Detailed Responses - County Council District 3

Question 1

Do you support the Locally Preferred Alternative selected by Gov. O'Malley for the Purple Line, including an at-grade light rail line with a trail alongside it on the Georgetown Branch right of way between Bethesda and Silver Spring?

Phil Andrews (D) Yes.

Incumbent voting record Jan. 27, 2009 vote to recommend at-grade light rail - Andrews voted yes.

 

Question 2

Which is a higher priority: maintaining Ride-On Service or building the $80 million parking garage in Bethesda?

Phil Andrews (D) Maintaining Ride-On service, with the proviso that bus routes that are lightly used should not be exempt from being scaled back, eliminated or replaced with a more cost-effective alternative.

Incumbent voting record Feb. 9, 2010 vote to preserve Ride-On service, using cable TV funds to cancel proposed bus cuts - Andrews voted no.

 

Question 3

Do you approve or disapprove of County traffic engineers' current policy of giving equal priority on the road to autos that carry a few people and buses that carry many people?

Phil Andrews (D) I disapprove. Since the success of a bus system depends on reasonable reliability of arrival and travel times, I support modifying the transportation network to give priority to buses. There are various ways to do this. Ocean City, Maryland, for example, restricts the right lane to buses, other than for turning traffic, on the Coastal Highway.

 

Question 4

Should any money be spent on increasing highway capacity associated with the Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan before a light rail Corridor Cities Transitway from Shady Grove to Clarksburg is fully funded for construction?

Phil Andrews (D) I support bus rapid transit rather than light rail for the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT). It would cost nearly $500 million less, provide sufficient capacity, and have similar operating costs and quality of service. The CCT should be built no later than highway capacity improvements are built.

 

Question 5

Should approval of Transit-Oriented Development near Metro stations be tied to the movement of cars?

Phil Andrews (D) No, unless the amount of new development proposed near a Metro station would cause unacceptable traffic congestion in areas adjacent to the area nearest to the Metro station. Drivers need to be able to either get through or around Metro Station areas in a reasonable period of time.