Get There Archive: Congestion
Six Montgomery County bridges under repair
Drivers should be alert for lane closings as the Maryland State Highway Administration cleans and paints these six bridges: -- I-495 (Capital Beltway) bridge over Kensington Parkway in Kensington -- Route 185 (Connecticut Avenue) bridge over Rock Creek in Kensington -- Route 410 (East-West Highway) bridge over Rock Creek in Chevy Chase -- I-495 (Capital Beltway) bridge over Seven Locks Road in Potomac -- Bridge carrying the southbound I-270 ramp to I-495 inner loop in Bethesda -- Bridge carrying the southbound I-270 ramp to southbound Route 355 (Wisconsin Avenue) in Bethesda. Work already has begun on the I-495 bridge over Kensington Parkway and the Route 410 bridge over Rock Creek, the SHA says. They should be done by mid-November, and the work will shift to the I-495 bridge over Seven Locks Road and the Route 185 bridge over Rock Creek. On the Route 185 and 410 bridges, the SHA will...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 6, 2009; 9:37 AM ET |
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Construction
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Driving
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Maryland State Highway Administration
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Today's read: Montgomery lights back
Leggett wants computer fixed faster: As computer experts wrestled with the balky computer that controls traffic signal timing, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said he planned to expedite a $35 million program to replace the computer system. Begun two years ago, the replacement was planned to take six years. (Ashley Halsey III) The traffic signals didn't go out, they just were giving green for a shorter time than they should during rush hour. But it was a nightmare for commuters. VRE ouster of Amtrak approved: As of July 1, Amtrak is out as operator of the service and Keolis Rail Services America, the U.S. subsidiary of a company based in France, is in. VRE said it selected Keolis because its proposal was the most cost-effective and offered the best customer service plan. (Jennifer Buske) Light rail plan bolstered by study: A change in the transit route proposed for the I-270...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 6, 2009; 7:47 AM ET |
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Congestion
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Driving
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transit
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, Today's Read
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Montgomery County commuters: Share your traffic light issues and advice
As Montgomery County officials try to fix the mess of traffic lights that is causing confusion and chaos for commuters, we're asking for your help. What intersections are creating the biggest back-ups? Have any advice for fellow travelers on side streets or alternate routes that are functioning properly? Extra points if you have a stopwatch and can time the lights that are creating gridlock. Share your advice, observations and notes below or, if you have Twitter, use a #gridlocktip tag in your tweet. (See #gridlocktips on Twitter)....
By
washingtonpost.com editors
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November 5, 2009; 4:14 PM ET |
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Commuting
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Congestion
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Driving
| Tags: Montgomery County
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DC starting big project on Pennsylvania Ave. SE
I told you in a previous posting to get ready for a string of road projects that would affect travel on the eastern side of the District. Today, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced another of them. The $30 million Pennsylvania Avenue Great Streets project will extend from just west of 27th Street SE to Southern Avenue. The work, which includes installation of a median, streetscape, utility upgrades, new curbs and gutters, paving and landscaping, will take about two years. Here's a map of the work zone. Traffic impact Pennsylvania Avenue is a major commuter route into downtown Washington as well as a neighborhood connector, and it has two commercial centers around Branch and Alabama avenues, so the planned daytime construction work is likely to disrupt traffic. Drivers now travel a 30 mph avenue that ranges from a four-lane section between Southern Avenue and Carpenter Street to a five-lane section between...
By
Robert Thomson
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November 5, 2009; 3:04 PM ET |
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Construction
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Driving
| Tags: District Department of Transportation, Dr. Gridlock, Great Streets, Pennsylvania Ave.
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Montgomery County traffic mess may continue
Montgomery County officials said Thursday they are struggling to restore synchronization to 750 traffic signals throughout the county and are bracing for an outage that could last into next week. The computer that regulated the flow of traffic crashed completely about 3 a.m. Wednesday. According to Montgomery County spokeswoman Esther Bowring workers have isolated the location of the problem but have not been able to find a solution. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Department of Transportation officials said crews will begin manually transferring synchronization information to traffic signals along major commuting routes, with the goal of having 100 signals complete by Monday and another 100 by the middle of next week. One official described the problem as being similar to getting a dial tone on your phone but being unable to complete a call. Officials said consultants have been brought in to assist...
By
Washington Post editors
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November 5, 2009; 2:40 PM ET |
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Commuting
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Congestion
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Montgomery commuters should expect delays
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED [SEE BELOW] Montgomery County's system that regulates traffic lights during rush hour is still out of order, and drivers should expect a repeat of the traffic delays that turned both morning and evening rush hour into a traffic nightmare on Wednesday. County technicians worked through the night without finding a solution to the problem with a computerized system that normally changes timing on 750 county traffic lights to accommodate rush hour traffic. Montgomery County officials said they will offer free rides all day Thursday on Ride On buses, to ease the inconvenience for commuters. The system, which county spokeswoman Esther Bowring described yesterday as "unique" in the Washington region, is based on a decades-old computer that sends signals to traffic lights all over the county, telling lights how long to stay green. It also synchronizes them to promote the flow of traffic. That happens automatically,...
By
Ashley Halsey
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November 5, 2009; 5:08 AM ET |
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Commuting
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Congestion
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