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Exactly & we see that now with merge on 495 headed towards the American legion bridge & on the 95 express lanes at Garrisonville Road in Stafford. Keep in mind these lanes just recently opened, imagine what the backups will look like 10 or even 5 years from now when more people move into the area. The same issue will happen on 66. I understand the need to widen roads at time but it can't be only solution for solving the traffic issues in this area.
No, it can't.
Let's just widen 66 to 50 lanes, completely razing Arlington in the process, so that people in Front Royal can have a better commute to DC
I believe everything that I've read that points to widening roads either making traffic worse, or not contributing to improving traffic conditions at all.
Let's just widen 66 to 50 lanes, completely razing Arlington in the process, so that people in Front Royal can have a better commute to DC
I believe everything that I've read that points to widening roads either making traffic worse, or not contributing to improving traffic conditions at all.
This is the NoVA sub-forum, though, where "ME FIRST!!!" is the common sentiment. I learned this when I posted while living here in 2009 and 2010. Nobody makes any decision communally; it is all about promoting one's own self-interest and self-worth without any regard to the negative consequences such decisions may have upon others.
Who cares about diminishing the quality-of-life for those residing in Arlington as long as soccer moms from Loudoun County can shave five minutes off their commutes in their Honda Pilots?
I'm 100% aligned with the Arlington County Board of Supervisors for being opposed to freeway expansion throughout their jurisdiction. If people in the boonies don't like it then they can feel free to move closer to the urban core. If they need more square footage than what's available in Arlington's existing single-family housing stock at their price point, then they should have thought about if they'd have a sufficient income to raise children before, well, deciding to raise children. Why should Arlingtonians pay for everyone else's shortsightedness?
This is the NoVA sub-forum, though, where "ME FIRST!!!" is the common sentiment. I learned this when I posted while living here in 2009 and 2010. Nobody makes any decision communally; it is all about promoting one's own self-interest and self-worth without any regard to the negative consequences such decisions may have upon others.
Who cares about diminishing the quality-of-life for those residing in Arlington as long as soccer moms from Loudoun County can shave five minutes off their commutes in their Honda Pilots?
I'm 100% aligned with the Arlington County Board of Supervisors for being opposed to freeway expansion throughout their jurisdiction. If people in the boonies don't like it then they can feel free to move closer to the urban core. If they need more square footage than what's available in Arlington's existing single-family housing stock at their price point, then they should have thought about if they'd have a sufficient income to raise children before, well, deciding to raise children. Why should Arlingtonians pay for everyone else's shortsightedness?
I live in Arlington and (predictably) am against widening I-66.
But to be fair: We all advocate for our own self-interest. Can I honestly say I would not be for widening 66 if I lived outside the Beltway? I mean, I LOVE the Whitehurst Freeway--which a lot of people in DC think is the spawn of Satan.
I've said this before, but the solution that will benefit everyone is to put the new positions/offices outside of DC, in the exurbs, so that those people will not all be driving to Ballston, Clarendon, Tysons, or DC to get to work. We inside-the-Beltway people have enough jobs within easy reach; we really don't need more. (Besides--lest I sound too altruistic here--jobs in the exurbs are a reverse commute for us.)
I live in Arlington and (predictably) am against widening I-66.
But to be fair: We all advocate for our own self-interest. Can I honestly say I would not be for widening 66 if I lived outside the Beltway? I mean, I LOVE the Whitehurst Freeway--which a lot of people in DC think is the spawn of Satan.
I've said this before, but the solution that will benefit everyone is to put the new positions/offices outside of DC, in the exurbs, so that those people will not all be driving to Ballston, Clarendon, Tysons, or DC to get to work. We inside-the-Beltway people have enough jobs within easy reach; we really don't need more. (Besides--lest I sound too altruistic here--jobs in the exurbs are a reverse commute for us.)
I'd actually be inclined to favor job decentralization NOT to the exurbs, but, instead, to standalone smaller- or medium-sized cities in the region. I believe Winchester, for example, is home to a large newer installation for one agency, and that area's infrastructural capacity could certainly accommodate growth better than moving an agency from The District to Fairfax or Reston, both of which are already massively congested. How about Hagerstown? Frederick? Fredericksburg? Culpeper? Why not stick an agency in each of these areas?
I realize someone living in Culpeper, for example, may rue the day GSA or Booz All Hamilton decides to set up shop on their periphery to lower their costs, but growth there could be managed well---not every new development in VA has to be a mess of cul-de-sacs lined with ugly beige tract houses (looking at you, Loudoun County).
I am sooo tired of the fact that lately new roads may be Express Toll or HOT lanes...if I'm one person in a car, MY tax dollars paid for that road just like the people who have two or three people in their car.
Why can't they build a highway, or add more lanes, and let those lanes be used by everyone?
I expect politicians to proposed crappy ideas like HOTs or ETLs, but when ordinary taxpayers get co-opted by that mind set, it's very disheartening.
But on the other hand everyone who pays to be in a HOT or RTL.....frees up my free lane. So go ahead and pay, and my lane will be free enough so I'm almost going as quickly as you are...for free.
I am sooo tired of the fact that lately new roads may be Express Toll or HOT lanes...if I'm one person in a car, MY tax dollars paid for that road just like the people who have two or three people in their car.
Why can't they build a highway, or add more lanes, and let those lanes be used by everyone?
I expect politicians to proposed crappy ideas like HOTs or ETLs, but when ordinary taxpayers get co-opted by that mind set, it's very disheartening.
But on the other hand everyone who pays to be in a HOT or RTL.....frees up my free lane. So go ahead and pay, and my lane will be free enough so I'm almost going as quickly as you are...for free.
There are no money trees. Road building and maintenance costs money. Gas taxes are low. Discouraging begrudging car lovers like me to use public transport is not such a terrible thing. What other choice is there?
As a citizen, I don't LIKE that tolls are being added to every single highway and interstate in the area, but luckily I can get to DC, Arlington, and Alexandria, Tyson's easily enough using local roads.
There are no money trees. Road building and maintenance costs money. Gas taxes are low. Discouraging begrudging car lovers like me to use public transport is not such a terrible thing. What other choice is there?
Discouraging car users to get people to use public transport is the wrong way to go about increasing transit usage. A better way is to improve the experience, such as having passengers pre-pay for buses, spacing the stops out to a quarter mile apart, and running the routes on main roads instead of winding through neighborhoods. That would greatly improve the bus experience and get more riders to use buses. Other things that work is putting protected bike lanes on the outside of the road instead of unprotected bike lanes between travel lanes and parked cars. This makes biking safer and more attractive to casual users.
Exactly & we see that now with merge on 495 headed towards the American legion bridge & on the 95 express lanes at Garrisonville Road in Stafford. Keep in mind these lanes just recently opened, imagine what the backups will look like 10 or even 5 years from now when more people move into the area. The same issue will happen on 66. I understand the need to widen roads at time but it can't be only solution for solving the traffic issues in this area.
The 95 express lanes are incomplete. They will be extended to at least Spotsylvania at some point.
The TR bridge is one of a few chokepoints on 66. Also, DDOT is studying HOT lanes on the 14th street bridge which could make another connection for buses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityRising
This is the NoVA sub-forum, though, where "ME FIRST!!!" is the common sentiment. I learned this when I posted while living here in 2009 and 2010. Nobody makes any decision communally; it is all about promoting one's own self-interest and self-worth without any regard to the negative consequences such decisions may have upon others.
Who cares about diminishing the quality-of-life for those residing in Arlington as long as soccer moms from Loudoun County can shave five minutes off their commutes in their Honda Pilots?
I'm 100% aligned with the Arlington County Board of Supervisors for being opposed to freeway expansion throughout their jurisdiction. If people in the boonies don't like it then they can feel free to move closer to the urban core. If they need more square footage than what's available in Arlington's existing single-family housing stock at their price point, then they should have thought about if they'd have a sufficient income to raise children before, well, deciding to raise children. Why should Arlingtonians pay for everyone else's shortsightedness?
First, everyone is self-interested. This is America. Do you know how many politicians were made out of the 60s and 70s freeway revolts across the nation?
Second, Arlington "streetcar costs too much OMGZ!!!!" has no room to be lecturing others on shortsightedness. People act like Arlingtonians don't benefit from 66 and 395 too. Last time I checked, Arlingtonians don't take route 1 to Potomac Mills or 50 and 7 to Tysons Corner for example. Tons of tourists and business revenue flood into Arlington because of the connections to 66 and 395. Otherwise, we would have higher property taxes and of course people would ***** about that too.
I think we should use "an all of the above" strategy. Obviously, HOT lanes aren't a godsend but I wouldn't support HOT lanes if it didn't mean greatly improved transit for many people. Of course, it takes some political balls to get big things done which the Arlington Board clearly doesn't have. It's always politically convenient to say no to everything - just ask Republicans in Congress.
Discouraging car users to get people to use public transport is the wrong way to go about increasing transit usage. A better way is to improve the experience, such as having passengers pre-pay for buses, spacing the stops out to a quarter mile apart, and running the routes on main roads instead of winding through neighborhoods. That would greatly improve the bus experience and get more riders to use buses. Other things that work is putting protected bike lanes on the outside of the road instead of unprotected bike lanes between travel lanes and parked cars. This makes biking safer and more attractive to casual users.
I agree with this. I have actually declined job interviews after realizing the position would not give me parking--because I refuse to rely on Metrorail. I did use Metrorail for a long time, but the ridiculous overcrowding--by which I mean overcrowding on the level of "There's no hope I will ever get on this train," not the plain old "What body part is that pressing against me?" overcrowding--unexplained and lengthy mid-tunnel stops, insufficient frequency, people blaring their headphones, and general unreliability have made me unwilling to ever rely on it again. This means I have limited myself to considering jobs that are outside of the Metro rail corridor or (very rarely) offer some career advantage to me that would make it worth my while to pay for parking myself, in a garage, or take a brief bus ride.
If we had frequent, reliable trains that didn't break down--like in much of Europe and Asia--then I would reconsider. But I don't think that's achieveable unless WMATA doubles its fare prices.
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