I-66 Eastbound Lanes Closed in Gainesville

Updated 4:09 p.m. All eastbound lanes of Interstate 66 are now closed at Route 15 in Gainesville, Va. In addition to the closure on I-66, southbound Route 29 traffic is being diverted to Heathcote Boulevard, in order to continue onto Route 15. A section of Rte. 29 was already closed for the roadwork, but it will remain so until 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. Tuesday due to the accident. The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. when the beam fell from a bridge injuring one worker, according to a report by InsideNoVa.com....

By Mike McPhate | October 6, 2008; 01:57 PM ET | Comments (9)

Metrorail Quiz: Where Art Thou?

Dozens of sculptures, murals, friezes and other displays grace the city's Metrorail system. This December, the agency's Art in Transit program will select a new installation -- on the theme 'pulse' -- for Farragut North. During the sometimes mind-numbing commute through the system, do you ever pause to take in the art offerings? Try our quiz, which challenges readers to match images of art with the stations at which they appear, to see just how well you've been paying attention....

By Mike McPhate | October 2, 2008; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (3)

Traffic Alert: Connecticut Avenue Reopens

Update, 4:25 p.m.: Police activity has concluded around the 5000 block of Connecticut Avenue and all the lanes have been reopened. Original Post: This from the District Department of Transportation at 3:15 p.m.: Police activity has closed Connecticut Avenue between 36th Street NW and Chevy Chase Parkway. Traffic is being diverted around the area. The delays are expected to continue into the afternoon rush hour, and motorists are advised to plan an alternate route if possible. Check our traffic page for alerts and camera views....

By | October 1, 2008; 03:42 PM ET | Comments (1)

Service Boost on Some Fairfax Buses

The Fairfax Connector, crippled by a strike in the south part of the county, has come up with enough drivers to allow increased service on 11 routes today. Fairfax County says normal weekday service is in effect on these southern routes: 101, 109, 151, 152, 161, 162, 171, 310, 321, 322 and 401. There still is no service on these routes: 231, 232, 301, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 331, 332, 380 and VRE EZ-Bus North and South. Service on routes in the northern part of the county has not been affected by the strike that began on Sept. 15. Here's a link to the county Web site page that shows the routes for all the connector buses, but note that the page's schedule for southern routes was not adjusted to take the strike into account. The list you see in this entry is the most current information on which...

By | October 1, 2008; 09:57 AM ET | Comments (0)

An Appeal to Pedestrians

Pedestrians, cars and buses attempt to share the same space during afternoon rush at Silver Spring Station. (Thomson) Downtown Silver Spring was transformed on Monday in ways that several years of commercial construction had not accomplished. And it's worrisome: The closing of the old bus and taxi hub has pushed pedestrians onto the most heavily used commuter streets during rush hours. The crossing guards and Montgomery County police tried bravely on Monday to protect pedestrians from their own suicidal behavior, but it was like herding cats. The pedestrians funneling up Wayne Avenue while talking on cell phones or plugged into iPods just hate to break their momentum, even for the few seconds it would take to get a green light or a wave forward from one of the police officers or guards. Pedestrians, save yourselves. Life is worth living. The stock market will come back. Let the crossing guards...

By | September 30, 2008; 07:35 AM ET | Comments (19)

Silver Spring Station This Morning

Buses, police, crossing guards and drivers must all adjust to new traffic patterns near Silver Spring Metro station. (Thomson) Silver Spring's old hub for buses and taxis was deserted this morning, surrounded by chain link fence. But the nearby streets were bustling as never before with buses and pedestrians -- and some impatient drivers trying to get around them. The zone was flooded with police, crossing guards and guides pointing out the new bus stops to confused commuters. One Metro supervisor compared the operation to the opening of Nationals Park, only there, some streets could be closed off for safety. At Silver Spring, there are more bus to bus transfers than bus to rail transfers. There were limits to how far apart the new bus stops could be spread after the station area was shut on Sunday to make way for construction of the new transit center. So this...

By | September 29, 2008; 10:07 AM ET | Comments (6)

Bus Changes Affect Commuters Today

Buses at Silver Spring Station must clear the way for two years of transit center construction. Click on photo for map of the new layout. (Thomson) Commuters across the region are encountering some changes in bus routes and schedules this morning. At Silver Spring Station, the Metrobuses and the Montgomery County Ride Ons that had been loading and unloading near the station entrance have moved out onto the surrounding streets. Across the region, some Metrobus routes are starting new weekday schedules. Caution at Silver Spring This will be a confusing day for most people who use the station or just past by in their cars. Most everything but the tracks and platforms are in a different place. All the buses are using new stops on the streets around the station, the Metro Kiss & Ride is inside a parking garage, the taxi stand moved a bit and there's a...

By | September 29, 2008; 05:48 AM ET | Comments (1)

Metro Working to Fix More Routes

While we've focused on the transit authority's study to improve service on the 16th Street bus line, Metro also is asking for riders' help to fix eight other Metrobus routes. A set of public meetings starts tonight, but you can also comment by phone or online. These are the routes under review: -- Washington Boulevard Line (2A, 2B, 2C, 2G) -- Sibley Hospital and Stadium Armory Line (D1, D3, D6) -- Glover Park and Dupont Circle Line (D2) -- Ivy City and Union Station Line (D4) -- MacArthur Blvd and Georgetown Line (D5) -- Hospital Center Line (D8) -- Prince George's and Langley Park Line (F8) -- Eastover and Addison Road Line (P12) Here's the list of public meetings, all of which begin at 6 p.m.: Tonight: The P12 line will be discussed at the Suitland Community Center, 5600 Regency Lane, Forestville. Thursday: The D1, D3, D6 line will be...

By | September 24, 2008; 05:58 AM ET | Comments (1)

Outer Loop Lanes Reopen After Truck Fire

The scene near the Persimmon Tree Road bridge today. (Lewis R. Gollub for The Washington Post) UPDATE, 1:35 p.m.: All lanes are now open. Traffic remains backed up in both directions. UPDATE, 1:10 p.m.: Just one left lane of the Outer Loop is now blocked. Traffic remains slow before Connecticut Avenue and the length of the southbound 270 Spur. Inner Loop traffic is slow after Rte. 7. UPDATE, 1 p.m.: Two lanes of the Outer Loop are getting by to the right. All Inner Loop lanes are open. ORIGINAL POST: An accident involving a truck this morning in Montgomery County has blocked all lanes on the Outer Loop of the Beltway at River Road. Two right lanes are getting by on the Inner Loop and traffic slows starting at the George Washington Parkway. NBC4 reports that a welders truck overturned and caught fire at about 11 a.m. near the...

By Mike McPhate | September 23, 2008; 11:46 AM ET | Comments (4)

New Session on 16th Street Buses

Metro and the District Department of Transportation are hosting their second public meeting Tuesday to get riders' help in improving bus service along 16th Street in Northwest Washington. Click for larger map. (Metro) The first session this summer produced many good ideas for fixing problems with crowding, bus bunching and erratic schedules -- things that commonly occur on busy lines that pass through congested areas, both characteristics of the 16th Street Line. The S1, S2 and S4 routes, which average 16,000 passengers on a weekday, have the third highest ridership of any line in the Metrobus system as they travel between Silver Spring Station and downtown Washington. On this project, Metro if following a similar pattern to the one used to upgrade service this year on the 30s Line, an even busier route across Washington. The 16th Street study involves these public meetings, a rider survey, a staff review of...

By | September 22, 2008; 06:31 AM ET | Comments (0)

'Car Free Day' on Monday

In the 21st Century, we have a bunch of annual events in which we are urged to take the bold step of getting out of our cars and stepping into the future for one day. Sponsors hope the one day events -- invitations to take transit, carpool, bike or walk -- will be the start of something big. Ride On's Car Free Day ad. (Thomson) This Monday is Car Free Day, one of those annual events. The CommuterPageBlog has collected reports on some of the happenings in our region on the day of this worldwide celebration of non-automotive travels. If you want to figure out how to break the car habit for a day, look here for some suggestions. The only free travel I can find will be on the District's Circulator bus, operating three very useful routes across central Washington. But there are a bunch of events this week,...

By | September 17, 2008; 12:39 PM ET | Comments (11)

Silver Spring Getting New Bus Stops

Starting Sunday, Sept. 28, all the Ride On and Metro buses that operate out of the Silver Spring Metro station are scheduled to move out into the surrounding streets until construction of the new transit center is done. Penguins orient commuters. (Thomson) Yes, they say, this time, it's for real. Many commuters were expecting this to happen last year, before the project got delayed. They had watched as Wayne and Dixon avenues and Bonifant Street were prepared for the new bus stops, a new traffic signal was installed on Wayne and other pedestrian safety measures were put in place. But then nothing happened for a while. Crosswalk at Wayne and Dixon avenues got an upgrade. (Thomson) This year, the most visible signs of preparation have beent the closing of the MARC train office and the paving of the streets that will handle the new bus stops. Still, just because commuters...

By | September 17, 2008; 06:57 AM ET | Comments (11)

VDOT Fixing Hanna Damage

The Springvale Road bridge over Piney Run in Great Falls is closed for a few weeks while emergency repairs are made to bridge supports, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced today. Here's the VDOT detour, which probably will add about 10 minutes to travel times: Leesburg Pike (Route 7) west, right on Utterback Store Road, right on Georgetown Pike (Route 193) back to Springvale. Do the reverse if driving south from Georgetown Pike to Leesburg Pike. Watch for signs in both directions. VDOT engineers estimate it could take up to four weeks to fix the bridge's support abutments, which were damaged by Tropical Storm Hanna....

By | September 16, 2008; 03:08 PM ET | Comments (1)

VRE Holding Fare Hearings

Throughout September, VRE will be holding daytime and nighttime hearings on a new round of fare increases. There's a session today from noon to 2 p.m. at the Crystal City Marriott, and you can see the rest of the schedule on this VRE page. VRE is in the same spot as many of the Washington area's transit services: Ridership is surging, and so are expenses. The increase in riders isn't enough to close the gap on costs. Every public transit service operates with a government subsidy, but times are tough and the subsidies are limited to hold down taxes. Riders will make up the difference. (There will be some cost cuts, but significant cost cuts involve service cutbacks, and transit agencies are reluctant to do that with service so popular.) This is VRE's proposed strategy: There would be two fare increases over the next year. The first, in January, would...

By | September 16, 2008; 08:33 AM ET | Comments (0)

Roads Closing in Rock Creek Park

Starting on Tuesday, some roads in the park will be closed during the middle of the day for maintenance. There are no closings scheduled during the rush periods. Here are the times and locations. Tuesday, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm: Beach Drive (northbound lane) closed between Rock Creek Parkway and Piney Branch Parkway NW; Piney Branch Parkway (eastbound lane) closed between Beach Drive and Arkansas Avenue NW; Klingle Road closed between Porter Street and Beach Drive NW. Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm: Glover Road closed between Grant Road and Broad Branch Road NW; Ross Drive closed between Glover Road and Joyce Road NW. Tuesday, Sept. 23, and Wednesday, Sept. 24, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm: Ross Drive closed between Glover Road and Joyce Road NW....

By | September 15, 2008; 01:03 PM ET | Comments (0)

Better Commute for Marylanders Today

Commuters along Annapolis Road (Route 450) near the Peace Cross in Blandensburg should be finding their drives a bit smoother this morning thanks to the opening of the new overpass. No more waiting for freight trains on the CSX tracks. "One of the greatest benefits, in addition to reducing rail-related traffic congestion, will be the improved response time for area emergency personnel to reach people in need," Neil J. Pedersen, the Maryland state highway administrator, said in a statement. More than 40,000 vehicles travel along Annapolis Road Bladensburg each day, the highway administration said. But the rate is likely to exceed 63,000 vehicles by 2030. In the past, many drivers had to stop for the more than 25 trains crossing their path. The trains would halt traffic for an average of 15 minutes each. Traffic backups extended up to a mile in each direction during peak travel times, the highway...

By | September 15, 2008; 06:31 AM ET | Comments (0)

Roads, Transit Center Reopened

All the roads that had been closed for this morning's ceremony at the Pentagon have reopened, the Virginia Department of Transportation reports. Also back in business is the Pentagon Transit Center. The Metrobuses that had been detoured to Pentagon City Station are back on their regular routes....

By | September 11, 2008; 01:28 PM ET | Comments (12)

Arlington Streets Reopening

Arlington police report they have reopened South Eads and South Fern Streets, which were among the roadways closed this morning during the dedication ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial. Route 1 and Glebe Road also have reopened. All the Metrobuses diverted during the morning closing of the Pentagon Transit Center are back on their regular routes now. Police have said they will reopen the roadways as soon as safety allows following the ceremony....

By | September 11, 2008; 12:24 PM ET | Comments (0)

I-395 Southbound Lanes Reopen

Arlington police report that the main lanes of I-395 southbound have reopened to traffic. They were closed temporarily during President Bush's visit to the Pentagon Memorial dedication ceremony....

By | September 11, 2008; 11:50 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reopening of 395 Lanes Delayed Slightly

Arlington police report that the reopening of the I-395 lanes has been delayed till about 11:15 a.m. because of the ceremony dedicating the Pentagon Memorial. The HOV lanes are open southbound now. The regular lanes on 395 will reopen after President Bush leaves the dedication....

By | September 11, 2008; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (0)

Update From Pentagon City Station

Post staff writer Mark Berman reports that the late rush hour is still going pretty smoothly at Pentagon City Station despite the detour of so many buses from the Pentagon Transit Center, which is closed this morning because of the memorial ceremony. Metro employees on the scene attribute that to the savvy of Pentagon commuters and the fact that traffic and transit alerts have been going out for days. Berman said at 8:40 a.m. that bus and rail operations remain very active but orderly. There seems to be some thining out in the number of people waiting to ask questions of the Metro employees near the bus stops on Hayes Street. There was a steady stream of people getting off the diverted buses and heading into the Metrorail station for the trip to Pentagon Station, which has remained open for rail service. But it wasn't overly crowded on the street...

By | September 11, 2008; 08:33 AM ET | Comments (1)

Smooth Operations at Pentagon City Station

Post reporter Mark Berman is at Pentagon City Station, where the buses detoured from the closed Pentagon Transit Center are stopping this morning. Many people have changed their commuting pattern for the day in response to the warnings about the road closings, detours and traffic congestion. Metro employees are on Hayes Street giving advice to lines of commuters who need information about the schedules, routes and stops, Berman said at 8 a.m. Buses are lining the east side of Hayes street from 12th to 15th streets, but the operations are orderly, he said. One commuter from Alexandria who works in the Navy Annex and normally takes Metro to Pentagon City and then a shuttle to the annex told Berman that she was amazed the commute so far was no worse than usual. She had expected gridlock. Another commuter, Gordon Rogers, 58, of Arlington, said "The Metro part of this seems...

By | September 11, 2008; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (0)

Metrorail Operating Normal Schedule

The schedule change for transit today had to do with Metrobuses, not Metrorail. So far this morning, there are no significant delays on the trains. Metrorail is operating on its normal peak period schedule. (Check here for Metro's service advisories.) Why no more trains or extra cars, given that we're all advising commuters to take transit rather than drive through the Pentagon area congestion this morning? Metro can't add any capacity to the six-car trains it already operates during peak service on the Blue and Yellow lines, says transit authority spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. Extra cars and trains draw more juice from the third rail. As Metro adds to its 830-car fleet, it is working on upgrading the power system along the lines so they can handle the added draw of additional cars. The big change today was the switch of all Metrobuses that normally use the Pentagon Transit Center over...

By | September 11, 2008; 07:03 AM ET | Comments (0)

Many Bus Routes Shifted

Metrobus, which has switched stops from the Pentagon Transit Center to Pentagon City Metro station this morning, isn't the only agency making detours because of the Sept. 11 memorial dedication ceremony. DASH Buses AT3, AT4: Riders who usually use the Pentagon Transit Center will be redirected to the Braddock Road Metro station. Normal service will resume at the Pentagon Transit Center in the afternoon. Buses heading toward Braddock Road Station will stop at designated stops on the opposite side of the street from buses that normally operate to the Pentagon. OmniRide: All morning buses will operate service only to Metro stations. On the eastern side of Prince William County, service will operate to the Franconia-Springfield Station. From the Manassas area, service will operate to West Falls Church Station. Riders will pay the Metro Direct fare of $2.50 cash or $2.10 with a SmarTrip card. Mid-day buses will depart from the...

By | September 11, 2008; 06:17 AM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Update: HOV Lanes Reverse Early Today

To ease traffic congestion in the area around the Pentagon Memorial dedication today, the Virginia Department of Transportation says it will reverse the I-95/395 HOV lanes from northbound to southbound earlier than usual. The I-95/395 HOV lanes will close to northbound traffic between 9:30 and 10 a.m. The lanes will re-open to southbound traffic by 11 a.m. The HOV lanes typically close to northbound traffic on weekdays at 11 a.m., and re-open to southbound traffic at 1 p.m. VDOT suggests that drivers use alternative routes such as Route 301 or Route 17 to avoid congestion, and of course, take Metrorail....

By | September 11, 2008; 05:55 AM ET | Comments (0)

So Far, So Good Along I-395

At 5:30 a.m., traffic is light along the I-395 corridor near the Pentagon, where the dedication of the Sept. 11 memorial is scheduled to take place this morning. But with so many roads closed off, that's likely to change. Click for larger map. (Arlington Police) Police and traffic managers are advising commuters to avoid driving through the area and to take transit or telecommute instead. The Pentagon Transit Center is closed this morning. The Metrobuses that normally stop there are going instead to the Pentagon City Metro station. There's no parking at the Pentagon South Parking Lot. The North Parking Lot is open. Drivers in Northern Virginia and Maryland, pay attention to the electronic message boards. State officials say they plan to use them to advise on traffic conditions around the Pentagon. Metrorail is operating on a normal schedule this morning. (The transit authority says it isn't able to add...

By | September 11, 2008; 05:26 AM ET | Comments (0)

Commuter Graphic: Get a Grip!

This week's Commuter Graphic looks at the overhead handles that Metro is testing to help riders keep their balance. The agency has been operating eight cars with handles made of nylon or vinyl for several weeks. The straps are black, yellow or gray. The black straps are made of nylon mesh; the others, in yellow and two shades of gray, are vinyl. The agency expects to have its newest rail cars outfitted with the stainless steel handles by December. Pick your favorite design below. POLL...

By Mike McPhate | September 10, 2008; 03:12 PM ET | Comments (7)

Reminder on Thursday Traffic

If you work in the Pentagon-Crystal City area, Thursday would be a grand day to telecommute. The road closings from 3 a.m. to about 1 p.m. around the Pentagon Memorial dedication are likely to jam up commuter traffic. Here's a summary of what you will face. Click for larger map. (Arlington Police) Widespread Impact: The road closings for the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial tomorrow are likely to result in heavy congestion across a wide area. Many access points along crowded Interstate 395 are involved. Virginia commuters use these routes to reach the Pentagon, Crystal City and Washington. Maryland commuters flow in from New York Avenue and I-295 to reach the Southeast-Southwest Freeway and the 14th Street Bridge. Take Transit: But Metrorail will operate on its usual schedule. Metro cannot add any rush-period service. Parking at the stations is likely to be very tight. Metrobus: There may be some disruption...

By | September 10, 2008; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (0)

Plans Still Evolving for Thursday Closures

The road closings around the Pentagon on Thursday are now scheduled to begin at 3 a.m. They will be lifted at 1 p.m. if conditions permit, Arlington police say. Drivers today should be seeing alerts about Thursday's commute on the variable message signs along I-95/395 and the Capital Beltway, among other places. Click to see latest map. (Arlington Police Department) The street closures, which will be done to provide security and access for the the invitation-only dedication of the Pentagon Memorial on Thursday morning, are quite extensive and will occur in a sector of I-395 that is congested even under normlal circumstances during rush periods. Police and Virginia traffic managers are advising commuters to avoid the area, especially between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Metrorail is a better option than driving through the zone. All stations will be open. The trains will be running on their regular schedule Thursday morning. Buses...

By | September 9, 2008; 08:42 AM ET | Comments (11)

Afternoon Alerts for Commuters

From Metro: Metrorail riders who usually enter the McPherson Square Station were delayed briefly this afternoon following a telephone threat to the station at 3:50 p.m., the transit authority says. Transit Police responded and were not able to identify any danger to riders. An unattended package was discovered inside the station, but it contained nothing harmful. Trains continued to stop in the station to let passengers off the trains, but no riders were allowed to enter the station until the package was deemed safe at 4:27 p.m., Metro says. From VRE: In a 5:29 p.m. update, VRE says the disabled freight train causing the congestion is now on the move. VRE does not expect any further delays this evening. A CSX train had become disabled between L'Enfant and Crystal City, creating a one track railroad. MARC's New Schedule: Don't miss your advernoon train. Here's a link to the full list...

By | September 8, 2008; 03:47 PM ET | Comments (0)

Traffic Alert for Thursday

The national event of the week will also be our traffic event of the week: Thursday morning's dedication for the Pentagon Memorial is likely to disrupt travel over a wide area. Click for larger map of road closures. (Arlington Police Department) Arlington police will block many major roads near the Pentagon during the morning and early afternoon. See a map here. The schedule calls for these points to be closed from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Washington Boulevard eastbound at Interstate 395 and Columbia Pike and westbound at Memorial Bridge, I-395 and Hayes Street; southbound I-395 to the Pentagon south parking lot; and Columbia Pike from Joyce Street to the Pentagon south parking. I-395 northbound HOV will have no access to Washington Boulevard. Police say these roads will be closed at 3 a.m. and reopened when conditions permit: South Fern Street from Army Navy Drive to the Pentagon; South Eads...

By | September 8, 2008; 08:23 AM ET | Comments (10)

VDOT Working on Beltway Ramp

To ease congestion, the Virginia Department of Transportation is adding another lane to the ramp from Route 7 in Falls Church onto the inner loop of the Capital Beltway. This involves reconfiguring the westbound lanes of Route 7 at the intersection with Magarity Road in Falls Church. The work is scheduled to be done on Nov. 20. In the meantime, watch for occasional lane closings through the area during off-peak hours.The $429,992 project also involves construction of a sidewalk, curb, gutter and pedestrian fence for safety. The Metrobus stop for routes 28A, B and T at the intersection is temporarily unavailable. The nearest stop is to the east, across from Marshall High School....

By | September 3, 2008; 09:43 AM ET | Comments (0)

Waiting for 'September Shock'

For many commuters, the move from summer to fall isn't as swift or surprising as it used to be. School starts, which were a big factor in traffic and transit congestion, come more gradually than they used to for the Washington region. Northern Virginia schools are starting up this week, but many students in Maryland and the District have been back at their desks since late August. Meanwhile, Capitol Hill remains quiet. We're still in road construction season. Since few people have the luxury of taking summer-long vacations, the current set of road projects isn't a surprise to commuters who drive. In transit, Metrorail continued to set ridership records through the summer. I see nothing much has changed on MARC: Train 506 was delayed because of problems problems, and there's a slowdown on the Brunswick Line this week, because CSX is working on the tracks. Train 894 left Frederick 40...

By | September 2, 2008; 07:59 AM ET | Comments (9)

Commuter Graphic: Good to the Last Drop

The carefree days of cheap gas are an increasingly distant memory, unlikely ever to return. This week's Commuter Graphic offers respite with tips on how to get the most of your gas and your dollar, no matter what type of vehicle you drive....

By Mike McPhate | August 25, 2008; 06:44 PM ET | Comments (31)

Advocating Eye Contact in Traffic

Here's a very sensible letter about road safety, but I want to ask you a question after you read it. Dear Dr. Gridlock: As part of the ongoing discussion about driver/cyclist relations I thought I would share the following experience: Yesterday I was on my bike at the intersection of R and Connecticut/20th where the cyclist was killed several weeks ago by a garbage truck. The light was red and I was stopped in the bicycle lane. I have a habit of always looking back to make eye contact with drivers when I am stopped at a light, and I did so this time. The driver in the car next to me nodded and rolled down his window to tell me that he would be making a right turn onto Connecticut. I thanked him for letting me know. He replied that if I wanted I could go first. I graciously...

By | August 14, 2008; 06:37 AM ET | Comments (35)

SmartBike Open for Business in DC

Wear a helmet. That's the one essential you're not going to get when using the new SmartBike DC system to take a three-hour tour around the city. SmartBike logo on rear wheel. (Thomson) Such a deal: For $40 a year, people 18 or older can register online and receive an electronic card, like a SmarTrip card, that allows them to take bikes from one of the docking stations across downtown Washington and use them for up to three hours. There are 10 docking stations now and more are on the way. Mayor Adrian Fenty formally launched the program today, next to the SmartBike rack at the Reeves Center at U and 14th streets NW. Chantal Buchser, who works at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association in Dupont Circle and has been beta testing SmartBikes, rode up in a dress suitable for office wear. The bike's design, with its low bar and...

By | August 13, 2008; 02:39 PM ET | Comments (12)

Easier Drive at Beltway Ramp

The Upper Marlboro commuter who wrote to me for Sunday's column about congestion on the ramp from the Capital Beltway to southbound Branch Avenue in Prince George's had this to say about the Maryland State Highway Administration's fixes. Hello Dr. Gridlock: On Monday, I traveled through the Beltway/Branch Avenue interchange at around 5:30 p.m. and the weekend's modifications to the off ramp seem to have did the trick. Everything was much improved. There were no delays on either loop of the Beltway and Branch Avenue flowed well even with the new lane drop. Sidney V. Elam Jr. The state extended the ramp lanes carrying inner and outer loop traffic so drivers would not have to do a difficult merge on the ramp. For you others who use the ramp, are you also finding the traffic flow better this week?...

By | August 12, 2008; 12:57 PM ET | Comments (2)

Maryland Plans to Fix New Beltway Ramp

The Maryland State Highway Administration has announced a plan to ease congestion on its new ramp from the Capital Beltway to southbound Branch Avenue (Route 5). The ramp, centerpiece of a $52 million reconstruction of that busy interchange in Prince George's County, has troubled drivers since it opened last Friday. The ramp lanes will no longer merge here, before Branch Avenue. (Thomson) The fix: By Monday morning, both the inner and outer loop ramps will have their own lanes extending onto southbound Branch Avenue. At the point where drivers merge onto Branch Avenue, it will consist of two through lanes and two ramp lanes. All four lanes will continue beyond the end of the ramp for about a half mile, where the outside lane will drop off and merge left near Linda Lane. For that new setup to work, SHA will reduce southbound Branch Avenue from three through lanes to...

By | August 8, 2008; 01:56 PM ET | Comments (3)

Virginia Extending Shoulder Use on I-66

Virginia's traffic is worsening, and if the state can't build its way out of congestion, it can get more use out of the road it already has: The Virginia Department of Transportation this month will extend the hours during which drivers can spread out and use the I-66 shoulder lanes between the Capital Beltway and Route 50. The plan will add an hour of shoulder use in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, starting Aug. 25. Right now, morning use eastbound ends at 10 a.m. and afternoon use westbound starts at 3 p.m. These will be the new times: 5:30 to 11 a.m. eastbound; 2 to 8 p.m. westbound. VDOT also plans to open the shoulder during traffic incidents or when lanes are closed for road work. HOV-2 hours will stay the same: Eastbound, 5:30 to 9:30 a.m.; westbound, 3 to 7 p.m. This section of I-66 outside...

By | August 8, 2008; 06:39 AM ET | Comments (37)

Orange Line Travelogue

As Dr. Gridlock, I don't commute. Soon as I put the key in the ignition or pay the fare, I'm at work. Part of my job, as the Dear Abbey of Traffic, is to share your pain out there. Orange Line, Wednesday, 6:52 a.m.: Got on board a downtown-bound train at West Falls Church. Things were going well at that point. I'd parked on the second level in the garage, taking one of about 2,000 all-day spaces at the station. ($4.50 per day, payable by SmarTrip card only.) Just two stops from the start of the line, the train car already was filling with standees. And we could hear a platform announcement about delays ahead, because of a switch problem at Foggy Bottom. This wouldn't prove to be a major delay, but it did add 10 minutes to the scheduled 28 minute trip to Federal Center SW. During the trip,...

By | August 7, 2008; 07:42 AM ET | Comments (25)

New Beltway Ramp Opening

The Maryland State Highway Administration plans to open a new flyover ramp Friday morning from the Capital Beltway's inner loop to southbound Branch Avenue. Watch for variable message boards that will guide drivers through the new traffic pattern. Branch Avenue (Route 5) is one of the most heavily traveled commuter routes in Prince George's County. Near the Beltway, it averages more than 122,000 vehicles per day. The new ramp, which should be open by 5 a.m. Friday, was built to ease congestion and eliminate the difficult merge at the Branch Avenue/Beltway interchange. The ramp is part of a $52 million reconstruction of the interchange that began in March 2006 and is scheduled to be done by the end of this year....

By | July 31, 2008; 11:29 AM ET | Comments (1)

Commuter Graphic: A Beltway Change

A new traffic control program is aimed at easing traffic along the Capital Beltway by adjusting speed limits to the level of congestion ahead. This week's Commuter Graphic offers a primer on how the new "variable speed limit" system works....

By Mike McPhate | July 28, 2008; 04:12 PM ET | Comments (4)

Calculating the Commute

I'm going to ask for your advice on this. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I can't seem to find a good commuting calculator to show the cost of driving to work versus taking mass transit. Can you recommend one for the D.C. area? I'm starting a new commute from Reston to the District, versus Reston to Dulles, and would like to know what it might cost and how long each option might take. Eric Hill Reston Very timely, right? Metro's ridership numbers this summer suggest that a lot of people are engaged in similar calculations, because of the gas prices. There are many online calculators. I think the ones that would work best for us are locally relevant, simple and up to date on car costs. I've used three, for various reasons. They are: -- Arlington 's Car-Free Diet calculator (You don't have to be commuting in Arlington to use it.) --...

By | July 17, 2008; 11:34 AM ET | Comments (3)

Commuter Graphic: Beating Gas Prices

With gas prices at record levels and traffic congestion only worsening, this week's Commuter graphic offers tips on how to save your time and money. Whether you want to carpool, bike, take transit or telecommute, the Washington region offers a variety of choices....

By Mike McPhate | July 14, 2008; 04:34 PM ET | Comments (0)

Walking, Driving and Vacationing ...

Those were among the topics we were into during an online discussion today that got cut short by some problems with our technology. I promised to switch over to the blog and address some of your questions and comments here. Long-Distance Travel Alexandria, Va.: Dr. Gridlock, do you have any sense for whether the I-95 Express Toll Lane project north of Baltimore is making a big mess of the traffic? I'm driving to Maine next week and am debating whether to go the I-95/N.J. Turnpike route or whether to go up to Harrisburg and then take I-81 to either I-78 or I-84. I don't much care about the tolls, I'm just wondering about the traffic. Dr. Gridlock: I've had no troubles getting through that express lanes zone north of Baltimore and have received no complaints about it from readers. The spot where readers and I do share a bad experience...

By | July 7, 2008; 02:31 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Commuter: Going Purple

By the end of the year, Maryland planners hope to have decided on whether to build a light rail or bus rapid transit across Montgomery and Prince George's counties. This week's Commuter graphic walks you through the arguments for and against the proposed Purple Line link....

By Mike McPhate | June 30, 2008; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (9)

Confusion on Code Red

Metro says it has fixed the way it receives notifications about Code Red air quality days so that it can get the word to its bus drivers that it's time to offer free rides. On Monday, the transit authority says, it didn't realize till 7:28 a.m. that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments had posted the alert for unhealthy levels of ozone. The alert triggers the free ride program on most suburban bus lines and on most Metrobuses in the suburbs. The Council of Governments declared the Code Red alert for Monday at mid-afternoon on Sunday. Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein says the alert came in by e-mail and by fax, but transit authority personnel had a problem reading each of them. The fax blotted out the Code Red wording and Metro's computer couldn't read the HTML parts of the e-mail, only the text. Metro says the text didn't indicate the...

By | June 10, 2008; 04:35 PM ET | Comments (0)

I-270 Commuters Seek Advice

Here are a couple of questions that came in from commuters taking new routes to work. I'm seeking your help in advising them. Dear Dr. Gridlock: We just moved to Gaithersburg and will start commuting down I-270 toward I-495 in the mornings. Can you tell me what time the morning rush hour generally eases up? If you need to reach I-495 by 8:45 or 9 a.m., what time would you routinely have to plan to get on the road at exit 9? Dear Dr. Gridlock: Can you advise the best route to get between Rockville and Hyattsville? Would you advise taking 495 or using back roads. This will be Mon-Fri at the peak morning and afternoon commute times. [Shady Grove Road is the exit off I-270 that I take to get home. I will need to get to Prince George's Plaza for my new job, to be more specific.] On...

By | June 10, 2008; 01:58 PM ET | Comments (0)

Getting to Work Today

Have a nice Tuesday. (Can't hurt as much as Monday, can it?) -- The ozone alert drops down to a Code Orange on Tuesday, so the pollution-fighting plan that offers free bus rides on Code Red days won't be in place. -- Metro says Orange Line trains in the direction of Vienna are running slower than normal between Rosslyn and Court House, but that service is largely back to normal following Monday afternoon's derailment. Metro had been planning to continue single tracking through the area because of concerns about track damage. But crews worked through the night to restore the two-track service. -- MARC's Camden Line riders should head over to the Penn Line. Service on the Camden Line was closed this morning after an oil tanker caught fire on the Hanover Street ramp near I-95 in downtown Baltimore. That shut the CSX tracks leading to Camden Station from MARC's...

By | June 10, 2008; 06:19 AM ET | Comments (0)

Bad Ride on Bad Air Day

So we told you Monday would be a bad air day, and to help out the environment, you should leave the car at home. And what did you get? A bad commute. The bad vibes started early -- real early, in fact -- when Metrobus riders discovered that the transit authority had not gotten the word that Monday was a Code Red alert day, for potentially unhealthy levels of ozone. Whenever that happens, most of the local buses in the suburbs are free, to encourage people to at least temporarily abandon their cars. But early morning Metrobus riders in Maryland and Virginia who should have been traveling for free instead had to pay the regular fare, till Metro heard about the Code Red at 7:28 a.m. and shared the news with bus drivers. By mid-afternoon, that glitch was starting to look minor, when commuters on Metro's Orange Line and MARC's...

By | June 10, 2008; 05:52 AM ET | Comments (0)

Commuting on a Bad Air Day

Forecasters say the air is likely to contain unhealthy levels of ozone on Monday, and on any such Code Red alert day, most local buses in the Washington suburbs are free. Local governments subsidize this free ride program to encourage people to leave their cars at home and cut down on pollution. Of course, the downside is that you'll have to walk through that same bad air to reach the bus stop. But if you're willing to do that, and can dress according to the weather, then a free ride day is a good time to check out these bus systems, which might provide an alternative to gas guzzling even on good weather days. Participants in the program include most of the local public bus lines in the suburbs. Some Metrobuses in the suburbs will be free, too, but most of the ones that operate in the District are not....

By | June 8, 2008; 03:24 PM ET | Comments (0)

Documenting Extreme Commutes

There are two types of commuters: Those of us who get to work, sigh, and think that, well, somebody else probably had it worse; and those of us who get to work, sigh, and suspect that no one else could possibly have had it any worse. Your commute here? (Thomson) If you're in the latter category, you're probably an extreme commuter, a person who travels a very long distance -- perhaps from central Virginia, West Virginia, southern Pennsylvania or the Eastern Shore -- for the privilege of working with the rest of us here in the Washington area. (With congestion worsening, an extreme commute isn't as far away as it used to be.) Andrea Bloom, a graduate student at American University, is making a documentary film about your commute. Right now, she's looking to recruit some of you extremists to be in the film, which is part of a thesis....

By | February 19, 2008; 08:36 AM ET | Comments (7)

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...

By | January 29, 2008; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (0)

Gripes About Traffic Reports

Are commuters in any portion of our region deprived of traffic reports? Here's one commuter who thinks so. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I'm writing to vent on my pet peeve, which is the complete lack of traffic coverage for commuters coming in and out through the southeast area of DC. As everyone knows, there are only three ways to get into the city from Southern Maryland: I-295, Suitland Parkway, and Pennsylvania Avenue. Day after day, we are stuck in horrific delays, with no mention at all on the traffic reports, or, if there is a mention, it is usually too little too late. Don't we deserve equal coverage and consideration? Is it a case of snobbery or racism? How can WTOP brag about their coverage when they consistently ignore 1/4 of the pie that the D.C. metro area is comprised of? In addition, even those commuters who try to do their...

By | January 14, 2008; 08:07 AM ET | Comments (0)

Updates on Road and Transit Concerns

Here's news about three current issues affecting many drivers and transit users. Lane Closures on I-66 Westbound Do the terms "inbound" and "outbound" mean much anymore in a region with as many job centers as ours? The Virginia Department of Transportation has further restricted the work scheduled for the westbound lanes of Interstate 66 inside the Beltway, because the traffic congestion in the supposedly off-peak and outbound lanes was too severe. VDOT crews have been drilling for sound walls that might be built as part of the plan for spot widenings that could occur along those westbound lanes. Mike Salmon, a VDOT spokesman, said in an e-mail to me that "Due to traffic delays, we are halting work until the spring or summer so we can work in the evenings, after rush hour. For the rest of the week, we have a modified schedule for the same area along I-66...

By | January 9, 2008; 10:20 AM ET | Comments (3)

More Transportation Chat

During our biweekly online discussion on Monday, I ran out of time before I ran out of questions and comments from readers. That's the usual scenario. But this time I thought I'd post some of the ones that I didn't get to. Your thoughts on these would be most welcome. Transit The chat was very heavy on Metro issues, naturally enough, since the Metro board just approved its biggest every fare and fee increases. People argued all sides of that. Metro-area Resident: "For me, Metro is what it is. Really, Metro is not that bad. I think what folks don't realize are its problems are the result of "niceties" they like the most when comparing Metro to older subway systems. "Metro generally has nice facilities, and is thankfully clean. However, Metro is an over-capitalized system, which requires high ops and maintenance costs. I know this seems like a crazy question,...

By | December 18, 2007; 05:35 AM ET | Comments (19)

Commuting Challenges Ahead

Three items in Sunday's Post showed why my mailbag is likely to remained jammed with letters from angry and frustrated commuters, no matter how they travel to and from work. See how these traffic and transit issues fit together to create a challenge that will be impossible for the region to dodge. Commuters head toward District. (Robert Thomson) -- Tens of thousands of military jobs will shift from one part of the region to others in the next few years. The employees will either move closer to the new job sites, or not. Whatever their decisions, they'll wind up having an impact on a transportation system unprepared to accommodate them. Key choke points will be Fort Belvoir, Fort Meade and Bethesda. Only one, Bethesda, has good transit access. But even there, the main roads will be overwhelmed with traffic long before major new roadwork can ease the congestion. Steve Vogel...

By | December 17, 2007; 07:54 AM ET | Comments (11)

5-Minute Drill on Transportation

It was a great idea: Get a bunch of transportation experts into a room and tell them they can each talk for five minutes. By the time they were done, they had knit together the progress made and the challenges still ahead as the Washington region struggles to keep people mobile. The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, which sponsored this seminar on Oct. 4, has put the speakers' talking points, charts and maps online. Here's a link to a 100-page pdf file based on the presentation. The focus was on the problems and potential for transportation progress in Northern Virginia -- the Dulles rail project, the efforts to improve the Virginia Railway Express and the HOT lane construction program -- but much of the material was of interest to the entire region, including population growth, land use issues and travel trends. Like this, from John McClain, deputy director of the Center...

By | December 11, 2007; 08:28 AM ET | Comments (0)

Service Resumes on Green Line

A previous incident was creating major delays for afternoon commuters. Release from wmata.com warns commuters of Green Line delays: Metrorail customers can expect major delays along the Green Line this afternoon due to an individual who was struck by a train as it pulled into the Fort Totten Metrorail station headed in the direction of Branch Avenue.Trains are single-tracking through the area, taking turns headed in both directions between West Hyattsville and Georgia Ave-Petworth Metrorail stations. Shuttle buses have also been requested to help passengers get around the incident. The free shuttles are likely to start arriving at these affected stations by 5:30 p.m. Customers who can use the Red Line to get around the situation by transferring at Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station or at the Fort Totten Metrorail station are encouraged to do so....

By washingtonpost.com editors | December 10, 2007; 05:07 PM ET | Comments (0)

Longer Trains, Shorter Trains

There are more eight car trains on Metro during peak periods this week, and more four car trains during off peak periods. Metro adds and subtracts train cars. (Gerald Martineau) Metro today will expand lengthen three Red Line trains into eight-car trains. On the Orange and Green lines, two trains will be lengthened to eight cars during the rush periods. This is because Metro has added 20 new cars to its fleet. The remaining cars out of the 20 will be held in reserve in case another train must be withdrawn from service because of mechanical problems. But the gap between peak and off peak service is growing this winter. During the off peak periods and weekends, you're more likely to see four-car trains on all the lines. Metro is trying to save money during the season when the ridership is lower. When the tourists return in March, the trains...

By | December 10, 2007; 08:01 AM ET | Comments (0)

Where to Live?

Letters from people planning a move to Washington offer a chance to think about our transportation assets and liabilities. Here's one I'm hoping you can help me answer. Dr. Gridlock: I am only now discovering your column after years of reading the Washington Post, and that's because I'm moving to DC next month! I'll be working in Arlington, and living there for a month until I find a place. I was most intrigued by what I read about VA vs. MD commuting. It was from January and I was wondering if there's any updates on this debate and where I might find more information to help us decide. Just because I'll be working in Arlington, I'm not yet convinced that I should move my family there. My wife used to live in DC more than a decade ago and favors Maryland. I only know that I do not want to...

By | November 27, 2007; 05:32 AM ET | Comments (0)

Should Holiday Rules Change?

After Veterans Day, I got several letters suggesting that on certain holidays, local governments maintain their regular weekday traffic patterns. Normally, governments ease the rules on lane use and parking, and they keep traffic signals set at off-peak timings. Is that out of date? Please share your experiences. See if they match what the letter writer here had to say. Dear Dr. Gridlock: Can anything be done to maintain normal rush hour traffic patterns on some federal holidays? Many businesses in the District work on some federal holidays, and having traffic flow stay on weekend patterns creates havoc with already difficult commutes. For instance, the Clara Barton Parkway and Canal Road go one way in and out during morning and afternoon rush. On holidays they remain on two way traffic. Monday was Veteran's Day, but many businesses were open as normal. Traffic backed up on the Clara Barton from the...

By | November 14, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (7)

Lessons From Out of Town

An out-of-town television news crew interviewed me last week about our traffic problems. The two reporters explained to me that their city now finds itself overwhelmed with congestion. Turning to other places for ideas, they were fascinated by the notion that getting around Washington is so difficult that the local newspaper has a columnist who writes about nothing but transportation issues. The TV crew was from Belgrade. The Serbian capital has too many cars for its roads and bridges. When more and more people can drive, fewer and fewer want to wait for a bus to come along. It was all starting to sound very familiar. Are there lessons we can learn from the experiences of other cities, both positive and negative. One letter-writer things we can. Here's what he suggested: "I was wondering if you could start a series about suggestions from other cities that could work here in...

By | November 12, 2007; 08:04 AM ET | Comments (15)

Commuters Can Go Lean

Chris Hamilton, commuter services chief for Arlington County, and his colleagues want to help daily travelers be healthy and thrifty, so they've launched a campaign called Arlington's Car-Free Diet. You can learn to lose, Web site says. (carfreediet.com) As is evident from the name, they're encouraging people to switch their commutes to transit, walking, biking, or staying home and working from there. You can lose 2,000 pounds in a day, they say, by leaving the car in the driveway. And like all the truly great diet-creators, they don't want you to sacrifice to get results. The commuting habits of a lifetime need not be thrown out completely: One or two days a week on the program can show results, the sponsors say. The only thing that gets fatter is your wallet: The money savings on parking fees, car insurance, maintenance and gas. (That part I can identify with: When I...

By | November 8, 2007; 08:09 AM ET | Comments (15)

Metro Communications and More

Metro riders will be interested in today's story by Lena H. Sun and Jonathan Mummolo about the transit authority's plan to provide more information and coordination during service disruptions. Here's the key paragraph, the statement I think will ring true to many riders: "The communication problems trace to nearly every aspect of how Metro operates. Some are technical and require more money and new procedures; others could be fixed with little more than handing out dry-erase boards. The most basic could be fixed with dedication to old-fashioned customer service." On Metro's side: It's a big, complex system and things are bound to go wrong. Because things go right most of the time, hundreds of thousands of people rely on the transit system to get to and from work each day. On the other hand: When something goes wrong, nobody seems to know anything for at least the first 20 minutes....

By | October 15, 2007; 07:48 AM ET | Comments (8)

Highlights of Summer Road Work

Among the many changes our transportation departments made this summer, I picked out three that I'd like to highlight on an upcoming edition of The Post's commuter page and discuss with you here. Each affects many drivers and illustrates a different facet of road work: Beltway Ramp: The redesigned exit from the inner loop onto southbound Georgia Avenue improved the turn onto the avenue. Drivers no longer have to turn onto Georgia and then quickly merge left into heavy traffic before the lane disappears. Now, they have a clear shot heading southbound whether they're going for 16th Street or continuing on Georgia. Traffic lines up at Georgia ramp. (Robert Thomson) I'm one of those drivers who likes to minimize anxiety. I don't mind waiting for a light if it eliminates a merge I hated. Of course, not all drivers feel that way: Some of you say the traffic backs up...

By | September 27, 2007; 11:40 AM ET | Comments (17)

Best Changes in Commuting

The big study published last week by the Texas Transportation Institute with its top 10 lists of sorriest commuters in the nation is fine for focusing attention on problems that must be solved. But it's not as good at gauging how you should feel about your own commute. Statistics big enough to cover urban areas nationwide can mask the breakthrough at a bottleneck or the flop in a construction plan that made the biggest difference to you. I asked some of our transportation agencies to name some of the changes they made over the summer. Many of you are getting your first real feel for those changes now that we've returned to the high season for commuting. I need your help in evaluating the changes, now that they've become part of your commute. Here's a list of some changes nominated by the agencies, by some of you and by me....

By | September 25, 2007; 05:49 AM ET | Comments (41)

What Looks Better?

We talk so much here about commuting problems. From time to time, I like to ask for your views on what has gotten better. Now that you've had a chance to settle into the full-tilt September commuting pattern, have you found that any of the projects completed or programs implemented over the summer have made your travels any better? Transportation agencies have completed projects large and small over the past few months. Probably the two biggest were the Springfield Interchange and the Frederick Douglass Bridge rehabilitation. Maryland wrapped up the big paving project on I-270 and made enough progress on the repainting of the American Legion Bridge that it was able to eliminate that vexing staging area that blocked the merge from the George Washington Parkway. The Briggs Chaney Road interchange on Route 29 was completed. Virginia finished up its widening project on Linton Hall Road and the reconstruction of...

By | September 20, 2007; 10:58 AM ET | Comments (24)

Are You Typical?

If you think your commute is typical, The Post would like to talk to you about it. Let us ask you a couple of questions about the experience and maybe get a picture of you to include with the story. Don't back away because you think it's one of those Washington Post things where we're looking for mothers of 12 who commute from Delaware to their jobs as assistant secretaries of defense after dropping the kids at five schools. That half hour Metro ride across the Potomac, that drive down 270 to Bethesda, that bus ride up Route 5 to downtown Washington, that would do just fine. You tell the story of our commutes better than statistics. If you can help us, please send an e-mail to our transportation editor, Steven Ginsberg, at ginsbergs@washpost.com....

By | September 19, 2007; 03:53 PM ET | Comments (7)

Two Big Transportation Proposals

This week's transportation news likely will be dominated by the road and transit plans unveiled this weekend: -- Metro board members on Thursday will begin considering a fare increase plan for early next year developed by General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. (See story in Saturday's Post by Lena H. Sun.) -- Virginia announces today that it has an agreement to start building express toll lanes along the western side of the Capital Beltway between Springfield and the Potomac River. (See story in today's Post by Karin Brulliard.) Sun, who covers transit issues, and Eric Weiss, who covers road issues for The Post, can take questions about these plans during their Live Online discussion at 11 a.m. today. On Saturday, Sun reported that the cost of a transit ride would increase an average of 45 cents early next year as Metro sought to close a shortfall of $173 million anticipated...

By | September 10, 2007; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (12)

Was Tuesday So Terrible?

The day after Labor Day is to commuters what the day after Thanksgiving is to shoppers: chaos, confusion and congestion. Or at least that's the legend. Is it true? Share your experiences with us. This beautiful weather, likely to continue for the rest of the week, certainly softens the blow of the commute. But was that enough to soften the blow of increased congestion as thousands of workers and students returned to the streets, sidewalks and trains? When I asked you to measure the beneficial effects of summer on commuting, you were divided. Many did say they experienced significant time savings getting to and from work during August. But others thought their trips on roads or rails were just as annoying as ever. Some of those folks talked about congestion generally. But for many, it was a specific issue: a longstanding bottleneck, a highway construction project or recurring problems on...

By | September 5, 2007; 07:23 AM ET | Comments (0)

Travel Advisories for the September Return

The two biggest items that could have appeared among back to work travel advisories for the first week of September disappeared in late August, but there still are some things to watch for. Douglass Bridge reopened That's the top of the might-have-been category. The planned two-month closure of the South Capitol Street bridge ended last Thursday, a week ahead of schedule. The four Metrobus routes that had been adjusted because of the construction return today to the schedules and fares they had before construction began in July. Those routes are the A9, P17, P19 and W13. Legion Bridge ramp reopened Here's the second big might-have-been. The summer drought may have hurt your lawn, but it should be helping your commute today if you travel across the Potomac River bridge. While the bridge painting project continues, the work was far enough ahead of schedule to allow removal of the merge lane...

By | September 4, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)

Thinking About September

Dear Dr. Gridlock: It is time to remind drivers that it is getting dark earlier, and dark-colored cars with no lights against asphalt roads are not visible even though there may be light in the sky still. I changed lanes in front of a dark-colored car with no lights. The driver put on the brakes, but if I had seen it, I would not have pulled over to the right. Georgia Weatherhead Springfield On Sept. 1, the sun will set at 7:39 p.m. By the end of the month, it will set at 6:53 p.m. Back on June 29, it was 8:38 p.m. We'll fall back to Standard Time on Nov. 4. From the Virginia driver's manual: "At sunset, as soon as light begins to fade, turn on your headlights to make your vehicle more visible to others. You must use headlights from sunset to sunrise." Motorists must use headlights...

By | August 27, 2007; 05:31 AM ET | Comments (30)

Summer Eases Commuter Strain

We printed very brief excerpts on our Sunday commuter page from your letters about the August commute. But I thought you'd like to see the full comments. Notice that our commuters see the summer commute as a chance to break the pattern. Notice also the sense of liberation when they don't have to take transit. They're simply doing what works best for them in these circumstances. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I noticed that my commute to work from Germantown was much quicker than usual back in June, as soon as Montgomery County schools ended their year. The drive to the Shady Grove Metro takes only 15 minutes as opposed to 25 or 30, and I feel like I have options to use as well; I dare not try I-270 during the school year at even 7:15 a.m. I even tailor when I leave home during the school year to avoid school...

By | August 6, 2007; 07:31 AM ET | Comments (6)

Your August Commute

We have begun the month in which we're supposed to have the easiest time getting to and from work. It's August, that pleasant period before vacationing families return and school resumes. Your commute is less unpleasant than normal. I hope that's true. Or is it just different? The Douglass Bridge shutdown was planned for the time when commuting plunges by about 12 percent, thanks to vacationers. That made sense, unless, perhaps, you're stuck on I-295 heading for the 11th Street Bridge detour. Metrorail's ridership also drops off in August, so you may be waiting on a less-crowded platform, but one that's much too hot for office attire. Help us understand these variables, as part of a feature we're planning for The Post's commuter page, on page 2 of Sunday's Metro section. I'll bet many of you keep track, and have some long-term perspective on what happens to the commute as...

By | August 1, 2007; 05:19 AM ET | Comments (16)

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 | July 31, 2007; 12:46 PM ET | Comments (0)

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 | July 30, 2007; 07:28 AM ET | Comments (0)

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 | July 23, 2007; 09:53 AM ET | Comments (0)

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 | July 18, 2007; 01:40 PM ET | Comments (0)

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 | July 11, 2007; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (10)

Douglass Bridge and Other Advisories

By this time next week, the Frederick Douglass Bridge will be closed for the summer, and drivers who normally use South Capitol Street as their commuting route will be looking for alternatives. MTA and Metro buses that use the bridge also will be diverted to other routes. Some buses will make special stops at Metrorail stations on the east side of the Anacostia River for passengers who want to take the train the rest of the way downtown. The bridge shutdown is scheduled to begin before the Friday morning rush on July 6 and could continue through August, although the District has offered financial incentives to the contractor to finish early. Drivers on I-295 will be diverted north to the 11th Street Bridge. The District has paved an extra lane on the northbound highway before the bridge to handle some extra traffic, but you still should expect extra congestion. The...

By | June 29, 2007; 08:16 AM ET | Comments (0)

Constitution Goes Two-Way

The District has changed the traffic pattern on Constitution Avenue NE so that the flow is now two ways even during the morning rush, but not everyone seems to have gotten the word. Here's a letter I got on Monday. Dr. Gridlock: There was a shouting match outside my house on Constitution Avenue NE this morning because the city has not provided adequate direction about when the change from one-way to two-way traffic will occur. A solo driver in the eastbound lane came up against a block of traffic that was traveling west in that same eastbound lane, and neither side was prepared to give way. Finally, the lone eastbound driver was allowed to proceed, but westbound cars immediately re-filled the lane behind him. There's going to be more than a shouting match if the city doesn't do a better job of handling the change in traffic pattern. Elaine Goheen...

By | June 26, 2007; 07:43 AM ET | Comments (41)

Your Traveling Week

Here are some notes I hope will help you plan your travels and keep your personal temperature down during this summery week: Metro The Green Line has been a mess since four trains experienced power problems during the morning rush between Fort Totten and West Hyattsville. Since power problems can be brought on by the stress of high temperatures, Metro is monitoring the entire system to see if it needs to make any adjustments in service this afternoon. You may recall that last summer, the time between trains was lengthened during heat waves to make sure that overall service was not interrupted. Metro also is doing routine inspections of the tracks to avoid heat problems. (See MARC item below.) Bad Air, Free Rides Tuesday is another Code Orange Day, indicating poor air quality, which means that buses are free in Northern Virginia. Legion Bridge I've been describing the shortened merge...

By | June 18, 2007; 09:54 PM ET | Comments (0)

Travel Tips For This Week

Readers and personal experience tell me that our roads and rails are likely to remain crowded till the schools let out and Congress gets out of town. Metrorail was setting ridership records last week, and I don't believe the Nats were responsible. It's convenient to take Metro to RFK, but the parking is pretty easy, too. High temps are forecast to range from the mid-70s to the mid-80s, which should be good news not only for drivers stuck in traffic but also for MARC's Brunswick and Camden Line riders who have already endured numerous slowdowns caused by heat restrictions. Road Work -- There will be some overnight highway delays this week because of paving. Watch for lanes closed overnight on the Capital Beltway's inner loop near Springfield, along Interstate 270 between Rockville and Gaithersburg and on I-95 in Howard County. -- Drivers on Route 29 between University Boulevard and Burnt...

By | June 11, 2007; 05:08 AM ET | Comments (0)

Is It Summer Yet?

It's after Memorial Day, which we always tell our readers is the start of summer vacation season, when our transportation concerns shift from commuting to long range travel. So far, I'm not seeing it. Are you? Here's what I am seeing: The roads I've traveled on during the past week, like the Capital Beltway, I-66, Routes 7 and 123, East-West Highway, Route 29, Wisconsin Avenue, Connecticut Avenue -- they all seem just as crowded as usual. Metro, too: The midday trains on the Red, Green and Orange lines have plenty of standees. Metrorail reported three exceptionally crowded days this week.Thursday was the eighth highest ridership day in its history, with 793,392 trips taken. Wednesday became the seventh highest ridership day, with 796,087 trips, and Tuesday was the 11th highest, with 783,024 trips. (Metro thinks Nationals baseball had something to do with that. Not from where I was sitting at RFK...

By | June 8, 2007; 05:06 AM ET | Comments (0)

Navigating a New Commute

I've got a request of you experienced D.C. commuters: Help me give good directions to a new Post staffer who assists me on the Dr. Gridlock columns. Mark Berman works out of our downtown Alexandria bureau. He's moving to Woodley Park. Some days, he'll be able to take Metro back and forth, but on others, he'll need his car. Like many people who have either changed jobs or changed residences, he's puzzling through his travel options. What's his best driving route? There are a few options, but they can be crowded during peak times. Should he take Rock Creek Parkway to I-66, cross the river and get onto the George Washington Parkway south? Is that the best path for traffic volume and for reliability? How about Rock Creek to the Memorial Bridge and then onto the GW Parkway southbound? Is the Park Service's construction along Rock Creek causing you drivers...

By | June 7, 2007; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (15)

Road and Rail Commuter Updates

I've got a few road and rail updates that could affect your travels across the region this week and beyond. Route 29 (Maryland): The final round of paving on the Route 29 project north of Four Corners in Montgomery County is now scheduled to begin on Thursday night. (The State Highway Administration had been hoping to get it underway tonight.) Many commuters have been asking about this one, wondering in particular if the project was already finished, despite the remaining bumps and raised up manhole covers. The final round of paving work will start on the southbound side, then move to the northbound side. Work will occur between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. eac