Better Streets Include Transit

Dan Reed presents the case study of the Green Line following a visit to the Twin Cities as part of the Rail-volution conference in the hopes of informing planning decisions made in connection to the Purple Line near Washington D.C. The most salient lesson for planners in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, according to Reed, is how the Green Line interacts with the University of Minnesota.

"The U's cooperation with the Metropolitan Council meant that the Green Line could transform Washington Avenue from a traffic sewer to a gathering place. Today, the street feels like a natural extension of the campus. Trains run down the middle of the street, and there are shared bus and bike lanes on either side. The sidewalks are wider, and the crosswalks have special paving materials to make them more visible."

Reed's analysis includes traffic impacts, resulting development, and transit ridership, among the other effects of the Green Line.