Washington D.C. Metblogs » traffic

Daily DC Item: Not New News, DC Traffic Sucks

Patrick — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:36 +0000

Photo courtesy of Flickr user megandafille

Lots of DCers don’t have cars. I do, and I’ll never go anywhere without one.

I’m probably one of the reasons the traffic is terrible around the Beltway region, and despite a push to go green and rising gas prices, D.C. has the second worst traffic in the nation.

Are you surprised?

The Texas Transportation Institute concludes that despite a small reduction in traffic nationwide, D.C. traffic actually increased compared to last year. L.A. still reigns king in terms of worst traffic, but that still gives us the crown for worst traffic on the East Coast.

The Washington Post article on the topic acknowledges that steps have been taken to address the issue but questions if they are really making a difference. The study concludes that sitting in traffic cost the Washington area almost $2.8 billion in 2007. Ninety million gallons of gas and 133 million hours were spend slowly crawling around The District. Think of how many podcasts I could of listened to in that time.

This is why commute is a big reason why I enjoying living in Clarendon, where I also work. I’d be really nervous if I ever ended up working somewhere where I’d have to touch a highway to get there. Maybe I’ll stick with the Fail Rail Metro if I needed to get somewhere for my daily commute.

More Traffic Woes Hit I-66 This Morning

Patrick — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:31:07 +0000

I was really frustrated yesterday when my evening commute was delayed thanks to gridlock downtown caused by malfunctioning traffic lights.

Looks like those coming into DC from out west will be feeling the same pain. From the Washington Post:

A multi-vehicle accident has closed some lanes of eastbound Interstate 66 this morning between Centreville and Manassas, with rush-hour traffic backing up and a trickle of vehicles squeezing by, officials said.

A staffer at the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Traffic Center said the accident involved five cars and a tractor trailer, between mile markers 48 and 49. Several people were reportedly injured and taken to local hospitals for treatment.

What a first day for biking!

ajw93 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:19:45 +0000

Yesterday I rolled out my new electric bike for a new regimen of (fair-weather) bike commuting, and thoroughly enjoyed it. But, what a day to choose. It turned out that a young cyclist was struck and killed by a garbage truck in a tragic, but textbook, “right-hook” collision. According to the Post, no charges have yet been filed, but the driver and cyclist were both identified in the paper’s coverage. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is having a memorial today, and hopefully the MPD will be following up as well.

D.C. Assistant Police Chief Patrick Burke said that he used to commute to work on his bike along the street where Swanson was killed. With rising gas prices, he said he expects to see more cyclists and pedestrians in the streets.”It’s imperative that drivers are cognizant of this and that we all share the road,” Burke said.

I’m thankful that most of my commute is trail-based – nary a garbage truck in sight.