Wishes for Happier Highways

By Ron Shaffer
Sunday, January 1, 2006

I've been asking for your New Year's resolutions for our local transportation officials.

We have a number below. But first, here are mine:

Maryland highway officials need to step up development of express toll lanes (two new lanes in each direction) on Interstate 270, the Capital Beltway and Interstate 95 between the Capital and Baltimore beltways. Virginia has moved well ahead of Maryland, with plans for more lanes on the Capital Beltway and on I-95 to Fredericksburg.

The District should resolve to more aggressively ticket intersection blockers, illegal parkers during rush hours and double-parked delivery trucks. These are major causes of downtown gridlock.

Virginia should resolve to post better signs, with overhead signing at every intersection controlled by a signal and with overhead signs over each exit. A sign reading simply "Exit" is not very helpful.

Metro has to come up with a better way to get passengers on and off rail cars. The every man-for-himself face-offs are inefficient. Reconfigured seating might help, but Metro also needs to try one-way entering and exiting from cars.

Now, here are some of your resolutions:

From Ellen DeCarlo of Arlington -- VDOT should resolve to place a sign at the Chain Bridge entrance into Virginia, indicating the way to the George Washington Parkway and to the [Capital] Beltway. I ride my bike across the bridge and am frequently asked directions by confused motorists.

From Nick James, Potomac -- Maryland should raise the height of the median jersey barriers so that motorists would not be able to see police activity on the other side. It would eliminate half the rubberneckers.

From Joe Haardt, McLean -- Virginia State Police should resolve to enforce the 35 mph speed limit approaching the main Dulles Toll Road booth.

From Margaret Howland , Silver Spring -- Montgomery County needs to re-time its traffic signals. The county has the worst signal timing I've seen in 50 years of driving.

From Beatrice Fitch, Bethesda -- Be it resolved that the powers will pass a law obliging owners of snow-covered cars to clear off their vehicles before venturing out in the streets.

Drivers who fail to do this endanger other drivers.

From Nik Trendowski, Washington -- The District should resolve to hire far more parking enforcement officers, especially to ticket at night. It's frustrating to search for a legal spot only to walk back out in the morning to see the same 20 illegally parked cars from last night, without tickets.

From Anne Flowers, Fairfax -- The authority responsible for the Dulles Toll Road should resolve to improve the nighttime visibility of signs. The signs are not lighted, and the lettering is not reflective, resulting in useless signs after dark.

From Claire Gesalman, Annandale -- I wish that Metro would allow the 29 G and 29 H express buses to charge the regular fare instead of the higher, express fare after they leave the I-395 express lanes.

At that point, they are no longer "express" anywhere, and it would greatly improve the bus service on Little River Turnpike for people dependent on buses but who can't afford the outlandish $3 express fare.

From Jody Nyers, Bel Alton -- The Maryland MTA should resolve that commuter buses have competent, experienced drivers who know the area and that MTA will ensure that the buses are in top operating condition, with working heating and cooling vents.

From Jerry Deily, Charlottesville -- Be it resolved that Gov. [Timothy M.] Kaine will exercise eminent domain to gain ownership of the railroad tracks between Washington and Richmond, to prevent any further VRE delays now often caused by CSX and to hasten the improvement of this segment to promote high-speed passenger connections from Richmond to the Northeast Corridor Acela service.

Thanks for all your suggestions. We can hope that some of them get implemented.

Transportation researcher Diane Mattingly contributed to this column.

You can write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. He prefers to receive e-mail, atdrgridlock@washpost.com, or faxes, at 703-352-3908. Include your full name, town, county and day and evening telephone numbers.