Archive: Driving
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)
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)
Branch Avenue Blues
Dear Dr. Gridlock: On Aug. 1, the Maryland State Highway Administration opened a new flyover ramp from the inner loop of the Capital Beltway to southbound Branch Avenue (Route 5). The new ramp was supposed to ease congestion and eliminate the difficult merge at the Branch Avenue/Beltway interchange. Signs ahead say, "Form Single Lane" as ramp traffic merges. (Thomson) However, conditions have been made worse. To give you an overview of the problem: Originally the inner loop and outer loop ramps onto southbound Branch Avenue had separate merge points. There used to be a line which formed at the off ramp for Branch Avenue and spilled onto the shoulder of the inner loop. The queue for this ramp would be about 1/4 mile long. There would be no delay on the outer loop. Now with the new traffic pattern, both loops have the same merge point onto southbound Branch Avenue....
By | August 8, 2008; 10:22 AM ET | Comments (14)
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)
Gas Prices Changing Driver Behavior?
A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that the decline in traffic deaths nationwide might be more than simply a function of the fact that people are driving less. Drivers also may be changing their behavior, says Michael Sivak, research professor and head of the Human Factors Division at the university's Transportation Research Institute. His study finds that numerical declines in gasoline sales and miles driven may not fully account for the reduction in crash fatalities. The decline in traffic deaths has outpaced the drop in gas sales and number of miles driven since at least last year, Sivak finds. And the change was especially noticeable in early spring. Nationwide gas sales decreased about 3 percent in March and 1 percent in April and estimated miles driven fell about 4 percent and 2 percent in those months. But motor vehicle deaths declined 22 percent in March and 18...
By | August 4, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
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)
Beltway Speed Controls Tonight
Late-night drivers on the Capital Beltway in Virginia are likely to see the new Variable Speed Limit system in action around midnight as utility crews replace power lines across the highway. Both the inner and outer loops will be stopped for about 15 minutes between the Telegraph Road interchange and the Eisenhower Connector so the crews can work safely. (Project map) When the speed-control system, operated by the Wilson Bridge project, detects that traffic is slowing and stopping, the speed limits approaching the work zone will be lowered. Watch the new electronic speed limit signs. The intention is to reduce the likelihood that drivers will slam on the brakes when they see the tail lights ahead. When the power-line work is done, all lanes will reopen. Once the traffic backup has cleared, the speed limits will revert to normal. The speed control system is in place along the seven miles...
By | July 30, 2008; 04:56 PM ET | Comments (2)
Driving Drops Again
Driving dropped again in May, according to nationwide figures released today by the Federal Highway Administration. In fact, it was the steepest decline in vehicle miles traveled for any May in the 66 years those numbers have been kept. People drove 9.6 billion fewer miles than in May 2007. Not only was it the biggest decline ever recorded for the month of May, it also was the third largest monthly drop. During the first five months of 2008, people drove 29.8 billion fewer miles than during the same period of 2007. Three of the largest single-month declines have occurred since December. What are the consequences? -- Often this spring and summer, we've noted the sharp increases in Metrorail ridership. Metro board reflected last week on the number of dates that had entered Metrorail's list of top 10 ridership days. The transit authority might need a new way of presenting such...
By | July 28, 2008; 12:42 PM ET | Comments (3)
New Speed-Control Plan for Va. Beltway
Capital Beltway drivers are going to see a new type of speed limit sign between Springfield and the Wilson Bridge starting next week. Signs will post variable limit. (Thomson) The operations center for the bridge and interchange reconstruction project will be able to vary the speed limit depending on traffic conditions. To Washington drivers -- not the most patient people -- the concept behind the Variable Speed Limit system may seem illogical: "We want you to slow down so you can move faster," says John Undeland, spokesman for the bridge project. He demonstrates with rice and a funnel. When he dumps the rice into the funnel, the spout clogs and only a few grains emerge. When he pours more slowly, the rice flows smoothly through the funnel. Since human beings don't behave themselves like grains of rice, this new system is going to take some education and practice -- and...
By | July 24, 2008; 08:50 AM ET | Comments (0)
Rooftop Groundbreaking for HOT Lanes
"We have done it," Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer said this morning, just before the ceremonial groundbreaking for the HOT lanes project along the Capital Beltway. He was referring to the successful development of a construction program, but quickly pointed out that there's an enormous amount of construction and disruption ahead over the next five years. Homer and other public and private leaders of the HOT (high occupancy or toll) lanes project were standing under a tent on the roof of a Tysons Corner Center garage, just after this morning's line of storms rolled through. The Capital Beltway, where the heavy lifting gets underway starting tonight, was just below to the east. Homer said the project would not have gotten this far without the leadership of U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, who is an advocate for such public-private partnerships and for the variable tolling system that the HOT...
By | July 22, 2008; 01:19 PM ET | Comments (20)
Summertime, And the Letters Are Local
As July begins, something is different among my readers: There's been a dropoff in "Dear Dr. Gridlock" letters asking for advice about summer driving. Normally, a bunch will come in asking about best routes to avoid tolls, or best routes around congested areas, or best scenic choices. Maybe it will be from someone traveling to New England or to the Outer Banks. So far this summer, it's not the same. Letter writers are pretty much sticking to local transportation topics, rather than branching out. When they mention the price of gasoline, it's usually to support a complaint about the timing of local traffic signals. Or they talk about the record-setting crowds we're seeing on Metrorail, because some drivers switched to transit. What are you hearing around the water cooler as the long Fourth of July weekend approaches? Are more people skipping the weekend trip and staying put? AAA's weekly report...
By | July 2, 2008; 06:44 AM ET | Comments (9)
Two Continents, Two Driving Styles
I thought that you would enjoy this inter-continental comparison of driving styles, and that it might provoke a discussion of what's gotten into us on the roads. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I've just returned from two weeks of working in Nairobi, Kenya. As many people know, the traffic congestion there is so awful that it is captured in one word: "Jams." Gridlock seems the norm, with cars/trucks/buses of all kinds crowding onto roads unable to handle them all. And yet ... a certain courtliness and grace exists there. Unlike the D.C. area, Kenyan drivers have developed various hand gestures (none of which seem to involve just one finger) to signal other drivers to merge in front of them or to allow them to merge. Unlike here, Kenyan drivers don't wear deathmasks of frustration or anger. In fact, several times our cabdriver received advice from other drivers on alternative routes or how...
By | June 16, 2008; 11:32 AM ET | Comments (8)
DMV Launches Online Scheduling of Vehicle Inspections
The District's Department of Motor Vehicles is now offering the ability to set up appointments for vehicle inspections on its Web site, www.dmv.dc.gov. The system is expected to cut down on customer wait times for the inspections, which are normally conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Inspections of vehicle safety and emissions are required of all District drivers. Residents can visit the DMV Web site or call 311 for more information....
By Mike McPhate | June 6, 2008; 12:26 PM ET | Comments (1)
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; 06:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
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; 07:03 AM ET | Comments (14)
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; 08:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
New Signals on South Capitol
There are two new traffic signals on South Capitol Street SE, part of the gateway corridor project that includes the rehabilitation of the Frederick Douglass Bridge. Both are near the new Nationals baseball stadium, north of the Douglass Bridge. Look for one at the intersection of South Capitol and O Street and the other at the intersection with P Street. Early last year, when we started talking about the South Capitol Street project and the bridge rehab -- including the summertime shutdown -- many commuters were worried about the impact of new signals. Would they slow down traffic? The District's idea is to open up the neighborhood and make it easier to get across South Capitol for people traveling east-west. The District Department of Transportation hopes the new signals will improve pedestrian safety and allow traffic to move safely through the intersections. DDOT says the lights will be coordinated with...
By | January 22, 2008; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (0)
HOV Restriction May Return
The Virginia Department of Transportation wants to restore the carpool restrictions on a three-mile stretch of I-395's southbound HOV lanes that have been open to everyone during the afternoon since 1982. If the Commonwealth Transportation Board approves the move at its Dec. 13 meeting, the restriction will be back in effect in mid-January. That southbound stretch was open to all traffic between 3:30 and 6 p.m. to ease congestion through the Springfield Interchange. But now that the interchange has been rebuilt, VDOT thinks traffic flow would be better served by restoring the HOV-3 restriction. In the current set up, vehicles that don't have three people on board are allowed to enter the HOV lanes at a ramp south of Duke Street and continue to the Old Keene Mill Road exit or to the flyover leading to the general traffic lanes. The rebuilt interchange has 11 lanes to handle local and...
By | November 29, 2007; 05:01 AM ET | Comments (8)
Drive vs. Drive
Transportation editor Steven Ginsberg and I got many responses to our test drive on Sunday's commuter page in The Post. We compared drives on parallel commuter routes from Columbia to Silver Spring. Steven took I-95 and I took the parallel course on Route 29. New interchange at Briggs Chaney helps ease congestion. (Robert Thomson) Here's one letter. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I was fascinated by the article "Which Way" in the Sunday, Nov. 4, Washington Post, Page C2. What would have been useful to know was how long each route was. Another thought is to add odometer readings along with the time and comments for the two different routes. Note, I live in Charlottesville, Va., and work from home. Distance commute: 30 feet (from bed to office); Duration of Commute: 1 minute, unless there is a two-kid pile-up on the stairs. Tim Roesch Charlottesville I can't give you a link to...
By | November 6, 2007; 08:42 AM ET | Comments (17)
Car Advice for Older Drivers
I often talk with older drivers who want to stay mobile and who pay attention to their driving skills, so I'd like to pass along this advisory about a free clinic on Wednesday in Fairfax County sponsored by AAA and its Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education. In the program, called CarFit, an older driver can spend about 15 minutes going through a check-list with a trained staffer that evaluates whether the driver is sitting properly in his or her vehicle and whether the driver's seat, seat belt, mirrors, steering wheel, head rest, gas/brake pedals and other controls are positioned properly. Also, says AAA, the Wednesday event includes a winter car care evaluation in which AAA-approved specialists offer maintenance inspections, test car batteries and check tire pressure. The clinic is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, and seniors have to have appointments, which they can make by calling 703-222-4112....
By | October 23, 2007; 01:15 PM ET | Comments (4)
What's Your Favorite Drive?
Steven Ginsberg, The Post's transportation editor and the mastermind of our Sunday commuter page, is looking for your ideas on a commuter page project. Here's a note from Steven: "Doesn't it seem like the view on Washington area roads is almost always the same: the bumper on the car in front of you? Maybe you get a glimpse of the occasional sound wall. "Believe it or not, there actually are quite a few fairly scenic drives in the Washington region. The George Washington Parkway pops to mind. Parts of Route 15 are gorgeous. "Now that the leaves are starting to fall and you may actually want to take a leisurely Sunday drive, we're compiling a list of favorite area roads or stretches of roads. Send your thoughts and ideas to commuter@washpost.com." I can add that both Maryland and Virginia are very proud of their scenic drives. Virginia has a list...
By | October 17, 2007; 05:27 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Baffling Beltway
Lately, we've discussed plenty of important and controversial transportation issues here on the blog and in the Dr. Gridlock columns, including the traffic problems created by the rehab of the Douglass Bridge and the Legion Bridge, and the new transportation taxes and fees in Northern Virginia. So it came as a surprise that the topic generating the most responses in the past month was this: How do you figure out which way you're going on the Capital Beltway? It must be a credit to the role this central artery plays in our traveling lives. It's a valuable resource and the bane of our existence. I'll run some more of the letters in an upcoming newspaper column, but here's one that illustrates the themes and suggestions among the writers. Dear Dr. Gridlock: I could really relate to the inner/outer loop confusion discussed in the Sunday column. I was born and raised...
By | July 31, 2007; 08:29 AM ET | Comments (16)
Not So Calm About Conn. Avenue
Many letters have come in during the past few days about a traffic in Montgomery County. Dear Dr. Gridlock: They have done some really odd road work on a stretch of Connecticut Avenue between Bel Pre Road and Georgia Avenue (Conn. Ave. cuts across and reconnects and crosses over Georgia just off Bel Pre Road in Maryland. They have made it into one lane (was 2 lanes each way) resurfaced and put in large cement squares right in the lane of traffic! I have never seen such a strange thing. Do you have any idea what Maryland Transportation is doing? Two of the new sections are for the handicap access across both sides of the roadway. The rest of cement squares are oddly placed on both sides of the road in the far right lanes ... strange. Goodie Shannon Montgomery County reduced travel lanes on a portion of Connecticut Avenue....
By | July 16, 2007; 10:11 AM ET | Comments (18)
Two Roads Diverged in a Wood ...
While I'm planning to focus later today on the morning commute into Washington from the east, because of the Douglass Bridge shutdown, I want to ask you about something Rich wrote on the blog Friday. As an aside, during an exchange about best routes around the bridge congestion, he said " ... I just like to go a different way sometimes because I get tired of I-395 ... " It made me wonder about the times in commuting when we occasionally follow a different path for no other reason than that it is different. The view might not be any better, but different. The traffic might be no easier, but maybe the turns and straights are different enough to provide some variety. Or maybe you drive some days and take the train on others because some days you want to read and some days you want to listen to the...
By | July 9, 2007; 05:29 AM ET | Comments (10)
Greenway Charging Drivers More
Drivers on the Dulles Greenway paid 30 cents more today to get through the toll plaza. (See a list of the new rates here.) Some motorists think their time is worth the $3 they get charged to use the privately built highway, while others will put up with congested Route 7 or local roads, either because they feel the Greenway is too much for their budgets or because they believe they are taking a stand against price gouging. Jonathan Mummolo wrote a story about the new tolls in Sunday's Post. The charge to use the Dulles Toll Road also will be going up, both to pay for highway maintenance and improvements and to help finance the Metrorail extension to Dulles and Loudoun County. That's part of the deal to have the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority take control of the Dulles Toll Road and build the rail line extension. With the...
By | July 2, 2007; 10:16 AM ET | Comments (27)
Drivers: How Much Information Is Enough?
A letter I received this morning raising a continuing concern of mine about how much information people need to successfully navigate this region. This one had to do with a Dr. Gridlock column item from Sunday about the new D.C. law barring motorists from passing stopped buses to make a right turn. (Third item: "Passing Buses.") But I could give you a second one from the weekend as well: Was there enough information about the National Marathon's potential impact on Saturday's traffic to help people make travel decisions? Many angry people said on Saturday that they had no idea it was coming. Sign on back of Metrobus warns of new law, among other things. (Robert Thomson) But here's what the letter-writer said in response to my column: Dear Dr. Gridlock: I don't feel you fully addressed Michael McConihe's question regarding the ticket he received in D.C. after he turned right...
By | March 26, 2007; 09:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
Road Conditions Vary
Just drove from Gainesville to Silver Spring on I-66 and the Beltway. Watch out: Conditions on the road surface can vary dramatically in a very short distance. You might be driving along quite happily in a misty rain when suddenly you'll notice little white pellets bouncing off the hood. You'll look at the roadway ahead and notice that it has turned from black to gray. That happened to me over very short stretches on I-66, but the biggest change occurred when I swung onto the Beltway and headed toward the Legion Bridge. The Beltway was bad right away -- and crowded. That stretch from the bridge up around I-270 and along the merge with Rockville Pike traffic normally difficult but this was worse. It's partly what's falling from the sky, partly the surface temp and road treatment, partly the early dismissal of federal workers. If you find yourself on a...
By | February 13, 2007; 02:46 PM ET | Comments (0)
Driving in Winter Weather
With snow showers and slush in the forecast, I thought I'd publish this reader's observation about his drive on the Capital Beltway during the Jan. 21 snowfall, and a request that you let me know about your travel experiences in today's weather. (Either here, on "Get There," or in an e-mail to drgridlock@washpost.com.) Before you leave today, check for current driving conditions on our Traffic Page. Our highway departments actually take a lot of pride in their ability to prepare for and execute a cleanup, while travelers are always on the lookout for lapses. Here's what dismayed one motorist last time. Dear Dr. Gridlock: Unfortunately I had to travel on the inner loop of the Beltway from the Wilson Bridge to Tysons Corner on the evening of January 21st. This snow event was well-forecasted on three counts: timing-wise, intensity-wise, and total accumulation: A light snow fell from 1 p.m. to...
By | February 1, 2007; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (17)
Driving With GPS
I didn't get lost till I got to be Dr. Gridlock. I prided myself on having a pretty good sense of direction and knowing where I was. But that became far more of a challenge last summer when I began driving around the region with letters from readers on the passenger seat. I was often going to places I was unfamiliar with so I could experience the same thing the writers had gone through and better understand their complaints. So for Christmas, the Grid Spouse gave me a GPS navigation unit. (My sister, who is much lower tech, gave me a set of jumper cables and a flashlight.) Now I guess because I deal in dissatisfaction, I'm looking for the downside of navigating by GPS rather than the stack of map books I also keep in the car. First, the upside: I haven't gotten lost. If I trust the force,...
By | January 31, 2007; 06:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
