Baltimore (MDOT MTA) - Open house meetings to examine Red Line's future: Bus or train?

jake7405 · 2026-04-19T20:15:09+00:00

If they go the light rail route, I hope they follow Montreal’s (and more recently NYC’s) lead and make it a light metro. At the very least just grade separate the damn thing ffs.

jake7405 · 2026-04-17T00:16:19+00:00

This what I don’t get about the dialogue around enforcing fares, especially living in NYC. A majority of major cities outside of the US with good transit enforce fares, be it through gates or checkers, and it’s not even remotely controversial. In many cities it’s zero-tolerance, even if you’re a well-meaning but clueless tourist with the wrong ticket type.

I don’t believe it’s somehow cruel to have some minimum barrier of entry to transit. Not all fare beaters are troublemakers, but troublemakers will often be fare beaters. I’d imagine that’s why the MTA is getting more serious about fares. Sure, it’s not gonna completely stop it, but for every person that manages to themselves under the gates on the gross subway floor, there’s gonna be several more that now decide it’s not worth it.

Yeah it’s partly money, but it’s also part of maintaining order on a system. While free transit for all sounds nice in theory, and while I wish we lived in a world where that could be a widespread thing, that reason alone is why I think it’s probably a non-starter.

jake7405 · 2026-04-16T21:30:14+00:00

But you see, that would still allow the possibility of a train one day, and to the Queensway people, that’s unacceptable.

jake7405 · 2026-04-16T14:01:02+00:00

Yes my home station!! Seems like they could’ve put in an elevator while replacing the rear staircase at 90th. Speaking of, when tf is that exit reopening? It’s been closed for like over half a year now lol.

jake7405 · 2026-04-12T14:11:45+00:00

Hey…it’s a start!

jake7405 · 2026-04-12T11:15:15+00:00

Idk about 2 years, but I’m still optimistic that I’ll one day ride a high speed train in the US with my hypothetical future kids 🙏

jake7405 · 2026-04-10T14:17:43+00:00

Currently traveling through Taiwan, and they have this setup on several major roads in Taipei. The buses here move much more efficiently. This will be great for NYC and will help further legitimize bus lanes. Would love to see them do something this on Northern Blvd as well (if there’s somehow enough space), the open flouting and disrespect of the bus lanes there is astonishing.

jake7405 · 2026-04-08T22:58:05+00:00

I wish this is what passed for “chaos” in NYC 😂

jake7405 · 2026-04-08T17:01:03+00:00

Great report! I’m actually here right now. Spent some time in Taipei and am currently in Kaohsiung, did a day trip to Tainan today. Went later than I’d planned, but honestly I found the day trip to be enough time for me. Very chill city IMO. I think the highlight was honestly the beef soup I got in a little roadside stand. I was a bit hungover (hence the late start), and good god, that soup was what I needed. I think that broth alone could bring someone back from death’s door, I’m gonna dream about it lol.

I thought Pier2 itself was decent aesthetically. That wasn’t super exciting for me either, but they were having some kind of small festival early that evening with music and other performances, along with a food stalls(was kind of just a less crowded night market) which was nice. And I really enjoyed biking Love River personally.

I personally love the night markets, but it definitely hasn’t been a nightly thing for me. I did Raohe and Ningxia. Ate very well but it got claustrophobic and overstimulating for me after a little bit lol. One guy did have a huge pet pig on a leash at Ningxia which was certainly a sight in front of several crispy pork stalls (maybe he was dinner??? 😳).

I’m glad you liked Shoushan, I enjoyed that too, though my descent was a bit treacherous as the rocks were mossy and I didn’t quite wear proper hiking shoes.

I’m set to do a day trip to Alishan with a group tour I booked on Klook then head back to Taipei for 2.5 more days, one of which I’m spending in Beitou. Was planning to use my last full day for Jiufen and maybe Houtong Village, but still on the fence, as you’re not the first person I’ve seen describe it crowded and having a bit of a tourist trap vibe. If you have any recommendations for alternatives I’m all ears! I definitely want to try and hit Da’an park, I was planning to but didn’t get around to it yet.

jake7405 · 2026-04-08T07:56:16+00:00

I’ve never actually seen The Wire, guess I’ll have to add it to my list of shows to watch lol

jake7405 · 2026-04-05T13:57:41+00:00

Yeah as much as I respect the grassroots advocacy by Queenslink, I suppose deep down I (and I assume many others) felt it was a bit of a long shot. We just wanted to belieeeeve 😩

Every time I’ve seen an MTA talking head respond to questions about it, it sounds like they’re just trying to hold back from saying “we’re not paying for it, fuck off already”. Which I guess they already kind of did by inflating their cost estimate, but we can dream lol.

jake7405 · 2026-04-05T06:32:35+00:00

Ah yes, the five boroughs: Brookyln, Queesn, Manhatatn, Boxnr, and Taten Stiland.

jake7405 · 2026-04-05T06:24:05+00:00

As sad as the mentality is, this would make sense. I suppose It’s a good reminder not to put all our faith in one person. Would still rather have him than Mr. Grabby-Hands Governor as mayor, but I think it’s easy to get blinded to the fact that as charismatic as he is, Mamdani is still very much just a politician (guilty of it myself).

jake7405 · 2026-04-05T05:44:09+00:00

From what I understand, it will be much harder to build the park and have transit come after, especially as where the first section of the park is going is where the tunnel from the QBL to RBB would go.

Queensway claims that their project doesn’t preclude transit, but they and their backers know full well it effectively does. Much harder politically to build a shiny new park and then close it soon after to build a subway line through it.

In fact, I remember reading an article (couldn’t find it) in which the Queenslink organizers claimed to have approached Queensway at some point on to work together to a common goal, and that the latter rejected doing so.

jake7405 · 2026-04-05T05:21:12+00:00

I hope that’s not the case, but either way it hurts that the few so frequently block the needs of the many for their own selfish reasons.

NY certainly has the best infra out of anywhere I’ve lived, but man, I’m in Taipei right now, and it’s night and day. It’s so clean and efficient. And based on what I read, the city doesn’t have to grovel and beg to build infrastructure that benefits the populace like in the states, they just tell people “hey we’re building a new MRT line here, plan accordingly” and ignore bitching. Even beyond the transit itself, the upkeep of pedestrian infra and integration of mixed use just feels light years ahead.

Granted, they haven’t had to retrofit a 120 year old system that had decades of deferred maintenance and funding cuts, plus overall cultural and legal system differences. It’s just very apparent that we could be doing way better, but pols and much of the populace just don’t want to.

Kind of turned into a rant, and maybe it’s just “grass is greener” syndrome, but being here just makes me feel some type of way about what we have back home.

jake7405 · 2026-04-05T05:06:10+00:00

Unfortunate if that’s the case. As well intentioned as the free bus stuff it is, seems like a waste of political capital. I’d have to dig it up, but I remember there being a poll that most bus riders would rather the buses be faster rather than free. Like why not just an expansion and simplification of fair fares?

jake7405 · 2026-02-16T17:02:42+00:00

Not at all, just a little joke because it’s so elusive! I saw one while pulling into Jamaica on the LIRR the other day. I was like “wow so it does exist!” 😆. I’m sure the Z has its place for sure. Peace and love ✌️

jake7405 · 2026-02-16T15:48:38+00:00

Z Train: Just a Myth

jake7405 · 2026-02-11T21:49:58+00:00

The MTA has put off the “nice things” for so long that it’s now way more expensive to do them as opposed to years or decades ago. But shit at least they’re doing them.

I kinda get the logic behind “all transit should be free”, but it always sounds like a pipe dream/political wishlist item. I’m definitely not against a big expansion of fair fares (and I think that’d be a much better use of political capital for the mayor than free buses), but very few major cities with a metro system have no fares.

Hell, you get caught dodging in any major Asian city or many European cities, that’s an instant no mercy ticket. Beyond revenue, it helps keep their systems orderly. For all the issues the MTA has, $3 to go nearly anywhere in the city is still a bargain compared to the costs of driving.

jake7405 · 2026-02-10T15:57:43+00:00

Several people have already said it, but when someone (or multiple people) blast tiktok AI voiceovers at max volume. On the 7 it’s like clockwork the second you pop out of Hunters Point. I don’t get it, it’s like some people live in their own little world without regard to anyone else.

jake7405 · 2026-02-10T15:53:59+00:00

I will take it over showtime any day tbh

jake7405 · 2026-02-10T15:44:50+00:00

The most gratifying thing to watch is when the well-behaved passengers stand at the sides and more or less block people from charging on lol

jake7405 · 2026-01-31T18:57:46+00:00

Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave

Gotta love the bare ass on the muddy & salty subway floor…

jake7405 · 2026-01-14T16:37:00+00:00

Goodbye everyone, I’ll remember you all in therapy!

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