Archive: July 2007
Beltway Alert in Bethesda
After I did some traffic advisories for this week, a reader commented: "Dr. Gridlock, you've missed the new road construction on the inner loop after Old Georgetown Rd. Could you tell us what MD SHA is doing this time around?" Chuck Gischlar, spokesman for the Maryland State Highway Administration, says workers had inspected the trees and brush along the Beltway between Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike, and they realized they needed to do some trimming for safety's sake. The left lane on the inner loop is blocked for this work between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.. This portion of the job should be completed by tomorrow. But then the work zone will shift to the left lane of the outer loop in the same area, as well as to the ramp lanes in the Rockville Pike and I-270 interchanges with the Beltway, Gischlar said. This maintenance work will continue...
By Robert Thomson | July 31, 2007; 12:46 PM ET | Comments (2)
The Baffling Beltway
Lately, we've discussed plenty of important and controversial transportation issues here on the blog and in the Dr. Gridlock columns, including the traffic problems created by the rehab of the Douglass Bridge and the Legion Bridge, and the new transportation taxes and fees in Northern Virginia. So it came as a surprise that the topic generating the most responses in the past month was this: How do you figure out which way you're going on the Capital Beltway? It must be a credit to the role this central artery plays in our traveling lives. It's a valuable resource and the bane of our existence. I'll run some more of the letters in an upcoming newspaper column, but here's one that illustrates the themes and suggestions among the writers. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I could really relate to the inner/outer loop confusion discussed in the Sunday column. I was born and raised...
By Robert Thomson | July 31, 2007; 8:29 AM ET | Comments (16)
Traffic Advisories for the Week
Here are some things that could affect your local travels this week: -- Tennis Tournament: The annual tournament at the FitzGerald Tennis Center is underway through Sunday. Watch for the traffic in the blocks north of 16th Street NW and Colorado Avenue. You can find a full list of the District's parking restrictions here. There's a free shuttle from the Van Ness Metrorail station or you can take the S 2 and S 4 Metrobuses on 16th Street. -- Paving project on I-270: Northbound and southbound I-270 between Route 189 (Falls Road) and Muddy Branch Road, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday. Crews are completing working on the local lanes. Northbound ramp closures to begin on or about Aug. 3 for grinding and resurfacing. -- Paving project on I-95: The other big one in Maryland. It's between Route 32 and Route 100 in Howard County. Expect double-lane closures...
By Robert Thomson | July 30, 2007; 7:28 AM ET | Comments (4)
Detour to a Dead End
Drivers perplexed by the detour signs guiding them around the shutdown Grosvenor Lane Bridge over Interstate 270 in Bethesda should find them changed by the end of today, and that will be a good thing. Follow this detour sign on Old Georgetown ... Dear Dr. Gridlock: Laughably, but true, the Maryland State Highway Administration has placed signs on Old Georgetown Road that lead drivers to the construction site rather than around it. After going a mile out of their way, a driver must make a U-Turn and return to Old Georgetown Road. Then, there are no signs leading them to Tuckerman Lane or West Cedar Lane. It is a long detour, with many possible incorrect turns for those not familiar with the area or without GPS systems. Many signs are needed. Rochelle Follender Bethesda Fortunately, I had my GPS on Thursday afternoon, for indeed, just as our letter writer says,...
By Robert Thomson | July 27, 2007; 5:24 AM ET | Comments (2)
Revolt of the Slugs
Last night at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, Dennis Morrison had to fend off a slug attack. There were about a hundred of them, and it was a near thing. For a while, he was surrounded. And he couldn't give them what they wanted. What had drawn them to the school was a common enough sort of government presentation about an upcoming transportation project: Virginia's plan to ease congestion along the Interstate 95/395 corridor south of Washington. The session was supposed to begin with an open house in which people entered a large room and wandered from display to display asking questions about particular aspects of the project. Then they would gather in an auditorium where state officials would provide an overview of the work. Click on picture for a biography of Dennis Morrison. (VDOT photo) And it did go like that -- for the first few minutes. Then...
By Robert Thomson | July 26, 2007; 7:35 AM ET | Comments (14)
How Do You Fix a Bus Service?
The Metro buses that run the 30s routes along Wisconsin and Pennsylvania avenues are among the most popular and problematic in the transit system. As they travel between the Naylor Road and Friendship Heights Metro stations, carrying about 20,000 riders on weekdays, they make 116 stops and pass through 130 traffic signals. They do that in some of the worst traffic congestion that an urban area can provide over about 14 miles. The 30s line gives Metro a chance to study most of the challenges a bus system can face, along with many of the solutions planners can envision. Last night, the transit authority and the District Department of Transportation held the second of two forums that drew on another source of solutions: the riders. "What do you need this bus to do?" said James Hamre, a Metro senior planner working on the study. Isn't that a refreshing way to...
By Robert Thomson | July 25, 2007; 7:38 AM ET | Comments (30)
Traffic Report on Legion Bridge
Back in May, I said that the traffic backup on the south side of the American Legion Bridge was the worst construction-related congestion in our region. Today, that burden has shifted over to I-295 traffic around the 11th Street Bridge, because of the summertime shutdown of the Frederick Douglass Bridge. (Why is it always bridges?) The backup on the Beltway's inner loop and on the northbound George Washington Parkway was bad Monday and today. But that's a significant improvement from May. A couple of things have changed, of course: It's summer and some commuters are on vacation. The Maryland State Highway Administration, which had created a staging area for the bridge painting project on its southeastern side and shortened up the parkway's merge lane, realigned the work zone to lengthen the merge somewhat. The most significant development for commuters who use this parkway-Beltway route between Arlington and Bethesda-Rockville-Gaithersburg is that...
By Robert Thomson | July 24, 2007; 9:30 AM ET | Comments (20)
Express Toll Lanes in Your Future?
This letter contains an excellent summary of questions travelers have raised about the proposal to create express toll lanes along I-95/395 where drivers are used to seeing the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes. This week a set of forums in Northern Virginia will offer a chance to get some answers and ask more questions about this project, which is bound to change the commute for many thousands of people. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I'm concerned that the conversion of I-95/I-395 HOV lanes to HOT [high occupancy or toll] lanes is a fait accompli and that commuters do not understand the ramifications. I use the HOV lanes daily from Springfield to the Pentagon at 6:30 a.m. and back to Springfield at 5 p.m. Issues: The toll will be in place all the time. Weekends, nights and middays are no longer free. This removes the incentive for commuters to travel early in the morning...
By Robert Thomson | July 23, 2007; 9:53 AM ET | Comments (6)
District Cranks Down Douglass Bridge
Reuben Hunter, an operating engineer from Herndon, has spent a career of 35 or so years in construction, but he looked like he couldn't wait to get started with his latest project. He was about to work the controls that would lower 200 feet of steel a few inches per hour until one end had descended 51 inches. Maybe for some that would be like watching paint dry. But this was a little different for Hunter. He was lowering the Frederick Douglass Bridge. Workers prepare to lower the elevated roadway. (Robert Thomson) While commuters who used to cross the Anacostia River on this South Capitol Street bridge were crawling along Interstate 295, the 11th Street Bridge, Pennsylvania Avenue and their other detour routes on Thursday morning, Hunter was controlling their future. This is, after all, what it's all about: a pivotal day in the two-month project to recreate the South...
By Robert Thomson | July 20, 2007; 5:32 AM ET | Comments (12)
Hazmat Delay on I-95 in Stafford
A hazardous materials incident blocked all southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Stafford near mile marker 138 earlier this afternoon, according to a wire report, Maptuit traffic reports and an e-mail alert from Stafford County. According to the Associated Press, a dispatcher told WFLS that a truck carrying sulfuric acid was leaking and was parked on the right shoulder as authorities investigated the situation. An e-mail alert from Stafford at 3:36 p.m. said all lanes are now open, but delays are likely to continue for some time. During the closure, southbound traffic was detoured to U.S. 1 via exits 140 and 143....
By Bob Greiner | July 18, 2007; 3:40 PM ET | Email a Comment
Upcoming Forums on Traffic, Transit Issues
The completion of the Springfield Interchange project was officially marked this afternoon with a ceremony attended by Gov. Tim Kaine atop a garage overlooking the Mixing Bowl. (See Eric Weiss's story in today's Post.) At the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority's meeting last week, a speaker opposed to new transportation taxes said the Washington suburbs have not been getting their fair share of Virginia's transportation spending. Oh, yes, we have, responded Del. Vince Callahan, a member of the NVTA. Much of it has gone to two huge projects: the Wilson Bridge and the Springfield Interchange. So what's next? Probably the two upcoming projects with the biggest impact on Northern Virginia will be construction of the Metrorail line through Tysons, if the Federal Transit Administration gives the go-ahead next month, and the construction of the express toll lanes along I-95/395. The Virginia Department of Transportation is going to hold five forums starting...
By Robert Thomson | July 18, 2007; 1:40 PM ET | Email a Comment
Progress on Three Bridges
The District and Maryland are reporting progress on some of bridge projects that have vexed commuters: the Klingle Bridge on Connecticut Avenue, South Capitol Street's Douglass Bridge and the Capital Beltway's Legion Bridge. Klingle: The District Department of Transportation says that on Wednesday the bridge rehabilitation will move into the far right lanes on the northbound side and the sidewalk. The other sidewalk, on the bridge's west side, will remain open. Work on Connecticut Avenue bridge began last fall. (Robert Thomson) For motorists, it's the same drill. Watch those red and green arrows overhead to tell you which lanes are open and don't get them confused with the red and green of the traffic signals at the intersections north and south of the bridge. During the morning rush, three lanes will be open southbound and one northbound. During evening rush, three lanes will be open northbound direction with one southbound....
By Robert Thomson | July 17, 2007; 5:25 AM ET | Comments (12)
Not So Calm About Conn. Avenue
Many letters have come in during the past few days about a traffic in Montgomery County. Dear Dr. Gridlock: They have done some really odd road work on a stretch of Connecticut Avenue between Bel Pre Road and Georgia Avenue (Conn. Ave. cuts across and reconnects and crosses over Georgia just off Bel Pre Road in Maryland. They have made it into one lane (was 2 lanes each way) resurfaced and put in large cement squares right in the lane of traffic! I have never seen such a strange thing. Do you have any idea what Maryland Transportation is doing? Two of the new sections are for the handicap access across both sides of the roadway. The rest of cement squares are oddly placed on both sides of the road in the far right lanes ... strange. Goodie Shannon Montgomery County reduced travel lanes on a portion of Connecticut Avenue....
By Robert Thomson | July 16, 2007; 10:11 AM ET | Comments (18)
Northern Virginia Gets Some Authority
After a long public hearing that explored nearly every political division that has allowed traffic congestion to maintain a stranglehold on the Washington suburbs, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority voted rather quickly to begin prying the region loose. In about a half hour, the 14 voting members of the panel approved seven new taxes and fees that the authority will raise more than $300 million annually for road, transit and other transportation improvements. The closest vote was the first, to create a grantor's tax of 40 cents per $100 on the sale price of a property, payable by the seller of the property. The vote was 11-3, but that wasn't the only crucial number. Contained within that ratio was the vote of 7-2 among the authority members who represent the Northern Virginia jurisdictions whose residents will pay the tax. Equally important was the figure 86.4. That was the percentage of...
By Robert Thomson | July 13, 2007; 8:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Vehicle Fire Blocks Route 32 in Columbia
According to Maptuit traffic reports, westbound lanes of Route 32 at or near the intersection with U.S. 29 (Columbia Pike) are blocked by a vehicle fire. Use caution and seek alternate routes....
By Bob Greiner | July 12, 2007; 5:40 PM ET | Email a Comment
Big Decision Tonight in Virginia
This could go down as a big day in the history of efforts to ease traffic congestion in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. Starting at 6 p.m., the newly empowered Northern Virginia Transportation Authority will meet to hear public comments on its plans to impose new taxes and fees and spend the money it raises on improvements to the road and rail network. For those who sit in traffic or on crowded rail cars every work day, this has been a long time coming. Serious political activity at the state level started about eight years and two governors ago. Then in 2002, the transportation authority was formed to spend the money that would have been raised for transportation through a sales tax increase -- if the voters of Northern Virginia had approved it. After the defeat of the transportation tax referendum, the transportation authority languished in relative obscurity until Gov....
By Robert Thomson | July 12, 2007; 5:17 AM ET | Comments (18)
Timing the Commute
Here's a good question from a commuter looking for a way around the traffic generated by the two-month shutdown of the District's Douglass Bridge. We've talked a lot the past few days about routes, but what about alternative times? Dear Dr. Gridlock: Does the back-up on I-295 dissipate significantly after the end of "normal" rush hour? If the northbound trip were made at 9:30 a.m. or so, would it be reasonably close to "normal"? (Same question for the southbound trip at 6:30 or 7:00 p.m.) This information would be most helpful to those of us who might be able to alter our work hours a bit for part or all of the next several weeks. Nan Reiner (Trying valiantly to get from Southeast Alexandria to North Capitol Street and back.) I haven't driven on I-295 after 9 a.m. since the bridge closed, but from what I could see of the...
By Robert Thomson | July 11, 2007; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (10)
Alert: Lane Shift near Wilson Bridge
Motorists on the Beltway's inner loop will see a new traffic pattern this morning as they approach the Wilson Bridge from the Maryland side. As part of the reconstruction of the interchanges and bridge approaches, the lanes have been shifted about 60 feet to the right for a stretch of about three-quarters of a mile from just past Exit 4 (Route 414/St. Barnabas Road) to Exit 3 (Route 210). Then they shift back to the left into their old alignment. Crews were scheduled to work overnight until about 5 o'clock this morning to finish the pavement markings and move barriers. By the time the Wilson Bridge project is completed, the Beltway lanes will have been reconfigured to separate local and long-distance travelers. Those of you who drive along those new lanes today will be driving on what ultimately will become the new inner loop local lanes. While you're there, workers...
By Robert Thomson | July 11, 2007; 4:43 AM ET | Comments (9)
Metro Parking Filling Up Early
The recent shutdown of the District's Douglass Bridge is having an impact on transit as well as traffic. Metro says that drivers wanting to use the Green Line filled up the Anacostia garage by 7 a.m. today. That's very unusual. When I was there on Friday morning, the day the shutdown began, the roof of the parking structure was practically empty. Anacostia was one of the park and ride spots recommended by the District officials who planned the shutdown because it normally has that kind of extra capacity. Parking at Largo, on the eastern end of the Blue Line, also was full by 7 a.m. today. "We're 99 percent sure it's the impact of the Douglass Bridge," said Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. Many people who pay extra for reserved parking arrived at the stations on the eastern side of the system to find that all the reserved spots were gone,...
By Robert Thomson | July 10, 2007; 4:24 PM ET | Comments (26)
More Summertime Blues on Roads Today
If there is a summertime decrease in traffic volume, it was hard to find this morning. Cars still were backed up from the 11th Street Bridge all the way down I-295 toward the Beltway. Pennsylvania Avenue and East Capitol Street in the District were jammed. So were the Baltimore Washington Parkway heading south between the Beltway and the District and the outer loop of the Beltway between Greenbelt and Georgia Avenue. Those were just the roads I saw. Others could add to the list. I was out early trying to see if there's a clear pattern to the congestion stemming from the Douglass Bridge shutdown. The heart of the congestion continues to be the merge where I-295 traffic meets cars from the Suitland Parkway. That's unlikely to change until the restoration project on the South Capitol Street bridge is completed in two months and the bridge reopens. Click for District...
By Robert Thomson | July 10, 2007; 9:29 AM ET | Comments (20)
Douglass Bridge: Why Call it Rush Hour?
Drivers this morning experienced the full, daunting impact of closing a major commuter route into Washington. Though the two-month shutdown of the Douglass Bridge at South Capitol Street began Friday, that commute seems like a mere tune up now. Click on image to see DDOT map of bridge detours. (Robert Thomson) Inbound traffic on Interstate 295 was backed up from the 11th Street Bridge down to the Beltway. Traffic also was heavy on Suitland Parkway, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Branch Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and East Capitol Street over the Anacostia River. The only inbound route I saw between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. that was not heavy, was Benning Road, and that was the last track I followed, at crossing the river at about 8:45 a.m. It's difficult to say if today's experience is going to be typical. Many drivers were off last week, so they were dealing with...
By Robert Thomson | July 9, 2007; 10:03 AM ET | Comments (8)
Two Roads Diverged in a Wood ...
While I'm planning to focus later today on the morning commute into Washington from the east, because of the Douglass Bridge shutdown, I want to ask you about something Rich wrote on the blog Friday. As an aside, during an exchange about best routes around the bridge congestion, he said " ... I just like to go a different way sometimes because I get tired of I-395 ... " It made me wonder about the times in commuting when we occasionally follow a different path for no other reason than that it is different. The view might not be any better, but different. The traffic might be no easier, but maybe the turns and straights are different enough to provide some variety. Or maybe you drive some days and take the train on others because some days you want to read and some days you want to listen to the...
By Robert Thomson | July 9, 2007; 5:29 AM ET | Comments (10)
Dealing With Douglass Bridge Shutdown
The first commute for drivers who had been using the District's now-closed Frederick Douglass Bridge at South Capitol Street included a car accident on inbound Interstate 295, congestion on the nearby roads and highways and some very confused motorists. Cone forest at Firth Sterling Avenue, just before the I-295 overpass. (Robert Thomson) The worst backup I saw was on I-295, behind that early-morning accident that blocked the right lane heading north. Though the lanes were open around 7 a.m., the highway traffic never did fully recover from that. The lane blockage might have reduced congestion for a while at the crucial merge point just beyond the accident scene where traffic from the Suitland Parkway and South Capitol Street enters 295. Here are some quick impressions: -- That short extra lane the District paved on the right side of 295 just south of the 11th Street Bridge is a big help...
By Robert Thomson | July 6, 2007; 9:43 AM ET | Comments (10)
D.C. Bridge To Shut at Midnight
We're about to find out how many of you are on vacation. The Douglass Bridge, which takes South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River, will close at midnight tonight for two months of reconstruction. On summer days, the District Department of Transportation estimates, at least one of every 10 commuters is on vacation, providing some extra space for the rest of you. What lies beneath: The work zone under the Douglass Bridge, where the elevated road will be lowered. (Robert Thomson) We'll get our first look at that on Friday morning. The first few days of this should be the worst, as commuters get used to their new routes and schedules. Traffic on Friday should be lighter than normal, since many people used July 4 to launch a long holiday weekend. Next week will provide a better test of the commuting difficulties. We'll talk a lot more about that in...
By Robert Thomson | July 5, 2007; 5:34 AM ET | Comments (15)
Travel Advisories for July 4
There won't be any scheduled road work in the Washington region on Wednesday, but the concrete barriers will still be in place at the big projects, including the staging area on the northbound side of the Legion Bridge. Before you head into Washington for the Independence Day celebrations, you should know that many downtown street will be closed and parking restricted. Consider taking Metro. (And thanks to Brian for pointing out this map illustrating Metro holiday service.) Metro Transit Metro parking is free on July 4, and holiday rail fares are in effect. Metrorail and Metrobus operate from 7 a.m. to midnight. The Smithsonian Station is closed. MetroAccess, the ride program for the elderly and disabled, will operate from 5:30 a.m. to midnight. Suburban Transit Ride On and the Fairfax Connector will operate on a Saturday schedule. ART will run Sunday service for Routes 41 and 51. DASH will operate...
By Robert Thomson | July 3, 2007; 5:40 AM ET | Comments (1)
Greenway Charging Drivers More
Drivers on the Dulles Greenway paid 30 cents more today to get through the toll plaza. (See a list of the new rates here.) Some motorists think their time is worth the $3 they get charged to use the privately built highway, while others will put up with congested Route 7 or local roads, either because they feel the Greenway is too much for their budgets or because they believe they are taking a stand against price gouging. Jonathan Mummolo wrote a story about the new tolls in Sunday's Post. The charge to use the Dulles Toll Road also will be going up, both to pay for highway maintenance and improvements and to help finance the Metrorail extension to Dulles and Loudoun County. That's part of the deal to have the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority take control of the Dulles Toll Road and build the rail line extension. With the...
By Robert Thomson | July 2, 2007; 10:16 AM ET | Comments (27)
