Dr. Gridlock

Since 1986, Ron Shaffer, better known as Dr. Gridlock, has written his column for The Washington Post Dr. Gridlock Column. In it he tracks the region's traffic woes, finds the correct officials to answer drivers' questions and responds to some of the hundreds of letters he receives each month. He describes himself as "the Ann Landers of commuters."

Dr. Gridlock was online Monday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. ET.

In submitting questions, please specify your first name, last name, town and county -- the same procedure Dr. Gridlock prefers for his newspaper column.

Dr. Gridlock appears Sunday in the Metro section and Thursday in Extra. You can write to him at 1150 15th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. He prefers to receive e-mail, at drgridlock@washpost.com , or faxes, at 703-352-3908. Please include your full name, town, county and day and evening phone numbers.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Dr. Gridlock: Hello, gridlockers. Glad to have you with me this afternoon for our chat, 1-2 p.m. I'd like to open with a question for you folks:

I've driven all over the country in recent months, and in every state, I've noticed a decal on the rear door/trunk of some vehicles.

The decal is in the shape of a twisted yellow ribbon, and it says "Support Our Troops." That sounds like a good idea. Where does one obtain these decals??

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Pet Peeve: Ladies and Gentlemen: Please behave as though you know what the term "toll road" portends: DON'T wait until you get to the toll booth and start fumbling around in your purse/pockets/ashtray/under the car seats for a quarter. This happens practically every day. Sigh.

Dr. Gridlock: VDOT could help with better signing for the Dulles Toll Road. For instance, approaching the main toll plaza from the west, the sign saying how much the toll is is located next to the coin collection basket. For infrequent users of the toll road, this can cause needless fumbling time.

However, I take your point. Motorists should have coins and currency at the ready BEFORE hitting the toll collection facilities...

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Rosslyn, Va.: A few weeks ago I had commented on how Metro is awful about getting information about train delays out to its customers. One poster said to sign up for the e-mail alerts Metro provides. Well, the problem with that is- a few months ago the system completely failed and Metro has since tried to de-bug it, I ended up taking my name off the list serve because it's constantly inaccurate. Let's face it, Metro is just AWFUL at letting it's customers know about train delays. All the stop and go on the Orange/Blue line into the District are going to result in someone getting hurt. The trains have been way too crowded since after Labor Day!

Dr. Gridlock: I'm getting more complaints about Metro now than ever before in the 18 years I've been doing this column. See yesterday's Dr. Gridlock column on Page 2 of the Metro section.

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Ashburn, Va.: I'm not sure if you know the answer to this or not but figured I would try. I know that SmartTag is being changed over to (or its being added) E-Z Pass. However, in NJ/NY and other places with E-Z pass, you have to basically come ot a stop for it to read your tag. Is this how it will be in Virginia too? Right now, you can fly through the SmartTag areas and only have to slow down to about 40 mph for the ones with bars. I can only imagine this will throw a huge wrench in traffic if all people have to slow to a stop for the "express" lanes.

Dr. Gridlock: Last I checked it was too soom for Virginia to come up with these type details. I'll check again...Seems like having to stop at the E-ZPass reader defeats the purpose of the pass...

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Derwood, Md.: Support Our Troops Decals: Plug "Support Our Troops" and Decal into Froogle and you'll find plenty of stores selling them.

(Froogle is Google's search engine for stores.)

Dr. Gridlock: Pardon me for being so last-century, but does that mean you type "Froogle" into the "Google" Box on my home page?

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Bethesda, Md.: Dear Dr. Gridlock,

I've lived here 10 years now, and the inbound lanes of Old Georgetown Road between the Beltway and Cedar Lane have always been atrocious, and then about two years ago the highway crews tore them up more and then left.

What's going on? Who do we complain to?

Thanks.

Dr. Gridlock: Maryland State Highway Administration District Engineer for Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, 9300 Kenilworth Road, Greenbelt, Md.

You can drop in, too. You should get a response...

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Arlington, Va.: Re: slowing down for EZ-Pass, I always assumed it was for safety purposes -- they don't want you flying toward a narrow toll lane too quickly. Anyway I seem to recall noticing on my last trip to New York that the speed limits increased at a few toll booths at least.

By the way, slowing down does not defeat the purpose. Even slowing to 5 mph is faster than waiting in long lines and better than fumbling for change (see earlier post), opening your window on a freezing cold night, etc.

Dr. Gridlock: That sounds right. I gathered from the previous letter that EZPass users had to STOP to have their transponder read. If you can proceed at 5 mph, as you suggest, you're right-- that's better than waiting for change-fumblers in the conventional toll lanes.

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Washington, D.C.: Shouldn't drivers have to pay tolls on the Beltway and other roads just like transit riders have to pay a fare for every ride? Seems to me it makes more sense to charge drivers to fund transit so we're encouraging socially, physically and environmentally healthier choices. As it is we're encouraging lots of driving and parking while transit in DC gets more and more frustrating to use.

Dr. Gridlock: I hear you, but that kind of commuter engineering has not bere politically appealing. A lot more people drive and park than take mass transit, so you're talknig about taxing a lot of people for the benefit of a minority.

One thing that could be tried, I suspect, is raising downtown parking fees to the point commuters are tempted to switch to mass transit...The highest day rate in New York City, I read recently, is $85 a day. Metro, anyone?

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Arlington, Va.: Is there anyway to get more dedicated "turn arrows" for green lights? For example, driving into the city from Virginia during rush hour, I'm trying to make a right onto H Street from 17th, but only a car or two can get through because of all the pedestrians. And 17th gets hopelessly backed up. I've noticed this at other intersections as well. What can we do?

Dr. Gridlock: 17th street is a nightmare. I'd jettison that and try 18th Street north, which is one-way. WOuld you find the same problems there?

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Annandale, VA: Yellow Ribbon Decal --

Magnet America

Dr. Gridlock: Thank you. I'll try it. Does that mean www.magnetamerica.com?

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Arlington, Va.: A little help please:

Light turns green (no green arrows), I pull forward to make a right turn, oncoming car turning left makes turn at same time and almost sideswipes my car, I get honked at and shown I'm #1 by driver of said car. I was taught that the car turning left should yield to all oncoming traffic, including cars making a right turn. A friend of mine disagrees. Who is correct in this scenario?

Dr. Gridlock: I think BOTH vehicles shouldl yield to the other in this case--an excess of caution beats one or the other thinking they are right and barelling ahead.

I asked this question to the Virginia State Police a while back and they said the car turning right had the right of way. A number of readers argued otherwise, and the state police backed off that position. But I can't recall, which driver did have the right of way.

It's confusing. That's why caution is best.

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Helena, Mont.: Re: where to buy the yellow "support our troops" decal, in Helena, at least, the local banks sell them. Profits go to organizations working with soldiers and their families.

Dr. Gridlock: Thanks. I just spend a wonderful week in Montana, in the Bozeman-Big Sky-West Yellowstone area. Route 191, along the Gallatin River, was probably the most scenic road I've ever been on. All that space and less than a million people. You may be onto something, Helena.!

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Columbia, Md.: Years ago Howard county removed almost all the stoplight from US 29 to make it more of a highway. It appears that Montgomery County is now doing the same. Much of US 29 between White Oak and Burtonville is under construction. Do you know any details of the final plans? Are there plans to reduce the bottleneck caused when US 29 goes from three lanes to two at New Hampshire?

Dr. Gridlock: I think they've eliminated the stop light on Route 29 in Howard County, save for a light for the entrance and exit of a subdivision on northbound Route 29.

The state is working to do the same thing in Montgomery County. I think they'll have it done in the next few years.
As Route 29 approaches the Beltway, however, lack of right-of- will limit what the state can build. They've probably got a plan for the three-into two question, but at this hour, I can't recall it.

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Paris: Dear Dr. Gridlock,

I've been living out of the country for 4 years and I'm wondering if traffic has improved, gotten worse or stayed the same in those years. I have a house near Georgia Avenue and the Beltway. I used to be able to commute to Baltimore and back with little problem (leaving the house at 8 and returning at 6). I have heard that that are now backups on 95 as people try to get onto 495 West in the evening. Is this true? I hope you can shed some light. Thank you.

Dr. Gridlock: I'll let commuters answer that question. Keep in mind, though, that the Maryland Beltway in Montgomery County is the most congested interstate highway in the state, with the Georgia Avenue/Beltway interchange the state's busiest.

I personally think Montgomery County our most difficult jurisdiction to get around. Can you move?

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Susquehanna Township, Pa.: EZ Pass. It is true that you don't need to stop at an EZ Pass lane. For most, EZ Pass booths vehicle speeds must be around 5 mph. However, in New Jersey there are EZ Pass booths which allow for 45 mph, i.e., going from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike.

Dr. Gridlock: thanks

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Washington, D.C.: Last week I parked on 23rd St. at a meter, which only randomly accepted my coins (quarters and dimes). I put in more than enough for an hour, but it only showed 30 minutes. This has happened on other occasions too, but this time I got a ticket. I'm going to pay it but was wondering what to do next time -- I couldn't find a place on the DC website to report a balky parking meter.

Dr. Gridlock: The District does not grant a waiver from tickets for a non-functioning, or malfunctioning parking meter. What you are advised to do, if you get a ticket, is to call the phone number on the meter and report the meter number (inside the dome). If you do not see a meter phone number, call (202) 727-1000 and get the correct number, or report it to 727-1000.

Once you have reported the meter, ticket adjudicators may look favorably on your appeal, I'm told, but you're still vulnerable to a bureaucratic runaround and fine.

Hate to say this, but if the meter is not working, you may have to park elsewhere to avoid the plight you now are enmeshed in.

PS--The city claims to have about 97 percent of its parking meters working correctly. They want citizens to report malfunctioning ones because that's sometimes the only way they find out about one.

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Arlington, Va.: Another possible source for the yellow ribbon -- I believe my wife got hers at the local Hallmark store.

Dr. Gridlock: Thank you,.

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Arlington, Va.: I made a trip from Jersey down through Delaware this summer and passed through toll boths using EZ Pass that were designed for high speed traffic. The EZ Pass detectors were placed above the traffic lanes and there were no toll booths on the sides. Much faster than the current system on Virginia toll roads.

Dr. Gridlock: Well,, Virginia doesn'thave
E-Z Pass yet, but I think it is overstating the case to call the Commonwealth's toll collection operation (at least on the Dulles Toll
Road) a "system."

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Re: E-Z Pass: It depends on the design of the toll area as to what speed they require. On the newly opened Rt 1 in Delaware, you can fly through the E-Z Pass lanes at 70 mph because they are physically separate from the cash lanes.

Dr. Gridlock: thank you

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Columbia, Md.: Re: Washington, D.C. and paying tolls on the Beltway and other roads. -- Every time you add a drop of gas to your tank you are being taxed for roads. So I'm already being taxed for the Beltway and for Metro too!

Dr. Gridlock: Good point.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: New Jersey now has high speed EZ Pass on the NJ Turnpike...

Driving to work last Monday I saw a traffic hazzard which was 100 percent DC's fault. While driving South on Conn Ave, the "Use 4 Lanes" lights were on. During a Holiday those rules are not in effect and we are suppossed to only use 2 lanes. I saw several cars that would get to the same point and have a stand-off.

Why can't DC turn off the "Use 4 Lanes" signs during holidays when the rules aren't in effect?

Also if there was an accident, who would be at fault, since the signs went against the posted rules.

Dr. Gridlock: I need a little more detail. Are you talking about Labor Day, and heading south on Cannecticut approaching what intersection? Is it four-and-two in the favor of rush hour flow, and two-and-two on holidays?

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Washington, D.C.: It seems like all the motorists complaining about pedestrians should accept that pedestrians have the right of way under existing law and try to get the law changed instead of whining about law-abiding pedestrians. These are probably the same people who neglect to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Dr. Gridlock: Yep, they should. And pedestrians should not step off the curb (or start running) against the DO NOT WALK sign. We need to take turns.

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Metro Farecards to SmartTrip?: You touched on this a couple of weeks ago, but I am unclear how it works: Someone asked if the value of an employer-supplied commuter pass could be applied to a SmartTrip, and the answer was yes. Does that apply to Farecards with value left on them? We have a dozen 10- and 20-cent Farecards lying around, and it would be cool to be able to transfer them to our SmartTrip cards.

Dr. Gridlock: I'm going to defer to readers on this. A number of them know the answer.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hi Dr. Gridlock! Thanks for the chat. Can you please confirm for me that it is legal to make a left turn on red when turning from a one way street on to another one way street? I've noticed that on the ramp to go from east bound Rt 29 to northbound Fairfax County Pkwy nobody does this and I've wondered if I am wrong about the rule.

Dr. Gridlock: You can turn left on red from a one way street onto a one-way street in Virginia and Maryland so long as it is safe to do so and there is no sign prohibiting such a turn.

However, you cannot make a left on red in the District under any conditions.

See yesterday's Dr. Gridlock column on Page 2 of the Metro section...

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Silver Spring, Md.: Herr doctor, could you provide any news about plans to upgrade the Georgia/Randolph intersection and the Georgia/Norbeck intersections? Thanks.

Dr. Gridlock: I don't have that information this hour, but will try to find out and respond later. What makes you think either of these intersections are marked for improvements?

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Tenleytown: The rise in the use of SUVs and other massive vehicles has led to a problem in seeing around them when they are parked at a legal spot on the corner. The problem is exacerbated when the windows are tinted - you can't see around the vehicles to make a turn until you are out in the street. I have almost been clipped several times in such circumstances. It seems as if the parking spot closest to the intersection is going to have to be removed to deal with this issue. Have other readers had this problem?

Dr. Gridlock: I have had plenty of complaints about seeing around SUV's/Pickup trucks from motorists parked next to them in parking lots, but yours is the first I've seen complaining about blocked views caused by parked vehicles at intersections. I'll keep an eye out.

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Fare card to SmartTrip: Metro did get it right with this little thing. You can indeed apply fare cards to smarttrip -- regardless of the amount. When I got mine, I placed all of miniscule amounts to the smarttrip card. And once a bunch of toursits handed me their leftover (10-10 cent cards) and I ended up with an extra $7.

Dr. Gridlock: Thank you. But HOW did you do it? What is the combination?

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Washington, D.C.: To echo your point--pedestrians need to accept that they DO NOT have the right-of-way if the sign says "Don't Walk" or if the traffic light is red (the latter is at the occasional intersection that lacks Walk/Don't Walk signs). I will continue to feel free to blow the horn at pedestrians who walk out in front of me when I am approaching a green light.

Dr. Gridlock: So long as you see them stepping off the curb against a DONT WALK light, you're probably within your rights to honk. But you also have to be sure you're not honking at pedestrians who stepped of the curb on a WALK sign, only to have the sign change to DONT WALK while they are still in the crosswalk.

Is this what life has come to?

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Alexandria, Va.: In response to the query about who yields in the right turn/left turn situation, if they are turning on to a one lane street, the left turn must yield. But if they are turning on to a two lane street, both should turn at the same time into their respective lanes (the left lane of the target street for the left turning car, the right lane of the target street for the right turning car). Too many people don't get in the proper lane when they make the turn.

Sort of scary though, that the Virginia state police -- who should know best -- back off under public pressure. This isn't a popularity contest.

Dr. Gridlock: If you knew how many times law enforcement agencies have given me the wrong information about traffic laws in their jurisdiction, it would make you lose confidence that we'll ever get it right.

The laws are written by lawyers, in ambiguous ways, interpreted by low-level public information officers, who are not lawyers, and who are sometimes guessing, and then passed on to Dr. Gridlock. I try to avoid traffic law questions, although in the case of turning left on red (above) I've talked to enough people over the years to think I've got that one right...

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Raising DC Parking Rates: As a daily metro rider, I'm not sure the system can handle many more riders. It's pretty much at capacity until they increase the number of cars to 8.

Dr. Gridlock: It seems that way, e.g. on the Orange Line during rush hours. But the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors keeps right on approving thousands of high-density townhomes, asserting that many new residents can take Metro.

Is this the Land of the Surreal, or what?

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Fairfax, Va.: I live on a quiet, two-way street. One of my neighbors consistently parks opposite of all parked cars on the same side of the street (i.e., parked facing north while all other cars face south).

I don't believe this is legal... is it?

Dr. Gridlock: It's a good question. I'll ask.

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Hillsboro, Va.: How is the Metro board addressing the misuses of funds, such as the parking lot fiasco, and the constant "repairs" to escalators that never repair anything? If they are not addressing these issues, what can we riders do to force the issue?

Dr. Gridlock: I was away during much of the fallout from the "SmarTrip" parking lot fiasco. I don't know if anyone was fired for that, or from the earlier failure to account for receipts.
One or more people should have been fired for that bungling, which reflects poorly on the management of the entire system.

Address your complaints to Richard White, CEO, Metro, 600 5th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

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Adding Low Value Fare Cards: Click on the circle on the machine, press add value, insert low value card, click on Smartrip to close transaction. Do it again and again and again until all cards have been transferred.

Dr. Gridlock: Thank you. I knew you folks would come through...

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Bethesda, Md.: I saw them on sale at Pentagon City Mall in the food court.

Dr. Gridlock: Thank you.

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Washington, D.C.: Regarding SUVs blocking traffic views--I experience this regularly, pulling out of my apartment building on Wisconsin Avenue. Legally-parked SUVs and trucks in the space next to my apartment building's driveway block the view, making the turn onto Wisconsin Avenue completely blink. My family refers to this as the "turn of death," since all we can do is watch for an apparent break in the cars and hope for the best. It's very scary (especially when turning left)!

Dr. Gridlock: Sounds like you are exercising the only possible approach, inching out, and a prayer. This problem obviously affects others. How about a petition to your local elected representative...?

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Arlington, Va.: Sections of both the Beltway and 66 seem to be undergoing some major repaving. Why aren't they using this opportunity to finally install reflective lane markers like they have in California. Major sections of the Beltway are pitch black at night, not to mention the perilous left exit from the outer loop to 66 East. It seems that with minimal investment a huge improvement in safety could be made.

Dr. Gridlock: Highway officials here say these are the best devices they can use that won't be picked off by snowplows (not such a problem in the West). The ones here are recessed into the pavement. They also say they used reflective paint. But I know of your concern. The reflective devices in the West sure seem superior...

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Washington, D.C. : Northern Virginia is doing the right thing -- density around transit -- but Virginia needs to stop pretending they're in a bubble world and support mass transit with proper funding.

Dr. Gridlock: Good point.

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Washington, D.C.: Doc, one time I got honked at in the crosswalk helping a blind person cross. On the way back, by myself, I got honked at again. Stil aggravated at the first incident, I waved at the honker with one finger. Then I looked to see who was driving the big Lexus that honked at me, and saw it was our office administrator. Boy, was my face red!

Dr. Gridlock: Did he/she recognize you? Do you still have your job?

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White Plains, Md.: I understand that on attending a large sporting event (i.e. a Redskins game) I must accept that there will be some traffic delays. However, what really ticks me off is when there are clear traffic delays that could easily be corrected by an officer directing traffic instead of watching from their air conditioned car. Even in every day construction traffic would move much more smoothly if an officer or training cadet would stop all lanes of traffic. Then conduct an alternating merge, since people don't really seem to grasp the concept of alternating merge. Thanks for letting me vent and I hope MDOT and VDOT are paying attention to this.

Dr. Gridlock: I attended the USC-Virginia Tech college kickoff on August 27, and police were in the intersections, directing traffic.

Seems like they are needed more than ever, now that "The Danny" has increased capacity to 92,000...

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Chantilly, Va.: Dr. Gridlock --

Just a thought on how to raise revenue and (hopefully) reduce petty traffic crimes: increase penalties on traffic offenses.

Petty traffic crimes are (my definition) those such as speeding, running stop signs, failure to use turn signals, etc., that could cause serious consequences should the right circumstances occur (e.g., speeding increases braking distance which could cause a loss of life should a child dart into the street unexpectedly).

I am always left stumped as to why these fines are so low. Were these fines increased to something a bit more substantial (say, $200 a a base for speeding w/ $20 per mile over the speed limit after the first five, or $250 for not stopping at a stop sign), maybe our streets would be filled with more folks who actually heed the laws.

I understand the viewpoint that police enforcement should not be a revenue inducing act, but c'mon, at least if the fines were somewhat more draconian, you'd at least get more folks to obey the traffic laws.

Thanks for letting me rant, I guess it's just that I'm sick of seeing folks roll through stop signs, not yield to oncoming traffic or thinking turn signals are optional equipment that only need to work come state inspection time.

And don't even get me started on littering, especially by smokers who think the world is their trashcan for their butts.

Signed -
Fed up in Chantilly

Dr. Gridlock: I'm with you. Running a red light ,,or an HOV violation in California, means a fine of over $300.

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Washington, D.C.: Dr. Gridlock:

Why doesn't the DC police do anything about the people that clog the intersection of M Street and the Key Bridge during morning rush? The commuters turning right off Key Bridge almost always fail to leave the "box," as it were clear, meaning that M Street traffic can't move when their light goes green. I have to believe that traffic would move much smoother if they didn't enter the intersection until they can get across.

Dr. Gridlock: Any chance of using the Roosevelt Bridge, and angling toward Georgetown from the other side?

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Parking North against South parkers: Yes, it is illegal to park against the flow of traffic.... I know because I got a ticket in Arlington county for it.

Dr. Gridlock: Oops. Sorry. Thanks for the info.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you know if the new law banning talking on mobile phones while driving includes sitting at a red light, or otherwise idling and not actually driving?

Dr. Gridlock: A reader e-mailed me with that one. I assume it does, but will check...

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Washington, D.C.: I haven't heard this mentioned yet, but those rumble strips on the side of highways that were put in about two years ago have probably saved a lot of lives. Since many have long commutes, I'm sure dozing off behind the wheel has happened to most drivers.

Dr. Gridlock: I agree. This is one of the most useful things that highway departments have done. They are bound to have saved lives, at not much cost, but we'll likely never know the number..

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Dr. Gridlock: My window is up here, folks, and I have to close down. Lots of good questions and comments today. I appreciate it when readers in the know answer the questions from other readers, as I don't have all the answers (obviously).

Thanks for participating...And check the Dr. Gridlock columns Thursday in the Extras, and Sunday in the Metro section...

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Washington, D.C.: About two weeks ago, driving on Conn. Ave preparing to go north on Dupont Circle, I noticed that one of the green light bulbs on a traffic signal had burned out. Last week, returning from vacation, I noticed that the light still had not been replaced! The burnt-out bulb was causing havoc on the circle, and I'm surprised that one of the cops that frequent the area hadn't noticed.

Any idea has to whether that light has been replaced, or if not, who I can contact if I notice the light is still out?

Dr. Gridlock: Figure out exactly where (what intersection, what direction) this light is located and call the DC Hotline at (202) 727-1000.

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