By Robert Thomson
Sunday, April 27, 2008; C02

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

On the almost 100 miles of Interstate 70 in Maryland, there is, sadly, only one set of rest areas, around mile post 40, about 12 miles west of Frederick.

Now there are signs stating that this set of rest areas is closing April 30. There is no information about whether the closing is permanent or temporary. Can you let us know what the status of these rest areas is?

-- David Abeshouse, Silver Spring

Maryland is going to rebuild the South Mountain Welcome Centers, located on a pretty stretch of highway near the Frederick-Washington county line. Once the $21.4 million project is done in fall 2009, you'll find bigger restrooms and parking lots, among other improvements.

The state says these rest stops, built in 1972, have reached the end of the line, but the reconstruction can't be done without temporarily closing the rest areas, parking lots and welcome centers on both the eastbound and westbound sides.

Truckers are being directed to alternative sites, including weigh stations, which are available for overnight parking by truckers when the scales are closed. A temporary welcome center will open May 10 at the Prime Outlets in Hagerstown at I-70 exit 29.

In the congested Washington region, we don't have many highway rest areas, and the ones we do have are heavily used by motorists and truckers. What's your opinion of their quality and serviceability? My main concern has been the longtime gathering of trucks along the ramps at the welcome centers in the Laurel area. Overnight, the trucks spill out onto the entrance and exit ramps, where the signs ban parking.

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I am responding to the letter about speed cameras [Dr. Gridlock, March 27]. I was in a collision in which a speeding driver ran a red light and hit my car. I support any effort to slow drivers and make them think before racing to make the light. We were lucky: We all walked away from an accident that destroyed both cars. Unfortunately, others are killed, hurt or don't have the financial or insurance resources to recover. We all drive past those situations every day.

I support cameras that catch speeders or those who run red lights. Hopefully it won't be me, but I won't argue if I get that envelope in the mail. If someone was driving my car, I will know who it was and make sure that the responsibility gets placed on the correct person.

If the cameras make folks slow down (either before or after the ticket), then that's more lives saved. It's amazing how one accident can make a person a true believer!

-- Kathryn Gallanis, Fairfax

Virginia, unlike Maryland and the District, has no program allowing use of cameras to catch speeders. It should experiment with one by allowing local jurisdictions to develop pilot programs, just as Maryland did with Montgomery County.

The programs aren't perfect. I've gotten complaints about placement of the cameras, the local speed limits and verification of the license plate numbers seen in the photos. I think the warning signs should be bigger and bolder than those little black-and-white signs, particularly along commuter routes.

Many drivers continue to suspect that the cameras are just a way of raising revenue for governments. I don't see it. These systems are not a great way to raise revenue.

Maryland now will allow local jurisdictions to set up programs similar to the one in Montgomery County and will allow placement of cameras in highway work zones statewide. This is a logical next step.

Virginia legislators should watch this and consider their own experiment during the next General Assembly.

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

If Metro installed video monitors with sound, wouldn't that be a violation of its own rules that state it is unlawful to play audio or video devices without headphones?

I do not want to be forced to listen to advertisements on the train.

-- Chris Merther, Clarksville

It's highly unlikely that any deal with an advertising company to install video displays in rail stations would allow audio ads.

Metro board members took an immediate dislike to that idea. If a new display system were installed -- and that's still a while away -- the audio information would almost certainly consist of transit system announcements.

Music at the station entrances is great, but the fare gates should mark the sound barrier.

Dr. Gridlock appears Thursday in the Extras and Sunday in the Metro section. You can send e-mails todrgridlock@washpost.com. Include your name, home community and phone numbers.

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