Archive: April 2007
Donating Metro Farecards
Several people wrote in after seeing my Sunday column in which I mentioned that Metro is considering a plan to collect low-value Farecards for donation to charities. Readers said they knew of some local charities that collect the cards. If you are aware of any others, send a note to me at drgridlock@washpost.com and I'll wrap them into a list in an upcoming column. Dear Dr. Gridlock: Isn't there an organization that collects these cards for veterans who need to find jobs? It seems that the Post carried an article on this sometime last fall. Rita Lombard Columbia Good memory. On Nov. 22 last year, Metro columnist John Kelly wrote about Dave Mortlock of Arlington, a former Marine who helps fellow veterans get to job interviews and training courses by collecting donated Farecards and putting their value onto SmarTrip cards. He gives them to Ignatia House, a veterans assistance center...
By | April 30, 2007; 8:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
Weekend Traffic,Transit Advisories
One of the things I'm learning during this first spring since becoming "Dr. Gridlock" is how rapid and extensive is the start of the construction season on our highways and streets. Here are a few of the big ones that might affect your travel plans this weekend and into next week. Wilson Bridge This is the big one for the weekend: Saturday and Sunday, all lanes on Capital Beltway at the Route 210 interchange in Prince George's County will be closed overnight so work crews can hoist up the steel beams that will support the second half of the new overpass, which is scheduled to open this fall. The shutdown will occur from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday night and from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday night. If you have to be out in this, watch for these detours: -- I-95 North travelers will be detoured onto the...
By | April 27, 2007; 3:26 PM ET | Comments (0)
Reno Road Reopens
Complaint letters come in about some road work out of all proportion to the route's share of the region's traffic. One such commuter route is the District's Reno Road, which snakes through the western part of the city. But today is different: It's done. Road barriers were about to come down on Wednesday as work ended. (Robert Thomson) The rebuilt roadway between Nebraska Avenue and Military Road is open. "I appreciate the patience of residents and motorists during this full reconstruction," Emeka Moneme, the director of the District Department of Transportation, said in a statement. "Reno Road is open and it looks fantastic." It does look great. (Having cost $3.2 million in federal and local money.) Erik Linden, the department's spokesman, has been providing updates on progress over the months. Earlier this week, drivers who could see that the project was nearly done were getting impatient for removal of the...
By | April 27, 2007; 8:17 AM ET | Comments (0)
Bad Experience at Metro Station
For the second time this month, I've gotten complaints about how Metro communicated with customers during the evacuation of a station. I wrote about one in Sunday's Dr. Gridlock. Now, a letter writer tells me about the Monday afternoon incident at Bethesda. I'll probably respond to this letter in an upcoming newspaper column, but would like to share it with you first and hear from anyone who also experienced this situation. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I was on my way home from Metro Center on the Red Line Monday. We arrived at Bethesda at about 4:10 pm, people got off and on and then we sat for a few minutes. Out of the blue we were told that the train was going out of service and we must exit the train but another train was right behind this one. We stood on the platform for less than a minute when an...
By | April 26, 2007; 6:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
Traffic Calming Program Begins in District
Some people who care about saving lives on D.C. streets got together at Fort Reno Park this morning to launch a campaign called Pace Car. So far, they've gotten 400 drivers to sign pledges that include the following phrases: -- "I will drive within the posted speed limit on city streets." -- "I will not be pressured by others' impatience to drive above the posted speed limit." Pace Car program window decal. (WABA) If you drive in the city, you know these are bold steps. Traveling to the press conference, I took Military Road, where the speed limit is the District's standard 25 mph for neighborhood streets. It looked like half the drivers were honoring the numerous signs and sticking to the limit. So what do the pledge signers get in exchange? It's a sticker to place on the vehicle's back window, and it says, "DC Neighborhood Pace Car, 25...
By | April 25, 2007; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (0)
Paving Projects Abound
Dear Dr. Gridlock: Going north on Georgia Avenue, as you go under the Beltway, it is four lanes. Drivers in the right lane were warned after the Beltway that they would have to merge past Forest Glen Road. This past weekend, I noticed that the right lane is now expected to merge before Forest Glen Road. Is this going to be a new change? Or are things just off-kilter because of the repaving project? I have to say that forcing the merge before the Beltway and Forest Glen Road is going to make things a mess trying to get out of the Seminary Road area and north on Georgia. That fourth lane is desperately needed to accommodate the huge amount of cars coming off the Outer Loop, as well as helping to move the traffic trying to turn right on Forest Glen Road and heading to Holy Cross Hospital. Meredith...
By | April 25, 2007; 6:37 AM ET | Comments (0)
Sinkhole Forces Inner Loop Lane Closures
Emergency repairs on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway are expected to extend into the afternoon rush hour, according to officials of the Woodrow Wilson bridge project. A two-foot-square sinkhole, located near the Route 1 interchange, forced the closure of two lanes. Crews shut down the far left lane on the Maryland side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The second left lane is also closed near the Virginia shoreline. The inner loop lane closures extend past the Route 1 interchange....
By Kyle Balluck | April 24, 2007; 1:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fixing D.C. Traffic Experiment
Now that the weather has warmed, the District Department of Transportation is fixing an experiment in traffic control that didn't work out on heavily traveled Military Road NW. If you've driven Military Road at rush hour between Oregon and Nebraska avenues, you know what I mean: The narrowing to one travel lane -- an attempt to calm traffic and improve safety in the neighborhood -- was backing up commuters, sending some through neighborhood streets and others onto other routes, worsening the traffic there. The transportation department waited for consistently warm weather to put down new yellow and white lane dividers and making other adjustments. All the work is being done at off peak hours. Until it's done, which should be before 4 p.m. Wednesday, parking is restricted on the south side of Military between 27th Street and Nebraska Avenue. This is what you'll see in the final configuration, DDOT says:...
By | April 24, 2007; 6:42 AM ET | Comments (7)
When to Change Commute Route
To address a reader's concern about the intersection of Route 29 and Spring Street in downtown Silver Spring, I asked Chuck Gischlar at the Maryland State Highway Administration for some traffic stats on Route 29 usage in that area. Here's the history of average daily traffic flow on Route 29 near Spring Street: 2001 - 35,975 2002 - 37,150 2003 - 37,525 2004 - 34,375 2005 - 33,750 2006 - 33,412 Many of you know Route 29 as a busy commuter route between the Maryland suburbs and the District. Why the decline? Gischlar offered several possiblities, but I've got a theory and a question for you all. First, this is what Gischlar suggested: The Route 29 bridge deck at the Beltway was replaced during 2004 and 2005. Some of the traffic may have shifted to another route. Also, he said, some of the traffic counts are called program counts, averages...
By | April 23, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
Weekend Travel Tips -- and Beyond
The warmer weather means that the region's transportation agencies are pumping out advisories for drivers. Many projects underway this weekend could slow down your travels. Plus, there's some significant action on the roads next week. Here are some highlights. Springfield Interchange: I-395 North between the Commerce Street Bridge and the Capital Beltway will be shut from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday to allow crews to remove the northbound left shift that has been in place for more than eight months. That was for the construction of two I-395 North bridges over the Beltway's inner loop. I-395 North will be closed again from 8 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday so crews can complete other work in the area. Watch for detours. Douglass Bridge: Inbound lanes of South Capitol Street were closed at 10 a.m. Friday for bridge rehabilitation work this weekend but will reopen for the Monday morning...
By | April 20, 2007; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (4)
Beltway Accident Causes Delays Near Landover
A serious accident slows traffic on the Capitol Beltway in Prince George's County. Maptuit reports that a car ran into a tractor trailer that was parked on the shoulder of the inner loop near Arena Drive. Authorities are reconstructing the accident. All activity has been moved to the right shoulder. Inner loop delays begin at the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Traffic on the outer loop begins to slow at Allentown Road....
By Kyle Balluck | April 20, 2007; 8:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
Security Measure Changes Commute Pattern
Are any of you commuters who use Union Station experiencing what bothers this traveler? Dear Dr. Gridlock: Just when you think the congested pedestrian traffic at Union Station couldn't get any worse, Amtrak places a barrier that forces MARC passengers through Gate A (instead of detouring to the lesser used Gate G). This setup also prevents VRE commuters from getting to/from Metro without passing through Union Station (via McDonalds, the luggage carousels, and the ever-crowded and overflowing Starbucks) . This morning especially highlighted the problems with this setup as three MARC trains were discharging passengers nearly simultaneously at the same time a large group of northbound commuters were also trying to use Gate A to get to their train. It was pedestrian gridlock! MARC notices stated that this new setup was for security reasons. I fail to see how this setup improves security at all, unless Amtrak is subscribing to...
By | April 19, 2007; 10:06 AM ET | Comments (11)
Regional Board Punts on Va. Road Projects
The region's Transportation Planning Board did not feel comfortable enough with plans for the new I-95/395 carpool/toll lanes or the widening of I-66 sections westbound inside the Beltway to advance those highway projects today. On an extremely close vote, the panel finally decided to wait another month to clarify some issues concerning the safety of the projects, their impact on the environment and the protections afforded carpoolers. The 13-12 vote, on a show of hands, was so close that one member called for a weighted vote on the postponement. That complex process, involving the various jurisdictions that make up the regional panel and the populations of the jurisdictions yielded this result: 7.81 for postponement and 7.19 against. Bottom line was the same as the show of hands. The board members will review the answers that the Virginia Department of Transportation supplied to their questions about the projects, go over the...
By | April 18, 2007; 3:57 PM ET | Comments (13)
Road, Rail Projects in Pipeline
Some of the big projects and studies proposed by Maryland and Virginia are up for approval on Wednesday before the region's Transportation Planning Board. Approval for inclusion in the regional air quality conformity analysis doesn't guarantee they'll get built, but it's a necessary step in the process and a reminder for the rest of us of what's planned. Given the time lines for some of these projects, we may look forward to traveling on them in our retirement years. Take, for example, the Route 301 Waldorf Bypass, with an estimated completion date of 2030. What the board will be asked to approve on Wednesday is a study of alternatives for upgrading and widening the highway through Waldorf or building a controlled access bypass around it, or both. The cost estimate for the project, if it gets built, is listed at $2.78 billion, or about $300 million more than the intercounty...
By | April 17, 2007; 7:59 AM ET | Comments (28)
Taming Tourists: What Commuters Want
Readers often rise up when a writer begins to recite versus: Drivers vs. transit users, drivers vs. pedestrians, regular commuters vs. newbies ... That's what happened last week when I posted an item about tourist season in DC. Now that the two weeks of cherry blossom festivities and spring breaks have ended, I thought it might be time to reflect on what we've been through and what we'd prefer not to go through again. Although last week's posting wasn't focused specificially on how tourists use transit, many of the commenters were. Their anger was directed partly at the tourists and partly at Metro and other agencies. People said that when they try to guide tourists, the visitors snap at them. They think the agencies should provide more guidance and enforcement. For anyone who missed the discussion, here's what I thought were the main themes and some sample comments. Crowd Control:...
By | April 16, 2007; 7:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
Big Weekend Downtown
As you make your travel plans for the weekend, watch in for some nasty weather that will roll in on Saturday and linger through Sunday. Here are some things you should know about getting around. Cherry Blossom Parade: The two-week long festival climaxes with the parade, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at Constitution Avenue and 7th Street and heading west along Constitution to 17th Street. Road closures in the Mall area begin at 5 a.m. and the last of them, on Constitution, are scheduled to end at 6 p.m. The festival ends on Sunday. Ice Show: If you're heading for Champions on Ice at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Verizon Center downtown, you're best bet is to take Metrorail to the Gallery Place-Chinatown Station and just walk upstairs. IMF/World Bank: Because of the IMF/World Bank spring meetings in downtown Washington, the D.C. police department is closing some streets and restricting...
By | April 13, 2007; 8:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Metro Explains Rail Car Fire
Steve Feil, Metro's chief of rail operations, told the transit authority's board of directors this morning that "the system is safe to operate" following an investigation into the cause of Sunday's rail car fire. He said it a software problem aboard the train failed to prevent a voltage surge that built up heat in an electrical component in the undercarriage, and that led to the fire in one of the 6000 series cars, the newest in Metro's fleet. The passengers on the Green Line train were evacuated at the Waterfront-SEU Station. No injuries were reported. With the help of the manufacturer, Alstom, Metro has fixed the software problem in most of the 190 cars that have this version, but still has more than 40 left to repair, Feil said. That should be done by Friday or Saturday morning, since it takes half an hour or less to make the fix...
By | April 12, 2007; 11:58 AM ET | Comments (0)
Transit Riders Invited to Metro Workshop
Metro and its Riders Advisory Council will hold a workshop tonight at 7:30 during which people can comment on improvements they would like to see in Metrorail service. The session will be on the Lobby Meeting Room of Metro's headquarters, 600 5th St. NW. The riders council, a group of people drawn from across the region that Metro serves, could benefit from your experiences with the trains and buses. Also, the more people who contribute suggestions, the more credibility the council has in getting Metro to pay attention to the ideas. You can get to Metro's downtown headquarters by train or bus: It's near the Gallery Place-Chinatown or Judiciary Square stations on the Red Line, and Gallery Place on the Yellow and Green lines; also, Metrobus routes D1, D3, D6, P6, X2, 70, 71, and 80 will get you there. You can stay in touch with Metro's public meetings --...
By | April 11, 2007; 8:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Commuters vs. Tourists
Springtime is the tensest time for Washington commuters. The rest of the year, we have a tough enough time sharing the roads and rail cars with each other. Springtime brings on the tourists, who don't know their way around and aren't used to anything that we do. The crowding highlights problems with the transportation system. Here are a couple of letters that reflect those concerns. Good Morning: After all of these years with Metro in the D.C. area, why is it that there still are no visitor handouts at Metro stations, directing tourists on what are good times to use Metro instead of having them crowding onto Metro at rush hour and also to stand to the right on the escalators? Tourists come from around the globe and are not aware of this region's routine in commuting and it is not the tourist's fault. A large sign reading : TOURIST...
By | April 10, 2007; 9:03 AM ET | Comments (64)
How Commuting Stresses Mind and Body
Settled in at work after a long commute? Bet you're feeling worse about the experience if you read Post staff writer Eric Weiss's story headlined "Your Car + Your Commute = A Visit to Your Doctor." Many of you with long and complex commutes may need physical or emotional therapy. The physical toll may become apparent in your blood pressure, your neck or your spine. The emotional toll may include a level of stress that hurts your performance at work. (And we were worried about the tolls on the HOT lanes.) A Fredericksburg orthopedic surgeon told Eric that some patients say the best thing about a back operation was that it forced them to suspend their daily commutes during recovery. Interesting point: One researcher says that drivers with multiple route changes are at greater risk. (I'm thinking about the shift going from the express toll lanes at the Dulles plaza...
By | April 9, 2007; 7:53 AM ET | Comments (24)
Tips For Your Weekend Travel
The cool weather may keep some people indoors, but its cherry blossom festival, Easter and the first weekend of Nationals baseball at RFK Stadium. So here is some advice for planning your travels. What you're missing. (Robert Thomson) Getting Around: Downtown Washington will likely be crowded, so it's a good idea to take transit. This link will get you to a printable map and guide to the festival. Here's a link to a Metrorail map. Events: The big cherry blossom parade isn't till next Saturday, April 14. Big events this weekend are the fireworks at 8:30 p.m. Saturday on Water Street along the Southwest waterfront. The lantern lighting ceremony is Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tidal Basin. Click here to view The Post's events guide for the cherry blossom festival, helpful whether you want to attend or avoid events. Bikes: Check out those "Blossoms by Bike"...
By | April 6, 2007; 10:34 AM ET | Comments (3)
Where Will Va. Transportation Money Go?
Now that the Virginia state government has decided where the transportation money will come from, let's talk about where it will go. On Wednesday, the General Assembly approved Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's amendments to House Bill 3202, the one sponsored by House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford). That bill will empower the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, chaired by Chris Zimmerman of the Arlington County Board, to spend money on roads, rails, buses, bikeways and paths. Click for larger image of 2030 highway plan. Red indicates hour or more of stop/go traffic per day; yellow indicates occasional stop/go traffic. The transporation authority has 16 members: the mayors or chairmen of the nine Northern Virginia cities and counties that are members of the authority; two members of the House of Delegates appointed by the House speaker; one senator; and two Northern Virginia citizens appointed by the governor. The authority embraces Arlington, Fairfax,...
By | April 5, 2007; 7:55 AM ET | Comments (3)
Buses on Bacon Still a Problem
Leslie Douglas, who leaves her office at 18th and I streets in time to reach Henry Bacon Drive at about 5 p.m. each weekday, was among many readers who wrote in to say that the buses are back. "It is consistently a disaster trying to get through that area each afternoon," Douglas wrote. These are the tour buses that bring visitors to the Lincoln Memorial area each day. Only they're not supposed to be there on Bacon Drive when Douglas and the other letter writers are on their way home. Bus stops and so does traffic during the Tuesday rush period on Bacon Drive. (Robert Thomson) "They chronically block the right lane near the new "visitors center" -- yesterday there were 4 of them lined up -- and traffic is forced to use the left lane only," Douglas said. "This, of course, backs traffic onto Constitution Avenue and thus the...
By | April 4, 2007; 8:04 AM ET | Comments (8)
Transit, Traffic Lessons from RFK Opener
There was a moment yesterday when I thought I'd regret having recommending Metro as the way to get to the Nationals opener. It came while standing on the platform at Metro Center at about 12:15 p.m. The platform was packed. The trains were packed. When the first train pulled in, the people on the platform spread out in a solid phalanx across the doorways, preventing passengers from exiting the packed cars. After those inside had broken free, there were only a few seconds for people to board before the doors closed. And as you know, they do close, despite the best efforts of some would-be Sampsons to pull them apart. I looked at the electronic board. First thought was that the arrival times were too far apart and the trains should have been eight cars rather than six. When the next train pulled in, it was as jammed as the...
By | April 3, 2007; 8:35 AM ET | Comments (37)
Getting To Nationals Game Today
Whether you're going to the Nationals home opener or the cherry blossoms, this would be a good time to get on a train and leave the car. For those reasons, it's also a test of Metro's ability to satisfy its customers. Weeks like this stress the transit system, but look for several improvements in service today. Metro will operate two express trains, skipping some stops to get fans to the game at RFK Stadium for the 1:05 p.m. game against the Florida Marlins. One Orange Line express leaves the Vienna Station at 12:14 p.m., and one Blue Line express departing Franconia-Springfield Station at 12:04 p.m. Each train will operate as an express to Rosslyn, then make local stops to Metro Center, then operate express to L'Enfant Plaza, then express to Stadium-Armory Station. For non-expressers, Metro's online Trip Planner is helpful in calculating the best route and the time it will...
By | April 2, 2007; 8:36 AM ET | Comments (8)
