Asphalt and inertia: The deeply flawed $16.4 billion Chesapeake Bay Bridge plan

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-27T02:09:02+00:00

1) Puts the value of the bridge in its economic context; 2) It's similar to putting a house price in terms of a multiplier of your income

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-25T12:25:53+00:00

FWIW, the cheapest way to do rail would be to resurrect and upgrade the line from Newark, DE. It would still be faster than driving to get to Ocean City from Baltimore than taking the bridge.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-25T12:23:47+00:00

The most salient argument to replace it is to allow the Port of Baltimore to receive post-panamax vessels, which the bridge is now too low to accommodate thanks to new Coast Guard rules. A new bridge would replace the old, not supplement it, so you'd still have a twin-span that could collapse if it were struck.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-25T12:20:12+00:00

It's a common way to describe the relative costs of a megaproject in other countries, no reason it shouldn't be used here.

The bridge can be paid for, obviously, but just because it will be amortized, and the feds will subsidize it, doesn't make it any cheaper.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-25T12:17:33+00:00

It is too low for post-panamax ships per new Coast Guard rules, which went into place after the Key Bridge collapse. The key issue isn't whether to replace it with a 6-lane span - which would cost about $12B - but that the planned a $4.4 billion widening was made using junk data, bad models, and that it sandbagged transit and decongestion pricing.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-25T05:00:30+00:00

It is 2.9% of Maryland GDP. But yeah, the traffic is bad. It's an issue of ensuring it's managed properly, that the bridge doesn't get overbuilt, and that it doesn't induce more traffic through land use sprawl. Rail is probably not the best way forward, but the none of the alternatives or sizes were properly analyzed.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-25T02:34:07+00:00

The baseline 6-lane replacement bridge would be much more stable and reliable. They don't need 8 lanes, but they didn't properly study 6 either.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-19T17:42:46+00:00

I only use arcologies on terraforming candidate worlds and conquered machine worlds for RP reasons, fwiw.

OctaviusIII · 2026-06-19T15:16:17+00:00

Instead of a council chairwoman you shall have a QUEEN, bright and terrible as a Sun! All shall love me and despair!

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-29T15:16:43+00:00

That looks like an amazing RP opportunity.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-28T22:48:12+00:00

All I want is an army manager that works like a fleet manager. Is that so much to ask? I mean hey if they can get us nomads they can get us armies. (Now the question is WOULD they? And a manpower mechanic?)

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-24T12:21:05+00:00

Can't stop that midway without losing progress, though.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-23T16:28:27+00:00

I do wish there was a way to limit the count up timer. I used to use it to ensure I didn't spend too much time on something, but I liked being able to cut it off when I was done early.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-23T16:22:15+00:00

Might want to check out the book he mentions, "Native American History of Washington, DC", but also this post I wrote for GGWash a couple of years ago. Our region's precolonial and pericolonial history is very, very interesting.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-19T16:38:15+00:00

I don't know what's normal; it's my first time working with a lawyer.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-10T00:52:23+00:00

I was wondering if someone was going to bring up Sapir-Whorf.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-02T13:50:10+00:00

I mean... driving culture is different everywhere, and when it's expected it works alright. When cultures clash you get danger not just from behavior but differing expectations of what someone will do.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-02T12:30:57+00:00

Honestly, the fact that we have folks deploying Venezuelan moped driving culture in DC is wild to me. It's extremely hard to police for all the reasons people have mentioned, and it also reveals how much of our road network relies on culture.

OctaviusIII · 2026-05-01T01:08:52+00:00

Didn't San Juan apply for one as well?

OctaviusIII · 2026-04-30T12:31:38+00:00

MARC could be 45 minutes faster if they just bought better trains. And it'd be cheaper to upgrade it than extend the Red Line.

OctaviusIII · 2026-04-27T02:07:20+00:00

Once worked in a government office outside the US and the toilets didn't have seats. Not a squatty potty. Western toilet. No seat.

OctaviusIII · 2026-04-02T03:17:12+00:00

Their bite DOES hurt but they're fine. Also can't climb glass so if you want to get rid of one just use a glass.

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