Alternatives to Congestion
The blog has focused a lot lately on the clash between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the effort to extend Metrorail out to Dulles, and it's certainly the top issue in local transportation at this moment. But heavy rail is just one of many options travelers need in a region as big and complex as ours.
At a forum tonight in Manassas, we'll be talking about some of those other options. Three are in the planning stages here: bus rapid transit, a ferry service and high occupancy or toll (HOT) lanes. A fourth is working right now: The informal carpooling arrangement known as slugging.
The forum, is sponsored by the Prince William Committee of 100, which begins the evening with a dinner, but there's no charge if you'd like to come for the panel, which starts at 7:45 p.m. Each of the panelists will take 10 minutes to discuss one of the four transportation methods, and then we'll have a question period. (I'll be the moderator.)
It's at the Four Points Sheraton, 10800 Vandor Lane, Manassas.
Slugging is a rare thing: A successful popular response to a government program (the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes). It gives hope that other combinations of government programs and private initiative can solve some of our transportation problems. The HOT lanes, ferries and bus rapid transit systems all should be on a menu for a densely populated and constantly growing region.
Let's keep talking about those and other viable options for giving people choices on getting from here to there.
By |
January 29, 2008; 10:40 AM ET
Commuting
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Posted by: Steven | January 29, 2008 11:48 AM
From Dr. Gridlock: I looked up my route to Manassas on Google Maps. It's 38.2 miles, about 46 minutes normally, or up to an hour and 20 minutes in traffic. I have to be there on time, so like the rest of you, I have to build in that buffer for bad traffic. But that's a difference of more than half an hour.
I find that many travelers are as upset about the unpredictability of their trips as they are by the length of them. (And that applies more and more to Metro riders as well.)
Posted by: Robert Thomson | January 29, 2008 11:58 AM
"I find that many travelers are as upset about the unpredictability of their trips as they are by the length of them."
Me too, one thing that I wish car navigation systems had was a way for them to communicate with one another. If I were in DC and needed to travel to Tysons, it would be good to know how fast the people already on the roads were traveling. The sensors on roads like I-66 are helpful. But I wish the GPS systems in other people's cars could tell me if I needed to take an alternate route (ie 123, Old Dominion, Washington Blvd) that the government wouldn't want to share info on because of NIMBY political pressure.
Posted by: Ed | January 29, 2008 2:06 PM
Ed -- I think BMW was coming up with something along those lines, but it was only using the data from other BMWs, and only worked for those with BMW navi systems. Not much consolation for those of us with Hyundais, but at least the technology is out there. Probably not long until it becomes more widespread
Posted by: CBGB | January 29, 2008 2:10 PM
Ed - look at www.dash.net. Their product does this:
Superior traffic with the Dash Driver Networkâ„¢:
Select your route based on up-to-the-minute traffic data that is automatically and anonymously exchanged via the most reliable source-other Dash devices.
Posted by: Aaron | January 29, 2008 2:48 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I would love to come, except I am not interested in sitting on 66 for an hour and a half to come from Tysons.
Slugging is more efficient than rail - uses existing infrastructure, the costs of maintenance of the vehicles are borne by the owners, gives people flexibility and freedom.