If, as expected, more and more high-mileage hybrids, plug-ins, and other alternatively-fueled cars come to market in the next few years, it is far from clear that it is correct that the fact that "The fate of the gas guzzler is sealed," means that "people will . . . turn to buses and trains, and sidewalks," especially if that means having to sell their houses and move, carry groceries on the back of their bicycles, or the like. And with a DC-area population that is likely to continue to increase, even with more rail and more buses, it seems unlikely that demand for automobile access to the District will decrease. It is one thing for DC to find a way to implement tolls or other charges so it profits from commuter access (such charges could be used to subsidize more public transit). It is another for DC to try to keep cars out altogether.

When is Wapo ever going to get a traffic columnist who reflects, or at least understands, the majority of suburban commuters? I thought the last Dr. Grilock was mediocre but he was a rock star compared to this guy.

D.C. can't continue to treat cars as the enemy when Metro is a fraud. Four trains an hour on the weekend is no way to run a railroad when it's your only transit option, and Metrobus is infamous for poorly-scheduled and unintelligible routes.

Hoosier is correct, more people will switch to high mileage/electric vehicles. But I still think Dr. G is right. More people will also switch to walking/biking/tele-commuting/transit/commuter rail. NoVa will quickly become No Va if the state legislature doesn't get it's act together soon. The ICC, which the Washington Post pimped for, is going to be viewed as the worst regional transportation decision since the streetcars were removed. Only DC, with SmartBike, a pedestrian master plan and two streetcars is on the right track (Arlington is actually doing better, but is hamstrung by the state government). The biggest need though, an inner blue line, isn't even on the board.

Dr. G,
The right of way rules in this area should become standardized. There are conflicting rules across and even within jurisdictions. The Feds believe that pedestrians and bikers should yield to cars as they place stop signs at trail/road intersections. This can be seen on the Mount Vernon trail and Potomac Parkway trail. DC believes otherwise. As far as intrajurisdiction conflicts, the WOD trail in Fairfax county is a great example. In Falls Church I would stop for pedestrians and bikers at uncontrolled intersections until someone pointed out a giant stop sign that the trail users had that I never noticed. Further along the trail in Dunn Loring there is a section of the trail (at Gallows road) that has a yield to pedestrians sign and a traffic signal present (that can be green with pedestrians crossing mind you)! Then further along in Reston there is just a yield to pedestrians sign. So the point is that if the rules are not consistent how can anyone be expected to follow them?

"When is Wapo ever going to get a traffic columnist who reflects, or at least understands, the majority of suburban commuters?"

Hey buddy, it's the *Washington* Post. You need to float a column idea by the editors of the "Woodbridge Coupon Saver Gazette".

Good luck!

DDOT has two faces. On the one hand it talks about Pedestrian Safety and is investing $13 Million in a city wide plan. On the other, the Director just announced the elimination of a pedestrian signal which has been been completely effective where pedestrian and vehicle safety are concerned.

The reason to eliminate the light? "Near Misses" according to the NW Current. Doesn't every light have near misses?

If drivers found the signal confusing, then it is up to DDOT to figure out how to make it work, not to simply cave in to drivers demands.

Simply sad, and someone, either the Director or the Mayor, should have to answer hard questions about this reversal in policy.

Along with thousands of other people, I live in Maryland and work in Virginia, at least for the moment. I'm a contractor, so my work location changes when my assignment changes. I go to church in DC, at least for the moment (too complicated to discuss here). If the District is allowed to cut off my access to VA, will they pay my mortgage? Now, I take Metro most of the time, and telecommute as often as possible, but U occasionally need to drive because I know I am going to have a 10 hour day, so I will not spend an hour and a half on Metro and the shuttle when it only takes me 35 minutes to get to the office and I pay less than I do on the train. However, I was indoctrinated by State Department schools in the 70's, and I will save Gaia whenever I can. Every once in a while, I need to carry something heavy or annoying, and that won't go on the train either. So I drive once a week, on average. When I drive I take 295 to Rosslyn. On the occasional weekend job run (yes, some people do that), Metro is a joke on the weekends, so I take the 30 minute drive. Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, we use the 3rd street tunnel, coming out where they want to close it off.
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I can catch a hint; the city doesn't want us to come through the District. I would support having the Feds move most of the agencies out of the city, or actually commit to telecommuting and send most of the white collar workers home or to telework centers in the suburbs. The small businesses that these commuters support during the week can also move out with us; there are several dense population initiatives going on in the area that will work for them. Then DC can focus on scamming tourists!

I'm sure I'm not the first to ask this question, but I haven't seen it answered in awhile: why doesn't DC eliminate on-street parking on heavily trafficked roads? I usually take metro or walk, but my mom came to visit and I zipcar-ed to BWI and back to retrieve her. It took us 20 minutes to go 1.5 miles on New York Ave, from that Wendys at North Cap to my left-hand turn onto 5th (just after the 395 on ramp). I don't drive this route often for the aforementioned reasons, so I wasn't sure how to leave NY and get to my destination without hitting one-ways...and I was stuck when a southbound travel lane full of parked cars could have made our going a lot better. I have the same issue with Wisconsin Ave, southbound, in Georgetown --- I ususally get off the bus and walk. Restricted parking at certain times should become no parking at all times!

Isn't all of this NIMBY anti-highway behavior in NE DC going to bite them back? If so much of the commerce in the DC area keeps moving to Tysons and Arlington and they further remove roads in areas like the New York Ave/395 interchange, won't you be creating more of a barrier between the ghetto and the opportunity?

Bikes will rule the streets for the simple reason that bike riders do not have to obey traffic laws.

Clearly what needs to be done is that DC needs to start executing the poor. Development in the suburbs is an anti-environmental no-no. Development inside the Beltway puts single-family home neighborhoods from the '30s at risk. So where should people live? Execute the poor, take the property, and redevelop it.

It's a win-win.

I can catch a hint; the city doesn't want us to come through the District. I would support having the Feds move most of the agencies out of the city, or actually commit to telecommuting and send most of the white collar workers home or to telework centers in the suburbs.

I know the WaPo story was written in the most inflammatory way possible, but I'm not sure what exactly your beef is. You can still drive through the city, it's just that now the interests of commuters aren't the sole, solitary consideration when DDOT makes decisions about traffic patterns, etc... You know, folks actually still do live here in DC, even if you've moved out.

Drive the speed limit, and respect the residents, and I really don't see the problem.

How much waste could we save if federal agencies and suburban hotels just switched places? As it is, tourists who aren't obnoxiously wealthy have to stay in the suburbs and commute into DC. Federal employees who aren't obnoxiously wealthy do the same.

"I can catch a hint; the city doesn't want us to come through the District. I would support having the Feds move most of the agencies out of the city"

There is a contradiction in these two statements!

The higher gas prices go the better our country will get. It's really a positive for most of us. Higher food prices will help, too. It is the combination of cheap gas and low food prices that make people here the fattest. Shamefully, the children here are exceptionally fat, too. This is a recent phenomina caused by people choosing a lifestyle where they cannot walk anywhere. I always thought it was unhealthy.

The District doesn't owe suburban drivers anything. They don't pay taxes to DC or any commuter fees, so why do suburban drivers feel they have any rights to DC's streets? If they don't like it, they can take transit or move into the District - which are perfectly valid options in spite of any anti-social claims to the contrary. If it's a person's choice to live in the suburbs, they have to live with the trade-offs.

The District wouldn't exist without suburban drivers... well, it would exist but it would look more like Zimbabwe or Detroit.