemning ourselves to more of the status quo: an adversarial situation in which pro-annexation forces and anti-annexation forces, like two opposing armies, hunker down in their trenches and fight fiercely over a few acres of ground -- well-intentioned people expending tremendous amounts of time and energy fighting each other instead of working together in support of a shared plan.

Fortunately, we know that this goal is achievable. Other jurisdictions around the country have done it. Our neighbor Baltimore County has done it with its long-standing URDL (Urban Rural Demarcation Line). Granted, Baltimore County has no municipalities, but it faces the same development pressures we do.

If Baltimore County can do it, why can't we? It's time for us to try.

Welcome

Good communication makes for good government. This belief is what motivates this weblog.

The Cohen Bulletin is an online service for the Sixth District of Anne Arundel County. Its purpose is to inform people about legislation, where I stand on certain issues, and why. I hope it contributes to a positive discussion about the policies and politics that shape our county.

Please contact me with your feedback and tell me how I can better represent you on the County Council. Thanks for visiting.

- Josh