MARC officials recognize need for more parking at Aberdeen!

Heather Campbell, a staffer in US Sen. Ben Cardin's office, was kind enough to point out that in a September 2007 plan MARC announced plans to expand parking at Aberdeen!

It's in something called the "MARC Growth & Investment Plan." On Page 12 of the plan, MARC lists a hosts of things "to be initiated or completed within 9 months." "Initiated or completed"???? That means they are giving themselves so much wiggle room that they will be considered successful if they just "initiate" something within 9 months. Nothing has to actually be achieved within that time - or any time! Think about using this kind of language in your own life: "Honey, I will initiate or complete the window washing within 9 months." Or maybe, "Boss, I will initiate or complete that report within 9 months." Tell us how the divorce and job search work out!

Well, I guess we should be grateful that MARC wants to at least "initiate" many of the following good ideas at some point in the future: (The Aberdeen project is the last on the list.)

"Add one PM peak train on Penn Line
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Add late evening train on Penn Line
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Initiate weekend service on Penn Line
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Add mid-day train on Camden Line
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Purchase additional seating capacity on Amtrak off-peak trains for MARC passengers
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Passenger information systems – fast track existing program to upgrade P.A. system and signage
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Aesthetic improvements at stations
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Replace seats in MARC bi-level coaches
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Washington Union Station improvements
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Enhancements to MARC Tracker and customer e-mail systems
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On-line Trip Planner
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On-board Wi-Fi
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Initiate acquisition of new environmentally-friendly diesel locomotives
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Complete parking expansion at Point of Rocks, Brunswick; initiate Aberdeen."


Here's the link to the full report: http://www.mtamaryland.com/marc%20plan%20full.pdf

Thanks again to Sen. Cardin's staff.
I've changed the settings so anyone can post a comment here. Or just email your comments to aberdeenparking@gmail.com

Sen. Nancy Jacobs wants to help!

Sen. Nancy Jacobs's aide says she would like to help. She wants to hear ideas for solutions.
Please post your ideas here as a comment, or email them to aberdeenparking@gmail.com

Harford County officials are considering solutions!

Hi. I emailed County Executive David Craig about the article in the Havre De Grace Record and the need for more parking. Within a few minutes, he emailed me back and asked if there was a day he could visit the station to talk with the commuters. Anyone who wants to suggest a day/time should post a comment here or email it to aberdeenparking@gmail.com.

Here's how Craig responded to my email:

"We have been actively seeking a new site for the train station which also means working with State transportation officials and those on APG. We need a station that can also handle a reverse commute—people coming into the county to work at APG. The main sites at which we are looking are located near Rt 715."

I replied via email that we also needed a short-term solution to the parking crunch. In addition, I noted that the vast majority of the signers of the petition lived in the north, which meant any move south would worsen, not improve, road congestion, air pollution, etc. Given the geography of the signers, I said that if a move was necessary, it looked like it would be optimal to move the station north to, say, Havre De Grace. Although, I added, it might be most cost effective to keep the station where it is and either build more parking or create a train-timed shuttlebus system so that residents of Bel Air and Havre De Grace wouldn't have to drive.

Here's his reply:
"The actual move would only be 1.2 miles. When I was mayor of Havre de Grace a study was conducted about having a train station there. The alignment of the tracks and the fact that trains would back up on the bridge approach were two factors against it. There was actually no real spot that was usable until you got so far south of Havre de Grace that you would be within a mile of Aberdeen’s station. We are also working on a real mass transit intra county system of buses.

When I campaigned for county executive in 2006 we visited the two sites in Harford County during the morning commute it appeared that a large number were from outside Maryland. I do not doubt that people will use the service. When we expanded the parking lot at Edgewood and doubled the number of spaces they were filled in a day."

FRONT PAGE STORY IN THIS WEEK'S HAVRE DE GRACE RECORD!

Hi. Check out this week's Havre De Grace Record for an excellent story about the parking problems in Aberdeen. By the way, it's been a week since I mailed the letters to the mayor of Aberdeen and the Governor of Maryland, and there's been absolutely no response from them yet!

Is it time to put more pressure on other officials? Any ideas?

Post your comments here or email them to aberdeenparking@gmail.com.

76 signatures and counting!

76 commuters have now signed the petition asking for a resolution to the parking problems at the Aberdeen, MD train station!

39 train commuters – a whopping 51 percent of this informal survey - say the parking shortage has or will cause them to drive to work, rather than take the train. Four others said the parking problems might cause them to drive in the future.

At least 55 signers, an overwhelming 72 percent, want the city of Aberdeen to only ticket vehicles that are truly blocking somebody. By the way, Aberdeen officials, that includes at least 20 of the 21 Aberdeen residents signing the petition. YOUR VOTERS ARE CALLING ON YOU TO REIN IN OVEREAGER TICKET WRITERS!

Elected officials: these are your voters and constituents!

Geographical breakdown:

Aberdeen, MD - 21 residents

Abingdon, MD – 3

Bear, DE - 2

Bel Air – 7

Cherry Hill, NJ – 1

Churchville, MD – 2

Edgewater, MD – 1

Edgewood, MD – 1

Elkton, MD – 6

Fallston, MD – 1

Havre de Grace, MD -16

Lancaster, PA - 1

Northeast, MD – 1

Oxford, PA - 1

Perryman, MD – 1

Perryville, MD – 8

Port Deposit, MD – 1

Rising Sun, MD -1

No hometown given - 1

The Havre de Grace Record

Reporter Amber Woods would love to hear your views on the parking situation: awoods@theaegis.com
Kim

Letters mailed to Mayor, Governor and Havre De Grace Record

Hi. This weekend, I posted letters outlining the parking problem and a list of all the signers' names, hometown and comments (without including email addresses) to Mayor Bennett of Aberdeen, Gov. O'Malley and the Havre de Grace Record. If you have any other ideas of people or organizations we ought to send it to, post them here as comments or email them to aberdeenparking@gmail.com.
Thanks!

68 SIGNATURES AND COUNTING!

68 commuters who take trains from Aberdeen say there is a dire shortage of parking near the train stations that needs to be solved immediately!


THE PARKING SHORTAGE IS COSTING MARC AND AMTRAK CUSTOMERS, WORSENING ROAD TRAFFIC, CONTRIBUTING TO AIR POLLUTION AND INCREASING OUR RELIANCE ON ARAB OIL!

32 train commuters – a whopping 47 percent of those who have been surveyed so far - say the parking shortage has already caused, or will in the future cause them to drive to work, rather than take the train. Three others said the parking problems might cause them to drive in the future. That means that unless the parking crunch is fixed, dozens more commuters will be unnecessarily buying gas, clogging up the roads and spewing hydrocarbons.

ABERDEEN VOTERS CALL UPON THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO STOP THE UNNECESSARY AND PUNITIVE TICKETING PRACTICES AROUND THE TRAIN STATION!

At least 53 signers, an overwhelming 78 percent, want the city of Aberdeen to only ticket vehicles that are truly blocking somebody. By the way, Aberdeen officials, that includes at least 20 of the 21 Aberdeen residents signing the petition. YOUR VOTERS ARE CALLING ON YOU TO REIN IN OVEREAGER TICKET WRITERS!

Elected officials take note! These are your voters and constituents!

Geographical breakdown:

Aberdeen, MD - 21 residents

Abingdon, MD – 3

Bear, DE - 2

Bel Air, MD – 6

Cherry Hill, NJ – 1

Churchville, MD – 1

Edgewater, MD - 1

Elkton, MD – 6

Fallston, MD – 1

Havre de Grace, MD -12

Lancaster, PA - 1

Northeast, MD – 1

Oxford, PA - 1

Perryman, MD – 1

Perryville, MD – 8

Port Deposit, MD – 1

Rising Sun, MD -1

51 signatures and counting!

51 Aberdeen train commuters have now signed a petition calling for more parking near the train station.

THE PARKING SHORTAGE IS COSTING MARC AND AMTRAK CUSTOMERS AND WORSENING GLOBAL WARMING:
21 commuters – a whopping 41 percent - say the parking shortage has or will cause them to drive to work, rather than take the train. Another 3 commuters said it could do so in the future. That means the parking shortage is costing MARC and AMTRAK money and customers, contributing to air pollution, worsening road congestion and raising our trade deficit as those folks now have to buy imported gasoline rather than ride the train.

ABERDEEN VOTERS CALL UPON THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO REIN IN OVERZEALOUS TICKET-WRITERS AND TOW TRUCK DRIVERS!
At least 41 commuters, or 80 percent of those surveyed so far, want the city of Aberdeen to only ticket vehicles that are truly blocking somebody. By the way, Aberdeen officials, that includes EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE ABERDEEN RESIDENTS SIGNING THE PETITION. YOUR VOTERS ARE CALLING ON YOU TO REIN IN OVEREAGER TICKET WRITERS!

ELECTED OFFICIALS TAKE NOTE: THESE ARE YOUR VOTERS AND CONSTITUENTS!

Geographical breakdown of the commuters who have signed the petition so far:

Aberdeen, MD - 16 residents

Abingdon, MD – 2

Bear, DE - 2

Bel Air, MD – 6

Churchville, MD – 1

Edgewater, MD - 1

Elkton, MD – 6

Fallston, MD – 1

Havre de Grace, MD – 9

Northeast, MD – 1

Perryman, MD – 1

Perryville, MD – 4

Port Deposit, MD - 1

Want your voice to be heard? Post a comment here, or email your name, hometown and comments to aberdeenparking@gmail.com.

23 signatures and counting!

23 train riders have signed the petition asking for more parking at the Aberdeen train station so far.

THE PARKING SHORTAGE HURTS AMTRAK, MARC, DRIVERS AND ALL LIVING CREATURES
5 of those riders - a hefty 22 percent of this admittedly tiny sample - said the parking shortage had already or would soon cause them to drive instead of taking the train. So the parking shortage is going to reduce train ridership, worsen road congestion, contribute to more air pollution and exacerbate our trade deficit!


ABERDEEN CITIZENS CALL UPON THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO REIN IN OVERZEALOUS POLICE OFFICERS!
18 of the signers said they also wanted the city of Aberdeen to stop ticketing and towing cars that may be parked outside of official spaces, but aren't really blocking anybody. Note to Aberdeen elected officials: ALL of the Aberdeen residents who've signed the petition so far want you, their elected officials, to stop the police's punitive, yet lucrative, ticketing and towing enforcement at the train parking areas. One rider, who happens to be a lawyer, objected to this request, noting that we are a nation of laws, and it is and should be illegal to speed, for example, whether or not anybody else is on the road. Fair point. Isn't it great that we can debate these issues in our open society? So how about the city of Aberdeen restripes the parking areas around the station to maximize parking spaces?

Who are our signers so far?
7 residents of Aberdeen
2 residents of Abingdon
1 resident of Bear, Del.
2 residents of Bel Air
1 resident of Churchville
1 resident of Elkton
7 residents of Havre de Grace
2 residents of Perryville

Would you like to add your name and voice to this list? Post a comment here, or email your name, hometown and comments to aberdeenparking@gmail.com

If you don't have a GMail account

Just email your comments to aberdeenparking@gmail.com. I'll post whatever you want to say. Even if you don't want it posted publicly, please at least email your hometown and your opinions about the need for more parking, and what should be done about ticketing so that we can get the elected officials in your area to pressure for a solution to our problems.

Stop the unnecessary ticketing and towing!

Hi. Commenter Tommy points out one improvement change that can and should be made immediately. The Aberdeen Police should STOP ticketing and towing cars that aren't actually blocking or bothering anybody. If a car is really in somebody's way, then of course they should be penalized and removed. But drivers who have just had to invent their own parking places because of the worsening space shortage should be left alone. Aberdeen should not be balancing its city budget on the backs of train commuters!

Reminder to all commenters: If you don't want to publish your name and address on this blog, at least email them to aberdeenparking@gmail.com so that we can show our elected officials how many of their voters are being affected by this problem. Those of you who remember the stink we had to raise to get to ride the Amtrak trains will remember we only got action after showing elected officials in Cecil and Harford counties, in Annapolis, and in Washington the names and addresses of hundreds of angry train-riding voters.

More parking needed at Aberdeen train station

Hi. I'm starting this blog as an online petition to collect signatures to persuade the city of Aberdeen, the county of Harford, the state of Maryland and the managers of Amtrak and MARC that there is a desperate need for more parking spaces at the Aberdeen, MD, train station. If you agree, please use the comments function to post your ideas and experiences, your name, hometown, and as much other identifying information as you feel comfortable sharing. If you don't want to have your name or email address published, but feel that more parking is needed, email your information to aberdeenparking@gmail.com. I'll keep the information solely for uses of showing the strength of demand for improvements to the powers that be. At the very least, express your opinion on the poll below!
Thanks!
Kim