Dr. Gridlock

Robert Thomson is The Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock. He was online Monday, April 13 at noon ET to diagnose all of your traffic and transit issues.

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Robert Thomson: Hello, travelers. So far in the mailbag, there are plenty of questions, comments and complaints about what you see on our roads and rails. Keep them coming. I see a couple that might take a little longer to answer. So if I can't get to them during our chat, check my Get There blog, where I'll try to follow up with you.

But there's plenty to talk about right now.

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Washington, D.C.: Dr. G: Have you noticed that passengers can be rather slow to exit and board Metro train cars? Given that trains have limited stop times at stations, can Metro issue announcements requesting that passengers move a little faster to exit the cars so the riders can board the trains? Thanks.

Robert Thomson: I find this a particular frustration during tourist season. People step off the cars, then stop, looking left and right to figure out which way to go without thinking of the riders still behind them trying to get off the train.

There's a version of the same thing at the top of the station escalators.

The other side of this is that people on the platform often crowd around the doors and block people from exiting.

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Rockville, Md.: With the tourist season officially in full swing, I would like to raise a question that inevitably gets raised every year: automated station announcements.

With no exaggeration, on at least seven out of every ten Metro trips I take, I cannot hear/understand the train operator's announcements because they are inaudible/garbled, the speakers aren't working, the operator doesn't speak clearly, etc. Why can't Metro have automated station announcements like so many other systems (and like their buses)?

I would like to add that, in the past week or so, I have seen many more trains actually using the displays in the cars to show the next station, but at least half of the rail cars don't have a display, so why not use automated station announcements in ALL trains?

Robert Thomson: Back when Richard White was Metro GM, he told me that the transit authority wants to have the operators make the station announcements and other announcements partly to keep the operators engaged. I imagine it's easier for a bus driver in traffic to remain engaged.

The automated announcements in the newer buses are very clear, and it's also great to have the electronic signs showing the next stop. The newer rail cars also have the electronic displays and it would be great to see the older cars retrofitted with them.

The quality of train announcements has been a frustration for years. Sometimes it's about the operator's voice, sometimes it's about the speakers in the cars.

Has anybody noticed an improvement in the platform announcements now that Metro has installed new speakers in the underground stations?

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Dr. Gridlock. I have a lane etiquette question for you. I drive to work each day and take 9th street south. As 9th street approaches New York Ave and the southern end of the convention center, the lanes shift. There is a dotted line to guide drives to their appropriate lane (it's a shift of one lane to the left). Or rather, that's what I think the dotted line is for. However, many drivers on my left insist on going straight (into the lane I think I'm shifting to) and honk like madmen if you follow the dotted lines. So my question is -- am I supposed to follow the dotted lines? Is that what they are there for?

Thanks so much for answering!

Robert Thomson: That's on the west side of Mount Vernon Square. I see a lot of trick driving there. The intersection can be confusing for southbound drivers on 9th Street -- which is one way -- because you've got a right-turn lane, a bus lane, a through lane, a left-turn/or through lane and a left-turn lane. The right-turn-only lane does disappear on the other side of the intersection and there's a white line to guide traffic. I do believe that if you're following that dashed white line, you're doing the right thing.

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Arlington, Va.: On the Opener, you mentioned road work. Do you happen to know if Metro will have more trains on the Green Line before and after the game? After seems logical, but before is important too.

Robert Thomson: Metro will start afternoon rush hour service at 1 p.m. because of the 3:05 p.m. home opener at Nationals Park, near Navy Yard Station on the Green Line. Then after the game ends, probably between 6 and 7 p.m., rush hour service will continue to accommodate the departing crowds.

I think Metro did a very good job managing crowds last season. To me, the trickiest thing is the scene at the transfer stations, where fans are trying to connect to the Green Line. There's a great deal of crowding there.

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McLean, Va.: What is in store for the northbound side of the GW between Spout Run and 123? They are staging for something.

Robert Thomson: I think what you're seeing is the staging for a bridge repair project on the GW Parkway. There won't be any lane closures during peak travel times.

The Park Service, which really is in the tree business, not the road construction business, doesn't make information very accessible for commuters and there's a lot going on this year along the GW Parkway.

Some of you regulars might want to bookmark this page that displays the status of projects along the parkway.

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Suitland, Md.: I am wondering whose idea it was to turn off traffic lights on several streets during rush hour for the Cherry Blossom Festival? Although there were police directing traffic, it seems to me they made the gridlock worse!

Robert Thomson: This happened twice, because of Pepco power problems. The District Department of Transportation has portable generators to hook up to traffic signals in such emergencies. The problem is that as soon as the power outage occurs during a congested period such as the Cherry Blossom Festival, then everybody -- including the people bringing the generators -- gets stuck in the traffic.

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Washington, D.C.: Walking down L street between Farragut North towards Foggy Bottom is dangerous. Never have I seen a street where so many people 1) run red lights, and 2) come speeding out of parking lots across sidewalks. There are literally police officers parked every 100 feet who do nothing to calm this madness. Thanks, D.C.!

Robert Thomson: You're seeing a lot more police on L Street than I am. But I agree with you that it's a very difficult area for pedestrians, with drivers failing to yield the right of way. What I think I'm seeing more and more is drivers doing a one-handed spin of the wheel to make a left turn while talking on a cell phone. Also, have you noticed that when one driver does the right thing and stops for pedestrians in a crosswalk the following driver will pull around and make the turn?

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D.C.: Think Metro will still have people on bull horns screaming at everyone as they arrive at Nats Park?

Robert Thomson: Yes. I like seeing that. Shows somebody's in charge. Contrast that with how you feel when you see a bunch of Metro workers standing in a circle on a platform and chatting.

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Strange S9 express bus... what's up with where it terminates: I was very excited about the new S9 Express bus, until I tried to take it from downtown Silver Spring. What's up with it not terminating there? A lot of people start their ride there, but then it swings round and terminates on Eastern at 16th. It stops there for 5 or 10 minutes. You have to hope you can hop on the bus before as the driver finishes a break.

Getting on at downtown Silver Spring is very popular, but when you then have to cool your heels for five or ten minutes, it's not a very express bus. How did this happen? Will it be rectified when they've finished the construction at the Metro? It seems a counter-productive way to run an express line!

Robert Thomson: I've had very good luck taking the new, limited-stop S9 between Silver Spring and downtown Washington -- but I couldn't find the stop the first day of service. Thought it would be where the other S buses start their runs on Wayne Avenue.

But the closest stop is away from the station, to the west. It's on Colesville Road just past East-West Highway. (In front of the Lenox apartments.) That means people have to cross a very large, very busy intersection to connect with the parking areas, the Metrorail station and other bus stops. It's the one qualm I have about this new service.

Still, Metro is trying to maintain a pledge to run the buses every 10 minutes. Getting out of that traffic knot near the Metro station throws off many bus schedules. Once the new transit center is done, maybe Metro can relocate the S9 stop.

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Capitol Heights, Md.: Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I was captured by one of D.C.'s speed trap camera's on Southern Ave for going 12 mph over the posted speed limit. There is not a posted warning regarding a speed camera being in use, as I've seen in other areas, and driving the speed limit in this area subjects you to harassment/retaliation from other drivers, i.e., "beep-beep", you're moving too slow, hand gestures, threats, gun-flashing, etc. On the other hand, I agree that people need to slow down through this area and at $100 a pop, it has slowed me down. However, there is another side to this that I discovered AFTER paying my fine online: in small print on the back of the notice, it states that "if two vehicles are captured in the photo, a violation notice will not be issued." Guess what? There were two vehicles in the photo: mine, closely followed by another. This definitely gives the appearance of a revenue generator vs. public safety use of the speed camera. And they are doing it on the border, where they refuse to claim jurisdiction in enforcing other traffic issues, such as left turns from right turn only lanes from Southern Avenue onto Branch Avenue. I've seen so many accidents/near accidents in this intersection, yet no one will enforce -- instead they argue that it is PG's jurisdiction and vice-versa.

Robert Thomson: I support the use of speed cameras but understand the frustration with them -- especially in D.C.. They're supposed to be placed to encourage safe driving, but at some locations, that's tough to see. What's easier to see is how those particular cameras would generate revenue.

But I must say, I find the logic a bit confusing in regard to the Southern Ave camera. It sounds like you're saying you were speeding, but wish you could have gotten off on a technicality. Also, you note that it's a dangerous area for traffic, which seems like a good argument for the cameras.

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Rockville, Md.: What do you make of all who do not want the speeding or red light laws enforced -- at least not by a camera and a technician?

Most also say "by the way, keep out of the left lane. It is mine."

Robert Thomson: I think the speeding and red light cameras are very effective in modifying driver behavior. The closest thing we have to a model program on the speed cameras is the one run by Montgomery County. The bill passed by the MD General Assembly that will expand camera use statewide in school zones and road work zones is a good idea. And you have to be driving at least 12 mph over the limit in one of those zones to get your picture taken.

There's a certain type of letter I get that makes me uncomfortable: Sometimes, I think drivers are just looking for some sort of validation of their desire to go as fast as they want to. It might be a letter that says, sure I was speeding, but they're just trying to raise revenue. (Fight back: Don't speed.) Or the left lane thing, where people bemoan the fact that the driver ahead didn't have his foot to the floor. The same speed limit applies to all lanes.

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Washington, D.C.: Hey, Dr. Gridlock!

Thanks for chatting today.

Has Metro released any financial figures about the affect of getting rid of the paper transfers for the buses? It seems like there's a lot less fraud committed by riders who no longer have weeks-old paper passes. But, my bus route (H3 or H4 from Tenleytown across town in the afternoon) is often still standing-room only. So, it would seem like Metro should have realized a bump up in revenue from moving away from paper transfers. Any idea what the actual effect was?

Robert Thomson: Not yet. I recall Metro officials saying they thought they might start to see the revenue trend developing as of this month. In other words, they have high hopes for more revenue, but since the paper transfers were just eliminated in January, they don't have much experience with the new policy.

The other day a bus driver told me he still sees a lot of people trying to board with invalid day passes, holding their fingers over the area that would let the bus driver see that the pass has expired.

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Two vehicles in a camera: Logic states that the exemption for two vehicles is in case they are side-by-side so that the camera cannot distinguish which one is speeding. In the one following the other, clearly the one in front is the one guaranteed to be speeding as the one behind can only travel as fast as the car in front. Hence, there is no issue and the driver was correctly tagged and should plead guilty and pay up.

Robert Thomson: Yes. The Southern Ave situation also sounded like that to me. By the way, I talked to the directors of the Montgomery County camera program. They throw out lots of pictures because of various problems and ambiguities. I'm not saying it's flawless, but I think they run a very credible program.

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Rockville, Md.: Well, they can try to get the speeding laws changed if that is what they want. Or do they just like to complain?

To be kind, these habits are hard to change.

Robert Thomson: There's a great book, called "Traffic," that came out last year. One of it's great points is that drivers tend to see their skills as above average, like the children of Lake Wobegon.

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Automated Train Announcements...: an absolute must! They also need to get the timing of these announcements right. Every time I'm on the train, the announcer is announcing the line and next station BEFORE the train has stopped and new riders have boarded. Does the train operator not realize that he/she has not stopped the train yet?

Robert Thomson: Can't you hear those announcements on the platform, while waiting to board? I thought that's who the operators were trying to reach -- as well as the people already on board.

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DC: How does DC's bus system compare to those you've seen in comparable metropolitan areas? Personally it seems like the coverage here is above average, but that the service (i.e., timing, buses not showing up, etc) is what lacks.

Thanks.

Robert Thomson: Metrobus is a very large system and it faces great challenges with its schedules because the core of our region is among the most congested in the nation. Also, many riders who either work off hours or who want to use transit to get to and from movies, shows or night meetings are frustrated by the lack of night service.

I do find it encouraging that Metro is reaching out to involve riders in trying to solve the problems on some of the busiest lines. The new limited-stop services have been very helpful.

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Hear, hear on the speed thing: My wife and I both drive hybrids and in the last couple of years, we've learned to relax and drive more conservatively. We usually drive the speed limit (she virtually always does, I mostly do) and occasionally get to 5 miles over the speed limit. Even driving in the right hand lane, the other drivers on our roads are darned rude. They tailgate, flash lights, honk and make rude gestures at those driving the speed limit. I have noticed that it has gotten infinitesimally better since the gas spike last year and afterwards, but still, folks, chill out and stop breaking the law. If you must break the law, at least don't give those who are following the law a hard time.

Robert Thomson: I like that.

Just to add an extra point: For those who do obey the law, there's no sense in taking that extra step of trying to enforce it against other drivers. I don't see the value of hitting the brakes or using some creative sign language to signal to other drivers that they're doing the wrong thing. Too often, that just escalates things.

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Alexandria, Va.: Good Doctor: Chiming in on the ongoing discussion about the HOT lanes. It seems to me that the local jurisdictions are admitting they can't enforce the current laws, and are willing to allow the privileged to "buy" their way around that fact. What's next on the auction block?

Robert Thomson: I think they're admitting that they don't have the money to build bigger roads. The High Occupancy Toll program holds out these promises: It will create extra road capacity without tapping out the taxpayers, because the roads will be built and operated by private companies that want the toll revenue. And it will help manage the traffic. Drivers will decide how much it's worth to them to use the road at certain times.

I think we'll see more experiments with versions of these things: HOT lanes, variable pricing, express toll lanes.

That's good. The last big idea anybody had in transportation was the Interstate highway system, and that was a half-century ago.

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Washington, D.C.: I got caught on one of those speed cameras on New York Ave -- actually my first speeding ticket ever! Realized when I looked at the date that I'd gotten the ticket on the one day when I'd come back from the Eastern shore and found NO traffic. Normally there's so much traffic on that road on a Sunday afternoon that you couldn't possibly speed. Also found myself thinking, "given that I was 6 months pregnant and probably really had to use the restroom, no WONDER I was speeding.

Anyway, my reaction was "doh!" and a mental note to keep an eye on my speed on that road in the future. And hey, a speed camera ticket at least doesn't have points, so it was a relatively painless rite of passage (1st speed violation) for me.

Robert Thomson: New York Avenue cameras are among the least popular in the region. But as I said earlier, I do think the cameras modify behavior. If drivers are aware that a jurisdiction uses cameras, it's often in the back of their minds on all the roads.

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Washington, D.C.: I think of myself as someone who drives pretty close to the speed limit, but really, some speed cameras seem to be paired with ridiculously LOW speed limits just for the purpose of catching people unawares. I can understand a 25 MPH limit in residential neighborhoods and near schools, but a 30 MPH limit on Connecticut Ave in Chevy Chase? Come on, that's a revenue producer if I ever saw one.

Robert Thomson: The Conn. Ave cameras -- like the N.Y. Ave cameras in D.C. -- are among the most controversial in our region. Many drivers see that as a commuter route and not as a residential area. That's not how Chevy Chase sees it. I was talking to the village police chief about this. He says Conn. Ave shouldn't be dividing the community because people are afraid to cross it. Look at how far apart the traffic signals are as you drive along the avenue in Chevy Chase.

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Limited stop service: This is key. Metro buses stop so frequently on some lines that it's simply absurd. The L line stops on nearly every block down Conn Ave. Is this really necessary?

Robert Thomson: No, it isn't. But it's a fight every time Metro or one of the suburban bus services wants to eliminate stops. Metro seems to have found a solution in keeping the real local service while adding on new limited-stop runs.

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Announcements in stations: The announcements are better, but because of the echo, it is still hard to hear. If they would not speak so loud, it might be able to be heard.

Robert Thomson: Great. Before, the station announcements were too soft.

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Washington, D.C.: How is it that Metro has to now change its policy regarding how bus drivers proceed at train crossings and such? Should not the policy have conformed all along to the regular rules of the road, such that bus drivers, like every other driver, would not proceed to begin crossing the tracks until it was absolutely clear that their vehicle had room to get completely across such crossing? That is the rule as I understand it, and so why was that not the rule for Metro drivers? This begs the question -- are there other situations where Metro has rules that do not conform to rules of the jurisdictions, traffic or otherwise?

Robert Thomson: I'll double check, but I hadn't heard about any policy change this. Last I heard, following the bus/train crash on the F4 route, was that Metro would detour those buses around the grade crossing while it investigated what happened. I thought that change was prudent -- that collision could have been a lot worse -- but that Metro should work toward restoring the route most convenient for riders.

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Reston, Va.: Dr. Gridlock, does Metro have some type of future plan to replace the smooth tiles they have at the outdoor Metro Stations? They are slick, dangerous as heck after a little bit of rain. After sending a couple of messages to their website (never a returned comment) I figured that I would ask you.

Robert Thomson: Yes, Metro does have a plan to replace those tiles with a type that is less slippery, or as they say, has a greater "coefficient of friction." The tiles are always a problem for Plant Maintenance. They deteriorate at the outdoor stations and need to be replaced. But over the years, Metro has used a lot of different styles of tiles and they have different thicknesses. The workers don't know what replacement style they need till they pull the old ones up.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I worry about Metro's future with respect to increased passenger volumes and station "dwell times" (how long a train sits in the station with its doors open as passengers get on and off).

We could try to "educate" riders to get on and off the train more quickly but there's only so much we can expect to achieve on that front. I look at the 1970-vintage design and ask, have they ever thought about making the doorways about two feet wider on new trains?

Robert Thomson: I think the next rail car design, the 7000 series, will have the same basic configuration as you see now.

This is a tough problem. People often write to me and say the train operators are closing the doors too quickly at the busier stations. More train cars and more trains are the best solutions I can think of.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Metro's Trip Planner seems less user-friendly with WMATA's page redesign. I was unable to change the distance to walk. I do not recall an option for walking directions and map once I finally decided on a bus route. The walking directions and map are vital. Some places are nearly impossible to figure out. With buses, one can look at the map, predict a scary street crossing and choose another route. Please, help persuade WMATA to restore the planner!

Robert Thomson: I'll check this. Generally, I find the redesign of www.wmata.com to be very good. It's clearer, friendly and better organized. I often use Trip Planner and find it very helpful.

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Friendship Heights: I went to both sets of hockey games at the Verizon center this past week and am able to report that at 11 p.m. on Thursday night and again at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night, easily 90% of the lights were on at WMATA's headquarters building. There was so much light coming out of that building that the Verizon center could easily have cut its own lights in the eastern half of the arena. Then when I got to my station, every single escalator was running though they easily could have shut down one of the three in two of the banks of escalators that late at night.

Does WMATA still not understand that they have a credibility problem with the public that subsidies their incompetence? The Washington Post wrote about the issue of lights being on at WMATA headquarters after hours a few years ago but I guess Mr. Catoe either missed that piece or does not care about wasting money or unnecessarily contributing to global warming.

My private company several years ago set all lights to automatically turn off at 6:30 p.m. and recouped the cost in 3 months. Does Metro wish to be taken seriously when they come to the public and tell us they need money? Why is it difficult for them to turn out their own lights and reduce excess escalator capacity off peak??

Robert Thomson: The transit authority says it generally gets the lights off at 8 p.m. in the Jackson Graham Building, but there are plenty of offices in use at night. The escalator issue is worth more study, but I tend to get more complaints about escalators that are turned off then about ones that are turned on.

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San Francisco, Calif.: In Washington for several days, not craigslist related. Will Metro's Red Line mostly work as usual?

How does one hear when the up escalators at Dupont Circle have problems? Thanks!

Robert Thomson: I hope you enjoy your trip. The west side of the Red Line has had some problems lately, but there's no reason you should avoid it.

This link will take you to the page on Metro's Web site that reports all the escalator and elevator outages.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I am so frustrated by Metro's decision to have all trains stop at the very end of the platforms! I understand why they are doing this, but at the same time, what they are really doing is ensuring that on 6-car trains, more people are crowded into the four cars that end up in the "middle" of the track, and on 8-car trains, the two cars at the end will be relatively empty. Please, please, please convince Metro that this is a bad idea and is contributing to crowding on trains, rather than alleviating it!

Robert Thomson: You should find the six-car trains stopping in their normal locations today. When Metro is running more eight-car trains than it normally does -- as was the case during the two-week Cherry Blossom Festival -- it tells all the operators to stop at the front of the platform. It's a safety precaution. That way, there's no danger that the operator of an eight-car train will stop at the wrong spot, thinking it's a six-car train. That has led to some car doors opening while the end cars are still in the tunnel.

Metro says it uses station announcements to tell riders when that procedure is in effect. I've heard them, but some riders tell me that the announcements aren't as frequent as they should be.

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Robert Thomson: Travelers, I've still got plenty of good questions and comments left in the mailbag, but need to break away now. I want to take a look at the area around Nationals Park before the game starts. (No, I'm not going to the game. I've seen a lot more of the outside of Nats Park than the inside.) I'll give you a report on that later, and will also try to organize some of the remaining questions and comments from today into entries on the Get There blog. By the way, I've got some more information about the issue of how many eight-car trains are running on the Orange Line.

Stay safe, and we'll chat again next Monday.

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The Dr. Gridlock column receives hundreds of letters each month from motorists and transit riders throughout the Washington region. They ask questions and make complaints about getting around a region plagued with some of the worst traffic in the nation. The doctor diagnoses problems and tries to bring relief.

Dr. Gridlock appears in The Post's Metro section on Sunday and in the Extra section on Thursday. His comments also appear on the Web site's Get There blog. You can send e-mails for the newspaper column to drgridlock@washpost.com or write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.

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