Canton's parking problems

[dogstarman]

A "real metro" is likely an unachievable dream, and still won't cover every place in the metropolitan area. Buses still have a role to play, even in places like New York City.

The thing that impressed me about Rome was that all the buses were prepaid. Each bus had three wide doors where people get get on or off. Then I came back to Baltimore as persons could only enter one at a time through the front, and then those paying cash seemed to take so long at the farebox.

The buses in Italy are like the light rail here: either pre-paid passes or you can purchase a token at several places on-board the bus.

If you get caught without a pass or token, it is a hefty fine. Seems to be practical.

[yuca]

A "real metro" is likely an unachievable dream, and still won't cover every place in the metropolitan area. Buses still have a role to play, even in places like New York City.

Unfortunately, Baltimore's layout makes it impossible.

The thing that impressed me about Rome was that all the buses were prepaid. Each bus had three wide doors where people get get on or off. Then I came back to Baltimore as persons could only enter one at a time through the front, and then those paying cash seemed to take so long at the farebox.

Every city I have visited in Europe is like that. You purchase a fare ticket whenever (and wherever) you want, then validate it on the bus. Tickets are typically good for X amount of time after initial time of validation. I think it's a very smooth process.

As for the parking situation in Canton... I can imagine how bad it has gotten. Parking in Federal Hill over the last 5 years or so has gotten a lot worse, as well. When I first moved into the neighborhood 15 years ago, Digital Harbor's parking lot was barely used at night since there was plenty of street parking around the school. Now the school's lot is literally full at night (probably close to 100 cars). It's crazy.

[Sprightly]

The buses in Italy are like the light rail here: either pre-paid passes or you can purchase a token at several places on-board the bus.

If you get caught without a pass or token, it is a hefty fine. Seems to be practical.

The fine was just recently increased. The issues with the ticket checkers are 1) a person could easily travel on a bus for months without being approached by a checker and, 2) the fact that when they do bust a passenger the money (cash only) goes into their pocket. There are no "checks and balances" in place to keep them any more honest than the passengers.

[Sprightly]

Yes, I was quite struck by the number of Smart cars in Rome. The rail system wasn't all that extensive, but the buses went all over the place.

Don't forget the number of scooters. Amazing. I have photos that I took from the apartment window of a morning and evening traffic jams. It was a highlight to witness it in the morning and evening.

[boink]

I understand that current Baltimore City code requires new residential construction to have off street parking.

With row houses/town houses that usually means a garage in the rear of the dwelling.

What happens, though, is that some residents convert the garage to a storage or living space and park their cars on the street, adding to the congestion,

[Bloomin Onion]

This is why I go to White Marsh even though Canton is slightly closer to where I live. In addition to crime and drugs, the lack of parking and overcrowding is a major negative of the city.

I don't know why the Obama and O'Malley crowd are radically trying to change America. Driving around to where you eat and shop, parking for FREE, having open space are things that should be expected in just about any American community or neighborhood. now they are trying to expand this urbanism beyond the cities into Owings Mills, Howard County, Montgomery County and PG County. Most of us don't want this.

We are not Europeans or Asians. We like our open space, white picket fences, suburban cul de sacs and small town Main Streets, driving and parking for free, paying low taxes, etc. Things are American things and set us apart from European and Asian countries. If people in London and Tokyo want to live other ways they can do it but O'Malley and Obama don't realize that is not how most Americans want to live. And they keep raising statewide taxes to help out Baltimore City.

If Baltimore City wants to build the REd Line they should raise their own local taxes to build it and not as the rest of the state for money. Baltmore City gets more money per capital from the government than anywhere else in Maryland, plus all their ridiculous parking ticket and speed cameras yet the streets are still the worst in the state with potholes and crumblign pavement everywhere, the schools are still the worst, crime is still the highest they are the best example of the liberal Democrat basket case, one of the best such examples in the entire nation. Other similar examples include Detroit, Newark, and Filthydelphia. And while liberals like to point out crime and poverty in cities in Republican states like New Orleans or Atlanta.....keep in mind the actual cities of New Orleans and Atlanta are run by liberal Democrats much like here and also share a lot of similarities like liberal judges letting people off easy and a dependency on government programs.

[Up2DaRack]

This is why I go to White Marsh even though Canton is slightly closer to where I live. In addition to crime and drugs, the lack of parking and overcrowding is a major negative of the city.

I don't know why the Obama and O'Malley crowd are radically trying to change America. Driving around to where you eat and shop, parking for FREE, having open space are things that should be expected in just about any American community or neighborhood. now they are trying to expand this urbanism beyond the cities into Owings Mills, Howard County, Montgomery County and PG County. Most of us don't want this.

We are not Europeans or Asians. We like our open space, white picket fences, suburban cul de sacs and small town Main Streets, driving and parking for free, paying low taxes, etc. Things are American things and set us apart from European and Asian countries. If people in London and Tokyo want to live other ways they can do it but O'Malley and Obama don't realize that is not how most Americans want to live. And they keep raising statewide taxes to help out Baltimore City.

If Baltimore City wants to build the REd Line they should raise their own local taxes to build it and not as the rest of the state for money. Baltmore City gets more money per capital from the government than anywhere else in Maryland, plus all their ridiculous parking ticket and speed cameras yet the streets are still the worst in the state with potholes and crumblign pavement everywhere, the schools are still the worst, crime is still the highest they are the best example of the liberal Democrat basket case, one of the best such examples in the entire nation. Other similar examples include Detroit, Newark, and Filthydelphia. And while liberals like to point out crime and poverty in cities in Republican states like New Orleans or Atlanta.....keep in mind the actual cities of New Orleans and Atlanta are run by liberal Democrats much like here and also share a lot of similarities like liberal judges letting people off easy and a dependency on government programs.

Is it your belief that if Conservative Republicans took control of Baltimore City, all of the above problems you describe in detail would disappear? How and why? Please explain.

[bmore_ken]

Is it your belief that if Conservative Republicans took control of Baltimore City, all of the above problems you describe in detail would disappear? How and why? Please explain.

HA HA, this oughta be good

[Marshan Man]

I'm disappointed BO didn't mention "illegals" in he/she/its latest rant. Glad he was able to squeeze in Obama and O'Malley though...

[Baltimatt]

I'm disappointed BO didn't mention "illegals" in he/she/its latest rant. Glad he was able to squeeze in Obama and O'Malley though...

He definitely hasn't talked much about gay marriage lately. That used to get squeezed into virtually every post. BO did manage to get a shoutout to illegal aliens on the Prince George's County murder thread.