Metro: Roads and Rails

Roads, Airports, Mass Transit

Do you think Metro has grown unreliable and become downright unpleasant? Or are you happy with your commutes on rail and bus? Does the thought of the intercounty connector (ICC) keep you up at night or does it seem like it's long overdue? And what of the moves by Maryland and Virginia to encourage the private sector to build road projects, such as widening the Capital Beltway?

Washington Post staff writers Steven Ginsberg and Lyndsey Layton were online Monday, Dec. 12, at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions, feel your pain and share the drama of getting from Point A to Point B.

A transcript follows.

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Steve Ginsberg: Howdy commuters. Lez get rollin on your questions...

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I want to be as blunt as I can.

I commute every day from Gaithersburg to Falls Church and back, and as others would surely agree - it's not a pleasant trip in either direction.

I've seen the ineffectiveness of the HOV lanes on 270 and elsewhere in the region, and I have to say these ideas are absolutely ridiculous, and Flanigan has it all wrong - there IS a way to pay for additional highways and expanded transportation.

Dare I say those two terrible words? RAISE TAXES. Look people, we have needs and the roads are the responsibility of the government - pawning this stuff off for private companies to wrench every dollar they can from angry and hurried commuters is nothing more than profiteering off of the incompetence of elected officials of every level to get a handle on the transportation issues of this area.

Instead of raising the gas tax to help fund these transportation priorities (which would, perhaps, also encourage people to use public transportation), we're going to allow private companies to disrupt our current commutes (they have to build these things, after all)... so that those who can afford to use them, can?

What's wrong with an extra nickel a gallon of gas if it'd help ALL OF US get out of this mess?

Steve Ginsberg: This is the first of many thoughts on express toll lanes, a new concept coming to our area that I wrote about today.

What they would say in response to that is, first, an extra nickel on the gas tax wouldn't come close to funding all of these roads. You'd probably still see tolls on them. And, secondly, adding more lanes only ever seems to ease congestion for a short while before they just clog again. Having tolls that vary allows them to keep the lanes free-flowing.

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White Flint, Md.: I'm really getting quite annoyed that, on the end of the Red Line, I'm paying the same price (in fact, a little bit more) for 1/2 the service of those on the Red Line who live between Grovesnor and Silver Spring. It seems unfair that people who commute from the Grovesnor stop pay $.05 less to get into the city than I do from White Flint, and they also get double the service. Who is my metro representative to talk to about this injustice?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi White Flint,

This has been a longtime irritation to Montgomery County commuters and, every now and again, the county's representatives on the Metro board raise it but nothing changes. Your representatives to the Metro board are Robert Smith and Gordon Linton. Individual board members do not publicize their email addresses, nor do they give out their phone numbers. They do have one email address, which is managed for them by the Metro staff. It's BoardofDirectors@wmata.com

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Frederick, Md.: I live in Frederick and work in Gaithersburg. I do not take the metro to work so when I read people complaining about overcrowding on the metro, unfortunately, I cannot relate to their pain. However, one morning two weeks ago, I took the metro to Woodley Park (too see the baby panda. Woo, woo, woo!) Anyway, I was able to get a seat at the Shady Grove station so everything seemed ok. As the train arrived at Woodley Park, I was making serious decisions as to how I was going to get from my seat to the door! The train was packed. I mean PACKED! Metro riders, I can now feel your pain. Good Grief!!

Lyndsey Layton: Welcome to our world, Frederick.

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Alexandria, Va.: When the state of Virginia spends a lot of money on regional airports to service general aviation, is this a subsidy for the rich?

How many middle-income people fly in their own private planes?

Steve Ginsberg: That's an intriguing question. Many people have long argued that if Amtrak was as highly subsidized as air travel, it'd be a whole lot more successful. The federal government pays for almost all of the costs of airports, whether big commercial ones or smaller regional ones.

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Springfield, Va.: Every evening I use the EZ pass only lanes eastbound on the Dulles Toll Road and every evening I see vehicles cut into these lanes right before the toll booth to avoid paying the toll. On several occaisions I have had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting one of these cheaters as they cut me off. Is there anything that can be done about this?

Steve Ginsberg: Are we certain they're cheaters and not just people who forgot there were express lanes?

And there are plenty of ways to stop cheaters. Taking photos of their license plates pops to mind.

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Stuck in HOV, Va.: Is there any chance that the times for the HOV lane on 395 might ever change? It seems ridiculous to me that they open up at 6 p.m. -- it can take a half hour to go from the Pentagon to Shirlington if you're in the HOV lane anytime between 6 and 6:45. And on a related note, any idea why the buses always take HOV, even if the regular travel lanes are moving more quickly?

Steve Ginsberg: I agree it's ridiculous that they open up at 6 p.m. That highways is packed until at least 7 and usually later on most nights. Rush hour is several hours in this area.

Buses aren't as nimble as perhaps they could be and so they stay on their established routes. In their defense, I can hear riders complaining now if they happened to make the wrong choice about which lanes to take.

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Washington, D.C.: Has Metro ever considered posting a train arrival board at the top of the escalators or before the entrance gates? I would rather take a cab then use Metro late at night if my wait is going to be more than 15 minutes (which it often is). But also, I would be more likely to take the metro if I see that the wait is under 8 minutes. Sometimes I skip metro and take a cab for fear that when I rush to the platform I will find a wait of 17 minutes.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Washington,

When Metro first erected those electronic message signs inside stations, officials debated about whether to place them outside the station as well. They decided against it, saying it was a safety hazard because passengers would see "Arriving" flash on the sign and sprint into the station, hurtling through the fare gares and knocking down anything in their path.

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Washington, D.C.: I tried posting this before but got no response...Has metro ever considered posting the train arrival information at the tops of the escalators or before the entrance gates?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Washington. See a similar, earlier posting.

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Rockville, Md.: Today's story makes toll roads seem like manna from heaven! In fact, it sounds like the worst aspects of American capitalism come to fruition: Private companies get rich building roads where they can make money, regardless of whether those roads are the top priority for congestion relief. Drivers have to pay high tolls if they want to avoid congestion, which only the wealthy would be able to afford.

The Intercounty Connector is the worst offender. Here the state of Maryland is proposing not just Lexus lanes, but a whole Lexus highway, which drivers would pay $1500 a year to take. In the long run, the ICC would make traffic worse, because more people would be driving more miles if it were built than if it were not.

To reduce congestion, we need to take cars off the roads, by focusing on mass transit, better land use planning, and transit-oriented development. The ICC and other new toll roads are the wrong approach.

washingtonpost.com: A Future Free From Gridlock, For a Price (Post, Dec. 12)

Steve Ginsberg: One interesting thing about express toll roads is that many groups that are normally opposed to more highway miles back them. What they like is that the roads enable many more transit options than would otherwise be available and that the tolls, and tolls in general, are a disincentive to drive. This support obviously comes with concerns about how they're implemented, particularly if bus service isn't part of the deal. Also, studies of these lanes in California have shown that all classes of drivers use the lanes at some point and that few use them everyday. I'm not convinced that's what we'll see here, however,

Whether private companies are allowed to build the roads or if the states choose to build them themselves is a separate issue for debate. The states have turned to the private sector because they don't have the money to build them and because many people believe the private sector will run them better than the government. on the other side, there is the argument that states would be better off maintaining control of the roads and using their profits for other projects.

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Rockville, Md.: What is happening on the ICC??? Is it really going to happening???

Steve Ginsberg: Maryland is still waiting for final approval from the federal government. I'd say the chances are better than not that it'll happen but it's by no means a done deal.

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Rosslyn, Va.: I'll be driving to Rosslyn from Philly this Friday afternoon, and I'm not sure of the best way to get through or around the city. I'll be coming down the B-W Pky. from Baltimore, and had thought about taking NY Ave. to 7th and then down to Constitution to get to the Roosevelt Bridge, but I'm open for whatever. I thought that going through the city would be quicker and easier than trying to take the Beltway through Montgomery County, but I'd take any suggestions.

Thanks!

Steve Ginsberg: I'll open this one up for the chatters. Suggestions??

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Washington, D.C.: What type of damage does the winter salting really do to the roads? Is there some other type of deicer that can be spread around that is less damaging?

Steve Ginsberg: The other types of deicers are chemicals and highway departments like to use them as little as possible.

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Cincinnati, Ohio: Are transit systems like air travel, where people like to grumble about service, but always vote with their wallets for low fares? In other words, if Metro made trains smell sweet and run every 3 minutes, would people willingly pay higher fares or would they yell at electeds to appoint a new Board to get low fares back?

Lyndsey Layton: The surprising thing about Metro and higher fares is this - the last two fare increases really didn't hurt ridership. In fact, the system continues to break ridership records. (I think this inelasticity is connected to the fact that so many daily commuters are federal workers whose commutes are covered by the Metrochek program). I suspect that if you raised fares 15 cents and delivered more reliable service, there wouldn't be great resistance.

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Falls Church, Va.: You said "Having tolls that vary allows them to keep the lanes free-flowing."

While I won't say this isn't true, I'm not just going to take the word of those who will make a profit off of these things. Can you point to studies (online, preferably) that shows this?

Steve Ginsberg: Well there are a number of these lanes in use around the world. The best example in the U.S. is in California, where they have been able to keep the lanes relatively free-flowing by raising tolls. In that case, though, they raise the toll limit every few months, whereas the companies coming here say they can raise tolls in real time while they watch traffic on monitors.

I'm curious, though, how high the tolls will have to go to keep the lanes flowing. It seems to me in a highly congested, wealthy area like ours demand is going to be very high.

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Springfield, Va.: They are Cheaters. The sign flashes toll not paid as the alarm bell goes off. These people are too lazy to wait their turn in the exact change lane.

Steve Ginsberg: I'm not certain what mechanism VDOT uses to penalize these people, but I'll ask and get back to you guys. Anyone out there know?

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Ballston, Va.: Here's an uncomfortable question based on a true story:

What should one do when a man exposes himself to you when on an uncrowded train late at night, and the car is sparsely populated and you can't escape at the time?

Lyndsey Layton: Man, that is dreadful.

I'd get up and move. Then I'd either hit the intercom at the end of the train and tell the operator. If that was too awkward, I'd get off the rail car at the next stop, board the next car over and hit the intercom button.

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Alexandria, Va.: Have any government officials given serious thought to improving the driving training required to earn a license? Other countries with more rigorous (and yes, costly) training have better safety records from what I understand, and traffic flows much better. If this were implemented in MD/VA that would mean more efficient use of the current roads and reduced commute times. It seems a small price to pay for improved safety. Uneducated drivers routinely impede traffic and make driving an unpleasant experience. I am sure there is more I could learn to improve my driving. What can be done/has been done to make others realize this and have tangible improvements made to our current system? Thanks!

Steve Ginsberg: I haven't heard of anyone discussing this. personally, it sounds like a pain, but I could see it improving safety so maybe it would be worth it.

For the record, my driver training consisted of making three left turns and parking the car. I stalled once and still got my license. (This was on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.)

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CLifton, Va.: Rosslyn Take 295 South to you get to Howard Rd and take exit and loop back around to take 295 North bear onto 395 and cross 14th St bridge and then take Rt110 to Rosslyn

Steve Ginsberg: here's one suggestion

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Re: electronic message signs : "a safety hazard because passengers would see "Arriving" flash on the sign and sprint into the station, hurtling through the fare gates and knocking down anything in their path." - - - Instead, these people do this every time they hear any train coming into the station since they might be looking at a 20 minute wait if they miss their train. How is this better than outside signage?

Lyndsey Layton: I'm not defending that policy, just letting you in on the thought behind it.

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Philly to Rosslyn: If I were making that drive using the BW Parkway, I'd probably continue past New York Avenue onto DC-295 and follow it to the Howard Road exit; at the bottom of the ramp, you turn right, then drive a short distance through a seedy neighborhood to get to South Capitol Street. Go over the bridge across the Anacostia and then follow the signs for I-395 South to Virginia. Cross the 14th Street Bridge, using the local lanes, then look for the exit for VA-110 on the right. (I believe it is the fourth ramp on the right after you cross the river.) VA-110 will take you directly to the heart of Rosslyn if you use the Wilson Boulevard exit.

Steve Ginsberg: and here's another...

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Arlington, Va.: Metro did place those electronic signs before the fare gates at least in some places, like Ballston. Unfortunately they don't bother to post any useful info there, just a scroll of elevator problems. It's not like people don't go hurtling through the gates now when they HEAR a train coming, so not giving people useful info might actually be causing more of a safety probelm because people run for the escalators when they hear a train whether it's going in their direction or not.

On the toll lanes what I can't figure out is where they are going to build these things. It's not like there's much free space out there now. I suppose you could use the shoulders and then add a shoulder next to those lanes but what about all of the interchanges that will have to be redesigned and rebuilt? Who will pay for that? How awful will traffic become during all of that construction? I just don't see how this is logistically possible.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Arlington,

They don't post the train arrival information on those external signs exactly for the reasons discussed earlier.

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Washington, D.C.: Great piece. It seems to me the real success of regional toll lanes will be whether they can be used as multimodal corridors, supporting both transit users and private cars. There are interesting concepts out there for how this can be done, but so far local governments seem to be doing little to explore the options. Perhaps your next story can elaborate on this.

Steve Ginsberg: I agree that their effectiveness will be determined by how broadly they're used. If they're just there for private companies to make money charging the richest commuters then we haven't done much to improve traffic or anyone's lives. The idea of free-flowing lanes carries numerous possibilities and we'll be closely watching to see whether the governments take advantage of them.

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Bethesda, Md: I don't use Metro regularly nowadays, but I was taking the red line from Metro Ctr to Bethesda last week. The car I was riding in had suffered an attack from the "I have nothing better to do w/my life than write grafitti on Metro seats" idiots. I'm hoping that was noticed by a Metro official that night or later last week, but I jotted down the car info -- to whom should one report this type of thing?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Bethesda,

Try this. Email or call the new Red Line manager, Belynda Jones at redline@manager.com or 301 562-4605. It helps if you noted the number of the rail car, which is in large black digits on either end of the car.

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Alexandria, Va.: I would like to know what happened to the federal government's proposed support of Metro I read about months ago, which was supposed to be contingent on Metro developing an oversight committee and other safeguards to ensure that Metro didn't squander the funds.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Alexandria,

The legislation to which you refer was a bill filed by Tom Davis during the summer and it's presently somewhere in the cogs of Congress.

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Glover Park, Washington, D.C.: Hi Steve and Lyndsey. I'm posting this in hopes that Metro is still tuning in to these chats, in hopes of solving a problem that I face daily on the 30/32/34/35/36 bus line. I travel from Glover Park to Capitol Hill each day, and this requires me to hop on any of the buses listed above, EXCEPT for the 30 bus. The 30 bus stops its run at Archives, which doesn't get me as far as I need to go.

My problem arises when two buses are arriving at my stop, a 30 bus in front of a 32/34/35/36 bus. Often, the 30 bus will stop, and the other bus will not even pause, assuming that the first bus will pick everyone up. No amount of waving or desperate hand gestures seems to let the driver of the 32/34/35/36 bus know to pull over. Then, I usually miss both of the buses, and have to wait another 7-10 minutes for the next one to come along. This happens nearly every single day. Metro, please tell your bus drivers that buses traveling along the same route that have different ending points are DIFFERENT buses, and all need to make the stops for riders who are waiting. I look forward to seeing this problem improved in the future!

Lyndsey Layton: Have you considered a flare gun, Glover Park? Let's hope Metro will see this and act.

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Union Station: Hi, thanks for responding to your readers!

I take the metro from Union Station in the morning and have noticed lately an odd spacing of the trains. You might end up waiting for six or seven minutes while the next train will be 1 minute. That causes crowding issues, especially with the rush of people from the MARC trains. One day, when I wasn't in a particular rush, I waited for three trains before boarding because of the backup. It just seems to me it would be better for Metro to keep trains coming in regular intervals rather than seven minutes, followed by one minute followed by three minutes followed by 9.

Thanks!

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Union Station. The trains are supposed to come at regular intervals; the goal of the people who manage the system is to make the trains come at regular intervals. You are experiencing service disruptions (a breakdown here, a sick passenger there) which throw off the pacing and apparently are happening so frequently, you think it's normal.

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Bethesda, Md.: RE: Raising Taxes to Build Roads (from the first chatter)... When I was in college I had to write a paper in English class. I was sick of my commute from Gaithersburg to College Park and decided to write my paper on why the government should build more roads. As I did research for the paper I realized that building more/bigger roads is NOT the solution to traffic problems. It is a short term solution (very very short term) for sure, however, in the long run building more roads does no good. I will try to go through some of my old things and see if I can find my paper. There was 1 specific book that I read that really convinced me that public transportation and housing choices are the only way traffic is going to get better.

As in the this guys situation, YOU made the decision to live in Gaithersburg and commute to Fall Church. You KNEW the traffic was bad and going to get worse. Why are you upset about the traffic now? Seems like a personal choice to me.

Steve Ginsberg: It's true that people make decisions where to live and therefore what commute to have. But it should be noted that some of these "choices" are not so easy. Imagine if you're in a two-worker house in Gaithersburg and suddenly one of your jobs is switched to Dulles. How do you deal with that. Moving still leaves one person with a long commute.

I'm not making an argument for more roads, just saying it's not always so simple as saying you moved there, deal with it.

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Steve Ginsberg: sorry for the delay there folks. my multi-media morning included a quick appearance on tv.

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Alexandria, Va.: Is there an update on the employment status of Richard White? While I think that he has not been a stellar manager, I also think it's laughable that the Metro Board of Directors feels that it can point the finger solely at him for Metro's problems. They are probably more to blame since Mr. White answers to them. They haven't done anything to improve the situation. In fact, I don't think Mr. White was around for the decade when metro parking lots were not monitored financially and some (not all) Metro employees made off with a lot of money. The Board is just as responsible for the issues Metro is facing today. Metro could hire a stellar executive and it's not going to amount to a hill of beans if the people on the board continue to act the same way.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Alexandria. I expect the Metro board to discuss White's employment later this week. You make an excellent point about shared responsibility. The board sets priorities, creates the policy and approves the spending, so it obviously has an enormous impact on the way the agency functions.

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My solution for long commutes: Work near where you live -OR- Live near where you work!

When I last moved, it was from Vienna to Chantilly because that's where my job was (and still is). My commute is less than 15 minutes each way and allows me to go home for lunch if I wanted to and be involved in my kids' school programs, but most of all, since I don't have the stress of sitting in miles and miles of traffic, my family's overall quality of life has improved. It's like getting a raise w/o having to ask the boss!

Of course, not all of us have the luxury of doing so, but if even a quarter of us stopped living in Gaithersburg and commuting to Falls Church (as in the case of the first poster), I'm pretty sure the level of congestion would go down across the region.

Steve Ginsberg: See my previous post on this. We all agree it's best to live near where we work, but it's not easy for everyone. I wonder if some people will forego the idea of owning a home--one reason so many people move to the outer suburbs--in favor of renting just because the commutes are so bad. So long as we live in a homeowner culture it's going to be hard for everyone to live near job centers.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Mr Ginsberg, your article failed to tell people that the ICC is the biggest example of a toll road of all. Don't you realize that the entire ICC will be tolled all the time, the toll level depending on the time of day? I know what your article said about the ICC, but it was misleading especially since the ICC was not on the map.

Steve Ginsberg: I think I made it clear that all of these roads would be tolled all of the time.

One interesting thing about tolls is that people generally seem to like them, especially when compared to taxes. I wonder how much that's going to change when there are tolls on every road in the region and people realize the costs are often much higher than a few-cent increase on the gas tax.

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Rosslyn, Va.: For the guy coming from Philly, going through town is really slow. I'd take 295 South (just stay on the BW Parkway and it becomes 295). Get off at the Howard Rd exit, turn right and go across South Capital St Bridge. Feed on to 395 South (left lane)and take the Washington Blvd exit to Route 50 East. Go through the light at Pershing and take the next LEFT exit onto Courthouse Rd. Go up Courthouse to the light at Clarendon and turn right. Takes you into downtown Rosslyn.

Steve Ginsberg: another recommendation for our philly driver...

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Re. Tom Davis bill on Metro funding: According to CQ, Davis' bill (HR3496) passed the House Government Reform Committee on October 20. ... so it's passed a key committee vote, at least on the House side.

Lyndsey Layton: Thanks, Tom. Right, the bill cleared the committee.

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Falls Church, Va.: Weekends on 66 are worse that the M-F rush hour. Why are the lanes not adjusted to accommodate EVERYONE being out on the weekends? During the week, the HOV restriction goes off at 7pm and the "free lane" continutes to be available till 8pm, giving 66 W 5 lanes for one hour each night. Why is the "free lane" not made available on Saturdays when 66 is a parking lot? Does anyone care?!

Steve Ginsberg: The answer is that that extra lane was allowed as part of a special deal to relieve congestion. If you follow normal standards it should be a shoulder. But you're right that weekend traffic on 66 is as bad as the daily grind, so it'll be interesting to see if there's talk of opening up that lane during more times.

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Washington, D.C.: I was wondering about this with a friend and thought you might know the answer. I imagine the job of a metro train operator has many opportunities for humor and jokes over the PA system. Yet, one rarely, if ever, hears a conductor say something funny. Does Metro have a policy against humor?

Lyndsey Layton: I think it's in the Metro handbook, Sec. 105, subsection 23, paragraphs IV-IIIa.

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Falls Church, Va.: I support creative solutions to highway congestion, but I'd be lyng if I said I wasn't worried about how the proposed HOT lanes on the Beltway in Virginia between Springfield and the Georgetown Pike would affect my commute from Falls Church to College Park. Currently I get on the road at 5:15 AM and return home around 3:00 PM to beat the main rush. How would the new toll lanes screw up my day? Can I expect to shell out $5 a day just to drive to work? And will the construction of barriers and monitoring devices cause delays? Us animals do not like changes in our cages.

Steve Ginsberg: If you stay in the "free" lanes, nothing will change, except perhaps that your commute may get a little better in the short term. You don't have to use the toll roads.

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Alexandria, Va.: Has there been any discussion about how often buses would run in the toll lanes? I would take the bus more often, but it is CONSTANTLY early or late.

Steve Ginsberg: The discussion has been that the buses would run constantly. But that's just discussion. It remains to be seen who pays for this and whether it gets done.

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Washington, D.C.: I recently had a reather unpleasant experience on a Red Line train and wondered if anyone else has encountered this situation. A train bound for Silver Spring pulled into the Tenley Town station and several Wilson High School students boarded. They then cordoned off a portion of the car on which I was riding and wouldn't let any other passengers sit in the area. They were also very loud and profane. There was no transit police officer on board. When I got off at Gallery Place, I complained to a station manger who told me there was nothing he could do.

Lyndsey Layton: Washington D.C., The Transit Police occasionally try to crack down on rowdy kids on trains but it continues to be a problem.

Complain to the Red Line manager, whose name and contact info I posted earlier. Tell her the time you ride and you want a uniformed police presence on the train. If enough people ask for this, Metro and the Transit Police might respond.

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For the Union Station commuter: What I do is take the train one or two stations in the opposite direction, then get off and have a better chance of getting a seat, or getting on at all during Marc crush times.

Of course you have to watch the timing on this, but it does work if you plan right.

Lyndsey Layton: Nutty, but effective. Thanks for the tip.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I have a fairly simple question that I haven't seen answered elsewhere: What if these toll lanes don't work here? What happens then?

What if the toll rates are too high and the number of commuters using the lanes don't turn a profit for the companies managing them?

Would that lead to state governments bailing out such failed deals?

Steve Ginsberg: One thing the governments like about the private sector building these roads is that these firms are on the hook for the loans they take out to pay for them. It's a fairly risk-free arrangement. If the roads fail and the companies default on their loans, they will have to deal with the lenders. The lenders could then take them over, which would mean that another private entity would be in charge of them. In the unoikely case that all the private firms go bankrupt then the states would have a bunch of roads they didn't pay for.

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Washington: It's good to see the Metro Board considering replacing Richard White. Metro is poorly managed and needs a major overhaul. I am concerned, though, that the Board will use Mr. White as a scapegoat. In fact, the Board is as responsible for Metro's mismanagement as Mr. White. Moreover, local politicians use Metrorail as a political football, promoting absurd projects like rail to Dulles as a way to gain political favor, even though such a project will cause further operational and budget problems for the system. I hope the Post will consider exploring options for complete management overhaul at Metro, including replacing the Board with an independent body that is relatively free from local politics, and thus can focus on sound management and growth policies.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Washington,

I can't think of any transit system in this country that is run by "an independent body that is relatively free from local politics". As long as the local governments share the costs of Metro, they'll expect a say in its governance.

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Washington, DC: I think it is good that our municipalites are trying to do something about traffic, but I fear it will not do enough. Unless Maryland and Virginia work together, any changes will be futile. Case and point. Maryland is starting construction of its "HOT" lanes 4 years before Virginia. How can we expect to see any real progression? The bottleneck will just be moved and perhaps traffic will even increase as a result. Honestly I think it should be left alone. People are feeling the results of moving so far away from the city center. They made that desicion and should have to live with it. The only real change that should be made, at least on the Maryland side, is widening 495 though North Bethesda because bottle necking is the main cause of jams. The beltway should be a continuous eight lane highway.

Steve Ginsberg: Let me guess, you live in North Bethesda and that bottleneck just kills you. But we shouldn't make any other changes to anything else.

Maryland is starting construction of its first lanes north of Baltimore so they don't require any coordination with Virginia. the state are working together on connecting the lanes across the bridges that connect the states.

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Washington, D.C.: Do SmartBenefits expire? I just switched jobs. I used to get Metrochecks/SmartBenefits on my SmartTrip card. I knew that I had some left over from my last pay at my old job because I had transferred some to my card, but I didn't transfer it all over (I don't use Metro anymore). Well, Friday, I went to use the Metro and the money was gone (about $70). I haven't been able to get a hold of Metro yet to inquire about this, but I thought you might know. Thanks.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi,

If you loaded that SmartBenefit onto your SmarTrip card, it shouldn't have vanished. Do you still have the receipt? You should contact both the benefits department from your old employer and Metro.

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Bethesda, Md.: We all have chioces to make in life. I live in Bethesda and used to work in Reston. I hated the daily commute on the Beltway so much I found a job closer to home, in Silver Spring. I'm not making as much money as I made in Reston but my life is much better not having to make that commute on a daily basis. I made the choice to have a better commute and a better life by taking a job closer to home.

Steve Ginsberg: It really comes down to whether we want to require people to follow a plan laid out by the government or whether we want the government to accommodate whatever choices we make.

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For Bethesda ....: Concerning folks who have nothing better to do with their lives than put graffiti on the seats ... I'm a regular Metro rider. About a year ago, I was riding home to Glenmont, and got into conversation with a well-dressed late-teens young man, who was using one of those disc-shaped newspaper cutters to cut up a seat cushion. I did ask him if he had nothing better to do. He said "no." I asked him if he was proud of himself. He said "yes." So when we arrived at Glenmont, I said, "well, if you're so proud of yourself, then let's tell the station manager."

I must have been nuts. I walked up with him, he ran out of the turnstile, I nabbed the station manager and pointed him out, giving him the car number. "Weeellll," said the station manager, "I really can't do anything. It would be a case of your word against his ..."

I won't do that again.

Lyndsey Layton: "Your word against him." In police work, that's called a statement from a witness. The station manager should have called the transit police.

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Lanham, Md.: Note to person who wanted a train to follow one minute behind another train.

It's not really practical. METRO has an automated train control system with wayside signals that indicate if a train can proceed. The signal turns to red when a train passes and turns back to lunar white after the train clears the block. (A block is a section of track between two signals.) The following train would be faced with constant red signals until the train ahead cleared the block. It would be a very unpleasant ride for those commuters of stop-go-stop-go.

Lyndsey Layton: That's true, thanks.

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Germantown, Md.: I agree with you guys. The new HOT lanes or Lexis lanes are great for the rich (ask them, they'll all agree). You have to remember that we are not California, we are a completly different breed or A--holes. The wealthy people in this area have a sense of entitlement and these lanes will be clogged before you can even say $7.50.

Steve Ginsberg: The real factor to watch, I think, is whether companies decide to subsidize these trips, like many do now for parking. We hear stories all the time about people handing their HOV tickets over to their bosses, so it makes you wonder whether those same bosses will just pay for people to drive on the toll roads. If a bunch do, it'll be tough for the rest of us to afford them.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I have a Smart Tag, and I use the express lanes every day with no problem. My car was in the shop for a few days several months ago, so I grabbed my transponder and took it in my husband's car. When I got my car back, I completely forgot to move the transponder back into my car, and went through an express lane. I got a red light and an alarm bell, which reminded me that I'd forgotten my transponder, and I went through the regular toll lanes and used quarters for the rest of the day.

I've been waiting for some kind of ticket or citation ever since, but I haven't heard anything. If it's been more than 3 or 4 months, do you think it's safe to assume that I won't be punished?

Steve Ginsberg: I'd say you're probably in the clear. You've reminded me that I had a problem with my transponder last summer and accidentally went through a toll booth without paying. I also waited for the ticket and never got one. I'll get to the bottom of this and report back to you guys.

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Arlington, Va.: Can Metro do a better job instructing station managers that when escalators are out of service, they can ensure the remaining one(s) are going in the upwards direction? It is far easier to walk down a broken-down escalator than trudge up one, especially when the weather is cold, slippery or snowy.

Lyndsey Layton: Interesting that you asked. Metro managers just completed an analysis of the 530-plus escalators and delivered individualized "protocols" to the station managers, detailing which escalators should be moving in which direction under various scenarios. They want to take the guess work out of it. Let's see if it makes a difference.

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Washington, D.C.: Is it an appropriate use of the intercom on a metro train to tell the conductor that the loudspeaker in a specific car is either not working at all, or broken is some blaring and grating way? I assume these problems are car specific, not trainwide.

Lyndsey Layton: The intercoms are supposed to be used in emergency only. I'd mention it to the train operator when you get off the train, or call it into Metro. But you have to be able to tell them the car number, which is in large black digits on either end of the car.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I wrote the first posted comment, and would like to address what several others have mentioned about choosing to work and live in different parts of the metro area (namely, Gaithersburg and Falls Church).

Is moving to be closer to your job always a choice? No, it isn't. In my case, I simply cannot afford to live closer to where I work.

And in today's climate, what's the likelihood that I move to Falls Church, get laid-off in three months, and then end up finding a job in... Rockville or Bethesda? Moving everytime a job changes isn't practical for anyone. Those who commented saying so had one thing right - mass transit IS a viable solution... but we haven't figured that one out yet.

Steve Ginsberg: Thanks for writing back. You're right that it's pretty unrealistic to move every time your job changes. On the affordability issue, though, I wonder if you own in Gaithersburg? You probably could afford to live closer in if you were willing to rent. This is a radical concept for most of us, but there are some places, New York City pops to mind, where most people never own a home. It's possible our area is moving in that direction and it'll make more financial sense to rent, live closer, ditch the car, etc.

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Washington, D.C.: Glover Park makes a good point about what has become poor bus service on one of Metro's leading routes. I actually gave up riding the bus after experiencing the frustrating attitude toward service (My favorite was a Metro driver telling me that the bus's schedule was "wherever I'm at!"). Glover Park is not anywhere near a Metro rail stop, so the bus is the sole form of public transportation. It is not uncommon to see lines 30-40 riders deep in the morning along a narrow sidewalk. Has Metro ever thought of originating a bus route there in rush hour, with express service downtown. The old, cookie-cutter, every bus to stop at every block, system on the Wisconsin Avenue corridor should give way to more flexible approaches to commuting issues.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Washington,

Metro has long considered splitting the 30 route into two shorter routes. They say that would go a long way toward helping the buses stay on schedule. But they also estimate it would cost $2 million, and the conversation seems to stop right there.

Do me a favor - please email me separately at laytonl@washpost.com because I've got a couple of questions for you about your experience.

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Wheaton, Md., currently in Austin, Tex.: Regarding today's article about new toll lanes, don't you find it ironic that we appear to be embarking on a major highway building program just as all indications are that oil will be in increasingly short supply to drive all those cars? What if the rising price of gas causes people to rethink their transportation needs and the tolls become too low to pay off the road developer's bonds? Do the taxpayers bail him out?

Basically, building additional highways at this point is ludicrous. Compact development patterns, mass transit, and enabling people to live life without getting into a car for every aspect of daily living is where we need to go in the era of oil depletion.

Steve Ginsberg: Taxpayers won't be on the hook for the roads in the event that the roads fail. Without disagreeing with your premise that compact development is the answer to our traffic problems, I would guess that if oil disappears, smart people will come up with something else to power cars.

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$.02 on Regional Airports: I'm not sure where Alexandria is coming from, but seeing how the Stafford Regional Airport was profiled as part of an article on Stafford yesterday, I'm guessing that's on his/her mind. My take on the promotion of that airport is to serve the corridor between Washington and Richmond with an airport providing short-range service.

I foresee airlines beginning to use this (w/i the next 5-10 years) to ferry passengers to IAD, DCA, BWI, Richmond or even Norfolk. This would allow cars to be removed from the roads, as well as possibly increase out-of-region tourism to the Fredericksburg area, especially once Celebrate Virginia opens up on the shores of the Rappahannock River.

Steve Ginsberg: That airport was designed to increase economic development in Stafford. The people who built it were hoping that shipping companies and other commercial carriers would be drawn to its proximity to I-95. I'd be surprised to see it serving as a hub for local commuter routes. And Celebrate Virginia is a big strip mall with one or two unique attractions. I don't think hordes of people are going to fly to Stafford to shop in Fredericksburg.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I'm a Red Line rider who benefits from the current arrangement. The fact is that Metro wants to maintain a certain frequency of trains/cars through the center of the city while not having enough cars.

On all the other lines, 4-car trains are mixed with 6-car trains but the trains (almost) always go to the end of the line. The Red Line does something different during rush hour - they run 6-car trains but half of them only go to Grosvenor/Silver Spring. One reason for doing this is that Metro has "pockets" at these stations where the trains can get off the main line and be reversed. The other lines may not have this option.

Another reason that Metro may do this on the Red Line is due to some sophisticated analysis of ridership that shows it to be more efficient than mixing in 4-car trains like the other lines. This last theory seems VERY unlikely.

Lyndsey Layton: Yeah, you can pretty much toss the last theory. The fact is, Metro wants to run six-car trains on all lines during the rush and it will be able to make that upgrade with its next shipment of new rail cars. It will also be able to introduce some 8-car trains on the busiest lines.

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RE: Smartbenefits: Problem was that for some reason (I don't know what my thinking was at that time), I didn't load all of it and now the remainder that I didn't load is gone. I didn't know that they would or could disappear.

Lyndsey Layton: In some cases, if you don't load the SmartBenefits within a month, you lose it. Sounds like that's what happened to you. Still, make those calls and see if anything can be done.

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Smartag issues: Actually, the woman who went through the lanes without her tag is probably ok, since when they checked the license plate they saw she was a smartag user, so they did not penalize her. Sometimes the tags may not work, so they check the plate and just charge her account. That's the way it works with EZPass at least. Then on your next statement, there's a note telling you to check your transponder to make sure it's working.

Steve Ginsberg: Yeah, but in my case I was in a different car from the one I registered with EZ-Pass.

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Metro signs: That might be their justification, but it is a weak one. Why not at least have signs alerting people when there are delays? That way people don't have to shell out a $1.35 or $1.65 first. But I guess Metro doesn't have to worry about customer service.

Lyndsey Layton: Yow.

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Arlington, Va.: Last week at the Rosslyn Metro the down escalators were out of service at various times without notice. The station is in a hotel area so there are quite a few people with their heavy luggage as well as the usual assortment of people with motor disabilities. The problem here is that the elevator is across the street from the station and people may not know about the out-of-order elevator until after they have passed the fare gates. The escalators at Rosslyn are known for being reasonably long and steep. Perhaps some signs to the effect that escalators are out of order would be in order.

And, yes, he should be fired. Anyone who who reorganizes three times in his tenure clearly has no sense of how to manage.

Lyndsey Layton: Thanks for sharing.

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Smart Benefits: To the poster with the Smart Benefits question. If you don't transfer all of your funds from the Smart Benefits to your fare card the remainder is credited back to your employer at the end of the month.

Lyndsey Layton: Thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: As someone who uses the metro every day, I think we really need this "purple line" to follow the beltway, inside or outside, to link the outer parts of all the metro lines together. Will this EVER happen, realistically?

Lyndsey Layton: Not while Ehrlich is governor.

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Woodbridge, Va: I just want to express to VRE and the public my absolute disappointment in the service, due to a horrible experience this past Friday morning. I live in an apartment community built next door to the Rippon VRE Station, and I take the VRE daily. The (overhyped)forecast for inclement weather didn't bother me a bit, because I can walk to the station in under 5 minutes, thus avoiding scraping my car, poor driving conditions, parking costs and all that mess. Even though I left earlier than usual, it took me quite a while to cross the parking lot, which was completely unplowed and untreated at 7 am. As I approached the covered walkway, the 7:07 am train pulled up to the station. Happy that it wasn't late (as it is every day) I picked up the pace and started down the 3 flights of stairs to the platform. However much I wanted to, I couldn't run down the stairs because they were covered in slush and the railings were solid ice. A woman with a small child was behind me as well, trying to hurry. I know the conductors, who disembark at each platform, saw us approaching and heard us crying "Wait!". But as we were literally on the last step they pulled away, and the conductor calmly regarded us as he passed. Those of us who were left behind looked at each other in amazement. The train would not even wait a measly five seconds for us to board. Instead we had to either wait 40 minutes for the next train or leave. This is what we are paying hundreds of dollars a month for? Thanks a lot VRE, for making my commute much more miserable than it needed to be.

Lyndsey Layton: Woodbridge, that is an awful tale. Write to VRE management and tell them what happened.

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Lyndsey Layton: We've run over and still haven't gotten to a lot of your questions. We apologize. Thanks for chatting and please visit with us again after the holidays.

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