Archive: May 2008
The Weekend and Beyond
Wilson Bridge Avoid it this weekend. The inner loop will be shifted over to the new span, which should be in use by midday Sunda. But during the weekend work, expect long delays heading toward Virginia. Starting at 9 p.m. Friday, the inner loop will be squeezed down to a single lane. Drivers may recall a similar weekend back in 2006, when the bridge's first new span opened. Project managers remind us that the delays that weekend were up to 90 minutes, even though the total traffic volume was reduced by more than 80 percent because drivers heard the congestion warnings. Metrorail Track maintenance on the Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue and Red lines will cause delays Friday night through Sunday as trains share a single track around the work zones. Look here for details. The switch replacement at Mount Vernon Square, continuing to cause delays on the Green and Yellow...
By | May 30, 2008; 12:19 PM ET | Comments (0)
DC Ending Mandatory Bike Registration
As of next week, the District government will no longer require people to register their bikes, and the police won't be authorized to stop a bicyclist for the sole purpose of checking the registration. But police and the District Department of Transportation are encouraging riders to voluntarily sign up with the National Bike Registry as an anti-theft measure. The end of mandatory registration follows amendments to the city's bicycle law. (This was the old law: "No person shall operate a bicycle in the District unless the bicycle has been validly registered as provided ... and bears a serial number, a valid registration tag, and valid registration plate ...; or unless it is validly registered in another jurisdiction, when required by applicable law of such jurisdiction, and bears readily visible evidence of being registered.") If your bike is registered by serial number in the national database, the police can check a...
By | May 29, 2008; 11:58 AM ET | Comments (15)
Distracted Driving on Metrorail
Talk about an accident waiting to happen: Metro trains continue to open doors on the rear cars while they're stopped in the tunnels. Ann White of Washington was among the passengers in the last car of a Red Line train heading for Glenmont and approaching Dupont Circle on Tuesday morning. While still outside the station, the train doors opened. "Fortunately, no one was standing by the car doors," she said. "There was no announcement by the train operator that anything was wrong. After the doors stood open for a little while, they closed again and the train moved forward a bit. "The doors then reopened inside the Dupont Circle Station. That was the first I realized that the rest of the train had already been inside the station. (The train had already stopped several times in the tunnel and we had heard announcements about trouble with a train ahead of...
By | May 29, 2008; 10:13 AM ET | Comments (11)
Are We Dumb Drivers?
Dear Dr. Gridlock: You are certainly aware of the recent report ranking D.C, Virginia and Maryland drivers among the dumbest in the nation. The same report also noted that a substantial number of current drivers would not be able to pass the written test for new drivers. I'd like to suggest that you consider regularly including in your column a Q and A or two from the test for one or more of the three jurisdictions. You would be rendering a genuine service to the region. It might not get you a Pulitzer (OK, it definitely won't), but I'll bet you'll gain the gratitude of lots of folks, drivers and pedestrians alike. Myron L. Hoffmann Rockville Here are a couple from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration driver test tutorial: 1) When passing another vehicle, you may legally exceed the posted speed limit: a) Never. b) For one-quarter mile. c) As...
By | May 28, 2008; 6:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
Dale Boulevard Reopening
The Virginia Department of Transportation announced this afternoon that it is reopening Dale Boulevard tonight. Crews worked 12 hour shifts through the holiday weekend to fix the damage done to this four-lane commuter route in Prince William County during the May 12 storms. Watch for occasional lane closures this week and next as crews restripe the lanes and install guardrails....
By | May 27, 2008; 4:23 PM ET | Comments (0)
Easing Switch to Carpools and Transit
Transportation planners and transit advocates talk about several impediments facing people who want to make the switch from driving alone to transit or carpooling. Among them: Inertia. Even many people with long drives that keep them from family time, or even seeing their homes in daylight, fall into patterns that are hard to break. Doing something different requires some planning, and people who endure long drives and get limited sleep are often just too tired to change habits. The unknown. Stepping into a carpool or boarding a bus means learning a lot of new stuff. Carpoolers have their own etiquette. Bus riders know the fare, how to pay it, where to sit, where the route will take them and how to request a stop. Good example of problem-solving: Arlington County developed an innovative program to encourage young people to ride transit. The idea was to get teenagers used to riding...
By | May 27, 2008; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (0)
Va. Commuter Route Under Repair
After such a beautiful holiday weekend, it's difficult to recall those torrential rains from earlier in the month, but commuters who use Dale Boulevard in Prince William County still are dealing with the consequences. The Virginia Department of Transportation says it expects that the four-lane boulevard, used by commuters getting to and from I-95, will be back in business by late this week. During the weekend, crews continued to repair the flood-damaged roadway, which suffered a 20 foot deep by 25 foot wide breach just west of Mapledale Avenue. Detours: Heading west, use Ridgefield Road to Prince William Parkway to Hoadly Road back to Dale Boulevard. Heading east, use Hoadly Road to Prince William Parkway to Ridgefield Road back to Dale....
By | May 27, 2008; 6:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Weekend and Beyond
Here's some travel advice for the holiday weekend and on into the summer. Road Work You won't see much of it this weekend. Maryland and Virginia pull up the orange barrels at their short term work sites for high-traffic holiday weekends. Don't take it as a sign of the summer to come. There will be plenty of construction, so stay alert in the work zones, which can be as dangerous for motorists as they are for construction crews. Rolling Thunder Some streets in Washington will be closed Sunday for the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle parade, part of the Memorial Day weekend commemorations. The event is from noon to 3 p.m. Most of the street closings end as the procession rolls on. Here's a map of the route. It starts at the Pentagon parking lot, goes over Memorial Bridge and around the national mall. Memorial Day Parade On Monday, watch for...
By | May 23, 2008; 6:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Buses Are The Thing This Year
A transit authority committee this morning is looking at a staff proposal to greatly expand the region's express bus services. But it's just one of a bunch of bus developments likely to expand commuters' options. -- Maryland is going to expand service on nine of its commuter bus routes to and from Washington. -- Separately from its express bus proposal, Metro is working with local jurisdictions on a proposal to speed bus trips by opening up road shoulders for their use. -- Virginia maintains that a key element of the HOT (high occupancy or toll) lane projects on the Beltway and I-95/395 is to support improvements in commuter bus services. The buses would use those express lanes for free. -- On June 30, Metrobus is going to overhaul service on one of its longest and most popular routes across Washington in an innovative program that could serve as a model...
By | May 22, 2008; 7:13 AM ET | Comments (7)
Man Hit by Metrorail Train at Wheaton Station
UPDATE: Coverage from The Post's Lena Sun. UPDATE 2: Normal service has been resumed on the Red Line, according to Metro. The man has been taken to a hospital for treatment. A Red Line train hit an unidentified male traveler at the Wheaton Metrorail station at 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, according to a Metro press release. The man's condition was not mentioned. Trains at the station were sharing a single track between the Glenmont and Forest Glen stations to accomodate the work of police and emergency personnel, according to Metro; shuttle bus service was also established. Metro estimated that rail service would return to normal by 3:30 p.m....
By David Marino-Nachison | May 21, 2008; 2:50 PM ET | Comments (1)
DC Publishes Pedestrian Plan
The District government has published the final draft of its Pedestrian Master Plan and made it available online. (That's an 11 MB pdf file.) Two pedestrians were killed last year in wide crossing at 7th and Pennsylvania. (Thomson) This is the plan, based on a year and a half of study, that the District hopes to put into effect over the next decade. There will be public meetings on it in June. The sessions will be held in Wards 3, 6 and 7, but will be open to everyone. These are some of the important goals I see in the program's summary: -- Improve safety at signalized crossings and intersections -- Improve safety at uncontrolled crossings and intersections (those without stop signs or traffic signals). -- Focus on improving eight high priority corridors, with sidewalk repairs and construction, better location of bus stops, changes in signals, enhancements to crosswalks and...
By | May 20, 2008; 1:32 PM ET | Comments (22)
Gas Necessities
This letter picks up on the conversation about gas prices, tipping points and travel we began during Monday's online discussion. Please join in to talk about whether the cost of fuel has led you to rethink how you're getting around: "Yes, most people consider gas and car travel to be a "necessity" but not all car travel is equal. "Commuting for work or family issues (child care, elder care, appointments, scheduled commitments, etc.) is all considered essential travel to most families and that does not change. "However, non-essential travel (including social engagements, leisure travel, leisure activities, extraneous shopping, etc) will be limited. So, while people consider a trip to the doctor/dentist to be essential, they don't consider the Saturday trip to Skyline Drive or the mall to be essential and those get curtailed. "So, I've already seen people doing leisure-time and pleasure travel closer to home (going to Ocean City...
By | May 20, 2008; 7:03 AM ET | Comments (14)
Mixed Results at Crosswalk
A blog reader suggested I check out the new crosswalk set up by the District Department of Transportation to enhance pedestrian safety on Brentwood Road. New Brentwood Road crosswalk. (Thomson) Here's how the reader described it: "It USED to be nearly impossible to cross Brentwood road near the DMV during rush hour. This is a very frequently used crosswalk from a neighborhood to go through the Home Depot parking lot and to the Metro. For a while, we actually had a police officer every morning to help us cross." "Now - a compliment to DDOT! The new crosswalk button with flashing lights is AMAZING. I've never seen anything like it in the District. It works incredibly well." I walked over and tried it on Thursday morning. What I like best is that the District is trying new ways to make walking safer. What I learned was that this particular method...
By | May 19, 2008; 6:36 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Weekend and Beyond
Metro Track Work The four-weekend switch repair project at Mount Vernon Square on the Green and Yellow lines will take the Memorial Day weekend off, so riders won't have to worry about delays of more than half an hour next weekend. The work, which got started last weekend, resumes tonight and continues through Sunday night. Then it will begin again on May 30-June 1 and conclude on June 6-8. Andrews Air Show The annual air show at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County is this weekend. Visitors can park at FedEx Field and take shuttle buses into Andrews. Shuttles also will run from the Branch Avenue Metro station at the end of the Green Line. Here's a description of Metro's services to get you there and back. 11th Street SW Bridge The District on Mondayplans to start an 18-month rehabilitation project on part of the 11th Street SW...
By | May 16, 2008; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (33)
Another Weekend of Track Work
Metrorail once again this weekend will be working on the switch replacement at Mount Vernon Square, creating delays for many passengers on the Yellow and Green lines. The project, which began last weekend is a four-weekend job all together. (It will skip over Memorial Day weekend.) Papal mass at Nationals Park on April 17 tested Navy Yard Station and Green Line. (Thomson) Here's a detailed description from the transit authority of what to expect. This weekend, the Nationals are away, so there won't be the problem of extra crowding on the Green Line to reach Navy Yard Station. But even last weekend, when the team was here, there was some praise for Metro's performance. See some of the comments during Monday's online discussion with Post reporters Lena H. Sun and Eric M. Weiss. Here's a snippet: "I just wanted to say that even with the track work on the Yellow/Green...
By | May 16, 2008; 9:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
This Is Bike to Work Day
Convoys of bicyclists from across the region will be heading into downtown Washington early this morning for the annual Bike to Work Day. Some of them will be doing this for the first time, because the event is designed in part to get drivers to cross the threshold and become bikers. If you're not joining them, watch out for them. There will be thousands, and some may be a little wobbly. If you are riding with them, you'll be heading to one of many pitstops, or rallying points, for the convoys. The convoys follow certain corridors, mostly from the Virginia and Maryland suburbs, to Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th streets NW in downtown Washington. Some may be interested in signing up for classes in Confident City Cycling....
By | May 16, 2008; 4:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Ceremony Ends at Wilson Bridge
The ceremony dedicating the second new span of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge has ended, after engaging more of the region's attention than planners intended. The traffic jams on the bridge's Beltway approaches, which stretched for miles this morning, have eased. (Get updates and camera views on our traffic page.) During the ceremony, Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) had the honor of turning the final bolt into place. Other federal and local officials who helped get us this far look on. Some of the construction workers who built the two new spans also attended the ceremony marking this landmark in the region's history. Looking at some of our current problems -- the Dulles rail financing, or Virginia's struggle to finance road and transit programs -- with the perspective of the bridge project's history gives some reasons for hope about the future. Here's a chronology of the bridge's difficult birth, as it...
By | May 15, 2008; 1:22 PM ET | Comments (0)
Watch for Wilson Bridge Traffic
Avoid the Wilson Bridge this morning. All the lanes are open, but lots of drivers are gawking at the setup for today's dedication ceremony on the new span. Camera views show very heavy traffic on both sides of the Beltway leading up to the bridge. Once drivers get past the bridge, traffic is fine. (Our traffic page includes camera views and incident reports.) The ceremony, dedicating the second span of the bridge, is scheduled for late this morning. Drivers on the already-opened span, which right now carries all of the Beltway traffic, won't be able to see the ceremony. They're looking at a bunch of tents, chairs and TV trucks. While the dedication ceremony is today, the new span won't open till the end of the month. There are no changes in traffic patterns today, just rubbernecking congestion. The dedication ceremony for the first new span also occured on a...
By | May 15, 2008; 9:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
Northern Virginians Hear Kaine Plan
Looking out into the audience at the Prince William County government center last night, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said he thought he saw some of the same people who attended his town hall meeting on transportation shortly after he was elected. Back then, with four sessions of the General Assembly ahead of him, he was seeking ideas on how to bust some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. After several rushes at that goal, he was back last night for what has become the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass late in the game. Comments from the crowd of about 200 in Woodbridge illustrated his problem: Many people struggle with traffic congestion so bad it diminishes their enjoyment of what otherwise would be a pretty good life in Northern Virginia. And many people wouldn't pay to make it better. In explaining his plan to restore money...
By | May 14, 2008; 2:54 PM ET | Comments (9)
More Road Work Under Way
After months of relatively light activity because of cool temperatures, we're beginning to see roadway paving pick up. Here's one such sign of the season: The Maryland State Highway Administration plans to begin a $1.3 million paving project tonight along Route 32 in the Clarksville area of Howard County. The work, scheduled to be completed by the end of June, will be done along two and a half miles of Route 32 between West Linden Church Road and Clarksville Pike. Watch for single-lane closures between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday nights. Watch for the construction workers, too. Route 32 in this area is used by more than 29,000 vehicles a day, the SHA says, and it points out that headlight use is mandatory in this area. If you have any questions about traffic operations along Route 32 or other state routes in Howard County, you can call...
By | May 14, 2008; 10:46 AM ET | Comments (0)
Far Pavilion Roils Radiohead Fans
The anguished cries of Radiohead fans bounced around the Internet yesterday as many bemoaned the difficulties of reaching and leaving remote Nissan Pavilion in Bristow for the band's Sunday night concert. The severe rainstorm had a lot to do with it, but Mother Nature did not place an ampitheater for 25,000 people in the outer suburbs of Washington where the road network was inadequate and public transportation non-existent. Here's how one concert-goer described the Sunday night scene to Post reporters Lena Sun and Eric Weiss during their online discussion Monday: Fairfax, Va.: Wow, I will NEVER complain about Metro after an event again, compared to my Nissan Pavilion experience last night. We were in our car at 11 p.m. and did not get on the interstate until 1 a.m. It seemed like they routed everyone in circles getting out of there. Now I was planning for at least an hour...
By | May 13, 2008; 6:31 AM ET | Comments (68)
Is Jaywalking Safer?
The final letter in my May 4 column was from a driver worried about jaywalkers, and it proved to be a hot topic among drivers and pedestrians. Included in the many responses was this defense of jaywalking, and I wanted to know what you thought. Dear Dr. Gridlock: Philip Lalka of Wheaton suggested in his letter that police should step up efforts to ticket pedestrians who fail to use crosswalks. As someone who routinely jaywalks, I feel I have to respond. I think the public would be better served if police increased efforts to ticket the drivers who force me and others to cross streets illegally. I have never come close to being hit by a vehicle while jaywalking. I have however, had several close calls while using properly designated cross walks. Drivers often run red lights, turn right on red without stopping, even at intersections where it clearly says...
By | May 13, 2008; 6:28 AM ET | Comments (38)
Plan Would Restore Transportation Authority
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today called for a special session of the General Assembly on June 23 to consider his plan to restore the revenue taken away by a court decision earlier this year. It also would restore the spending power of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The authority's sources of revenue -- money that was going to be spent on road and transit projects across the region -- vanished with the court decision. Kaine says his fix would raise over $1 billion annually throughout Virginia by fiscal year 2012 without increasing the gas tax. You can read the details of Kaine's plan in this statement from the governor's office. Kaine's plan not only raises money statewide but also includes taxes specific to the most congested areas, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The most prominent feature for Northern Virginians is a one percent increase in the sales tax, except...
By | May 12, 2008; 1:15 PM ET | Comments (13)
Lingering Weather Problems
Many of the weather-related problems on the roads are spotted on our traffic map. But drivers in Prince William County will have to deal with one such problem for days to come: All four lanes of Dale Boulevard west of Mapledale Avenue are closed because the roadway has washed, the Virginia Department of Transportation reports. The is about four miles from the Dale Boulevard/I-95 interchange. The washout, at about 4 o'clock this morning, left a 20-foot deep by 25-foot wide hole. Police blocked the boulevard at Mapledale Avenue and Nassau Drive. The road is likely to remain closed for at least a week to let the area dry, figure out the cause of the problem and fix it. Detour: Heading west on Dale, take Ridgefield Road to the Prince William Parkway to Hoadly Road back to Dale. Heading east on Dale, take Hoadly Road to Prince William Parkway to Ridgefield...
By | May 12, 2008; 12:52 PM ET | Comments (0)
Purple Line Planning Continues
While the Dulles rail project has gained the most attention lately, one of the region's other transit projects, the Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, keeps chugging through its study phase. The Maryland Transit Administration, also in charge of MARC, Baltimore's light rail and the commuter buses among other things, is holding another series of open houses to discuss the Purple Line. Three of the sessions are this week. The schedule: -- Today at West Lanham Hills Recreation Center, 7700 Decatur Road, Landover Hills; -- Wednesday at East Silver Spring Elementary School, 631 Silver Spring Ave., Silver Spring; -- Thursday at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School cafeteria, 4301 East-West Highway, Bethesda. All are from 5 to 8 p.m. You'll see some new, bigger numbers on potential ridership and some new estimates on travel times along the line, which still could be either a light rail or a rapid bus...
By | May 12, 2008; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (3)
New York Avenue Lanes Open
All the lanes on New York Avenue NE have reopened, the District Department of Transportation announced late this afternoon. Crews have completed repairs to the slope failure that began on Friday and the three lanes in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of the avenue are back in business....
By | May 11, 2008; 6:51 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Weekend and Beyond
The main events this weekend are the projects at the Wilson Bridge and on Metro's Green and Yellow lines at Mount Vernon Square. Both are likely to cause delays. But watch out also for the emergency storm sewer repair on New York Avenue NE. Metro Weekend Delays The switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square, which will cause delays on the Green and Yellow lines, began at 11 p.m. Friday and continues through Sunday night. After this, the project has three more weekends to go: May 16-18, May 30-June 1 and June 6-8. (It's always Friday night through Sunday night.) Wilson Bridge The word has gone out up and down the East Coast about the construction work and resulting delays likely to occur this weekend, from Friday night through Sunday. (There was some concern about the weather, but that's looking better and the plan is a go.) Read the details...
By | May 9, 2008; 2:36 PM ET | Comments (2)
Awaiting Word on Wilson Bridge
[6:30 p.m. update: The weather is looking better, and the weekend project is a go.] Wilson Bridge project managers, who have scheduled a very active weekend for work on the Capital Beltway's outer loop between Springfield and the bridge, are watching the weather. They probably will make a final decision late this afternoon about whether to proceed. Under the current schedule, the outer loop would be reduced to one lane in the work zone starting at 9 o'clock tonight. Also, the four ramps to and from the outer loop at Route 1 would be closed and traffic detour. Similarly, the ramp from Telegraph Road northbound to the outer loop would close and a detour would be created. Early Saturday, according to the schedule, the ramp from I-95 northbound to the outer loop would close to divert traffic from the work zone. It would reopen when the traffic volume lessened, but...
By | May 9, 2008; 12:32 PM ET | Comments (0)
Emergency on NY Avenue NE
New York Avenue is likely to be a mess this weekend. The District Department of Transportation just issued this statement: At 10 o'clock this morning two inbound lanes on New York Avenue NE between Fairview Avenue and the 9th Street-Brentwood Parkway ramp closed indefinitely because of a broken storm sewer. Repairs will begin after the heavy rain leaves the area and crews can work. DDOT expects the inbound lanes will be closed throughout the weekend. I'll watch for updates and post them here. The storm sure made commuting difficult. VRE and MARC had many delayed trains and some cancellations. How was your trip? The weather should improve for the afternoon commute, as the rainfall tapers off. Watch our traffic page for updates on incidents across the region. You'll find the traffic camera views there, too....
By | May 9, 2008; 10:37 AM ET | Comments (1)
Navigating Metrorail This Weekend
The track work and resulting delays this weekend will be quite extensive. They affect the Green, Yellow and Orange lines, but it's the Green and Yellow that will be hardest hit, because of the switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square. You Red Line riders suffered over the winter and are getting a bit of a break right now. The transit authority estimates that between 11 p.m. Friday and the end of service on Sunday, Green and Yellow line passengers should add 30 to 45 minutes to their usual travel times between Mount Vernon Square and L'Enfant Plaza. (It's about a mile and a half between the stations. Many of you could out walk the train.) The group likely paying the most attention to this consists of baseball fans with tickets to the weekend series with the Marlins at Nationals Park, near Navy Yard Station on the Green Line. Tonight's...
By | May 9, 2008; 6:30 AM ET | Comments (7)
Wilson Bridge Delays This Weekend
Delays and detours at the Wilson Bridge this weekend will remind drivers of what happened before the first new span opened in the summer of 2006. As traffic planners prepare to open the second span, they are dusting off their '06 message: Expect serious delays while construction crews set up Capital Beltway lanes to align with the new bridge. Incredibly, people up and down the East Coast got the word two years ago, and most did the smart thing by dodging Washington or just staying home. I hope history repeats itself this weekend, the first of two this month for the Beltway reconfiguration. The trouble zone for drivers will stretch along the outer loop between the Springfield Interchange and the bridge. Go west around the Beltway or up I-395 to avoid the work area. Here's the plan. 9 p.m. Friday -- The outer loop will be reduced to one lane...
By | May 8, 2008; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Indoor-Outdoor
Got this photo from Catherine Swinson in the District, showing a scene she photographed this week with her iPhone at 11th and H streets NW, where she said a sink hole had developed. "I particularly liked the cone that was placed there," she said....
By | May 7, 2008; 8:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
Metro Outlines Track Work Plan
The transit authority has unveiled its guide for rail travel during the four weekends of track work needed to replace the switch at Mount Vernon Square. With plans this detailed, you could invade a small nation. I'll give you the link here, and just deal with a few highlights. Switch replacements and the resulting lengthy delays on train lines are unfortunate but not new. The new thing with this particular project is that it's on the main route to the new baseball stadium, so it's unclear what the impact will be -- though it can't be good. Nationals Park is nearest Navy Yard Station, on the Green Line. The switch replacement weekends overlap with two Nationals homestands: May 9, 10, 11 and June 6, 7 and 8. Here's what Metro plans to do on May 10-11 and June 7-8 (the Saturdays and Sundays) to ease congestion and waiting times: Getting...
By | May 6, 2008; 9:36 AM ET | Comments (15)
Signs of HOT Lane Construction
During Monday's online discussion, a reader asked, "Whatever happened to HOT lanes on 495 in VA?" Drivers on the western side of the Capital Beltway in Virginia should be seeing signs of the work now. Four areas along the Beltway that are owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation are being cleared for storage of equipment. They're at Georgetown Pike, Chain Bridge Road, Interstate 66 and Braddock Road. At the Georgetown Pike site, you'll see office trailers for the project. You'll probably be seeing them until 2012, when the HOT (high occupancy or toll) lanes are scheduled to be completed. Construction is scheduled to begin in July. Two lanes will be added to each side of the Beltway along the 14 miles from Springfield to north of the Dulles Toll Road. Then four inside lanes will be converted for use by carpoolers and buses, traveling for free, and solo drivers...
By | May 6, 2008; 6:09 AM ET | Comments (0)
Ridership, Revenues Looking Up
Because the fare and fee increases haven't discouraged people from riding Metro, the transit authority staff won't be requesting the 25 cent rise in parking fees that remained an option after the Jan. 6 hikes. But what do you make of this: Despite the largest cost increases in Metro's history, rail ridership remains strong. In fact, it didn't just hold steady, it grew 6 percent in January, 4 percent in February and 3 percent in March. The budget staff expects a 3 percent growth over the next few months, hence the confidence that Metro will hit the revenue target of $109 million by July that it sought from the higher fares and fees. At the fare hearings late last year, speaker after speaker talked about abandoning Metrorail, or at least about the prospect that many others would abandon Metrorail. Are gas prices the only explanation as to why that didn't...
By | May 5, 2008; 3:48 PM ET | Comments (16)
Most Dangerous Crossings
This week, we'll be talking about traffic jams connected to the Wilson Bridge project and transit delays because of Metro's plan to replace a switch at Mount Vernon Square. There will be forums about the Purple Line in Maryland and an announcement from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine about how he wants to restore financing for transportation. But I'd like to start by asking you a question about pedestrian safety stemming from a letter in Sunday's Dr. Gridlock column in The Post. First, the letter. Dear Dr. Gridlock: So many people cross between corners that it is no wonder there are so many pedestrian deaths. Add to this the fact that people do not pay attention to the crosswalk signs, and there is a major problem. A gentleman walked in front of me in the middle of a block while on his cellphone last week. Downtown Silver Spring could probably support...
By | May 5, 2008; 9:44 AM ET | Comments (22)
The Weekend and Beyond
Here are some travel tips for your weekend and the rest of May, when we'll have some big disruptions because of road and rail projects. Weekend Metro Delays The transit authority is doing track maintenance this weekend along the Orange and Blue lines, causing delays for riders. Full details are in this statement from Metro. But that's nothing compared to this next one. New Metrorail Project The transit authority is planning a switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square that will slow travel on the Green and Yellow lines during four weekends this month and next, including two when people will be traveling to games at Nationals Park. The $475,000 project, which stems from a recommendation made by the National Transportation Safety Board following a derailment at the station, is scheduled to begin next weekend. The work will start Friday night and continue through Sunday. The other weekends are May...
By | May 2, 2008; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Train Operators Blamed for Doors Problem
Lena H. Sun reports in today's Post on the problem you readers alerted us to concerning the train doors opening in tunnels. In the two incidents this week and last at Rosslyn Station and in other incidents, the transit authority says the operators are simply forgetting that the train is eight cars long. An eight-car train must pull up to the very front of the platform to get all the cars in the stations. Here's another letter I got about this week's incident at Rosslyn. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I was pleased to see some attention paid in your April 21 blog post about an incident where the doors of the last car in an 8-car Metro train opened while the car was still in the tunnel at Rosslyn. I was on that train and it was rather disturbing. I complained to Metro and got a good response, but this morning...
By | May 2, 2008; 8:56 AM ET | Comments (10)
Lane Closures at Reagan National
Drivers heading for the airport from the GW Parkway are likely to encounter some new delays starting next week, and they are going to be with us for quite a while. What To Look For The left lane of the airport entrance road will be closed next to the parking garage. On the roadway leading to and from garage parking, the left lane will be closed. The "return to airport" traffic coming from the parking garage exits will be rerouted to a new ramp just beyond the old ramp. (See it on the airport's project page.) After the lane closures take effect -- and that's scheduled for Monday -- a construction crane will be set up within the parking garage. That will temporarily reduce the traffic entering the airport to one lane. The 25-space bicycle rack at Garage C will be unavailable during construction, because it's too close to the...
By | May 1, 2008; 6:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
