Speed Display Units Apparently Aren't Enough

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

A driver recently wrote [Dr. Gridlock, Feb. 28] about getting a ticket while going the speed of traffic. This is a very common occurrence, and the solution is to make people more aware that they are going faster than the posted speed.

I think the radar machines that display the speed of oncoming cars are more effective than hidden cameras. Many people who are caught speeding are not doing so maliciously; they are just following the traffic or are distracted, or the speed at which they are driving seems safe. Immediate feedback would be very helpful in such cases.

Sima Bakalian

Rockville

Many communities, including Montgomery County, use the mobile speed display units called Speed Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailers on streets with light traffic. Montgomery residents who are concerned about speeding on their streets can request that the Department of Public Works and Transportation deploy one of the units. The county will deploy the unit for five days, and the neighborhood can request a return visit in three months.

Although the speed displays are a useful part of the first E in the widely used safety strategy known as "education, engineering and enforcement," they are not as attention-getting as the prospect of a $40 ticket for being caught by a radar camera while going more than 10 mph above the posted speed limit.

The flash of a camera does provide a form of immediate feedback for speeders. A study released in January by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed the effectiveness of the cameras during their first six months of operation in the county.

The study found that speed reduction was greatest in zones that used both photo enforcement warning signs and cameras. It was much less on streets with just warning signs about the program and no cameras in operation, but still significant. The reduction was even noticeable on residential streets in the county with no cameras or warning signs.

The institute noted that a camera program, which increases the driver's perceived risk of detection, can have an effect on speeding well beyond the actual range of the cameras.

The "halo effect" stemming from an encounter with speed cameras often extends far beyond the deterrent range of a traditional police enforcement zone, the study said.

Student Discounts

Some jurisdictions offer transit discounts to primary and secondary school students as well as to seniors and disabled people. Why not add our many college students?

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I am a junior at George Washington University. I am originally from Richmond.

Why are there no college student discounts on Metrorail or Metrobus? Obviously, students at the many universities here in the District, like those elsewhere, have little income. Unlike students in most other areas, however, many students in Washington intern for free in offices all over town, providing hours of unpaid labor in exchange for experience.

It's a good trade for all concerned and a great way to gain a better understanding of the city we live in. But these thousands of interns have to get to work. For most, this means using public transportation, often during hours when Metro is on its peak fare schedule.

Although some employers are nice enough to provide Metrochecks or some other help with transportation costs, most do not. The reason that so many places use interns is that we work for free. This makes sense. But fares on the transportation system penalize us for our willingness to do so. Why?

When I studied abroad in London for a semester, college students could apply for a special SmarTrip-type card that would give discount fares at a monthly rate.

Eric Snyderman

Washington

The Washington region takes pride in its status as a center of higher learning.

Metro offers a $26 monthly pass for elementary and secondary school students who live and go to school in the District. The pass is good for unlimited travel on Metrobus and Metrorail for school or school-related events. Student Farecards are available to District students at $8 for 10 trips. Also, D.C. school students can buy student tokens, which are sold in packs of 10 for $6.25.

Students ride free on Metrobus, Ride-On and the Bus when boarding in Montgomery or Prince George's counties from 2 to 7 p.m. weekdays.

But the jurisdictions involved must subsidize such programs. Otherwise, the transit agencies could not afford the loss of revenue. The jurisdictions are willing to help, because they can encourage young people to use transit and make it easier for them to attend after-school activities.

The students and their taxpaying parents live in these jurisdictions. Many of our college students are just passing through. So it's unlikely we'll see transit subsidies extended to them.

Hybrids in HOV Lanes

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I was just reading [Dr. G's Tips, March 23] that Virginia had extended the hybrid HOV law until July 2009. We are in the market for a new car and are considering a hybrid, and I was wondering whether it would be worth it. Do you think that they will grandfather in the hybrids if they decide not to extend the law again?

I am primarily concerned about using Interstate 66 HOV lanes with a hybrid.

I would think that lawmakers would have to grandfather in the hybrids bought before July 2009; otherwise it would seem as though many of those cars would be forced back into the regular lanes and would create even worse traffic congestion.

Erin Moore

Arlington

Carpoolers would love to see the solo hybrid drivers kicked out of the HOV lanes. That would definitely improve their traffic flow by returning the carpool lanes to their original purpose.

The exemption allowing hybrids to join them, even though they didn't meet the passenger requirements, was intended as a temporary incentive to spur the purchase of less-polluting vehicles. But Virginia legislators have been extending the exemption year by year, well past the time an incentive was needed.

They'll probably do it again next year.

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