Greg Sanders

Victory! Maryland will be able to pay for the transportation we sorely need

It's official, the transportation funding package passed the Senate without amendment and so will go on to the governor to sign. There's no referendum process on budget bills, so the funding, absolutely essential if we're to build the Purple Line, as well as any number of other vital projects, is there.

Thank you so much to everyone that submitted petitions and emails to their legislators as well as to my relentless fellow volunteers. Virginia may have helped inspired the leadership, but we were there to follow through and let the legislators know that there are people in the state that care about our transportation problems enough to do something about it.

You (Marylanders) can help Get Maryland Moving

Our state's transportation trust fund will be bankrupt in 2017 unless more revenue comes in. As you might guess that would prevent projects like the DC Area Purple Line or Baltimore's Redline and would leave the Washington area stuck in the country's worst congestion. I won't sugar coat it, fixing this requires more revenue and the revenue on offer is a gas tax hike. Fortunately, it's a smart one, it indexes the tax to inflation and partially moves to a percentage rather than a flat basis. It's true that the gas tax is regressive, but the mass transit it funds is highly progressive. Going carless or ditching a clunker can save $7,500 a year according to AAA. Moreover, the increase needs to make up for the fact that the tax has been flat since the early nineties and on a per driven mile basis would still be notably low.

If you want to get the Purple Line, if you want to give Marylanders options other than being stuck in traffic, if you want the economic benefits from connecting our communities and the social benefits of giving people more time with their families, than please go to the Get Maryland Moving website  and email your State Senator!  We've managed to get the bill through the House, and tomorrow it goes before the Senate. If it passes unamend, than it goes straight to the governor, if there's amendments, we need extra petition signers all the more.

So please, contact your State Senator and tell them to Get Maryland Moving!

2013-03-17 Transiting through Frankfurt

Landing in a March snowstorm can always be a bit surprising if you aren't paying attention to the weather or the under plane video. I was in the aisle of the absolute last row, due to my last minute ticket purchase. This meant I actually felt a blast of fresh cold air when the flight attendant opened the back door of the plane a few times to consult with the ground crew.

I've been through Frankfurt airport once before that I remember, on a trip to or from Afghanistan for work. Its standout trait was the distance one had to travel to get from one terminal to another. That was true today as well as I schlepped from terminal Z to C which included a train ride that felt like it covered 20% of the distance at most. It feels like a more modern version of Midway's old layout, only more so. I suppose this is what comes of being a Lufthansa hub though the feeling of distance is likely magnified by similar looking corridors rather than grand halls. There's also always something dispiriting about the revelation that one will have to go through security a second time, but that's perhaps inevitable when one's final destination is Tel Aviv.

Cleverly, airport employees actually have Access to bicycles. I wonder if I'll ever see an airport with a bikeshare program or the like. Frankfurt could certainly use it. That said, endearingly T-Mobile does offer 30 minutes of free wifi, a fine trick for weaseling your way into my affections.

As I wait for my next bordering, I'm mostly left with regret that I didn't travel much with Guy. We did all go out to Monterey together, but via separate means. His expertise in Complexity and years in Europe would no doubt leave him with any number of insights into the design and function of a behemoth like Frankfurt terminal. There wasn't a single clear opportunity I missed, but I can't help but feel I've made a profound mistake somewhere in that I am only traveling to my friend's homeland after I can no longer enjoy his company on the journey.