I – like so many others – have been waiting for Contracts B and C (from Georgia Ave to I-95) to open.  These are the ones that would make a palatable difference in my daily commute. 

As of Tuesday November 22, Contracts B and C are set to open.  Hallelujah!  The last section, Contracts D and E, are scheduled to continue construction in spring 2012.  Their opening will be determined at a later time.

While I am not at all excited to have to pay for a decent commute, I am very excited that my daily commute could be cut roughly in half from now on.  Here’s to less money in my wallet in exchange for more time back in my day!

Last week, WTOP Radio 103.5 FM announced the results of its most recent WTOP Beltway Poll examining local travel and traffic congestion issues for Washington metropolitan area commuters. The WTOP Beltway Poll, conducted by Heart and Mind Strategies, surveyed area residents across the Washington metropolitan region to measure average daily commuting times and the impact that growing commutes have on worker productivity levels, health and wellness issues, and quality time for area families to spend together.

The WTOP Beltway Poll, conducted by Heart and Mind Strategies, showed that 52 percent of those polled say that DC area traffic congestion is much worse than other major metropolitan areas. Of those polled, 40 percent blame population density as the main cause of traffic congestion, 33 percent blame insufficient infrastructure, and 12 percent blame existing road construction delays.

The WTOP Beltway Poll, conducted by Heart and Mind Strategies, includes these additional findings related to daily commute times for DC area residents:

• Average round trip miles each day:
  • 32% 1-10 miles
  • 34% 11-30 miles
  • 15% 31-50 miles
  • 17% 51+ miles
• Average round trip length of time traveling each day:
  • 32% 1-30 minutes
  • 29% 31 minutes -1 hour
  •  27% 1-2 hours
  • 11% more than 2 hours

WTOP will examine the poll findings more closely during upcoming stories on WTOP and WTOP.com. The WTOP Beltway Poll, conducted by Heart and Mind Strategies, was conducted by phone among 641 adults 18 and older in the WTOP listening area from October 10 -13, 2011. The comprehensive findings of the WTOP Beltway Poll, conducted by Heart and Mind Strategies, can be found online at www.WTOP.com. The margin of error for a sample this size is +/- 3.87 at 95 percent confidence.

The survey is very interesting to say the least and reveals a marked schism in the perception of our driving abilities and knowledge versus our actual driving behavior.  Get this: although 64 percent of drivers surveyed rated their own skills as “excellent” or “very good,” they only gave 29 percent of other drivers the same score. 

So, theoretically, you could say that most drivers think their own safe driving skills, judgment, and driving abilities are twice as good as everyone else’s.  That’s a big schism in perception when you also factor in that 89 percent admit to speeding, and that 40 percent of those surveyed say they’ve driven more than 20 miles per hour over the limit.

But, according to the survey, Americans’ bad driving habits don’t stop at speeding:

• Almost half (45 percent) say they have driven while excessively tired – to the point of almost falling asleep.
• Fifteen percent say they have driven while intoxicated, with men almost four times more likely than women to have done so (23 percent of men versus six percent of women).
• More than one-third (34 percent) have sent a text-message or email while driving, but the prevalence of the practice changes by age group. Those 18-29 years of age are the most likely to text while driving (63 percent) with drivers ages 30-44 not far behind (58 percent). Texting while driving decreases with older age groups; only 25 percent of those 45-54, six percent of those 55-64, and two percent of those over 65 admit to the practice.

Here are some other interesting tidbits: among all drivers surveyed, men are more likely to rate themselves as “excellent” than women (36 percent versus 26 percent), as are college-educated drivers (35 percent) compared to those with no degree (28 percent). Republicans also rate themselves higher (70 percent) than Democrats (61 percent) or Independents (61 percent). 

What’s most telling is that 56 percent of American drivers say they have been involved in an accident, but only 28 percent of them say the accident was their own fault.  

And we wonder why insurance companies just split the difference and back their own drivers’ stories nowadays.  As an aside, if you get into an accident, good luck trying to get the other insurance company to agree that their driver was at fault.  Those waters are murky at best.

Could we do this in Maryland...? Please???

Many people have had mixed reactions to this news.  Some people want the speed limit to stay the same, citing issues such as lessened safety and fuel efficiency as the causes for concern.  Supporters say that upping the speed limit just makes sense because most people already drive 70 mph or higher anyway. 

In the Baltimore-D.C. metro area, I’ve personally noticed that many drivers tend to drive around 70 mph on a regular basis.  Those who drive at 65 mph or lower often attract tailgaters and create traffic jams behind them — particularly those who choose to do this in the left-hand lanes.  Then — you know the drill — aggressive drivers will tend to jockey for position to get around the jam, causing a sticky situation to get even stickier.  

When I was a kid, most people usually didn’t drive that fast.  I think it’s mostly because local car trips just didn’t take as long as they do now — one of the consequences of urban sprawl.  So, to make up time, people just drive faster. 

Many Maryland interstate speed limits are only 55mph.  Now that Virginia has raised its speed limits, do you think there’s any chance that Maryland would consider following suit?

Pedestrians Disobeying No Walk Sign

Something I’ve noticed lately is that many pedestrians don’t obey traffic signs.  I know you’re probably like, “wow, and drivers typically don’t obey them, either!”  But no, seriously, I didn’t really realize how bad pedestrians were with this until recently. 

As children, we were always taught in schools and by parents to obey traffic signals.  You were not to walk into the street without looking both ways first, and you were not to enter a crosswalk until the traffic sign permitted you to.  

But pedestrians these days seem to follow a different creed.  At the intersection of Rockville Pike and Marinelli Road(across from the White Flint Metro station), the pedestrians are irreverent and oblivious to the traffic signs.  Daily, I am prevented from making my right-hand turn onto Rockville Pike when it is my turn because pedestrians cross the road at inappropriate times.  

It almost begs the question: do pedestrians think that traffic signals only apply to drivers?  Do pedestrians feel that drivers should always give them the right of way, regardless of what the signal says?  

Rules of the Road by Dona Sauerburger, provides a simple explanation of the law that pedestrians (and drivers) need to follow in the D.C. metro area.  Basically, it says that pedestrians crossing an intersection on a crosswalk with traffic controls need to yield to drivers when the “don’t walk” or “upraised hand” sign is displayed.  

I don’t have a problem yielding to pedestrians when it’s their turn to cross the road.  But I’m just saying…when it’s my turn to go, can I get some reciprocity?  Fellow drivers/commuters: do you experience this while driving?  Please share your experiences!

Can you imagine not dealing with the hassle of having long waits in traffic congestion to enter a toll highway?  There is another all-electronic toll road collection system currently in place in western Canada, also the first of its kind. 

How is electronic toll collection possible?

This high tech solution entails antennas “reading” the vehicle-mounted E-ZPass transponders and deducting the cost of the trip from the driver’s prepaid account.  If the vehicle doesn’t have a transponder, cameras will take pictures of the vehicle’s license plate and the owner will receive a “Notice of Toll Due” in the mail along with a $3 surcharge.

The first stretch (7.2 miles) of the ICC will now open at 6AM Wednesday February 23.  Until March 7, no tolls or surcharges will be collected.  The remaining two stretches will open later this year and by spring of next year.

New E-ZPass offices are now open in Gaithersburg and Beltsville Maryland (MVA) for those who want to sign up.  Toll prices have also been set, and they will vary depending on what time of day you pass through.  

A word to the wise: you might want to stick to the speed limit as the E-ZPass antenna reads your transponder.  If you zoom past at a higher speed than the posted speed limit, you could end up with a nasty speeding ticket.  Happy driving!

What’s going on?

I don’t have any proof really, but on a hunch, I’d say it’s an effect of The Great Recession.  We already know that cash-strapped states and municipalities have been cutting expenses wherever they can.  The result?  No light on our highways — use your own headlights if you want to see where you’re going! 

Desperate times call for desperate measures

While it’s true that desperate times call for desperate measures, what about traffic safety?  What about being able to have decent visibility on those long stretches of road — especially in cases of emergency?    

I understand that decision-makers are probably doing this to conserve because times are really bad.  But when things get a little better, will someone please turn the lights back on?

Offensive bumper sticker

Thinking about driver aggression, there is something I’ve been really wondering about recently.  Do other people’s bumper stickers, window tchotchkes, and rear mirror hangers make other drivers act aggressively towards each other?  I think it’s a really fair question, given all the factions in modern society. Think about that political bumper sticker on the back of your car that screams your chosen political affiliation.  Think of that religious trinket that you have dangling from your rear view mirror that shouts your devout religiosity (or lack thereof).  Think of that all those stuffed thingamajigs that you’ve got sitting in your rear window that might be objectionable to others.  Think of that rear license plate frame/surround that practically cheers for the undergraduate/graduate school you went to.  

These things can act as conduits of information about the driver that — I submit — may or may not make you a target for aggression by other drivers.  Everybody has a favorite — and a “not-so-favorite.”  At the very least, everybody has an opinion/generalization of people who make any of these associations.  You could be making enemies on the road and not even realize it! 

The reason why I brought this up is not long ago, I was wondering about who I could be personally offending with the stuff I’ve got on/inside my car.  Not many drivers have probably even given this kind of thing much thought when choosing their bumper stickers, et al.  But I thought I’d bring it to your attention for your feedback and thoughts.  Just one of those things that make you go, “hmmmmm.”

Bus Bay

As I contemplated switching lanes to get from behind a bus about to stop during my morning commute, this thought came to me: why is it that buses always slow down the progress of traffic in the far right lane? 

It’s almost like that lane is being held hostage temporarily — you can’t drive behind the bus without being paranoid that it will stop literally at any moment.  

Since bus-only lanes aren’t always feasible, isn’t there a solution that would allow traffic in that lane to flow as freely as the other two lanes?  The answer is yes — a bus bay would be an easy fix to this problem. 

I’ve seen bus bays around the Washington, D.C. – Baltimore area, but why aren’t they used at every bus stop, considering this area is heavily congested with automobile traffic on a daily basis? 

Not having them creates delays for those frustrated drivers who get stuck behind buses at bus stops only to watch the other two lanes whiz on by.  A road rage inducer for sure. 

Just wanted to share a quick thought…what do you think?

O'Malley and Ehrlich Televised Debate 10/11/10

On one hand, you have O’Malley’s plans for light rail.  On the other hand, you have Ehrlich’s bus rapid transit system.  Which one do you think is better for Washington, D.C. metro area commuters? 

As per usual, there are plenty of pros and cons on each side.  Bus rapid transit would involve setting aside bus-only lanes (not sure if this means stealing existing lanes from automobile traffic or not) along portions of existing routes.  The light rail would be built along an existing route and would not create additional traffic. 

Baltimore Sun’s Michael Dresser says Ehrlich’s bus rapid transit system would be a little cheaper to build — estimates are $1.2 billion — as opposed to $1.68 billion for O’Malley’s light rail project.  However, at an estimated $5.9 billion, the annual operating costs for buses quickly turn that positive on its head — light rail would only cost about half of that — an estimated $3.2 million annually.  

Ehrlich — who is not opposed to not building anything at all — says the money is simply not there to build.  Light rail proponents at Maryland Transit Authority disagree, saying that money could be made available soon through President Obama’s long-term transportation bill.  

Developers, proponents of transit-oriented development, the Prince George’s County council, the Montgomery County council, and a host of area businesses like the idea of light rail because it has a permanency that rapid bus transit does not that would make it ideal for becoming hubs of future business activity, creating much-needed jobs in the area.     

There are more pros and cons of both, but I’ll stop right here.  Personally, I’m for O’Malley’s decision to go with light rail.  It would be a shame to waste almost a decade of planning and the $40 million that MTA has already invested into deciding which way to go, only to implement the more expensive of the two — or even worse — nothing at all. 

Do you have an opinion about this one way or another?  Don’t be shy – I’m very interested in learning your thoughts.