Get There Archive: Commuting
D.C. transportation chief's chat is illuminating
Entrepreneur-turned-District transportation czar Gabe Klein opined on everything from bike sharing to streetcars during an hour-long online chat Friday, the first in a monthly series of chats he plans on transportation topics. Klein took questions and requests from the public for more than an hour. Some people wanted more tree boxes on public sidewalks; others complained about unrepaired utility cuts; another asked when streetscape improvements to Pennsylvania Avenue SE would start (within the next month). It's clear that Klein has a host of innovative projects on his plate to enhance biking, parking and walking and to get traffic moving faster in the city. Funding and bureaucracy could slow some big projects, like the ambitious network of eight streetcar lines the Fenty administration envisions covering 37 miles along K Street through downtown, H Street and Benning Road, Georgia Avenue/14th Street/Seventh Street, and Rhode Island Avenue/U Street. For a text of...
By
Gene Fynes
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November 20, 2009; 3:02 PM ET |
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Categories:
Biking
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Commuting
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Congestion
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Construction
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Driving
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Transportation Politics
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transit
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Your Traffic and Transit Nightmares
I recently asked my readers in my new Taken for a Ride forum to share their worst commuting nightmares. Now I want video proof. Watch my call to action below and submit footage of your own personal commuting hell. Remember: safety first, don't shoot and drive! $(function () { var ytd = new Ytd(); ytd.setAssignmentId("6"); ytd.setCallToAction("callToActionId"); var containerWidth = 350; var containerHeight = 550; ytd.setYtdContainer("ytdContainer", containerWidth, containerHeight); ytd.ready(); });...
By
washingtonpost.com editors
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November 16, 2009; 11:31 AM ET |
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Categories:
Commuting
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Driving
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Weather
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transit
| Tags: Robert Thomson, YouTube, user video
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Inner loop lane closures again this morning
Update, 9:28 a.m.: Traffic cameras along northbound I-495 at Braddock Road and Route 50 continue to show delays. Update, 7:40 a.m.: Traffic cameras show that the traffic on 495 North -- at 66 and leading up to it; at Route 50 and leading up to it -- is abysmal and barely moving. Original post, 6:35 a.m.:: Beltway commuters traveling through Northern Virginia, a reminder: I-495 North at Arlington Blvd. will still see delays stemming from the water main break yesterday morning. Repairs are continuing into this morning's rush and VDOT officials warned against using the inner loop in that area. Two lanes are closed: the north right center lane and right outside lane. Road Essentials: Incident Map | Traffic Cams | Key Routes...
By
Mark Berman
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November 13, 2009; 6:35 AM ET |
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Commuting
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Tips for travelers on their way home
It just keeps raining. Your drive, or transit ride or walk this evening will be nasty. See the list of problems below. Advice John B. Townsend II at AAA Mid-Atlantic has some good advice: "Motorists should slow down and increase their following distance. When rain falls at this pace, motorists in our area tend to drive too fast or slow down too much." These are some basic rules for the wet road: -- When driving on pothole-filled roads, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control. Just a few of inches of water can turn your vehicle into a boat. -- Slow down and increase following distances. Visibility is reduced and braking distances increase in the rain. On dry pavement, a safe following distance permits 2 to 3 seconds for stopping; that should be increased to 8 seconds on slippery roads. -- Train your eyes farther down the road...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 12, 2009; 4:19 PM ET |
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Categories:
Commuting
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Weather
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, tips for travelers
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Update on Anacostia streetcar construction
Construction continues on the first of the new D.C. streetcar lines, the one in Anacostia scheduled to open late in 2012. Travelers are well aware that traffic through the intersection at South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue was reduced to one lane in each direction for the first phase of construction, but the District Department of Transportation sent out an advisory about new restrictions in effect this week. Traffic from the Naval Annex on Defense Boulevard can't turn right onto southbound South Capitol Street from Defense Boulevard. All outbound traffic from the Naval Annex to southbound South Capitol Street is being directed to this half-mile detour: Go through the intersection on Firth Sterling, turn Left on Barry Road, then right on Firth Sterling, then left to go south on South Capitol Street. This phase of construction should be done by about Nov. 21, DDOT says. But additional work will...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 11, 2009; 11:01 AM ET |
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Categories:
Commuting
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Construction
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Driving
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transit
| Tags: DDOT, Dr. Gridlock, streetcars
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Another road project on DC's eastern side
Combining necessity with the good luck of available federal money, the District continues to add road construction projects that will affect travel on the eastern side of the city. You know about the New York Avenue projects and the Pennsylvania Avenue SE reconstruction. Now comes the rebuilding of the Eastern Avenue bridge over Kenilworth Avenue (295). Work is scheduled to begin late this month. The old bridge will not be demolished until late December or early next year. Replacement will take about a year. The District Department of Transportation says that drivers will find two lanes open at all times, but that may include using the service roads for additional lane space. That will definitely be the case during construction of the bridge piers. Drivers approaching Kenilworth should watch for information about lane closings on electronic message boards in the District and Maryland. The other big project on Kenilworth, the...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 11, 2009; 10:27 AM ET |
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Categories:
Commuting
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Congestion
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Construction
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Driving
| Tags: 295, DDOT, Dr. Gridlock, Eastern Avenue Bridge, Kenilworth Avenue
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