It's a great solution to the dilemma of finding I-395, and you and your readers might want to try it.
James Chen
Arlington
Thanks for the tip. I'll try it next time.
Isn't it a shame you have to go north in order to go south, and put up with confusing signs to boot? Please read on.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Marilyn Lynch from Chantilly asked a good question about a return route to the District from D.C. 295 south.
This is such a good question, it has been asked over and over again. Your answer, once again, is great advice.
Now the question is, why doesn't someone fix the sign on the road? How hard is it to add a piece to the Howard Road exit, saying "To I-395"? This is not the only problem regarding road signs. There is a major problem in this area, and I am not sure who is to blame.
The D.C. area is a tough place to drive in and around, but if the signs were marked better and posted at a distance far enough to allow drivers to safely maneuver, it would ease frustration for those of us who live here and for the enormous number of visitors we receive each day.
Does a local Department of Transportation even exist here? What does it do? This problem is not unique to the District, but also can be found in Maryland and Virginia. Is there a central agency, along the same lines as Metro's transit system, that handles all road issues?
E. Scott Howard
Arlington
There is no regional agency. Each state and the District has its own transportation department. They can work with one another, as they are doing on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project.
The Howard Road exit sign is a bad one because it doesn't include a "To I-395" or any reference to the South Capitol Street Bridge, a major entrance into the city.
This has been a sore point in this column for two decades. Apparently, city officials just don't care about this bad sign.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
In your Aug. 26 column, you noted that readers could connect from D.C. 295 to Interstate 395 by exiting at Howard Road and passing through a "seedy" block en route to the South Capitol Street Bridge and I-395.
I take issue with your use of the word "seedy."
That small stretch on Howard Road going toward the bridge is well kept, with the Howard Road Academy and a relatively new mental health building.
There is a car repair shop -- neatly fenced in; there is the entrance to the Green Line Metro parking lot; there are two small garden apartments; and the grass is well kept in that area.
Perhaps you should revisit this area and see for yourself. I live one block from the Metro station.
Shirley R. Allen
Washington
Ms. Allen, I apologize. I haven't been on that route for a while, and it appears the situation has changed. I applaud your neighborhood pride.
Transportation researcher Diane Mattingly contributed to this column.
Dr. Gridlock appears Sunday in the Metro section and Thursday in Extra. You can write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. He prefers to receive e-mail, at drgridlock@washpost.com, or faxes, at 703-352-3908. Include your full name, town, county and day and evening phone numbers.
