PDS COMET DATA REVIEW

The Dec  2002 PDS Comet Data Review will take place at the College Park campus of the University of Maryland (UMCP), located north of the District of Columbia, just inside the Washington Beltway (Rte. 495 & 95). On Wednesday   the PDS Near Review will be meeting in the Computer and Space Sciences building in Room 2316. Following are links to information about the campus, local amenities and meeting logistics.

Meeting Logistics

• PDS COMET Data Review Agenda for Wednesday, December 4, 2002.

• The dining services on the UMCP campus are limited in the semester so lunch will be delivered on Wednesday, December 4, from the local caterer.

• Local Contacts:
  • Ed Grayzeck, CSS Room 2337D
  • Anne Raugh, CSS Room 2336
  • Mike A'Hearn, CSS Room 2337A

  • Tony Farnham, CSS Room 2352
  • Stephanie McLaughlin, CSS Room 2352

Campus & Vicinty

• The University maintains a general on-line Visitors site.

• The University's Visitors Center also has a web site.

• Here are directions to campus locally, long-distance, and from the regional airports, including links to information about taking the Metro system to campus. The Metro Green Line is now complete, so you can transfer to the Green Line at the Gallery Place station and ride directly to the College Park station.

  NOTE: The station is about a mile and a half from the Computer and Space Sciences building. There is a University SHUTTLE service that runs from the metro station to campus. University guests are welcomed to ride the University Shuttle from the College Park Metro Station. The bus stops at Lot HH directly across from the Stamp Student Union. (Walking directions)

• The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority site lists Metro rail and bus fares, schedules, maps, merchandise, gossip, etc.

• Here's a campus map. The Computer and Space Sciences building (number 224) is located in the northwest quadrant, at about E-7 in this map.

• Area Hotels

• Restaurants:  The closest off-campus restaurant is about a mile from our meeting place. Some of the campus dining facilities will not be operating during our meeting as they are closed for the summer.

Notes for Drivers

• Rush Hour: Rush hour around the Capitol Beltway (I-495 and I-95) is well underway by 6:00am and lasts until 9:30-10am. In the area of campus it affects the outer (westbound) beltway and southbound surface roads in the morning and the inner (eastbound) beltway and northbound surface roads in the evening. Evening rush begins at about 3:30-4pm and lasts until about 7pm. The suspension of classes at the University has a small positive effect on the Beltway and a large positive effect on the surface roads running past the campus.

• Traffic Reports: Radio station WTOP (a CBS affiliate all-news station) provides traffic reports for the DC, Beltway, and Northen Virginia areas every 10 minutes starting 8 minutes past the hour, 24 hours a day. They are at 1500AM, 107.7FM and http://www.wtopnews.com.

• Parking is available at the Visitor's Lot located on Paint Branch Drive. Payment is collected upon departure from the lot. There are also metered spaces in  lots DD and Q which are located on either side of the building but these spaces will be limited due to summer school and student registration.  We will have coupons for the Visitor's lot which is located on Paint Branch Drive.

  Lot DD is on the downhill (east) side of the building, with entrances on the north (back side of the building) off of Farm Drive. Lot Q is on the uphill (west) side of the building, with entrances on both Farm Drive and Stadium Drive (front of the building).

  Remember, never park at a meter unless you have a meter permit or you're prepared to deposit a quarter immediately. Never, ever park at a meter that has a red-colored top, even with a permit or change. Meters and handicapped parking restrictions are always enforced regardless of holidays, snow days or class schedules.

• Directions:
  • From the Main (Route 1) Entrance to parking lots
  • From the Stadium (University Blvd) Entrance to parking lots
  • From parking lots to  meeting rooms

• Local Roads:
  • Baltimore Ave = Baltimore Blvd = Route 1. The main entrance to campus is located at about the 7600 block of Baltimore Ave.
  • University Blvd = Greenbelt Road. It's called "University Blvd" west of Route 1 and "Greenbelt Rd" east of Route 1.

• ASCII character map of the area.