Dr. Gridlock Helps You Get There

Robert Thomson is The Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock. He, along with Washington Post Staff Writer Lena Sun, was online Monday, April 20 at noon ET to diagnose all of your traffic and transit issues.

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Robert Thomson: Greetings, travelers. I'm very pleased to be joined today by Lena Sun, The Post's expert on transit and thorn in the side of government officials in several hemispheres. We're looking forward to your questions and comments about all our local transportation issues.

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Washington, D.C.: For the last month, while traveling on the Red Line, the train slows down almost to a crawl while approaching and leaving Takoma Park and Fort Totten. It makes the trip much longer, however there is never an announcement from the driver about a delay or a reason for the slow speed and there is never a delay announced by Metro on the website. Do you have any idea why this is happening? It is not every time, but I would say 90 percent of my experience going to and from work and it is very annoying. Thanks.

Robert Thomson: Yes. I wrote about this in my Get There blog this morning, because I was following up on a question (perhaps yours?) from last week's discussion.

The ground beneath the tracks just south of Takoma Station has become soft, because of poor drainage. Metro says it needs to fix it and will do so this week. It's not a danger to the trains -- at least not so far -- but Metro did slow down the trains as a precaution, pending the fix this week. (Believe me, if I thought it was a problem for riders, I wouldn't have taken the Red Line to the newsroom this morning.)

Workers will be out during overnight periods this week after the system is closed. But the really big part of the project will come this weekend. The workers will dig out the ground, fix the drainage problem, put in fill and two new segments of track.

That will mean delays on the Red Line between Silver Spring and Fort Totten from 10 p.m. Friday through midnight Sunday.

Do you think the operators should make announcements when the trains are slowed for such things? They do make announcements when the trains stop, but not for one of these slowdowns.

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McLean, Va.: Here in McLean we have not only Hot Lanes at the 123/495 interchange, plus all through Tyson's, we also have the Dulles Rail construction at the Dulles Access Road/123 interchange, and rail lines and stations.

123 already backs up to Old Dominion Drive during the afternoon rush. Add in lane closures along a couple miles of it into Tysons and it'll back up to CIA.

I'm glad my commute is one mile. I'd walk if there was a crosswalk at 123/Lewinsville.

Robert Thomson: No question that traffic is going to be tough -- extra tough -- on people driving through Tysons for the next few years. The left lanes on each side of Route 123 are scheduled to close this week and stay closed through November. This is for construction of a bridge pier to support two new Beltway lanes overhead.

And that's just phase one of the Beltway expansion. The lanes will be closed again next January for more than a year.

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Springfield, Va.: Is it just me, or has weekend traffic gotten significantly worse over the past year or so? Weekend traffic in some places is as bad, if not worse, than it is during rush hour, particularly the I-95 corridor. I know most traffic reporters and government people only work M-F, so "rush hour" traffic is their primary concern, but when it takes three hours to get from Springfield to Fredericksburg on a Saturday afternoon, something has to be done!!

Robert Thomson: A lot of travelers have been telling me that the weekend traffic is particularly bad now, especially in the I-95 corridor. They'd like to see VDOT adjust the hours when the HOV lanes are open to all for either northbound or southbound travel. (Their preference is that the HOV lanes should be open in the direction they are traveling at that particular time.)

It may be that the hours need adjusting, but consider this possibility as well: The traffic is almost certain to look better in whatever direction has access to the HOV lanes at that particular time. The volume could well be higher in that direction, but the traffic will be moving more easily because it has the extra lanes.

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Washington, D.C.: Metro continues to stonewall the public with regard to its finances. With deficits in the immediately upcoming budget year and also the subsequent budget year (deficits which will surely require fare/fee increases and also may include the necessity of service cuts), Metro is making decisions on how to proceed without substantive public input. Upcoming public hearings are scheduled after all important decisions have been made. Reductions in staffing, system maintenance and cleaning costs, as well as increases in revenue estimates have already been made in efforts to bridge the FY '10 budget gap, all without public input. Metro should schedule public hearings each year on the next year's budget and also on the following year's budget outlook so that public comment can be relevant and timely. For more information, see the MetroRiders.Org letter to the Metro board of directors at this link.

Lena Sun: This sounds like it's Jack Corbett, right? Hi Jack. Thanks for this comment, and you make some excellent points. Yes, the Metro board held public hearings last week to get public input on proposed Metrobus service cuts. But one option they did not include because of a veto threat by the District's voting members -- Council Member Jim Graham and Deputy Mayor Neil Albert -- was a nickel increase in bus fares. Lots of riders said they would prefer to pay more. But for all practical purposes, it is too late for that to happen this year. Which means that next year, there will surely be a fare/fee increase.

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Columbia, Md.: I want to apologize to the driver I cut off at an Exxon station in Laurel about a week ago. I was making a left turn out of the station while you were going straight to enter. I'm sorry; that was one of the stupidest things I've done in 30 years of driving.

Robert Thomson: Lena and I are stunned. It's rare we hear from a traveler who concedes an error. My mail goes like this: About half of the people I hear from want to complain about something the government did, or didn't do. The other half want to complain about each other. I was surprised that the latter category was so high.

I'll follow up on Columbia's theme: In my 30 years of driving, I've done a lot stupider things than that.

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Springfield, Va.: Dr. Gridlock, I saw in yesterday's column that you plan to discuss the Gilbert's Corner roundabouts in next Sunday's paper. I've followed the discussion on your blog and I think it's apparent that there are a lot of people who don't understand the difference between a "traffic circle" (e.g., the abominations in the District) and a "modern roundabout" (e.g., what Virginia is building). I'm sure one reason many people seem to feel unjustified trepidation when they hear "roundabout" is the bad experiences many of us have had in D.C.'s circles. Do you think it might be feasible to include a paragraph explaining the differences between these designs?

Robert Thomson: Springfield, I think that's a very good idea. I'll pay attention to that when I write the feature on roundabouts I'm planning for Sunday's Commuter page.

As you say, a traffic circle, such as Dupont or Scott or Thomas, with many lanes and traffic signals, is not at all like the roundabouts that Virginia is building in the Route 50 corridor or the ones that many Maryland drivers encounter.

We're likely to see more of the roundabouts. Traffic engineers are warming up to them as an alternative to traditional intersections, controlled by traffic signals. Drivers should warm up to them, too. The signal intersection is inefficient. There are plenty of seconds when there's no traffic in the intersection. The roundabout concept is supposed to keep traffic flowing -- and safely. The key things are going no higher than the speed limit and yielding to traffic already in the roundabout.

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Ellicott City, Md.: When is Metro going to stop making people like me buy a SmartCard just to park on the rare occasion we ride the train? I know they are testing using credit cards for parking at a handful of stations, but unfortunately, not at Greenbelt. This has been a pet peeve of mine for a while.

Lena Sun: In April 2007, six Metro station parking lots started accepting credit card payments: Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, Shady Grove, New Carrollton, Largo Town Center, Franconia-Springfield and Anacostia.

Metro officials say three additional credit card readers will be installed at the Huntington station parking lot by the end of October. The agency would like to install 33 additional credit card readers at 28 more Metro lots and garages, but that will cost $3.2 million. That $3.2 million for the credit card readers is on Metro's long list of $11.3 billion in unfunded capital needs for the 10 years beginning July 2010.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Dr Gridlock, my question concerns differences between six-car and eight-car trains. One point often made in response to, "Why can't every train be eight cars long?" is that eight-car trains require significantly more power than six- or four-car trains, and some parts of the system aren't equipped to transmit enough power to support that many eight-car trains. Does this say that six- and especially four-car trains should be able to accelerate quicker and move faster by using the same amount of power that eight-car trains have to use just to keep on schedule? If the short trains have the same locomotive power but less weight to lug down the track, could shorter trains run quicker on the outer legs of the system where there are several miles between stops? Thanks.

Robert Thomson: Silver Spring, you represent another rarity in our chat today, second only to the driver above who apologized to another driver.

You're making an argument for shorter trains. I think my Orange and Blue line readers would recoil in horror at the mere suggestion.

Couple of thoughts on the various points your making: Metro doesn't couple and decouple train cars along a route. That would be way more complicated than any potential speed gain would justify, don't you think?

From what I remember of physics -- and it's been some time -- you're right about the shorter, less weighty trains being able to accelerate quicker, and they certainly draw less power. But I don't believe Metro is basing -- or should base -- the car allocations on aceleration, rather than on careful study of the passenger demand.

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Silver Spring, Md.: "Do you think the operators should make announcements when the trains are slowed for such things? They do make announcements when the trains stop, but not for one of these slowdowns."

A couple of the Red Line drivers have been announcing this slowdown at Takoma, even when it does not result in a backup and stop-and-go situation.

Robert Thomson: Thanks, Silver Spring, that's interesting. I haven't heard such an announcement, either south of Takoma or any place else Metro has slowed trains because of a specific issue. Anybody hear announcements during the now-ended slowdown on the Red Line near Friendship Heights?

The announcements during a train stop are a good idea. But I sometimes wonder if the explanations need to be offered quite so frequently, especially when the audience hasn't changed.

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Washington, D.C.: Dr. G, Could you please ask someone to fix the lights at Dupont Circle? They are so out of whack. It can take 15 minutes to get into and then out of the circle some mornings due to the light synch sequence for both those in the circle and the feeder lanes coming in. It is soooo frustrating! Thank you.

Robert Thomson: I've got a bunch of questions I'd like to ask our region's engineers about signal timing. In some cases, the lights may well be out of sync. But another common issue is that the engineers can't give you extra seconds without taking them away from somebody else. At a place like Dupont Circle, you've got plenty of drivers, and plenty of pedestrians, who want those seconds.

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Dupont Circle: Metro needs to seriously review a number of its policies and procedures. On Friday evening I waited at Dupont Circle for a Shady Grove train -- the message board had arrival times which then disappeared. No Metro alert came on my Blackberry (the first alert I received that evening was at 9:15 about something at Judiciary). After about 15 minutes, a public announcement was made about a problem at Farragut. By the time the announcement had been made, it was too late for me to go down to Union Station to catch my MARC train. BTW, I have talked with others who said they were not getting Metro alerts either.

When I was finally able to squeeze on a train, it was a Grosvenor train. The next train to come into Grosvenor was another Grosvenor train. The platform was packed with people trying to get to Shady Grove. That train turned around to pick up the SIX people who got on going downtown. In cases like this, why can't Metro run trains out to Shady Grove instead of turning them around?

Lena Sun: You must have been riding during rush hour, right? Those electronic message boards are reaching the ends of their lives. Metro hopes to replace a bunch of them, and then move to a system of large flat-screen video monitors. Those monitors would carry system information and advertising in rail cars, train stations, buses and bus shelters. They would show not only train arrival times, but also weather and news.

In the event of a major service disruption, the screens would provide real-time information about which rail lines are running, display shuttle bus locations, and give station-specific information about where to catch a bus or how to get to a nearby station.

When? I think they are hoping to award a contract this year. But it will take some time to get that system running.

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Alex., VA: I got lost in rush hour traffic in DC on Friday and it's the only time I've ever driven in it. I feel everyone's pain now, I really do.

Just a quick vent... there was a red light, I was going right but I'm short and I couldn't see around the large cars and trees on the sides of the road to make sure the road was clear. Memo to the guy in the convertible behind me... there is NO law that I have to make that right on red if I can't see and thus do not feel comfortable. Your waving at me, honking, standing up in your seat to make sure I saw you waving at me made no difference in my being able to see. Calm down. I'm so sorry that I slowed you down that 5 minutes while waiting for the green, I'm sure it made a HUGE difference in your life.

Robert Thomson: The second driver in the line is usually very brave about when the first driver should pull out into oncoming traffic.

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Do you think the operators should make announcements when the trains are slowed for such things? They do make announcements when the trains stop, but not for one of these slowdowns.: No. I don't even like the announcements when the train stops. I don't actually mind an announcement, but I get tired of hearing the long, meaningless announcements they often use. While stopped, maybe I only need to hear twice "we will be delayed 1 or 2 minutes." I don't need to know it's a "circuit problem" or any other problem that means nothing to me. What DOES mean something to me is the amount of time they believe we will be delayed, and I don't need to to hear that every 10 seconds.

Robert Thomson: Yeah, you're reminding me of some airline flights where I thought the pilot was sharing a bit too much information with us passengers. I do want to know how long a delay is likely to be and something very basic about the cause is nice. More detail, I don't really need at that moment. And I don't need to hear another annoucement, unless something has changed.

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Gaithersburg-DC: Oh man, the HVAC wasn't working on the MARC this morning (7:00 a.m.). Imagine 75 drenched, smelly people in non-circulating air. Any hope for a better evening ride?

Robert Thomson: Sorry to hear about that. MARC and VRE riders, some days I'm not sure how you do it. I see all the notices that come out about equipment failures and delays. Both services say improvements are on the way. We really need those two train systems improved and expanded for the future of travel in the Washington metro area.

Fixes, like the HVAC fix, seem less likely when the train equipment is at Union Station. But what's the experience of riders with that?

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Slowdown announcements: I did hear one during the slowdown between Bethesda and Friendship Heights. But only one.

Robert Thomson: My understanding about that slowdown was that Metro inspections had discovered a slight narrowing of the tracks -- again, not a dangerous situation, but something that needed to be corrected. In the meantime, trains were slowed as a precaution. (That's a lot for a train announcement. Was any of that part of the operator's statement?)

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Washington, D.C.: Since today is the day for rarities, may I add to the list? Today, I got on the Red Line at Van Ness, standing room only, and a young lady immediately offered me her seat, and she wasn't even in the priority seats! Miss, you made my day. Thank you for your consideration.

Robert Thomson: Lots of travelers complain that the priority seats are taken, but they seem reluctant to ask the sitters to give up the seats. Have you noticed those new blue and white signs Metro is posting at a more visible level that identify the priority seats for people who are elderly and disabled?

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33 Credit Card Readers...: You said that Metro needs $3.2 million to install 33 new card readers.

That works out to $96,970 per reader. Similar readers are already in use at lots of garages around the area. Could Metro not lean on their expertise and maybe get it done for a shade cheaper than $97,000???

Lena Sun: The SmarTrip technology is dependent on ONE vendor. There have been several upgrades to the software that operates SmarTrip, and Metro has had to decide whether to continue with those upgrades. That process has been very costly to Metro. The transit agency is also exploring other options to open up payment using chips embedded in credit cards and bank cards. Some other transit agencies are already doing that.

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Washington, D.C.: Especially when the audience doesn't change? The audience changes every stop. They repeat announcements about slowing/stopping for the same reason they say what line and direction the train is at every stop...

Robert Thomson: Washington, I should have been clearer -- like a Metro announcement: I mean the repetition of announcements when the train is halted between stations.

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Multiple delay announcements: But if the train is stopped at a station and is delayed for two minutes, the doors are usually (always?) left open. So as more people get on the train, it does make sense to repeat the facts about the delay.

Robert Thomson: Yes, it does.

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Alexandria, Va.: Also, more and more the second driver in the line is usually adamant that right on red means a continuing motion as opposed to stop and then proceed if clear. And I've witnessed several police not do a thing about it. Not a criticism on police more than a comment that if the police allow it, drivers will continue to do it.

Robert Thomson: I see this more and more in downtown Washington and the close-in suburbs: Cars slowing down at red lights and stop signs, but not stopping. (Readers who drive criticize the bike riders about this all the time, but I see plenty of drivers engaged in the same behavior, turning their vehicles toward pedestrians without stopping.)

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Metro time boards: You're kidding? They are reaching the end of their useful lives? Haven't they only been up for a few years?

Lena Sun: I think it's about six years, if my memory serves. (But am double-checking).

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Washington, D.C.: Robert Thomson: Lots of travelers complain that the priority seats are taken, but they seem reluctant to ask the sitters to give up the seats. Have you noticed those new blue and white signs Metro is posting at a more visible level that identify the priority seats for people who are elderly and disabled?

I don't ask somebody sitting in priority seating to give up his or her seat. Standing is less troublesome than the eye-rolling, sighs, and downright rudeness I've encountered. Let's face it, if somebody wants to give up their seat for an elderly or disabled person, they won't wait to be asked.

Lena Sun: But if someone is listening to their iPod and checking their Blackberry, head down, in their own zone, when would they ever notice that they might be taking up seats meant for the elderly or disabled?

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Red Line: Re: the slowdown at Frienship Heights -- on a few occasions, operators provided information on the slowdown. I found the information very helpful and it explained why my trip seemed to be taking longer.

On another topic, I was amazed by the letter from the individual who will no longer drive in Montgomery County because of speed cameras. It's not THAT hard to stay 10 miles under the speed limit and once you figure out where the cameras are (not hard), it's even less of a challenge to not get caught.

Robert Thomson: People commenting on the slowdown announcements generally seem to appreciate hearing them.

The speed cameras -- whether in Montgomery or in the District -- are very controversial among people who comment to me. But I don't believe that requiring people to stay within 10 mph of the speed limit (the MoCo standard) is a lot to ask.

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the priority seats for people who are elderly and disabled?: I wish they would also say, "and the 7 months pregnant with swollen, hurting feet."

Lena Sun: Just curious to know how often people have given up their seats for you, and if so, whether they are men or women? And can you please email me separately at SUNL@WASHPOST.COM?

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RE: Dupont Circle lights: I know what this person is talking about. If you're coming in from Mass Ave, you're fine. But if you're trying to get through the circle by coming up New Hampshire, you are going to sit for a very, very long time. There's a No Turn on Red sign, so you can't turn into the circle when there's not traffic coming through. I got a ticket once for doing that, and I only did it because I'd been so frustrated from sitting there through light after light, unable to get into the circle. The only time you get the light on New Hamp is AFTER the traffic from Mass Ave has been let through, and those cars always quickly hit other traffic waiting for the next light, and end up blocking the intersection with New Hampshire so nobody can enter the circle. Sometimes, not a single car from New Hamp can get into the circle. I try to avoid going that way when I can. But if they would either change the "No Turn on Red," or if they would let the New Hamp intersection get a green for a few seconds before sending in the Mass Ave traffic. Then maybe four cars could get through each light.

I know, they want the Mass Ave traffic to keep moving, but it is really frustrating to get stuck there.

Robert Thomson: I don't want to be defending Dupont Circle as a people-moving device. And I know lots of drivers and pedestrians will do what they can to avoid traveling through the circle.

But for the sake of discussion: There needs to be gaps in traffic so drivers and pedestrians around the circle can enter. That requires stops that mean stop. Arguments?

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If the short trains have the same locomotive power but less weight to lug down the track, could shorter trains run quicker on the outer legs of the system where there are several miles between stops? Thanks.: If there would be a benefit, it would be where stations are closer together not far apart. Think about following a semi in city traffic with regular stops vs. the interstate.

Robert Thomson: You wouldn't run shorter trains where the stations are close together, would you? That might be, for example, Gallery Place-Metro Center on the Red Line, or maybe McPherson-Farragut West-Foggy Bottom on the Orange/Blue. The more capacity per train, the better in the core.

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20036: As a daily Red Line rider, it's clear to me Metro runs their trains too close together. It's frustrating, day after day, to come to a halt waiting for the train ahead of us to clear the station. Isn't the solution to run longer trains farther apart?

Lena Sun: There is a schedule for how often the trains run during rush hour and off-peak. But as you know, mechanical problems often delay trains, and Metro's safety procedures require them to stay a certain distance apart. If they ran them farther apart, I'm sure just as many riders would complain about the longer headways, or intervals between trains.

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Crowd control at Potomac Ave.: Dr. Gridlock, I was at the terrible Nationals game on Saturday afternoon. I left in the 10th inning, when all hope was lost, and walked back to the Potomac Avenue Metro station with a crowd, though not a huge crowd, of disappointed fans. At the Metro station, several men dressed in flak jackets (Metro police maybe?) were barking at the crowd to move down to the end of the track, and had blocked off the part of the track closest to the Half Street entrance with rails, essentially forcing people to move all the way down to the end. It was effective, but extremely unfriendly and I hate that feeling of living in a police state. At L'Enfant Plaza when I transferred to the Orange Line, there was a woman (also Metro Police maybe?) similarly shouting at people to move away from the center of the track.

I understand the need for these crowd control techniques at peak hours, but do they have to shout like that when there's not a big crowd waiting? It was extremely unpleasant.

Robert Thomson: I was at the terrible Nationals game on Sunday. I'm pretty sure you're refering to the Navy Yard Station, rather than Potomac Ave -- that would have been quite the hike and I don't recommend it to anyone. The officers I've seen are transit police. They've got the guns, so I always do as they say and they don't have to shout about it.

My personal experience at Navy Yard was the opposite of yours: A Metro employee, speaking in a friendly voice, was trying to make an annoucement about what we should do as we moved along the platform, but the announcement faded in an out, so we couldn't understand. Some problem with the audio equipment there.

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Union Station: Lately, I have observed increasing aggressive behavior on the Metro. Generally the perpetrators of this aggressive activities are teenagers -- boys as well as girls. I've seen verbal harassment as well as physical acts such as pushing or hitting. This is particularly disconcerting when it happens on a moving train between stations. Is Metro taking any action to nip this trend in the bud? Is there any immediate action than can be taken when this happens?

Lena Sun: This is among the biggest complaints that riders have. They don't have enough police officers to be on every train. Transit police are usually stationed at major stations, especially for that period when school gets out. You can contact the operator on the train using the intercom and he/she can call police and ask them to respond, or to head off the teens at the next station.

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McLean, Va.: "7 months pregnant " Oh no! Not going near that one! Unless she's wearing a t-shirt that says "Baby on board" or similar, I'm not going to make any assumptions. Too easy to get yelled at by a woman who's not pregnant, but is easily offended.

Lena Sun: Hi McLean. I hear this a lot from people. Can you please email me at SUNL@WASHPOST.COM? Many thanks.

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Reston, Va.: But the problem with Dupont Circle is that if you are coming in from somewhere other than Mass Ave, you don't get a green light to enter (which means that traffic is stopped for you to move in). You get a flashing yellow, which means you are allowed to enter if it is clear (and the oncoming traffic is not stopped by a red light). Couple that with having to wait for pedestrians and you will have a long time where maybe one car gets through each minute or so. There has to be a better way than that.

Robert Thomson: Reston, the last thing I want to do is stand up for Dupont Circle, which just wasn't made for these times. But looking at a portion of your comment: I would think that Mass Ave would be the dominant traffic flow, since Conn. goes underneath, and that other drivers would have second-class status as a result.

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Wheaton, Md.: Submitting early since I'll be in a meeting when your chat occurs.

For the past few months, the right escalator (as you're going down) at Wheaton has been undergoing "major rehabilitation work." It was scheduled to open at the end of March; now they have a date at the end of April (which, by the way things look now, seems very unlikely).

But for the past few weeks, the center escalator at the station has been turned off (presumably it's broken) causing customers to have to walk down the escalator (the longest in the western hemisphere). This is the same escalator that went rehabilitation for over six months last year.

Any idea on what's going on here and why these indoor escalators are such a headache?

Thanks and love the chats!

Lena Sun: Wheaton, we have an answer from Metro. The one that is supposed to be fixed by end of April WILL be done on time. The other one is going to get fixed "in a couple of weeks." I think it's a parts issue.

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Reston, Va.: Hi Dr. G. How long are you supposed to wait for a pedestrian to step off the curb when they have a walk light before turning right? Through the whole light? I received a failure to yield to a pedestrian ticket this weekend, but I had waited about 30 seconds (it's a long light) for this woman to step off the curb and she never did. For all I knew, she was just standing there.

Robert Thomson: You should fight that ticket. The pedestrian has the right of way on the crosswalk. The pedestrian does not have the right of way when thinking about whether to cross.

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Friendship Heights: With regards to WMATA wasting money in a Lena Sun story a few weeks back she referred to a WMATA purchase of laptops where the price per laptop came out to $5000 per laptop!

With Dell or Compaq you can get close to a top of the line laptop of the shelf for about $1000. On a bulk order even with software support WMATA certainly should have been able to do a lot better than $5000 per laptop.

Or was there something fishy about this deal?

Lena Sun: Hi. The story I wrote said Metro had put the spending for the laptop under a line item for new buses. But that inspector general report didn't address your point, which was the cost of the laptops. Does sound high, doesn't it?

Below this is the link to that story.

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washingtonpost.com: Metro Reports Cite Accounting and Security Gaps (The Washington Post, March 22, 2009)

Lena Sun: here's that story.

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Arlington, Va.: Dr. G., I just wanted to say thank you to all the drivers who stop at the intersections with the WOD trail to allow trail users to cross the street safely. I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates their patience and courtesy.

Robert Thomson: I think drivers really appreciate hearing from you, or getting a wave from bikers and walkers when they stop for a trail crossing, even though the drivers are obligated to do that. You may have noticed my item about the new zigzag white lines that VDOT is painting on two roads in Loudoun County where they approach a trail crosswalk. That's an effort to get more drivers to pay attention and slow down.

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Lena Sun: Folks, all of you who are responding to the elderly/disabled seating, can you please contact me directly via email? It's SUNL@washpost.com. Thanks so much.

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Friendship Heights: Follow up to an earlier question -- how can Metro's message boards be reaching the end of their lives? They just put them in about six years ago and they did not even work the first couple of years.

My TV is 20 years old and works just fine.

Or is this another procurement fiasco?

Lena Sun: Answer from Metro: those message boards are about 12 to 13 years old (I stand corrected. I had said 6). And they have reached the end of their useful lives, and the software that runs them is also going to be difficult to use with the new LCD monitors they want to install.

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Springfield, Va.: On the topic of red light cameras from last week, I still have yet to see you really push for increased driving training and stricter tests. All of these cameras reek of revenue generation under the "safety" flag.

I got my license at 16 without even having to take a driving test. I was considered to be a "good" driver by my drivers-ed teacher. Apparently I was able to maneuver around those orange cones really well. The written tests are a joke.

As far as the cost of training, pass that on to the drivers. It is still a privlege, not a right. It's pathetic how this country chooses to give minimal training for driving, then turns around and hands out tickets like candy. If it was safety they were really concerned about, they wouldn't be putting up cameras. Cameras don't teach you how to handle a skid or avoid an accident.

On a side note, I consider myself to be a slightly above average driver. Why? Cause I choose not to use my phone, eat, shave, read or put on make-up while I'm driving. I pay attention. Paying attention to the road and those around you certainly is a skill that more drivers seems to be lacking.

Thanks for the chat!

Robert Thomson: I find myself agreeing with most of what you say, Springfield, but I'd add this: Having read the region's three driver's manuals, I see no reason that a driver should be in ignorance about the meaning of a red light, or a yellow light.

One thing some readers urge: Periodic retesting for drivers' license renewals.

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Alexandria: Dr Gridlock, I am so irritated with Metro and am hoping you have some insight on how to handle one of my frustrations. Recently I bought a SmarTrip card and conveniently after adding cash to the card it stopped working. The card is not physically damaged, it just does not work for some reason. When I spoke to the attendants at Metro Center, I was courteously told that I just needed to buy another SmartTrip, but not to worry I would not lose any the money on my card. My question is what about the $5.00 I just spent on the stupid card? My wife tells me to just buy another card, but out of principle I have not.

Lena Sun: This is a frequent complaint I hear. If you bend the card -- by putting in your back pants pocket and sitting on it -- you risk damaging the chip embedded in it. The chip and antennae are along the perimeter, not the middle of the card. So yes, if the card gets damaged, you have to pay that five bucks. Again.

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oops, Navy Yard not Potomac Avenue!: You were right, of course. I guess Metro can't win on this one. But I still think men with guns shouting at baseball fans is ridiculous, and one more reason to skip Nats games this year.

Robert Thomson: Sounds like the shouting in Navy Yard Station may prove louder than the noise inside Nats Park this year. Generally, I think Metro and the District Department of Transportation have handled stadium transportation really well, but the team's performance is such that the challenge of getting people to games is less than some of us baseball fans had hoped.

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Washington, D.C.: Lena, I believe that you commute on MetroRail. Why don't you experiment with asking people to give up their priority seat for you "because I'm disabled (or not feeling well) and I need to sit" and see what happens? I think you'll be surprised how much resistance you get.

Lena Sun: Thanks for the suggestion. I just might. But would love to hear directly from any pregnant commuters out there. Thanks.

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elderly or disabled seats: It's not always obvious when someone might need those seats, too. My mom has joint problems, so standing for extended periods of time on a lurching train is a bad idea for her (never mind that she cannot lift her arms up to grab an overhead rail or strap!). But you'd never know that she needs to sit from looking at her. I tell her that she has to ask for a seat, because she doesn't look like she needs to sit more than others, but she certainly does.

Lena Sun: I bet she's reluctant to ask for a seat. Right?

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Silver Spring, Md.: I'm sure the earlier poster meant to say less than 10 miles OVER the limit, but that's my big problem with the speed cameras. Too many people seem to think that if there's one in a 35MPH zone, they have to slam on their brakes and go 15-20 for a block. I hate people speeding through residential and school areas, but I also hate almost rear-ending people who don't know how the technology works...

Robert Thomson: A counter example: I sometimes sit and watch drivers go past the speed camera on Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring. (Yes, readers, I'm that much of a transportation geek.) It's rare that I see someone hit the brakes. Traffic generally slows well before the camera and stays slow well after. So that's my example of successful use of a speed camera in a school zone.

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Washington, D.C.: Why is it when the weather is nice and traffic isn't an issue, the traffic cops are up and down K Street? But on days like today when it's bad, they are nowhere to be found to keep traffic moving?

Robert Thomson: I tell you, I admire the job done by DDOT's traffic control officers. Sure, I love to play in traffic, but you wouldn't get me out there with those drivers for double what those people get paid. I just wish there were more of them, morning, lunchtime and evening.

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I would think that Mass Ave would be the dominant traffic flow, since Conn. goes underneath, and that other drivers would have second-class status as a result.: Yes, it is. But they should still do something to help those on other streets enter. The solution should not be to completely ignore that the drivers in the side lanes, even the very first driver waiting to enter, must sit there and wait through light after light. Then, after they're sick of waiting, they've got to force their way in, which doesn't make anyone too happy.

Robert Thomson: We've really touched a nerve today on Dupont Circle traffic controls.

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Herndon, Va.: Re Right turns on red: What really bugs me, when I am that 2nd guy in line, is when the car in front of me is not turning right at all, but going straight. Please, people, if there are 2 lanes going straight, and no separate right-turn lane -- which is the case at numerous intersections out here in VA -- move over to the left so you don't block cars behind you from turning right on red! There are signs specifically directing that on Elden Street in Herndon, approaching Sterling Road, but few people obey them.

Robert Thomson: That's fair. But be a little patient with them in congested traffic. It may not always be possible to change lanes easily, and the person may be making a right at the next intersection after this and not be confident of returning to the right turn lane in time.

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Washington, D.C.: I am a young woman and will gladly give up my seat to someone who asks (or is clearly in need of it). But, I don't frequently give up my seat without being asked because people have been offended by my doing so in the past. It seems, then, that I am going to offend someone either way...

Robert Thomson: Other people have told me that, too, when this topic comes up. Feels like you can't win, right? I usually stand at rush hour, for the sake of not having that issue arise. And I stand in the middle of the car. But then I find myself blocking in people who need to get through that narrow aisle to exit. Can't win.

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Germantown, Md.: You said "slowing down" at red lights and stop signs, and not stopping? Heck, I rarely see folks slowing down. They just turn on red like it's a green light!

Robert Thomson: If this trend continues, I might argue for more "No Turn on Red" signs.

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better late than never: this is totally late, but I wanted to compliment Metro for the GREAT service for the National Marathon. Plenty of people directing you, nicely instructing clueless first timers, etc. They just did a great job.

Robert Thomson: I find Metro does a very good job planning for big events, like the marathons, July 4, cherry blossom time. The transit authority still has a ways to go in dealing with communication during unscheduled unpleasantness.

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DC: Question: If drivers think Dupont Circle is poorly timed for non-Mass Ave traffic (and it is), why don't they just reroute to avoid the circle? It's not difficult, and it's fairly clearly what the designers had in mind for New Hampshire and P St. travelers.

Robert Thomson: It's the advantage of a grid pattern of streets. There's almost always a way around a notorious choke point.

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Crystal City: Doc,

I was in the the awful 95 traffic this past Saturday. HOV was closed from 5 am to 7 pm, all day, for sign work. 95 North was backed up for at least 10 miles. Southbound was backed up to volume and the mesmerizing blue blinking lights on the side of the road from a few state police cars.

The sign work should have been done at night. Practically inexcusable. I know night work is a little more dangerous, but it looks like we've perfected night work in this area at least.

Oh, and I sat in the 95 North traffic too. I'll spend my money elsewhere until VDOT can do something about this lack of planning and attention to traffic on 95.

Robert Thomson: That was a difficult time, this past Saturday, with the HOV lanes shut down for road work. I think some of that needed to be daytime work.

Overall improvements are limited by money, but there are these two things: The I-95 fourth-lane project and the HOT lanes project.

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"weekend traffic gotten significantly worse ": In answer to Springfield, Va.'s question, yes. I think so also. Almost every Saturday morning, I cross the Beltway about the same time of day near Forest Glen to get to the Commissary. I have noticed that the traffic along that stretch west of Georgia Ave has been getting heavier, even when there is no report of a reason in the WTOP traffic reports. I think that the Beltway is more of the area's "Main Street" with locals getting on it for a part of their trip.

Robert Thomson: Some people wonder if an earlier generation made the right thing in using Interstate highways as the prime movers in our urban traffic system. We might have done better in urban areas by creating a better network of roadways and managing the traffic more actively.

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Washington, D.C.: Another rare compliment for Metro: Thank you, Metro, for not scheduling your track maintenance during Cherry Blossom Festival, when you could have made thousands of riders upset about delays.

Regarding the new priority signs, I haven't noticed their appearance, because many of the seats that are normally designated as priority have NO signs attached to the walls. Are these seats the ones that will have the new signs?

Robert Thomson: I'm referring to the bench seats near the center doors that have signs near the ceiling saying that people who are elderly or disabled have priority for their use. The new signs are lower down, on both sides of the advertisement or the map behind those seats. I find them easier for people to see.

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Wheaton, Md. - Red Line: Hello Dr. G and Lena, and thanks for taking my question.

I didn't mark it on my calendar, but I think it has been two years since the east entrance to the Wheaton Metro was closed for construction of an "air rights" apartment complex. Patrons were given a decent, temporary, 39-step staircase that allowed entry from the east side of Georgia.

When apartment construction was completed more than three months ago, WMATA closed the temporary stairs. However, the new east entrance day/kiss & ride/disabled parking lot (under the apartment complex) has not opened. Because the new east entrance elevators would open into this closed parking area, we are forced to use the new narrow, pokey (and dimly lit at night) staircase on Reedie. What gives?

Robert Thomson: Wheaton, We're trying to find out the answer to this. Pedestrians need all the help they can get around Georgia and Reedie. We'll probably be able to post something on the Get There blog later on.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Is there any big news coming on the Purple Line (or did I miss it)? The state pushed out the Draft Environmental Impact Statement last fall and the counties have come out in favor of building the light rail Purple Line. Of course, this is a "state" project so the opinion that matters is what comes out of Annapolis and I thought we would be hearing something this spring. The state's website (purplelinemd.com) doesn't say anything new.

I know there was stimulus money for transit at the federal and Maryland state levels but I don't know if any has been earmarked or designated for the Purple Line. What do you hear?

Robert Thomson: No stimulus money for the Purple Line. Stimulus money is supposed to be spent on stuff that can be built pretty soon, and the Purple Line isn't even close.

But I am looking forward to an annoucement from the Maryland Department of Transportation this spring about what route the state prefers and what type of transport -- rapid bus or light rail -- it wants to see on that route.

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Robert Thomson: Travelers, as many of you know, there are still lots of questions in the mailbag, but I have to sign off for now. I'm so glad Lena H. Sun could join us today and hope she'll be back soon.

She and I will review the mail and see what further information we can post on the Get There blog. And I'll be back next Monday for another round of chatting. Meanwhile, stay safe out there.

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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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