Get There - The D.C. area traffic and transportation blog - April 25, 2010

Headaches on the horizon

Here are the traffic and transit delays that you are likely to face Friday night into early Saturday.

By Robert Thomson | April 30, 2010; 6:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, HOT lanes traffic information
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Cancellation, delays on Manassas line

A Virginia Railway Express train scheduled to depart Union Station at 6:10 this evening has been cancelled, and other riders on the Manassas line can expect delays of 15 to 20 minutes. The cause is track work on the Norfolk Southern Railway System....

By Luke Rosiak | April 30, 2010; 4:06 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Virginia Railway Express
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McDonnell okays transportation bonds

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) announced today that he has approved borrowing nearly $500 million for statewide road and transportation projects that were part of a once-heralded 2007 package. McDonnell also directed the Department of Transportation to sell $293 million worth of bonds in fiscal year 2011 and another $300 million in each fiscal year from 2012 through 2016. The money will help fund projects across the state including two in Northern Virginia -- the Route 29 Gainesville Interchange on I-66 and the Dulles Metrorail project. "In these difficult economic times and with our mounting transportation needs in the Commonwealth, it is important to use every tool available to maximize funding options for our roads, bridges, rails, and public transportation,'' McDonnell said in a statement. The General Assembly passed the landmark transportation package in 2007 to pump $1.1 billion annually into transportation throughout Virginia with an emphasis on the state's two...

By Washington Post Editors | April 30, 2010; 1:26 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Construction , Metro , Silver Line , Transportation Politics , highways | Tags: bob mcdonnell, mcdonnell approves transportation bonds, virginia bond issue, virginia transportation bonds
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2-bus collision leaves driver trapped

UPDATE 4p.m.: A spokesman for the fire department says a tour bus collided head-on with a second bus that was parked or stationary. Both drivers were severely injured. The pinned driver was extricated after 45 minutes and flown by helicopter to the hospital. A fireboat was also on hand. It appears that no passengers were on the buses. ORIGINAL POST: DC Fire officials say that two buses collided on Ohio Drive SW near the Tidal Basin and the mall shortly before 11a.m., leaving both drivers injured and at least one driver of the flat-nosed buses pinned by his legs, the Post's Theola Labbe'-DeBose reports. The passengers were apparently able to exit on their own, but officials requested a helicopter, which would land on one of the baseball fields near the Washington Monument, for the drivers. Be prepared for delays in the area....

By Luke Rosiak | April 30, 2010; 11:24 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)

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The weekend and beyond

The weekend will be hot and humid with a chance of thunderstorms, according to the Capital Weather Gang's getting around forecast. If you're getting around by road, rail or trail, there's no single big event to block your way, but there are scattered delays and detours to be wary of.

By Robert Thomson | April 30, 2010; 8:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Advisories , Congestion , Construction , Driving , Events , Metro , Weekend Work , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, The weekend and beyond
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Major Green Line delays

A roundup of the morning traffic woes.

By Mark Berman | April 30, 2010; 5:55 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion , Metro | Tags: metro green line, metro green line delays, metrorail delays
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Headaches on the horizon

Several overnight closings are planned for various points on the Capital Beltway. On Metro, there are late-night delays on most lines.

By Robert Thomson | April 29, 2010; 7:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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Pedestrian struck, slowing Route 1

A pedestrian was struck near the intersection of Route 1 and Cherry Hill Road this afternoon, snarling traffic on the arteries in College Park just ahead of the evening commute, a fire official confirmed.

By Luke Rosiak | April 29, 2010; 5:07 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Commuting , Congestion , Driving | Tags: Pedestrian, Traffic
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HOV lane schedules to change

The weekday schedule for HOV lanes on Interstate 95/395 in Virginia will be modified for the next six months to help ease construction-related delays, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.

By Washington Post Editors | April 29, 2010; 4:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Driving , highways | Tags: Fairfax County Parkway, HOV lanes, HOV schedule change, Interstate 95 in Virginia, Virginia
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Md. residents died in Ky. crash

The National Transportation Safety Board says a twin-engine airplane that crashed Tuesday in a national forest near Hazard, Ky., killing both occupants, reported problems before it went down.

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 1:52 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Airports
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JetBlue coming to National Airport

JetBlue Airways said Wednesday it will launch nonstop service from Washington's Reagan National Airport to Boston, Fort. Lauderdale and Orlando, beginning Nov. 1.

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 1:24 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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Metro juggles regional interests

Metro probably will keep its night-owl rail service on weekends, its bus-rail transfer discounts and its current charge for daily parking. Metrorail riders probably will pay a surcharge to ride at the height of rush hour and those night owls will pay peak fares. All riders are likely to pay more to ride Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess.

By Robert Thomson | April 29, 2010; 12:20 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Metro , Transportation Politics , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, MetroAccess, Metrobus, Metrorail
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NY transit to lay off hundreds

The agency that operates New York City's subways and buses will lay off hundreds of bus drivers and subway workers by July 4.

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 9:52 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Advisories , Metro
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Sharing the Road?

Traffic-choked streets are a part of daily life in the Washington region. In recent years, bicycles have become an ever-more present part of life on those streets too, as more adults turn to bikes for transportation, fitness and pleasure. How well are cyclists and drivers sharing the road? Send us your thoughts and observations. E-mail transportation@washpost.com.

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 9:21 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Biking , Commuting
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Delays on Metro's Blue Line

A train malfunction at the Benning Road Station is causing delays on the Blue Line. Trains between Addison Road and Stadium-Armory stations are sharing one track. Expect delays in both directions.

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 9:14 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Metro
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Skipjack to cruise at National Harbor

A skipjack (a sailboat designed to dredge for oysters) owned by the city of Baltimore will run cruises and private charters at National Harbor in Prince George's County this summer.

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 9:04 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Q&A on the new tarmac rules

Starting Thursday, U.S. airlines will have to let passengers off grounded airplanes after three hours or face potentially huge fines. But depending on the airport, and the decisions made by pilots, passengers will have different experiences with the rule

By Michael Bolden | April 29, 2010; 8:38 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Metro considers fare hikes

The transit authority staff, anxious about the long time it will take to implement changes, is asking Metro Board members on Thursday to review a specific set of proposals for increasing fares and fees and cutting service.

By Robert Thomson | April 29, 2010; 8:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Metro , Transportation Politics , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, MetroAccess, Metrobus, Metrorail
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I-66 jammed at Beltway

A roundup of the morning traffic woes.

By Mark Berman | April 29, 2010; 5:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion | Tags: beltway traffic, metro delays, metrorail
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Headaches on the horizon

Some late night road and transit work may slow your travels Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

By Robert Thomson | April 28, 2010; 7:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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Columbia Rd. @ Conn. Ave blocked

The District Department of Transportation says that a large tree on private property along Columbia Road NW has toppled, completely blocking passage on the road near its intersection with Connecticut Avenue.

By Michael Bolden | April 28, 2010; 4:41 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Commuting , Congestion | Tags: District Department of Transportation
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Rules signal relief for air passengers

The nation's top transportation official is promising tough enforcement of a new rulea> that goes into effect Thursday limiting to three hours the amount of time airlines can keep passengers waiting in planes on tarmacs.

By Michael Bolden | April 28, 2010; 3:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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Crash may snarl traffic on SE/SW Fwy.

A multiple-car accident on the Southeast-Southwest Freeway is causing delays for the afternoon commute. The accident occurred in the westbound lanes and several people are injured.

By Michael Bolden | April 28, 2010; 1:02 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Dodging highway work zones

Dear Dr. Gridlock: We live near the Wilson Bridge and have to drive to Dulles Airport. Would we better off to drive via Arlington and Interstate 66 to the Dulles Toll Road and not take the western side of the Beltway and all that construction?

By Robert Thomson | April 28, 2010; 12:35 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Airports , Congestion , Construction , Driving , Dulles , Wilson Bridge | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Dulles Metrorail, HOT lanes
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Bomb threat diverts Dulles plane

The Greensboro News & Record (North Carolina) is reporting that a Continental Airlines plane bound for Dulles from Houston was diverted to the Piedmont Triad International Airport about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.

By Michael Bolden | April 28, 2010; 12:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories
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2 people die in crash of Md. plane

A federal spokeswoman says two people on board a plane traveling from Maryland to Mississippi were killed when the aircraft went down in eastern Kentucky.

By Michael Bolden | April 28, 2010; 11:09 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories
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Speed restrictions on 3 Metro lines

Metro riders on the Green, Yellow and Bue lines should expect delays Wednesday because of problems on the tracks.

By Michael Bolden | April 28, 2010; 10:21 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Metro
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Bridge benefits all, D.C. says

I invite your comments on the District Department of Transportation's response to my Sunday column, which featured a letter from a D.C. resident concerned about the impact that the 11th Street Bridge project will have on traffic in city neighborhoods.

By Robert Thomson | April 28, 2010; 9:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Commuting , Construction , Driving , transit | Tags: 11th Street Bridge, Dr. Gridlock
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Metro delays finally lifted

A roundup of the morning traffic woes.

By Mark Berman | April 28, 2010; 5:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Airports , Commuting , Congestion | Tags: Beltway, beltway traffic, metrorail, metrorail delays
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Headaches on the horizon

These nighttime projects could slow your progress this week.

By Robert Thomson | April 27, 2010; 7:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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Rte. 197 reopens after severe crash

Route 197 in Prince George's County is closed between Route 450 and Old Chapel Road after a five-vehicle crash in the area left as many as 10 people with injuries, police and fire officials said.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 5:55 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Utility lines fall on school bus

About 40 Hyattsville Middle School students will be delayed getting home after their bus ran into some low hanging power lines, a fire department spokesman said. The incident happened at about 3 p.m. on Guilford Road in College Park, said Mark Brady, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department. Neither the bus driver nor any of the students on board were injured, he said.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 4:49 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Chain Bridge closing for weekend

Chain Bridge is scheduled to be completely closed for the entire weekend. This is another in a series of weekend closings to prepare for the reopening of the span, which has been under rehabilitation since June and is scheduled to reopen May 31. -- The traffic cameras on both sides of the Potomac River have been out of action from time to time and this limits the ability of drivers to plan their crossings, or at least steel themselves for the experience.

By Robert Thomson | April 27, 2010; 3:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Commuting , Congestion , Construction , Driving | Tags: Chain Bridge, Dr. Gridlock
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Drivers who fight tickets mostly succeed

Almost 60 percent of drivers who went to court last year after being ticketed for moving violations in the District had their cases dismissed, according to an analysis by the American Automobile Association. The AAA found that an even higher percentage -- almost 8 in 10 -- of contested photo red light citations were dismissed. Each year, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles collects payments for more than 2.4 million tickets, the AAA data showed. "Although only a fraction of ticketed motorists even bother to contest or appeal their tickets, it stands to reason that those who decide to appear before a District ticket adjudicator or to contest the ticket in writing have a far better chance of winning their cases than those who don't," said AAA spokesman John B. Townsend II. -- Ashley Halsey III...

By Washington Post Editors | April 27, 2010; 2:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Driving
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A chance to tour D.C.'s streetcars

The public will be able to step inside one of the District's new streetcars next week during a four-day preview of the much-talked-about revival scheduled for service in 2012. The District Department of Transportation will bring one of three cars it is storing in Metro's rail yard in Greenbelt downtown for viewing starting Wednesday, May 5, at the site of the old convention center at Ninth and H streets NW.The car will be set on temporary tracks in Lot B of CityCenter DC.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 2:54 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Construction , transit
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Bay Bridge progress report

The steel plates that seem to have become a permanent part of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge roadway will be removed from the westbound lanes before Memorial Day weekend, says the Maryland Transportation Authority, which is in charge of the bridge rehabilitation project.

By Robert Thomson | April 27, 2010; 2:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Commuting , Construction , Driving , Safety | Tags: Bay Bridge, Dr. Gridlock
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Transit workers rally for funding

Thousands of transit workers from across the country rallied on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to call for greater and more flexible federal funding for the nation's ailing public transport systems.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 2:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Metro , Stadium , Transportation Politics
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Southwest fined for bumping

Southwest Airlines has been fined $200,000 for violating rules on bumping passengers from oversold flights. The Transportation Department said Tuesday that it reviewed passenger complaints and found many cases of improper bumping.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 2:04 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories
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Jordin Sparks in distracted driving fight

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood enlisted star power in his crusade against distracted driving Tuesday, bringing along American Idol winner Jordin Sparks in an appeal tailored to teenage drivers.

By Washington Post Editors | April 27, 2010; 2:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Commuting , Driving , Safety
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South Capitol St. lane blocked

A disabled vehicle is blocking the left lane of South Capitol Street southbound before the Frederick Douglass Bridge. Expect delays in the area.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 1:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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Southwest extends BWI-to-LAX service

Southwest Airlines announced this morning that it will extend nonstop BWI-LAX service through at least Oct. 30.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 12:12 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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Will bridge gum up D.C. traffic?

In my Sunday column, I published a letter from D.C. resident Christopher Herman critical of the reconstruction plan for the 11th Street Bridge, the biggest road project that the District Department of Transportation has undertaken. I'll continue that conversation this week, including a response from the District. Here's a letter from another city resident also concerned about the impact of commuter traffic on D.C. neighborhoods.

By Robert Thomson | April 27, 2010; 9:35 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Commuting , Congestion , Construction , Driving , highways | Tags: 11th Street Bridge construction, Dr. Gridlock
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Transit workers rally on Hill

According to a joint statement from the Amalgamated Transit Union and the Transport Workers Union of America, transit workers from across the country will rally on Capitol Hill Tuesday to protest proposed service cuts at Metro and at other agencies across the country.

By Michael Bolden | April 27, 2010; 8:59 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Advisories , Transportation Politics
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395 slow heading north

A roundup of the morning traffic headaches.

By Mark Berman | April 27, 2010; 6:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting | Tags: I-395 North, I-66 east, morning traffic
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Headaches on the horizon

Here are some of the road and rail projects that could slow your travels Monday night into Tuesday.

By Robert Thomson | April 26, 2010; 7:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Headaches on the horizon
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Lanes reopen on SE/SW Freeway

An accident on the Southeast/Southwest Freeway near Sixth Street SW is predicted to cause substantial delays during the p.m. commute, according to D.C. Fire/EMS officials. The accident, which involves a trailer carrying a boat, has caused the closure of two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane.

By Michael Bolden | April 26, 2010; 4:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting
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An emergency landing at DCA

A US Airways flight from Boston made an emergency landing at Reagan National Airport Monday after encountering minor mechanical problems, aviation officials said.

By Michael Bolden | April 26, 2010; 3:51 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports
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WiFi on Acela trains & in stations

Amtrak says free wireless Internet service is now available aboard Acela Express trains and in some stations in the Northeast. Amtrak announced in January that the service, called AmtrakConnect, was coming.

By Michael Bolden | April 26, 2010; 2:06 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Is drinking and biking ever okay?

The D.C. Court of Appeals last week affirmed that the city's 1925 driving statute prohibits not only drunken driving, but also drunken bicycling.

By Michael Bolden | April 26, 2010; 12:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Biking , Transportation Politics
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Less may be more on Red Line

Many Red Line riders look at Metro's plan to lengthen the gap between trains and say, When can you start? That's because Metro's cutback plan sounds better to them than what they commonly experience now.

By Robert Thomson | April 26, 2010; 11:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Metro | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Metrorail, Red Line
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Delays easing on SE/SW Freeway

According to D.C. Fire/EMS officials a trash truck that caught fire on I-395 near South Capitol Street is under control, but emergency crews are evaluationg a police officer at the scene who was struck by a car. Officials described the injures as non-life-threatening.

By Michael Bolden | April 26, 2010; 10:22 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion
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FAA seeks limits on air distractions

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the FAA will release guidance today "that asks the airlines to address distraction through crew training programs. it also asks that airlines create a safety culture to control cockpit distractions."

By Michael Bolden | April 26, 2010; 9:12 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Airports , Transportation Politics
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The week ahead for traffic, transit

The transportation construction season has really cranked up. There are paving projects across the D.C. region, as well as work on the big projects, especially in the Tysons Corner area. The showers in the Capital Weather Gang's forecast could throw off some of the work early this week, but here are some highlights of what's out there.

By Robert Thomson | April 26, 2010; 8:40 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Advisories , Commuting , Congestion , Construction , Driving , Metro , transit | Tags: Dr. Gridlock, The week ahead
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Traffic stalled at 14th St Bridge

A roundup of the morning rush hour.

By Mark Berman | April 26, 2010; 5:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Advisories , Congestion , Construction | Tags: I-395, I-95, Metro
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Network News

Get There: April 25, 2010 - May 1, 2010