Natives of Los Angeles or New York may chuckle at this notion, but getting around Metro Washington can be an intimidating experience for newcomers. Even longtime residents will concede that negotiating the network of often-congested highways, byways, and bridges that serves more than 5 million people often isn’t the most pleasant of tasks.
While the region has grown dramatically over the past 30 years or so in both population and the rate of commercial and residential development, the transportation infrastructure—due to a combination of political and bureaucratic stagnation, fiscal belt-tightening, and an acute case of shortsightedness—unfortunately has not kept pace. As shopping malls, housing tracts, and office parks sprouted on the landscape, roads, mass transit, and other transportation improvements all too often became an afterthought. Subsequent changes in commuting patterns further challenged planners, as more and more suburban residents began driving to neighboring suburbs to go to work instead of into the District. Although this shift took some of the strain off downtown, it resulted in rush-hour problems never envisioned in the 1960s.
On an average day, the sheer volume of traffic can make an ordinary nonrush-hour journey aggravating. Toss in an accident (even a fender bender moved to the road shoulder), a few snowflakes, some rain, a holiday weekend, or a Friday afternoon during the summer, and you’ve got the makings of a potentially harrowing ordeal.
That’s the bad news.
Now for the good news:
With few exceptions, Metro Washington’s roads are generally clean, well maintained, and even downright scenic in places (we offer the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Dulles Greenway, and even the unusually verdant Capital Beltway in spring as prime examples). Drivers can take comfort in knowing that many of the primary roads, notably the Beltway, are patrolled by motorist-assistance units—a courtesy service provided by the Virginia State Police. The assorted trucks and vans prove a welcome sight for countless folks confronting a flat tire, spewing radiator, empty gas tank, or other vehicular challenge.
Some notable progress also has been made in improving Metro Washington’s transportation network. Major stretches of roadway have been widened; once-nightmarish intersections have been transformed into the safer and far more efficient under/over configuration; and the designation of HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes, requiring two or three persons to a vehicle during rush hour, has encouraged carpooling. New roads, like the Dulles Greenway, Fairfax County Parkway, and Franconia-Springfield Parkway, have helped ease traffic burdens in Northern Virginia.
Known as the “Mixing Bowl,” through which 430,000 vehicles pass daily, this area where Interstates 95, 395, and 495 converge is considered the Capital Beltway’s most dangerous stretch. To keep motorists on their toes and help lower the risk of serious accidents, state and county police patrol the interchange. The department provides daily construction updates so that drivers will know when to avoid the area. Call (877) 959-5222 for the latest information or log onto www.vamegaprojects.com.
Drivers begrudging the slow progress on the Springfield Interchange should take heart. In June 2006, the first cars crossed the Potomac on the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which replaced a 1961 bridge by the same name. Like its predecessor, the new Wilson Bridge is the only federally owned drawbridge in the interstate highway system. The new bridge is 20 feet higher, however, allowing for fewer traffic disruptions from bridge openings. More traffic lanes also ease the bridge’s notorious bottlenecking problems. Obtain updated information at www.wilsonbridge.com.
Maryland’s first major highway construction project in years is also underway. The six-lane, 18-mile Intercounty Connector (ICC) will ease congestion on the Capital Beltway by creating a toll road to directly link the I–270 and I–95 corridors in central and eastern Montgomery County and northwestern Prince George’s County. Scheduled for completion in 2012, the project has raised the ire of environmentalists and homeowners impacted by the $2.56-billion construction project. Get more information about the proposed route at www.iccproject.com or call (866) 462-0020.
VDOT helps maintain smooth traffic flow through use of the high-tech Smart Traffic management system, a computerized highway monitoring and control program that oversees approximately 70 miles of I–66, I–95, and I–395 and helps detect and clear accidents and disabled vehicles. Smart Traffic uses closed-circuit cameras to keep an eye on traffic conditions, traffic counters embedded in the pavement to convey important information, ramp meters to regulate the number of vehicles entering the roadway, and variable message signs that alert motorists to accidents and other traffic-related events ahead. VDOT personnel monitor the system at a control center in Arlington, where they communicate not only with the public but with service patrols, state police, and traffic reporters.
In Maryland a similar traffic-management system called CHART, short for Chesapeake Highways Advisories Routing Traffic, also uses state-of-the-art technology (message signs, cameras, and detection devices, as well as patrol vehicles) to provide quick response to accidents and other road emergencies and help reduce congestion. The statewide program covers some 400 miles of highway and another 400 miles of major arterial roadways in Maryland’s eight heavily traveled traffic corridors, including such locations as I–95 and I–395 at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, I–495 north of the American Legion Bridge, and I–95 and I–495 south of U.S. 50. From its Web site, www.chart.state.md.us, you can also view live traffic shots on some of the state’s most traveled roads to help plan your daily commute and weekend beach escapes.
Future major transportation improvement proposals include adding bridges and expanding rail systems and other means of getting people out of their single-passenger vehicles. Although these plans have been hotly debated at times, they are nevertheless cause for optimism.
In the meantime, you’ve got to deal with the situation at hand, and that’s where we hope this chapter proves helpful. There’s no substitute for experience, and that’s particularly true when it comes to trying to find your way around unfamiliar territory. We hope that the following information will give you a feel for the region’s overall transportation system and perhaps make those initial journeys somewhat less intimidating.
First, here are a couple of suggestions. Before tackling Metro Washington from behind the wheel or from any other perspective, we suggest that you get a good map and keep it nearby. We recommend the book-style variety produced locally by Alexandria Drafting Company (ADC), “The Map People,” as they proudly bill themselves. ADC’s detailed and easy-to-use maps of cities, counties, and the region are invaluable resources, as well as great providers of peace of mind. Updated frequently, they’re widely available at convenience stores, drugstores, supermarkets, and bookstores. For more information, contact ADC at (800) 432-6277 or visit www.adcmap.com.
An alternative is to invest $125 (or more) on a GPS navigation system for your vehicle, or take advantage of the GPS navigation functionality of your iPhone, Blackberry, or Smartphone to help you get around. The DC Traffic Cam application for the iPhone (available free from Apple’s App Store), for example, allows you to see video feeds of major D.C. area roadways and determine current traffic conditions.
You’ll also be wise to keep an ear tuned to the radio for the latest traffic information, both before you leave home or office and while in the car. All it takes is one nightmarish backup and you’ll soon become a devout listener. Most local stations broadcast traffic reports frequently during the morning and evening rush hours, and a few offer updates throughout the day. Some of the most comprehensive coverage is on WMAL (630 AM) and WTOP (103.5 FM, 820 AM). If your car is equipped with a Sirius/XM Satellite radio, you can also obtain real-time traffic and weather reports, 24 hours per day (XM channel 214 or Sirius channel 152) for the D.C. and Baltimore area.