Thursday, May 4, 2006
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Well, the greedy members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors finally went against the voters' wishes. They refused to listen to reason. They are allowing Pulte Homes to build the massive MetroWest multi-unit complex next to the Vienna Metro station.
What are they smoking, to fantasize that the people who will move into the 2,250 townhouses, condos and apartments are going to use Metro? That number does not even include the offices and retail units.
The supervisors' pipe dream is that people are going to take Metro everywhere. Well, did they tell Metro? There aren't enough rail cars to handle the surges of passengers now; most have to stand going into town or back home.
I can't take Metro to my office at Baileys Crossroads, to Fair Oaks or Tysons Corner, or even to my friends' homes.
My conservative estimate is that there will be an influx on our roads of at least 5,000 additional cars from this complex every weekday.
Obviously, the supervisors do not live or drive in this neighborhood during rush hour.
Maryann Teri
Fairfax
I've appeared before a couple of groups familiar with this project -- the Providence District Council and the McLean Civic Association -- and they are overwhelmingly against it. So is the Vienna Town Council.
But the county supervisors don't care what opponents think. They are determined to allow high-rise buildings at the Vienna Metro station regardless of the adverse consequences to local transportation.
I think you folks now need to marshal your energy, intelligence, and financial and organizational skills and start campaigning to be sure these supervisors are not reelected. It's in your hands.
Driver Evaluation
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
You recently mentioned the AARP refresher course for older drivers who are concerned about their driving abilities. There is another resource.
Mount Vernon Hospital offers a Comprehensive Community Mobility Evaluation that helps determine a person's readiness to participate in community mobility. It is often used for patients recovering from illness, stroke, brain injury, etc.
This test not only assesses a participant's readiness to drive, but also the ability to use public transportation. It includes vision, perception, motor skills and cognition testing. An occupational therapist conducts the test after a thorough review of the person's medical history and mobility goals.
The test requires a physician referral, and results are sent to the physician, who can recommend additional training. I believe that in some cases, medical insurance will cover the cost of the test.
I salute any driver, older or otherwise, who realizes they might need some assessment of their driving.
Barbara Payne
ElderCare Strategies Inc.
Ashburn
Thank you for your advice. I'd like to hear from someone who has taken the Mount Vernon test.
One-Way Metro Doors
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Regarding one-way entrance and exits on Metro trains: It won't work. If I get on to ride 10 stops, and you get on behind me for two stops, how do you get past passengers going farther than you to exit the train? You would have to push through half the car to get off.
The only solution I see working is for long-distance riders to move farthest from the doors, so that quick-trippers are always located near the exit. That requires people to be considerate of others -- something we don't get nearly enough of around here, unfortunately.
Rob Pixley
Centreville
Our current system of boarding and disembarking is a free-for-all. Some people are left at the platforms, and some people can't get off and are carried to unwanted stations. Doors slam shut on people.
Something needs to change.
A one-way system of entering and exiting trains might be worth testing. I'd like to hear from people who have used that type of system elsewhere.
Trolleys Are Appealing
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I read with great interest the story "Laying Out a Path to Renewal" in the Jan. 12 Fairfax Extra, which discussed installing trolley lines along Columbia Pike. Yes, they are more expensive than buses and not flexible for establishing new routes, but I predict that they would be an instant success.
I don't know why trolleys are so much more appealing than buses, but, like baby pandas, they just are.
My wife and I have taken several European vacations in the last few years, and trolley lines were omnipresent in nearly every major city we visited throughout Scandinavia and western and central Europe. And they were in constant use, with riders jumping on and off as the cars came by and at intersecting lines.
I noticed that the typical trolley interior design was quite narrow, with only two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other.
Bring on the trolleys, and may they all have brass bells that clang.
David Bohlin
Alexandria
I agree: They are charming. San Francisco has built a tourist industry around its cable cars. Bring them on!
Signal Your Turns
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Is it just me, or are turn signals becoming obsolete?
Having just returned from living overseas for over 15 years, I am appalled at the lack of turn signal use here. Cars change lanes at the last minute without a concern for the car(s) behind them.
The other day on Route 7, while driving from Sterling to Tysons Corner, I observed within 20 seconds four cars switch lanes without using their turn signals.
Jan Diuguid
Sterling
Failure to use turn signals is one of the common complaints I get in this column. On the other hand, some people who use turn signals complain that other drivers then know their intention and zoom up to close the gap, making the lane change impossible. Welcome to the me-first driving culture.
Check Car Lights
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I have a 48-mile commute each way between Bealeton, in Fauquier County, and Fort Belvoir. Today's observation gripe is other drivers' failure to replace burned-out bulbs in their taillights or brake lights.
Please remind folks to check their vehicle lights and signals once a week or more. Have a friend help you check the taillights and backup lights.
Tom Bilger
Bealeton
Thanks for the reminder.
Too Slow in Arlington
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Arlington County's speed limit of 30 mph, except on Interstate 66, is really ridiculous. I have to ride my brakes 95 percent of the time to stay within the speed limit.
The other day I found that I could mostly maintain 30 mph on Lee Highway and George Mason Drive by coasting 95 percent of the way.
I am not a pedal-to-the-metal driver, but rather a senior citizen who drives a well-maintained 15-year-old SUV.
Coasting is a dangerous way to drive, and riding the brake isn't recommended, either. Maybe speed limits of 30 mph were appropriate in the horse-and-buggy days, but modern vehicles almost stall out at that speed.
I can understand a 30 mph limit for certain dangerous spots, but not for an entire county.
L. Parker Brooks
Fairfax
Well, be thankful you're not driving in the District, where the limit is 25 mph unless otherwise posted. I'd like to hear from Arlington residents about the 30 mph speed limit in their county.
A Very Good Samaritan
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I would like to share a good Samaritan story with you that certainly restored our faith in the kindness of others.
On the afternoon of the last snowstorm, my husband was driving east on Route 29 with one of our dogs, trying to return to Washington before the worst of the storm hit.
About 20 miles south of Culpeper, he hit some black ice and lost control of the car, which landed in a culvert on its side with the driver's side up. My husband was unable to get out of the car.
A gentleman named Chuck Berry from Woodbridge was in a truck behind him and stopped to help. He first got the dog out of the car and put him in his truck, and then he helped my husband out.
The car was totaled, but except for some cuts and bruises, both my husband and the dog were okay.
Mr. Berry stayed with my husband until the police and finally the tow truck arrived, and then he drove my husband and the dog all the way back to Capitol Hill before heading back to Woodbridge. He wouldn't come in, understandably wanting to get back to his family.
All we know about Mr. Berry is that he works for the Prince William County school system. I just want to thank him again for being such a good Samaritan.
His kindness will never be forgotten by this family, especially the dog!
Donna Foster
Washington
Now that is a good Samaritan. Love to hear such stories.
Cost of Construction
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I am curious about the "per motorist" cost of all the construction taking place in the metropolitan area.
Specifically, when I drive in Arlington, my car takes a beating from a variety of construction-related conditions, including loose stones damaging paint and windows; tire and suspension wear and tear from raised pavement or potholes; dust, cement and tar damaging vehicle paint; and wasted gas from waiting for equipment moving, road work, etc.
There is no place to turn to be "protected" from car damage or to be compensated for damage. It seems I am not only being inconvenienced, but am incurring damages because of someone else's economic gain.
I know if there were major damage, like a steel beam hitting the car, I could hold the contractor liable, but this is a situation of small events that individually do not amount to much but, because they are constant, add up to a lot.
David Wase
Arlington
It's something we all put up with; broken windshields caused by loose gravel are among the most common consequences. I think this is something we can use insurance to cover, although there is a usually a deductible.
These annoyances are evidence of a metropolitan area on the grow. I'm sorry we have to put up with them, but the alternative could mean living in a depressed area.
Transportation researcher Diane Mattingly contributed to this column.
Dr. Gridlock appears Thursdays in the Extra and Sundays in the Metro section. 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 name, town, county, and day and evening phone numbers.
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