Archive: September 2006
Impasse in Virginia
I suppose it was too much to expect that the Virginia General Assembly could accomplish something for the state's travelers in a few days that it couldn't achieve in six months this year. Today's Post story by Amy Gardner and Tim Craig describes a pattern of failure for which Virginians should hold state leaders accountable. The latest is that the legislators failed to reach agreement on any substantial plan to improve Virginia's transportation system and went home. Hope they traveled off-peak. Letter writers to the Dr. Gridlock column who want to talk about transportation issues in Northern Virginia often fall into one of two categories: They look to their fellow motorists or passengers to solve problems, or they look to government to solve problems. They can both be right. Getting around this region would be a lot more sane if people would show more commonsense and courtesy. But all the...
By Robert Thomson | September 29, 2006; 9:28 AM ET | Comments (9)
Progress on Several Roadways
Several road improvement projects are being completed this month, one in the area of the Wilson Bridge project and the other in the District: -- The Wilson Bridge Project reports that South Washington Street will permanently return to four traffic lanes from South Street through the Washington Street Beltway overpass as early as Monday. This should improve travel for commuters who have seen the construction work in the area for three years. South Washington Street has been reduced from four to three travel lanes to accommodate construction of a new Beltway overpass. Now that work on the overpass is in its final phase, the long term lane restrictions are no longer necessary, project officials say. The new deck for the overpass should be done by mid-2007. -- The District Department of Transportation announced the completion of the Southern Avenue Bridge at Naylor Road , running over Suitland Parkway. The $8.9...
By Robert Thomson | September 28, 2006; 8:43 AM ET | Email a Comment
Triple Header Sunday
This Sunday will be quite a day in Washington sports, and perhaps also in Washington traffic. The Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes in an exhibition hockey game at 1 p.m. at the Verizon Center. The Nationals end the 2006 baseball season with a game against the New York Mets at 1 p.m. at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.The Redskins host the Jacksonville Jaguars at FedEx Field at 4:15 p.m. Metro expects crowds in the rail system throughout the afternoon, especially during the middle part of the day, as the 1 p.m. events conclude and people go to the 4:15 p.m. Redskins game. (Maybe a double-header for some?) The Blue and Orange lines are likely to be particularly crowded. Weekend track maintenance could also be a factor....
By Robert Thomson | September 27, 2006; 6:15 AM ET | Comments (1)
Upcoming Meetings on Road and Transit Issues
Those of you who either drive the Whitehurst Freeway in the District or are affected by its presence in your neighborhood should be interested in the District Department of Transportation's plan to hold public meetings tonight and Wednesday night on the study into whether the Whitehurst should be taken down. Tonight's session is at Francis Jr. High School, 2425 N St. NW, in the Dupont Circle area. Wednesday's is at St. John's Georgetown Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW in Georgetown. Both sessions are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can find a lot of information about the study on the DDOT Web site. I've heard from some commuters who are very upset about the possibility of removing the freeway. For transit riders, there's a town hall meeting Wednesday night in the District moderated by Metro Board Chairman Gladys Mack and Riders Advisory Council Chairman Dennis Jaffe. Tell them...
By Robert Thomson | September 26, 2006; 2:34 PM ET | Comments (8)
Traffic Still Snarled on GW Parkway Northbound
George Washington Parkway was closed northbound at Spout Run. A car went over the guard rail and then down an embankment, according to Maptuit. The left lane is now getting by. Also, E Gude Drive at Crabbs Branch Way is blocked between Route 355 and Dover Road. Crabbs Branch is blocked at Redland Rd. A reconstruction crew is there, investigating an accident involving a pedestrian....
By Sheryl Silverman | September 26, 2006; 7:59 AM ET | Email a Comment
Metrobus Changes Take Effect
Today is the day most Metrobus riders will feel the impact of the extensive changes service that affect lines in the District, Maryland and Virginia. Some riders will benefit from more extensive service, while others will be looking for alternative routes to work. For example, the 5B will no longer run between Tysons Corner and L'Enfant Plaza, but the 5A between the District and Dulles Airport will run more frequently. A complete list of the changes is available on Metro's Web site. While Metro analyzed the ridership on the lines where it added or subtracted service, calculating the alternatives for passengers who lost buses was not part of the equation. The riders of the 5B, for example, have no transit alternative that's as good as what they lost. If they stick with transit, they'll probably be taking the 28T bus for a dollar fare to the West Falls Church Metro...
By Robert Thomson | September 25, 2006; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
September Shock, Or Not?
Back in August, I asked commuters to share their concerns and warnings about September Shock, the annual rude awakening that occurs when we rediscover how crowded the Washington area is. Daniel Korn wrote to me and offered his multi-faceted commute as one measure of September Shock and promised to get back to me this month and describe his experience. Here's what he said: "While I've commuted in the DC area for the last 12 years, until recently, I drove from Montgomery County to Columbia/Baltimore, essentially opposite traffic. Two months ago, I began commuting from my house in Potomac downtown to 19th and E. Since I've only ever known summer commuting into the city, I might be in for a real shock after Labor Day! "My commute looks like this: 1. 15 minute, 7 mile drive to Grosvenor Metro, starting around 7:30 or 7:45. I get on 270 at Montrose, either...
By Robert Thomson | September 22, 2006; 6:14 AM ET | Comments (20)
Officials Promise Change at Lincoln Memorial
The District Department of Transportation and the National Park Service told me Thursday that they were working on improving the traffic flow through the Lincoln Memorial circle. The morning traffic backups across the Memorial Bridge into Virginia have generated many complaints from motorists. On Monday: Two new sets of lights back up traffic at circle. (Robert Thomson) Both agencies said they understand the concerns expressed by commuters over the new traffic lights. DDOT spokesman Erik Linden said the lights were modified today with the intent of getting more cars through the circle while still protecting pedestrians. Both he and Bill Line, spokesman for the National Park Service, said their agencies would continue to monitor the traffic situation and would make further adjustments if warranted. Line said the park service would work with the park police to enforce the time limits on tour buses that discharge and pickup passengers in the...
By Robert Thomson | September 21, 2006; 5:44 PM ET | Comments (15)
The Fadeaway of the 5B
Just got back from a round trip this morning on the 5B Metrobus, which is among those that will be discontinued as of Sunday. I was curious about this route in particular, because it provides a rare transit link between two urban centers: Washington and Tysons Corner. Yet Metro says the ridership is so low that the resources should be diverted to enhance other bus routes that are more crowded. The thing that intrigues me is, Why wasn't this route more popular? I boarded at L'Enfant Plaza at 7 a.m. The bus is well-designed, with upholstered double seats on each side of the aisle, an overhead rack to support bags and briefcases, reading lamps -- more like an airport shuttle to the rent-a-car center than a city bus. There were about a dozen passengers with me for the trip, stopping only in Rosslyn before the drop-offs and pickups at the...
By Robert Thomson | September 21, 2006; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Metro Discusses Bus Service Changes
I talked with Jim Hughes, Metro's chief operating officer for operations support, about the two issues bus riders have been raising concerning the many service changes that take effect on Sunday: They didn't know about them and they don't like them. He doesn't dispute what some people have been saying about getting caught by surprise, but Hughes and other Metro officials note that this is the end of a lengthy process that involved public hearings about the schedule changes and approval by the Metro board as part of the budget that took effect in July. He said the transit authority intended to have notices posted in all buses and brochures available to riders, but acknowledges that this might not have been completely successful. Notices also were posted in the bus garages to alert drivers and other transit employees. Here's a link to the brochure that describes the impact of all...
By Robert Thomson | September 21, 2006; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Why Metro Escalator Fix Takes So Long?
I got a question during Monday's Live Online discussion about the status of the escalator rehab at Rockville Metro station. The length of time it takes to repair the escalators is one of the longstanding gripes we have about the system. This is the comment, in part: "At the beginning of May, the escalators at the Rockville Metro station were shut down for rehabilitation. Fine. Here's the rub. May, June and July were taken up for the rehab of the first escalator. Now the second one is scheduled for completion at the end of October. We will have been without a functioning escalator for six months at that point." "Does six months seem reasonable, and is this the norm? sheesh" Candace Smith, a spokeswoman for Metro, got back me about that project. Here's what she said: "The Rockville escalators should be back in service in October. Normally it takes about...
By Robert Thomson | September 20, 2006; 1:29 PM ET | Comments (10)
Concern about Metrobus Changes
I'm hearing from some Metrobus riders who didn't realize that their last commuter trips on those lines will occur Friday. Metro is making many changes in routes throughout the region, effective on Sunday. These are the changes that Lena Sun, The Post reporter who covers Metro, wrote about in February. This was the first paragraph of Lena's story: "Metro officials proposed a major overhaul of the region's bus system yesterday, scrapping service on routes with few riders, reducing crowding on heavily traveled routes and skipping some stops to speed trips along certain congested corridors." Metro has a list of the affected lines on its Web site, along with a copy of the brochure that outlines the specific changes on each route. Some are gaining service while others are either losing service or being discontinued altogether. The riders I've heard from are upset not only about losing their routes but about...
By Robert Thomson | September 20, 2006; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Lincoln Memorial Traffic: There's Your Problem
I went back down to the Lincoln Memorial on Monday afternoon, because some of you advised me that the traffic on this major commuter route could be a bad scene in the p.m. as well as in the a.m. You were right. Four buses parked on Bacon Drive at 5:22 p.m. Monday.(Robert Thomson) Bacon Drive heading toward the Memorial Bridge was a snaggle Monday afternoon. Those Virginia-bound commuters I saw making the turn from Constitution Avenue onto Bacon between 4:45 and 5:30 p.m. thought there were two travel lanes ahead, but they eventually saw those big ole tour buses parked in the right lane. Then they had to squeeze over to the left. Drivers were being pretty polite about letting them in. But the merge to a single lane on Bacon Drive helped back up traffic on Constitution. Now, there are several signs along that right lane declaring in red...
By Robert Thomson | September 19, 2006; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (31)
Creative Solutions Still Possible?
As usual, I didn't get to all the good questions and comments that came in during the Live Online today. I'll try to answer some of those questions here on Get There throughout the week. But I thought you might like to chew on this Live Online comment and question that I didn't have time to post earlier: Ashburn, Va.: It seems that everybody agrees that D.C. has a traffic problem, and everybody agrees that it's getting worse. But nobody agrees about the best way to solve it. Are any politicians pushing out-of-the-box approaches to solving the traffic problems? What if the region invested in high-speed Internet to every home (the way the government helped land-line telephone adoption). Wouldn't that be worth is if it could remove 15-30 percent of the vehicles off the road? How about investing in remote tele-working facilities in the outlying counties? So Prince William County...
By Robert Thomson | September 18, 2006; 2:39 PM ET | Comments (9)
Commuter Complaints About Lincoln Memorial Turn
I went down to the Lincoln Memorial this morning to check on the many complaints I've been getting about the new lights at the memorial circle and 23rd Street. These affect inbound commuters as they come across the Memorial Bridge from Virginia and either head up 23rd Street or travel along Bacon Drive to Constitution Avenue. Lights for left and straight at 23rd Street and Lincoln Memorial circle. (Robert Thomson) Here's one sample complaint from a reader in Alexandria: "I commute from Alexandria to NW DC each day for work and am speechless about the change in traffic pattern from Memorial bridge around the Lincoln Memorial, toward Constitution Ave. "They have added 2 new stoplights and changed the traffic flow to be even worse than it was." Here's the set up: As drivers come across the bridge from Virginia, they go about a quarter of the way around the circle,...
By Robert Thomson | September 18, 2006; 10:59 AM ET | Comments (10)
Live Online Monday
Join me Monday at 1 p.m. for a Live Online discussion of traffic and transit issues. You can submit questions and comments anytime by clicking on that link. During last week's discussion, a reader asked about a Dr. Gridlock column item about the District's new law, now undergoing routine congressional review, that will authorize police to recognize out of state handicapped tags for parking in D.C. spaces for the disabled. The reader wanted to know what Metro's policy was at its parking facilities, and I said I would check. Metro says it does recognize handicapped tags, whether they are local or not....
By Robert Thomson | September 17, 2006; 11:02 AM ET | Email a Comment
Metro Emergency Drill Sunday Morning
Metro and many emergency service departments plan to conduct a training drill Sunday morning from 8 to 10:30 between the Foggy Bottom-GWU and Rosslyn Stations. The drill is intended to simulate a bomb explosion on a six-car train in the Potomac tunnel. The exercise will require the use of a rescue train to move people back to the Foggy Bottom Station. The Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn stations will be open for customers during this exercise, but Blue Line trains will share one track between Foggy Bottom and Arlington Cemetery stations. Orange Line trains will share one track between Foggy Bottom and Clarendonl stations. Metro says riders should add 25 minutes of extra travel time to their schedules during the drill....
By Robert Thomson | September 16, 2006; 6:01 PM ET | Email a Comment
Plan Proposed for Northern Virginia Relief
Just got back from a press conference at the Dunn Loring Metro station with some of the elected officials in Northern Virginia who have presented a plan to improve the road-transit-pedestrian-bike network in Northern Virginia. The plan, created by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, projects the region's needs to 2030 and aims to ease the intense congestion that the generation born in this decade will encounter as it enters the working life. The plan identifies a total of $16 billion in what it considers unmet transportation needs, but the leaders supporting it are not proposing a specific method of raising the money. Their goal is to win the backing of the Virginia General Assembly, the stumbling block for any plan for the future of Northern Virginia's transportation network. The NVTA chairman, David Snyder, and Gerry Connolly, who is a member of the authority, each pointed to a set of maps...
By Robert Thomson | September 15, 2006; 11:31 AM ET | Comments (5)
I-66 Widening on Track
Motorists who have been monitoring the progress of the expansion work on I-66 expansion from Manassas to Gainesville keep asking when it will be completed. Ryan Hall, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, told me that it is on track to finish on time, at the end of October, and you can expect to see construction start in spring 2007 on the next phase of the widening, from the Route 234 Bypass to Route 29 in Gainesville. Two lanes will be added to I-66 in each direction, one regular and one HOV. The inside lane will be reserved for two-person carpools during peak periods. The median will be kept to accommodate barrier-separated HOV lanes or transit at some point in the future, Hall said....
By Robert Thomson | September 15, 2006; 6:19 AM ET | Comments (12)
Metro Replacing Station Speakers and Monitors
I got a question during this week's Live Online and said I'd ask Metro about it. The question went like this: Alexandria, Va.: Traveling through the Pentagon City Metro station yesterday, I noticed a series of what appear to be speaker boxes being installed at regular (10 foot) intervals along the platform. Are these part of Metro's efforts to improve communications? Will they be installed throughout the system? And most importantly, will they help to create sounds and announcements that are not only audible, but also INTELLIGIBLE? Candace Smith, a spokeswoman for Metro, said the work at Pentagon City Station is part of an $18.8 million program the transit authority announced in June 2005 to replaced the aging public address systems and closed circuit television monitors in the underground stations. It's a three-year project....
By Robert Thomson | September 14, 2006; 9:07 AM ET | Comments (18)
Va. Transportation Politics Heating Up
The primaries in DC and Maryland are wrapping up -- slowly -- but the transportation politicing in Virginia is about to enter a new phase: A special session of the Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to begin on Sept. 27 to consider proposals to improve travel conditions in the state. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority plans to hold a press conference Friday morning at the Dunn Loring Metro station in which some of the region's leaders will push for new investments in transportation services. I'm very much a supporter of upgrading the road and rail network. How could I not be after hearing the frustrations of so many VRE riders and road warriors this summer. But the choice of Dunn Loring Station for the press conference reminded me of how difficult it is to win support for new transportation programs. Back in 2002, I attended a press conference at the...
By Robert Thomson | September 13, 2006; 2:07 PM ET | Email a Comment
Wilson Bridge Construction Plan
After my Live Online session Monday, John Undeland of the Wilson Bridge Project sent me a note to correct statement about when all the work will be completed. Here's what he said: "The project is on schedule to finish in 2011, not 2012. Completion dates are as follows: -- 2008: 2nd new bridge, I-295 Interchange, MD 210 Interchange -- 2009: US Route 1 Interchange -- 2011: Telegraph Road Interchange "These are the finish dates, and parts of these large interchange projects will come on line before the end. For example, the Route 1 ramps to the bridge have been opened for some time now. " John also noted my gaffe in refering to them as "intersections," rather than interchanges. That made them sound smaller than the mammoth works they are. But he also was thinking of the technical points: "Interchange" connotes grade-separated confluence of roads as opposed to "intersections," which...
By Robert Thomson | September 13, 2006; 1:35 PM ET | Email a Comment
Advice on Beltway Bottlenecks
I got a letter about Beltway traffic this morning that I thought I'd share with the group, because I love the idea the writer speaks of: A map that would show where the typical tie-ups occur. What would you want to color in on such a map? In the morning, there's the outer loop from about Greenbelt around to Georgia Avenue. That's a splotch I'd color in. Also, the outer loop in the morning around Tysons. In the afternoon, there's the inner loop in Maryland from the Legion Bridge through the I-270 split and the outer loop from the Telegraph Road area to the Wilson Bridge. What am I forgetting? To answer her specific question about the trip to the Eastern Shore, I'll warn her that backups can occur anywhere for a variety of reasons, but that she's likely to encounter delays on either loop of the Beltway at some...
By Robert Thomson | September 12, 2006; 1:42 PM ET | Comments (16)
Right Lane Remains Closed on Md. Inner Loop
The right lane remains closed on the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway in Bethesda between Georgia and Connecticut avenues after a tractor-trailer overturned on the highway. The lane is expected to stay closed through the morning rush hour. Inner Loop delays begin before Old Georgetown Rd. Outer Loop delays begin at I-95 College Park. -- Wire and Staff Reports...
By Sheryl Silverman | September 12, 2006; 7:25 AM ET | Email a Comment
Crash Closes Inner Loop Lanes
A crash has closed most of the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway in Bethesda between Georgia and Connecticut avenues. Traffic is backed up in the area after a tractor-trailer overturned on the highway. Debris is spilled across several lanes, and police are directing traffic to pass slowly on the two left lanes. Drivers are being urged to avoid the area while the cleanup continues. -- Wire and Staff reports...
By Sheryl Silverman | September 12, 2006; 6:41 AM ET | Comments (1)
Gridlock Gets Worse
Okay folks. it's really bad now. Commuters apparently heeded the traffic gurus' suggestion to leave early and now there is about an eight-mile backup to Springfield for those approaching the Wilson Bridge. Traffic is also heavy in Eisenhower Avenue as people bail out and try to avoid the Beltway. Heading into Maryland, delays now extend from the exit for the Dulles Toll Road all the way around to Landover....
By Steven Ginsberg | September 11, 2006; 5:40 PM ET | Comments (1)
Gridiron Gridlock
It's getting pretty bad out there for anyone heading to the Redskins game, or for people just trying to take the Beltway home. Heavy delays are already reported on the Beltway traveling from Virginia to Maryland on the outer loop. The delays begin before Van Dorn Street. On the Outer Loop, traveling across the American Legion bridge to Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and Landover, the traffic is heavy and especially slow as you approach the exits for FedEx Field. Metro says it is running normally on the Blue and Orange lines, with ridership at 4:30 p.m. at about 421,000, before the rush-hour crunch really begins. There are also a bunch of people stuck on the George Washington Parkway, where a lane has been closed all day because of a truck accident this morning....
By Steven Ginsberg | September 11, 2006; 4:48 PM ET | Email a Comment
Tunnel Talk
We had a good discussion the Live Online session this afternoon, but as usual, I couldn't get to many of the questions that came in. Some people have very specific questions and I just don't know the answers off the top of my head. There were some questions and comments about the rail to Dulles project, stimulated by the decision last week to abandon the idea of building a tunnel through Tysons Corner and instead construct an elevated railway. One person asked me about the schedule for construction following that decision, so I checked with Post staff writer Alec MacGillis, who's been all over this story. He said the ground breaking, which initially will mean moving utilities and some other work that's not very dramatic, is now scheduled for late next year. It has been pushed back partly because of the now-concluded tunnel debate. Under the current schedule, the rail...
By Robert Thomson | September 11, 2006; 2:50 PM ET | Comments (9)
Don't Be a Victim of Bad Planning
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on transportation issues during a Live Online discussion at 1 p.m. today. We might spend some time talking about transportation politics. In Maryland and the District, tomorrow is primary day, the decisive voting in many local contests because of the overwhelmingly Democratic registration in some areas. During the past month, I've gotten many questions and comments regarding the Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince George's counties and about pedestrian and traffic safety everywhere. Virginians won't vote until the general election in November, but we did have a big political decision last week on transportation: Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) decided he could not back a proposed rail tunnel through Tysons Corner because the federal government probably woudn't agree to pay part of the project's cost if the tunnel was chosen. So instead, the new Tysons Metrorail line will be elevated. That was hardly...
By Robert Thomson | September 11, 2006; 8:51 AM ET | Comments (6)
Football at FedEx Monday Night
The Redskins will play the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night at FedExField in their regular season opener. Game time is 7 p.m. Metro has advice for fans on getting to the game, but I'd also like to hear from people who have driven to FedEx. What special challenges arise from a night game on a weekday? Is getting to the opening game the most difficult event of the season, because a certain percentage of fans are new to that trip? And has anyone who has traveled by transit encountered difficulties with the service, particularly after the game? Here's what Metro advises: -- Monday evening's rush hour is likely to be extra crowded because of the game. The subway system will remain open till 1 a.m. After the game, Metro will have up to 14 additional trains available on the Blue and Orange lines to ease congestion at the stations near...
By Robert Thomson | September 8, 2006; 10:09 AM ET | Comments (8)
Transit Advisory for Immigration Rally
Metro is tailoring this afternoon's service to accommodate the immigrant rights advocates participating in a 4 p.m. rally on the Mall as well as commuters. Rush hour service will begin an hour early, at 2 p.m. and continue as needed according to ridership demands, the transit authority says. The peak fares will be in effect for the usual period of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. All trains will be six cars. Metro staffers will be available to provide information at the high-volume stations and parking facilities. To limit the backups that occur at the fare machines during such events, Metro staffers will be out selling fare cards at some of the end of the line stations and also at the stations near the Mall after the rally ends. The parking facilities probably will be crowded at odd times today because of the rally. Metro suggests that riders avoid taking routes...
By Robert Thomson | September 7, 2006; 5:30 AM ET | Comments (18)
Help Plan a Long Commute
Just got back from a two-week vacation and found a letter from a worried mom whose daughter is beginning a commute from Herndon to Hyattsville. I'll tell her what I found by doing the directions on Google, Mapquest and Streets & Trips. But I thought I'd also ask the group for advice on routes and timing. So please send me your suggestions. Here's her letter: "My daughter will be doing a field placement in Hyattsville, MD [Beltway exit #29 E, then University Blvd. to Sargent Road] We live in Herndon, VA, three miles from the entrance to the Dulles Toll Road at Reston Parkway. I am at a loss as to what time she should be leaving here to arrive in Hyattsville by 8 A.M. Some friends have said she will be going against the traffic. She will leave her job at 4 P.M. That could be a tough trip...
By Robert Thomson | September 6, 2006; 11:24 AM ET | Comments (14)
Storm Causes Traffic Delays, Congestion
Today's rain has caused congestion across the region. As the storm continues to pound the area, more delays and closings are expected. "If you need to cross the Bay Bridge, do it now," Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) said in a statement. "Because of the winds associated with this particular storm, they will rise very rapidly, and we may have to close the bridges quickly." For regular updates on traffic around the area, please check the traffic page. Metrorail currently has no weather-related delays. But on its Web site they urge riders to check back regularly. Posted by Sheryl Silverman, washingtonpost.com...
By Sheryl Silverman | September 1, 2006; 11:39 AM ET | Comments (6)
