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ArbonGenre t1_j60zen4 wrote

No, Hampden needs more frequent transit.

134

idriveahyundai t1_j610nxy wrote

I’d like to see the 21 and 94 running every 15 minutes at least, and get the light rail’s rush hour frequencies back.

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Autumn_Sweater t1_j61afl1 wrote

The Avenue should have no parking, it’d be one of the marquee streets in the whole country if people could safely walk down the middle of the street every day.

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wrongseeds t1_j61knjf wrote

The merchants don’t like that idea but I think it would be pretty cool.

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bosconet t1_j61ped1 wrote

can't comment on that but The Avenue is the street for the buses through the neighborhood and there aren't any near by parallel streets that could replace it and provide convenient transit to the area.

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moderndukes t1_j61vltv wrote

Pedestrianization doesn’t necessarily mean busses would cease to use it. Some places just will close the street to private traffic or only allow it in certain hours (such as having only certain hours for deliveries).

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fijimermaidsg t1_j64i0ye wrote

It's amazing to see how the city bus drivers make those turns within inches of parked cars... the street parking in Hampden is hazardous - it should be car free but of course not...

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pandacorn t1_j624hdl wrote

Would love it if they had a "European" street. But we aren't that creative in Baltimore.

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ElectricStar87 t1_j68l8qg wrote

Uhhh….why do people need to walk down the middle of the street? What tangible benefit is realized?

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Autumn_Sweater t1_j6bnrt2 wrote

every time streets are blocked to cars and people can walk safely between different businesses it’s like a place is transformed into a healthy public space where people enjoy spending time and not just because they have a specific reason to be there. cars plowing through the middle of it makes it dangerous and pollutes the air. on the avenue they have tried outside seating for several of the restaurants but who wants to sit there in danger of getting run over by a pickup truck or even just choking in the exhaust fumes

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abcpdo t1_j6bywe2 wrote

never been to a pedestrian plaza huh?

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ElectricStar87 t1_j6d7rft wrote

Yes, but the mere fact that pedestrian plazas exist does not automatically advocate for their presence everywhere.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j62b6zv wrote

Let's be honest: even if you take all the cars off 36th street it won't be safe.

But I still support this. At the very least having no east-west traffic. I could see cutting off Roland etc as being difficult for locals.

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sit_down_man t1_j6106f8 wrote

No, it needs a city link route. The avenue is a super popular destination. It’s insane that it’s not accessible by transit 24/7

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moderndukes t1_j61vrnz wrote

The Balt-Wash region as a whole suffers from lacking 24/7 transit in key areas.

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PrettyCello t1_j60sx43 wrote

Absolutely no and I’ll never be over that turning of the parking lot in front of Ekiben to paid parking.

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bosconet t1_j61po4x wrote

it was never a public lot....just towing wasn't enforced for so long it became a de-facto one.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j62b2a0 wrote

But it was a lot available for use of customers of several local businesses at one point.

1

okdiluted t1_j61xndc wrote

the fact that there aren't any physical machines to pay cash and the website is super broken (and i don't want to give a parking company my email???) is also the worst!! i almost got a ticket while sitting in my car and fighting with their site because they've got parking attendants who circle like sharks bc of ekiben pickups

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JBSanderson t1_j63hy16 wrote

I'm pretty sure that Avenue Kitchen and Bar owns that lot. At a minimum, they used to lease it.

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CosmicRayCharles t1_j675z19 wrote

Royal Farms owns the lot, they have signage posted all over the place.

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jfichte t1_j618hev wrote

No! bring back the cable car! build a schwebebahn over jones falls!

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Cerulean133 t1_j61pkos wrote

I was at a Hampden Community meeting where the Wine Source explained this plan. Apparently they don’t own their current parking lot, they lease it. And their lease is up and the owners won’t renew it because they have other plans. That’s why they are buying this lot and turning it into parking.

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physicallyatherapist t1_j61wic7 wrote

I feel like most people just run into wine source quickly. No one needs to park for a long time there

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HorsieJuice t1_j61y9yv wrote

You don’t have to be in there a long time for things to get pretty jammed up. The lot in front of their door has maybe 5 spots and is routinely full. The leased spaces are often near capacity at busy times.

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neutronicus t1_j63i061 wrote

Parking is definitely a painful part of a wine source trip

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YoYoMoMa t1_j63su8x wrote

And yet parking is always a bear there.

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mrcolinp t1_j63wxr6 wrote

I walk by Wine Source frequently and am constantly seeing a line of cars waiting to park in the lot while there are multiple open street parking spaces not a block away

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YoYoMoMa t1_j63xcs1 wrote

Sure but that doesn't really solve anything, right? Some people don't feel comfortable street parking. And also some people buy a ton of heavy shit from liquor stores and need/want to park close.

I am pro less parking in general, but a liquor store seems like one of the places that needs a lot of parking.

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mrcolinp t1_j63zfz0 wrote

People who don’t want to do street parking can go to one of the many liquor stores that don’t require it. They’re already in a car. For people that are willing to park on the street, Wine Source has shopping carts and helpful staff that will help you to your car. I don’t want my neighborhood to become a parking lot.

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gothaggis t1_j644ruv wrote

there are so many other options. Too heavy? Make multiple trips! I like the wine source and live far enough away that I drive. Sometimes I have to park 2 or 3 blocks away, but its never a big deal.

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YoYoMoMa t1_j646znm wrote

>People who don’t want to do street parking can go to one of the many liquor stores that don’t require it.

Yeah I would love for you to explain that to the wine source (and to the people waiting for parking).

My point is, you can wish and want all you choose, but people want to go to the wine source in a car and want to park in an accessible lot. And the store itself wants this too. Any solution is going to have to factor this in.

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mrcolinp t1_j649nng wrote

Sounds like we're talking about two different things. I'm talking about what's best for the neighborhood, and you're talking about what's actually going to happen. I agree with you that this nonsense will happen!

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YoYoMoMa t1_j64a4v5 wrote

I don't see how getting rid of the extra parking for the wine source would be good for the neighborhood. The spot right out in front of the wine source is already a cluster at busy times, and I cannot imagine the people that live around there being thrilled about losing more parking spots to non residents.

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mrcolinp t1_j64d6t2 wrote

I don't have to imagine because I am who you're speculating about--a person who couldn't live much closer to Wine Source, telling you what doesn't in fact thrill me.

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YoYoMoMa t1_j64dcyr wrote

Right. You are one person. I am asking you to for one second imagine what other people might think.

0

mrcolinp t1_j64dxll wrote

That's another thing I don't have to imagine about--I know and speak to my neighbors, and have looked around this comment section. Opinions about the idea are mixed at best.

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TerranceBaggz t1_j657gt6 wrote

Not if people show up to public meetings and zoning board hearings in numbers and oppose it.

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TerranceBaggz t1_j657by8 wrote

So a business’ wants and needs (need is a stretch here) Trump the hood of the neighborhood and city as a whole?

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YoYoMoMa t1_j65j6be wrote

Not at all. I can easily imagine that people don't want even more people taking their parking spots and jamming up traffic Trying to get to the wine source.

1

TerranceBaggz t1_j65lzyn wrote

If we want this city to stop losing residents and maybe one day thrive, we have to stop looking at transit as cars and parking. It’s really, really harmful. Plenty of people around Hamden don’t drive and don’t want space dedicated to cars going in.

1

TerranceBaggz t1_j6571kw wrote

The liquor store could spend far less money hiring young people to dolly people’s orders out To their street spot than it would cost for them to demolish a building and build a parking lot. It also wouldn’t have the huge detrimental effect on the neighborhood.

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moderndukes t1_j61w0tz wrote

Other plans as in they’re planning on building something there or what?

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Cerulean133 t1_j624gxr wrote

I’m not sure! They weren’t specific. The Bank of America on that block closed in the fall, maybe they owned it?

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CosmicRayCharles t1_j675q0k wrote

The lot is owned by Royal Farms, it's parking for their corporate HQ which is above and behind the store at the corner of Roland and 36th

1

KingBooRadley t1_j6224wz wrote

Are Wells Liquors and the Wine Source owned by the same people?

3

Shiny_Deleter t1_j62iiuv wrote

No

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KingBooRadley t1_j63caaj wrote

Interesting coincidence that it’s owned by a company called “Wells Enterprises.”

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Shiny_Deleter t1_j63z0fx wrote

It is. Wine Source (formerly Rotunda Liquors) is owned by David Wells, but Wells is owned by the Hyatts. I’ll have to ask if there’s any connection.

1

RuthBaderG t1_j61assb wrote

If you mean bike parking, yes. Not nearly enough places to lock up a bike.

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incunabula001 t1_j61ni6q wrote

TBH there are more bike lock up spots than in the past. Especially when they removed Lou Catelli's trikes from some of them...

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Timid_Teacher t1_j66uz8b wrote

Why do his trikes just sit everywhere on the Avenue anyway? Does he even live here anymore? I don’t see him anymore.

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incunabula001 t1_j6hzv7a wrote

They removed some of them, it's not as bad as it was. I believed he left his trikes on the Avenue out of a power play because he was "The Mayor of Hampden" 🙄

2

worm_odyssey t1_j6236dn wrote

No? Maybe people just don't know about the skate park, the rotunda garage, and the park side of beech st. Just walk a little bit and there are always spots lol. If anything there should be LESS parking.

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nzahn1 t1_j60ty1h wrote

Nope

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krodriquez02 t1_j63n9rb wrote

No it needs a streetcar that goes directly from Hampden to downtown. Hampden needs more bike lanes. Hampden needs to be more pedestrian friendly

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ElectricStar87 t1_j68kz5a wrote

The 94 already goes from downtown to Hampden, and there’s a dedicated bike lane running from downtown to the bottom of Hampden.

1

krodriquez02 t1_j69dw31 wrote

Streetcar, a frequent streetcar. Not an infrequent unreliable bus. Two very different things

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ElectricStar87 t1_j69wmvw wrote

To which the obvious answer is, a more frequent bus. There’s no reason to force the need for permanent rail lines onto the problem. Streetcars aren’t magic.

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krodriquez02 t1_j6amwgk wrote

I never said they were magic. They're just much much better than buses. In particular, streetcars with a dedicated right of way are incredibly fast, efficient and reliable. Much more so than a bus. We both agree transit should be better - I am saying Baltimore deserves the best. The best is not a bus.

3

ElectricStar87 t1_j6b09ks wrote

OK, but that’s not what’s implied with “streetcar”. Just say “separate, dedicated right of way rail”. At this point, we’re generally referring to that as “light rail” these days.

You’re welcome to advocate for that, but the juice really isn’t worth the squeeze. In addition to the bus and bike lane, the light rail literally already goes to Hampden from downtown. An entire ADDITIONAL single dedicated track going to Hampden that has to arrange an entirely new real estate right of way is just not reasonable. If you want to add an every 15 minute shuttle from the Woodberry light rail stop to the Avenue, that’s a more reasonable proposition.

1

old_at_heart t1_j6dk27i wrote

I thought that there already is a shuttle from Woodberry to the Avenue. No matter, hardy souls can hoof it up the steep hills. If said hardy souls are out of shape, they can start catching their breath again when they reach Falls Road.

Then they can dodge the fast-moving masses of steel to arrive at The Avenue alive.

That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

1

Hetvenfour t1_j6344h6 wrote

If I were a neighbor, I would be unhappy about how exiting traffic is directed into that narrow alley.

8

PretzelSlinger t1_j63lz5y wrote

There was a guy years ago that would stand outside wine source and harass you as you waited to park. He once he cussed at me with my 2yo in a car seat and a sweet employee came out to shoo him off.

4

mixolydienne t1_j61fjky wrote

Sigh, first the bike rack disappears, now this. Going to have to find an alternative to the Wine Source.

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laurmich13 t1_j65a2tj wrote

Nope. Needs better accessibility by public transit.

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j617jdu wrote

Are these the houses that are behind the bank/wine source/rofo lot that are going to be demolished?

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nzahn1 t1_j61jqe0 wrote

This one: https://imgur.com/a/CxvNpuJ

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j61o5b4 wrote

Ah ok. That’s what I thought. I feel like Hampden needs more housing than parking but parking is an issue because of the meters.

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KingBooRadley t1_j622pex wrote

I think the meters help the situation. People would park on the Avenue indefinitely if not for the meters.

I'd be curious to see what Hampden people have to say about the idea. I'd bet parking is probably one of the biggest drawbacks to living in that neighborhood.

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physicallyatherapist t1_j63kpm2 wrote

Parking is fine in Hampden. Just because you don't get a personal spot in front of every place you want to go doesn't mean it's bad. It's not the suburbs

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j635png wrote

FWIW I was a hampden person for about a decade. Including about half of it living right off the avenue.

The avenue parking isn’t used too often in part because there’s free neighborhood parking right off of it. Even though the meters are dirt cheap it’s an extra step. So people visiting the avenue, and especially those working on it, park in the neighborhood. Which means it’s super easy to find parking on the actual avenue and not that hard to find it off it.

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j62bhy7 wrote

Parking is super dependent on where you are. It's also so, so much worse during december because every asshat in the state has to see the miracle on 34th st lights. I've had to park by Artifact coffee to get to a friend's house on Hickory during that season. That's like half a mile away, and like a mile from 34th st. It's insane.

But a lot of spots it's basically guaranteed parking in front of your house.

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th1smustbetheplace t1_j643rbl wrote

I bought a place with a parking pad specifically because I didn't want to deal with how competitive street parking can get between Thanksgiving and New Years, but it's generally fine the rest of the year. Some of my friends who live in more residential parts of the city seem surprised when they can't find a spot directly in front of my house, but there's always something within a 2-block radius.

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KingBooRadley t1_j648hwi wrote

Home is where you want to be, but I guess you're already parked there.

0

feel-electric t1_j64ktaj wrote

I have no problems parking! And once ai get a good spot I can leave my car for days and walk to everything I need!

1

baltimoron21211 t1_j61x3ao wrote

I heard they were condemned for whatever reason and needed to be demolished either way. So the alternative would be complete rebuilds i guess.

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Lonnol78 t1_j634ipj wrote

Lived about a mile from Wine Source for a year. When I buy too much to carry home I’ve never had to park more than two blocks away.

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TerranceBaggz t1_j64rnw1 wrote

I don’t have Twitter so I can’t respond there, but that would be the opposite direction this city needs to go. We need less car dependency. We can’t even afford to keep up or rebuild the car infrastructure we have now without drastically increasing taxes. We need sustainable infrastructure that can actually cover its costs. Car-centric infrastructure never has and never will do this.

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todareistobmore t1_j62cd99 wrote

...maybe, but only in the form of garages that reduce the amount of surface parking.

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fredblockburn t1_j61peqe wrote

Everyone loves the avenue because of the businesses there. But they want to disagree with what the business owners actually want/think they need to be successful.

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AreWeCowabunga t1_j61qpaj wrote

Bow down to business, plebes!

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fredblockburn t1_j61rzfi wrote

Why else do people go to the avenue? The shops and restaurants.

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AreWeCowabunga t1_j61xol8 wrote

You realize people live in the neighborhood, right? And surely history shows the constant expansion of car infrastructure never has any unintended consequences?

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ElectricStar87 t1_j69ysbv wrote

There aren’t remotely enough people in the walkable Avenue vicinity to keep all those businesses afloat.

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Autumn_Sweater t1_j6bor3h wrote

people will come to a popular area and walk around who don’t live nearby. they don’t need to have the ability to park right in the center of it.

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ElectricStar87 t1_j6ddvr2 wrote

That’s a pretty strong claim. You may want to check with the businesses there about their agreement with that sentiment…

1

PretzelSlinger t1_j63ll24 wrote

They keep upping their prices, I have to drive there anyway so now I look for other beer stores. Used to be best prices and best selection so the line for the parking lot was suffferable. Now it’s just a cheese and bread shop to me.

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Xanny t1_j610d06 wrote

If Hampden wants more parking build a garage. And charge for it.

0

PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j62bmaz wrote

Fuck that. Who wants some eyesore blocking the sun in Hampden? There's a garage at the Rotunda. People can use that one. I don't know where else you'd even put one.

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VelvetSaunaLove t1_j61sbip wrote

Hampden is not a municipal corporation. It’s just a neighborhood.

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S-Kunst t1_j62x7au wrote

The wine store chose a building in a location which was not good for heavy traffic. This has been obvious since it opened. There are other unused or less used areas in Hampden which could be made more commercial, as was the case in the village's past. Spreading out some should be the answer, not demolition just to be in the present hot spot. Along Falls Rd, there are many junky buildings and even an empty lot which has a chain link fence around it. If Hampden were in Arlington County VA, these crappy buildings would be bought as tear-downs. I am usually never in favor of demolition as an answer, but there are many areas of the city where cheap fast commercial buildings were thrown up and were never great. Harford Rd, Belair Rd, Pulaski Highway, and Eastern Ave/Blvd are 4 such crappy looking stretches which have many junk buildings which should be thinned out.

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Timid_Teacher t1_j66v7g4 wrote

I wish they’d tear down the McDonalds on Falls Road and replace it with something beneficial. They steal credit cards and it leads to so much trash in the area. People throw entire fast food bags and food out the window on Buena Vista regularly. It makes me so angry.

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inukaglover666 t1_j646m7s wrote

We’re trying to move away from car culture for sustainability reasons I thought lmaooo

−1