http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/ en Copyright 2008 Thu, 15 May 2008 13:22:49 -0400 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The ceremony dedicating the second new span of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge has ended, after engaging more of the region's attention than planners intended. The traffic jams on the bridge's Beltway approaches, which stretched for miles this morning, have eased. (Get updates and camera views on our traffic page.) During the ceremony, Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) had the honor of turning the final bolt into place. Other federal and local officials who helped get us this far look on. Some of the construction workers who built the two new spans also attended the ceremony marking this landmark in the region's history. Looking at some of our current problems -- the Dulles rail financing, or Virginia's struggle to finance road and transit programs -- with the perspective of the bridge project's history gives some reasons for hope about the future. Here's a chronology of the bridge's difficult birth, as it http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/june_16_1999_a_clinton.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/june_16_1999_a_clinton.html Wilson Bridge Thu, 15 May 2008 13:22:49 -0400 Avoid the Wilson Bridge this morning. All the lanes are open, but lots of drivers are gawking at the setup for today's dedication ceremony on the new span. Camera views show very heavy traffic on both sides of the Beltway leading up to the bridge. Once drivers get past the bridge, traffic is fine. (Our traffic page includes camera views and incident reports.) The ceremony, dedicating the second span of the bridge, is scheduled for late this morning. Drivers on the already-opened span, which right now carries all of the Beltway traffic, won't be able to see the ceremony. They're looking at a bunch of tents, chairs and TV trucks. While the dedication ceremony is today, the new span won't open till the end of the month. There are no changes in traffic patterns today, just rubbernecking congestion. The dedication ceremony for the first new span also occured on a http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/watch_for_wilson_bridge_traffi.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/watch_for_wilson_bridge_traffi.html Advisories Thu, 15 May 2008 09:06:04 -0400 Looking out into the audience at the Prince William County government center last night, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said he thought he saw some of the same people who attended his town hall meeting on transportation shortly after he was elected. Back then, with four sessions of the General Assembly ahead of him, he was seeking ideas on how to bust some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. After several rushes at that goal, he was back last night for what has become the political equivalent of a Hail Mary pass late in the game. Comments from the crowd of about 200 in Woodbridge illustrated his problem: Many people struggle with traffic congestion so bad it diminishes their enjoyment of what otherwise would be a pretty good life in Northern Virginia. And many people wouldn't pay to make it better. In explaining his plan to restore money http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/kaine_presents_new_transportat.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/kaine_presents_new_transportat.html Transportation Politics Wed, 14 May 2008 14:54:46 -0400 After months of relatively light activity because of cool temperatures, we're beginning to see roadway paving pick up. Here's one such sign of the season: The Maryland State Highway Administration plans to begin a $1.3 million paving project tonight along Route 32 in the Clarksville area of Howard County. The work, scheduled to be completed by the end of June, will be done along two and a half miles of Route 32 between West Linden Church Road and Clarksville Pike. Watch for single-lane closures between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday nights. Watch for the construction workers, too. Route 32 in this area is used by more than 29,000 vehicles a day, the SHA says, and it points out that headlight use is mandatory in this area. If you have any questions about traffic operations along Route 32 or other state routes in Howard County, you can call http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/paving_to_begin_on_route_32.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/paving_to_begin_on_route_32.html Construction Wed, 14 May 2008 10:46:46 -0400 The anguished cries of Radiohead fans bounced around the Internet yesterday as many bemoaned the difficulties of reaching and leaving remote Nissan Pavilion in Bristow for the band's Sunday night concert. The severe rainstorm had a lot to do with it, but Mother Nature did not place an ampitheater for 25,000 people in the outer suburbs of Washington where the road network was inadequate and public transportation non-existent. Here's how one concert-goer described the Sunday night scene to Post reporters Lena Sun and Eric Weiss during their online discussion Monday: Fairfax, Va.: Wow, I will NEVER complain about Metro after an event again, compared to my Nissan Pavilion experience last night. We were in our car at 11 p.m. and did not get on the interstate until 1 a.m. It seemed like they routed everyone in circles getting out of there. Now I was planning for at least an hour http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/the_anguished_cries_of_radiohe.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/the_anguished_cries_of_radiohe.html Events Tue, 13 May 2008 06:31:26 -0400 The final letter in my May 4 column was from a driver worried about jaywalkers, and it proved to be a hot topic among drivers and pedestrians. Included in the many responses was this defense of jaywalking, and I wanted to know what you thought. Dear Dr. Gridlock: Philip Lalka of Wheaton suggested in his letter that police should step up efforts to ticket pedestrians who fail to use crosswalks. As someone who routinely jaywalks, I feel I have to respond. I think the public would be better served if police increased efforts to ticket the drivers who force me and others to cross streets illegally. I have never come close to being hit by a vehicle while jaywalking. I have however, had several close calls while using properly designated cross walks. Drivers often run red lights, turn right on red without stopping, even at intersections where it clearly says http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/dear_dr_gridlock_in_your.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/dear_dr_gridlock_in_your.html Safety Tue, 13 May 2008 06:28:11 -0400 Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today called for a special session of the General Assembly on June 23 to consider his plan to restore the revenue taken away by a court decision earlier this year. It also would restore the spending power of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The authority's sources of revenue -- money that was going to be spent on road and transit projects across the region -- vanished with the court decision. Kaine says his fix would raise over $1 billion annually throughout Virginia by fiscal year 2012 without increasing the gas tax. You can read the details of Kaine's plan in this statement from the governor's office. Kaine's plan not only raises money statewide but also includes taxes specific to the most congested areas, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The most prominent feature for Northern Virginians is a one percent increase in the sales tax, except http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/kaine_offers_transportation_fi.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/kaine_offers_transportation_fi.html Transportation Politics Mon, 12 May 2008 13:15:37 -0400 Many of the weather-related problems on the roads are spotted on our traffic map. But drivers in Prince William County will have to deal with one such problem for days to come: All four lanes of Dale Boulevard west of Mapledale Avenue are closed because the roadway has washed, the Virginia Department of Transportation reports. The is about four miles from the Dale Boulevard/I-95 interchange. The washout, at about 4 o'clock this morning, left a 20-foot deep by 25-foot wide hole. Police blocked the boulevard at Mapledale Avenue and Nassau Drive. The road is likely to remain closed for at least a week to let the area dry, figure out the cause of the problem and fix it. Detour: Heading west on Dale, take Ridgefield Road to the Prince William Parkway to Hoadly Road back to Dale. Heading east on Dale, take Hoadly Road to Prince William Parkway to Ridgefield http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/all_four_lanes_of_dale.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/all_four_lanes_of_dale.html Weather Mon, 12 May 2008 12:52:23 -0400 While the Dulles rail project has gained the most attention lately, one of the region's other transit projects, the Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, keeps chugging through its study phase. The Maryland Transit Administration, also in charge of MARC, Baltimore's light rail and the commuter buses among other things, is holding another series of open houses to discuss the Purple Line. Three of the sessions are this week. The schedule: -- Today at West Lanham Hills Recreation Center, 7700 Decatur Road, Landover Hills; -- Wednesday at East Silver Spring Elementary School, 631 Silver Spring Ave., Silver Spring; -- Thursday at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School cafeteria, 4301 East-West Highway, Bethesda. All are from 5 to 8 p.m. You'll see some new, bigger numbers on potential ridership and some new estimates on travel times along the line, which still could be either a light rail or a rapid bus http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/purple_line_open_houses_contin.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/purple_line_open_houses_contin.html transit Mon, 12 May 2008 12:23:11 -0400 All the lanes on New York Avenue NE have reopened, the District Department of Transportation announced late this afternoon. Crews have completed repairs to the slope failure that began on Friday and the three lanes in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of the avenue are back in business. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/new_york_avenue_lanes_open.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/new_york_avenue_lanes_open.html Advisories Sun, 11 May 2008 18:51:23 -0400 The main events this weekend are the projects at the Wilson Bridge and on Metro's Green and Yellow lines at Mount Vernon Square. Both are likely to cause delays. But watch out also for the emergency storm sewer repair on New York Avenue NE. Metro Weekend Delays The switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square, which will cause delays on the Green and Yellow lines, began at 11 p.m. Friday and continues through Sunday night. After this, the project has three more weekends to go: May 16-18, May 30-June 1 and June 6-8. (It's always Friday night through Sunday night.) Wilson Bridge The word has gone out up and down the East Coast about the construction work and resulting delays likely to occur this weekend, from Friday night through Sunday. (There was some concern about the weather, but that's looking better and the plan is a go.) Read the details http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/the_weekend_and_beyond_15.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/the_weekend_and_beyond_15.html Advisories Fri, 09 May 2008 14:36:34 -0400 [6:30 p.m. update: The weather is looking better, and the weekend project is a go.] Wilson Bridge project managers, who have scheduled a very active weekend for work on the Capital Beltway's outer loop between Springfield and the bridge, are watching the weather. They probably will make a final decision late this afternoon about whether to proceed. Under the current schedule, the outer loop would be reduced to one lane in the work zone starting at 9 o'clock tonight. Also, the four ramps to and from the outer loop at Route 1 would be closed and traffic detour. Similarly, the ramp from Telegraph Road northbound to the outer loop would close and a detour would be created. Early Saturday, according to the schedule, the ramp from I-95 northbound to the outer loop would close to divert traffic from the work zone. It would reopen when the traffic volume lessened, but http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/awaiting_word_on_wilson_bridge.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/awaiting_word_on_wilson_bridge.html Advisories Fri, 09 May 2008 12:32:05 -0400 New York Avenue is likely to be a mess this weekend. The District Department of Transportation just issued this statement: At 10 o'clock this morning two inbound lanes on New York Avenue NE between Fairview Avenue and the 9th Street-Brentwood Parkway ramp closed indefinitely because of a broken storm sewer. Repairs will begin after the heavy rain leaves the area and crews can work. DDOT expects the inbound lanes will be closed throughout the weekend. I'll watch for updates and post them here. The storm sure made commuting difficult. VRE and MARC had many delayed trains and some cancellations. How was your trip? The weather should improve for the afternoon commute, as the rainfall tapers off. Watch our traffic page for updates on incidents across the region. You'll find the traffic camera views there, too. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/emergency_on_ny_avenue_ne.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/emergency_on_ny_avenue_ne.html Advisories Fri, 09 May 2008 10:37:01 -0400 The track work and resulting delays this weekend will be quite extensive. They affect the Green, Yellow and Orange lines, but it's the Green and Yellow that will be hardest hit, because of the switch replacement project at Mount Vernon Square. You Red Line riders suffered over the winter and are getting a bit of a break right now. The transit authority estimates that between 11 p.m. Friday and the end of service on Sunday, Green and Yellow line passengers should add 30 to 45 minutes to their usual travel times between Mount Vernon Square and L'Enfant Plaza. (It's about a mile and a half between the stations. Many of you could out walk the train.) The group likely paying the most attention to this consists of baseball fans with tickets to the weekend series with the Marlins at Nationals Park, near Navy Yard Station on the Green Line. Tonight's http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/navigating_metrorail_this_week.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/navigating_metrorail_this_week.html Metro Fri, 09 May 2008 06:30:16 -0400 Delays and detours at the Wilson Bridge this weekend will remind drivers of what happened before the first new span opened in the summer of 2006. As traffic planners prepare to open the second span, they are dusting off their '06 message: Expect serious delays while construction crews set up Capital Beltway lanes to align with the new bridge. Incredibly, people up and down the East Coast got the word two years ago, and most did the smart thing by dodging Washington or just staying home. I hope history repeats itself this weekend, the first of two this month for the Beltway reconfiguration. The trouble zone for drivers will stretch along the outer loop between the Springfield Interchange and the bridge. Go west around the Beltway or up I-395 to avoid the work area. Here's the plan. 9 p.m. Friday -- The outer loop will be reduced to one lane http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/if_youve_lived_around_washingt.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2008/05/if_youve_lived_around_washingt.html Construction Thu, 08 May 2008 06:00:59 -0400