Most of my neighbors are furious about all the development along Route 1. Their biggest concern is the amount of traffic that all that development is going to bring. They do have a point. I'm hoping that Metro and the county bus system heavy up their service along Route 1. If not, traffic will become even more of a nightmare.
Being an urbanist, albeit from a conservative point of view, I'm enjoying watching all the construction along US1, and what it brings to the table: Whole Foods anyone? Trader Joe's? How about Lidl? (yes, the pun was intended). I also like the fact that more housing is being built. Unfortunately, if it's not unaffordable student housing, it's still unaffordable housing, at least for the lower-middle and middle-middle classes, who used to make up the bulk of the residents of College Park. It's changing the dynamic of the whole city.
There was always the town versus gown thing going on, but as the working class old timers have either died or moved out, a lot of the new kids on the block are college-degreed professionals, so there is a lot less of that now. Even though most of them own cars, they support having more public transportation; residents of College Park can also use the UMD Shuttle buses, with a free bus pass you can get at City Hall.
Prince George's County is finally starting to urbanize. I'm all for it. One group of people that the bicycle crowd seems to forget, but also benefits immensely from urbanization: senior citizens. That's me. I like being able to walk up to a little store on the corner. I like taking the bus, since I get to ride it for $1, for free on the county buses, and I ride for half-price on Metro. For me a car is a necessary convenience. I'd like for it to become more unnecessary. Seeing all those buildings going up along Route 1 from the DC line to past the Beltway makes the urbanist in me smile with approval.
Most of my neighbors are furious about all the development along Route 1. Their biggest concern is the amount of traffic that all that development is going to bring. They do have a point. I'm hoping that Metro and the county bus system heavy up their service along Route 1. If not, traffic will become even more of a nightmare.
Being an urbanist, albeit from a conservative point of view, I'm enjoying watching all the construction along US1, and what it brings to the table: Whole Foods anyone? Trader Joe's? How about Lidl? (yes, the pun was intended). I also like the fact that more housing is being built. Unfortunately, if it's not unaffordable student housing, it's still unaffordable housing, at least for the lower-middle and middle-middle classes, who used to make up the bulk of the residents of College Park. It's changing the dynamic of the whole city.
There was always the town versus gown thing going on, but as the working class old timers have either died or moved out, a lot of the new kids on the block are college-degreed professionals, so there is a lot less of that now. Even though most of them own cars, they support having more public transportation; residents of College Park can also use the UMD Shuttle buses, with a free bus pass you can get at City Hall.
Prince George's County is finally starting to urbanize. I'm all for it. One group of people that the bicycle crowd seems to forget, but also benefits immensely from urbanization: senior citizens. That's me. I like being able to walk up to a little store on the corner. I like taking the bus, since I get to ride it for $1, for free on the county buses, and I ride for half-price on Metro. For me a car is a necessary convenience. I'd like for it to become more unnecessary. Seeing all those buildings going up along Route 1 from the DC line to past the Beltway makes the urbanist in me smile with approval.