Can't We All Just Share the Roads?

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Readers responded strongly to a recent discussion about drivers, bikers and pedestrians, in which I concluded that we need to look out for each other.

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

The letter from Peggy Gregson [Dr. Gridlock, April 29] made cyclists sound so innocent. The truth is, cyclists bend and break traffic rules, exhibit behavior that defies common sense and are bullies.

I ride a bike recreationally, have taken safe-biking classes and am disgusted with cycling behavior. Just stopping at intersections with stop signs would carry bikers a long way toward a better relationship with motorists.

I live near a bike path in Arlington County. Cyclists race up and down the path, ignoring the traffic signals, weaving between cars that have the light and terrorizing walkers. At one intersection, they have come blazing down the hill too fast to stop and have hit cars.

They transform themselves from vehicle to pedestrian at will to gain advantage. Talk about trying to read minds. How can you "look out," as you suggested, for people who place such little value on their own lives?

Elizabeth Anderson

Arlington

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Cars are my number one concern when I'm bicycling in the District, but I also get very nervous in the presence of pedestrians who blithely jaywalk and don't ever see me coming.

It seems to me that they are watching or listening only for cars when jaywalking and pay no attention whatsoever to bicycles. The worst area for such near-encounters is Pennsylvania Avenue NW, between 17th and 19th streets.

Jim Deutsch

Washington

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I strongly oppose cyclists sharing the road with motorists. It is not only unsafe, but inconvenient for drivers.

Cyclists tend to act as though the rules of the road don't apply to them, and as though they possess the same presence on the road as automobiles. It is amazing that there are not more cycling-related fatalities in our area. Cyclists belong on paths, and nowhere else.

Before you chastise me for being anti-cyclist, I would like you to know that I am an avid mountain biker who rides more than a thousand miles a year, and I have been an assistant manager at a local shop for years.

I do not believe that I or any other cyclist should be sharing the road with cars. It's unsafe and irresponsible.

Dean Nguyen

Springfield

These discussions usually concern travel in the congested heart of our region, where travelers often feel they're pitted against each other for the scarce turf of a street or sidewalk. Planners say that engineering, education and enforcement are the ways to make the travel experience safer for everyone.

Some of the engineering creates an environment in which each group's turf is more clearly defined, as in a bike trail, bike lane or pedestrian walkway. Safety advocates are working on new programs to educate drivers, bikers and walkers not only about their responsibilities, but also about what to expect from other travelers. And there are initiatives in law enforcement, such as the speed camera program in Montgomery County and the D.C. bill to enhance the powers of traffic control officers.

Combined, such efforts can make a big difference, but combining common sense and courtesy should also prevail out there.

Turn Lanes Blocked

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Do you know what is going on at the interchange of Route 28 and Interstate 66 in Centreville? The Virginia Department of Transportation has blocked off turn lanes, and you can't make a left turn to go west on I-66. The traffic is now spilling onto Route 29, and people are using Machen Road as a shortcut.

Machen Road has townhouses, apartments and two shopping centers, and pedestrians are constantly crossing wherever to get to them. Also, the Centreville Regional Library backs onto Machen Road, and people do walk to it.

Susan Burrell

Centreville

Creating more congestion is definitely not what VDOT had in mind in designing a relatively inexpensive project to improve safety and mobility around the junction of I-66 and Route 28.

"For a modest cost of about $200,000, we expect to markedly improve safety and mobility in this highly congested area," Hari K. Sripathi, VDOT regional traffic engineer, said in a statement announcing the project. "This is a quick and relatively simple fix which will bring immediate benefits to commuters."

The section of Route 28 between I-66 and Braddock/Walney roads averages 48 crashes a year, one of the highest rates in Northern Virginia, according to VDOT.

A lot of left turns are being eliminated. Motorists will no longer be able to turn left from southbound Route 28 to Walney Road, from Walney Road to southbound Route 28, or from Braddock Road to northbound Route 28.

Drivers won't be able to cross Route 28 to get to Walney Road from Braddock Road, and vice versa. Instead, they will be rerouted to the Westfields Boulevard interchange to the north.

At the Route 28 interchange with I-66, drivers will no longer be allowed to turn left from northbound Route 28 to westbound I-66. Drivers instead will be directed onto Route 29, a more direct shot to the interstate highway.

Once the left turns are eliminated, VDOT said, it will time traffic signals to add more green time for Route 28 motorists and reduce backups spilling over to I-66 during rush hours.

RFK Ramp Gone

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Coming from Southern Maryland, Nationals fans going to games at RFK Stadium were accustomed to taking Suitland Parkway to Interstate 295 north, getting off quickly at the M Street exit, crossing the 11th Street Bridge and taking the left ramp marked "RFK events only" that led to Parking Lot 8.

Last season, this ramp was closed. I have not been able to find out whether it has reopened or is closed this season, as well. That ramp was a godsend for Southern Maryland baseball and soccer fans.

Pat Mahoney

Chesapeake Beach

It's gone. The ramp will be demolished this year as the area is redeveloped.

It was built to carry interstate traffic to the never-constructed Barney Circle Freeway, said Erik Linden, spokesman for the District Department of Transportation.

"Even after the Nationals started playing at RFK, our traffic counts showed that only 100 vehicles per day were using it," Linden said.

Dr. Gridlock appears Thursdays in the Extras and Sundays in the Metro section. You can send e-mails todrgridlock@washpost.comor you can write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Include your name, home community and phone numbers.