DDOT's latest plan to destroy traffic, Georgia Avenue edition

[Anonymous]

It is proposing to reduce Georgia Avenue to single lane in each direction because they want to make the other lanes bus-only.

In the understatement of the year, DDOT says "current peak traffic volumes cannot be accommodated by a single lane of traffic" and "there will be increased travel times."

The obvious problems here are:

1. Georgia Avenue will become gridlocked, always

2. Very few people ride the bus, and this isn't going to change that.

3. If you live within a half mile of Georgia Avenue in either direction, you can expect an enormous increase in traffic on your street as tens of thousands of drivers cut through side streets to avoid Georgia Avenue.

4. The city says this is needed to reduce speeding. It's worth nothing that a grand total of 9 people in Washington DC were killed by speeding drivers in 2022, the latest year from the police statistics.

https://buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/georgiaavenw

[Anonymous]

1. Georgia Avenue will become gridlocked, always

- Georgia Ave has been increasingly gridlocked since the removal of the streetcar system in DC. Eventually there is a limit to what the road can handle and we are very close to it already. This means that at some point there will need to be an alternative which brings me to…

2. Very few people ride the bus, and this isn't going to change that.

- many people ride the bus already and you don’t care about them at all so why should they care about you? If you want to sit in traffic then go ahead. Other people will choose to ride the bus.

3. If you live within a half mile of Georgia Avenue in either direction, you can expect an enormous increase in traffic on your street as tens of thousands of drivers cut through side streets to avoid Georgia Avenue.

- Good point. We should increase red zones and limit access to those side streets during key hours.

4. The city says this is needed to reduce speeding. It's worth nothing that a grand total of 9 people in Washington DC were killed by speeding drivers in 2022, the latest year from the police statistics.

- 9 people that should not have died. You seem ok with the loss of life. I’m sure that you assume it’s someone else so not your problem? But why should we make policy based on such a cold and heartless thought process?

https://buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/georgiaavenw

[Anonymous]

I stopped riding the bus when a teenager punched a woman in her 60s in the face and no one gave a shit. The bus is unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Georgia Avenue will become gridlocked, always

- Georgia Ave has been increasingly gridlocked since the removal of the streetcar system in DC. Eventually there is a limit to what the road can handle and we are very close to it already. This means that at some point there will need to be an alternative which brings me to…

2. Very few people ride the bus, and this isn't going to change that.

- many people ride the bus already and you don’t care about them at all so why should they care about you? If you want to sit in traffic then go ahead. Other people will choose to ride the bus.

3. If you live within a half mile of Georgia Avenue in either direction, you can expect an enormous increase in traffic on your street as tens of thousands of drivers cut through side streets to avoid Georgia Avenue.

- Good point. We should increase red zones and limit access to those side streets during key hours.

4. The city says this is needed to reduce speeding. It's worth nothing that a grand total of 9 people in Washington DC were killed by speeding drivers in 2022, the latest year from the police statistics.

- 9 people that should not have died. You seem ok with the loss of life. I’m sure that you assume it’s someone else so not your problem? But why should we make policy based on such a cold and heartless thought process?

https://buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/georgiaavenw

It sounds like the plan is to make driving so miserable that even the bus sounds like a good option. This tracks with the MOCO attainable housing plan to make every neighborhood equally miserable so as to bring down average housing costs (property values) in nice neighborhoods while still raising housing costs in neighborhoods that are currently affordable.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I would actually ride a bike more to get to places. Cars suck. The only reason I don't ride is because major roads are so, sooooo dangerous. People go 80 mph on 35 mph roads. There are tons of stupid drivers. They should make one lane roads everywhere and have bike lanes and bus lanes taking up the rest. People would stop being fat too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Georgia Avenue will become gridlocked, always

- Georgia Ave has been increasingly gridlocked since the removal of the streetcar system in DC. Eventually there is a limit to what the road can handle and we are very close to it already. This means that at some point there will need to be an alternative which brings me to…

2. Very few people ride the bus, and this isn't going to change that.

- many people ride the bus already and you don’t care about them at all so why should they care about you? If you want to sit in traffic then go ahead. Other people will choose to ride the bus.

3. If you live within a half mile of Georgia Avenue in either direction, you can expect an enormous increase in traffic on your street as tens of thousands of drivers cut through side streets to avoid Georgia Avenue.

- Good point. We should increase red zones and limit access to those side streets during key hours.

4. The city says this is needed to reduce speeding. It's worth nothing that a grand total of 9 people in Washington DC were killed by speeding drivers in 2022, the latest year from the police statistics.

- 9 people that should not have died. You seem ok with the loss of life. I’m sure that you assume it’s someone else so not your problem? But why should we make policy based on such a cold and heartless thought process?

https://buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/georgiaavenw

Here's the number of deaths each year in DC caused by speeding drivers (per the police). Please point out when the many, many, many traffic calming measures the city has implemented started reducing traffic deaths.

2022: 9
2021: 12
2020: 15
2019: 10
2018: 9
2017: 9
2016: 8
2015: 11
2014: 12
2013: 11
2012: 5
2011: 15
2010: 8

[Anonymous]

Love it; bring it to more of the major streets. Thanks DDOT!

[Anonymous]

Destroying traffic is a great idea. Who wants to sit in traffic? I certainly don't. More bus lanes, please!

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad this is happening! These redesigns usually figure out a way to limit left turns (or create lanes for them) that make the remaining traffic lane move better than it did before. DC will also need to pay attention to double parkers. But do you drive on Georgia now? It is absolutely a game of super dangerous lane-changing frogger - even for me, a quite cautious driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love it; bring it to more of the major streets. Thanks DDOT!

Seems like this makes the streets more dangerous, not less.

Drivers aren't going to sit in traffic, and they're not going to switch to the bus. This will just shift traffic onto all the smaller streets around Georgia Avenue. How is that better?

Seems like it's better to focus traffic on big roads where everyone expects there to be lots of cars. I would be pissed if I lived in a neighborhood near Georgia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so glad this is happening! These redesigns usually figure out a way to limit left turns (or create lanes for them) that make the remaining traffic lane move better than it did before. DC will also need to pay attention to double parkers. But do you drive on Georgia now? It is absolutely a game of super dangerous lane-changing frogger - even for me, a quite cautious driver.

It's not actually dangerous if you look at the stats, and it's certainly safer than sending thousands of cars down tertiary streets.

[Anonymous]

This is part of DDOT's campaign to create special, dedicated lanes for unpopular modes of transportation. Next up: a dedicated lane for pogo stick enthusiasts.

[Anonymous]

I ride the Georgia Ave bus (70/79). They’re often packed to the gills. Where are your stats that no one is riding this bus?

I also drive on Georgia. In my opinion the gridlock is because (1) the lights are very poorly timed/out of sync and (2) cars are always double parked in the right lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ride the Georgia Ave bus (70/79). They’re often packed to the gills. Where are your stats that no one is riding this bus?

I also drive on Georgia. In my opinion the gridlock is because (1) the lights are very poorly timed/out of sync and (2) cars are always double parked in the right lane.

There's fewer people on buses today than there were 25 years ago. I used to ride the bus. The problem with the bus isn't traffic. It's that there are bus stops every nine feet. It's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love it; bring it to more of the major streets. Thanks DDOT!

Seems like this makes the streets more dangerous, not less.

Drivers aren't going to sit in traffic, and they're not going to switch to the bus. This will just shift traffic onto all the smaller streets around Georgia Avenue. How is that better?

Seems like it's better to focus traffic on big roads where everyone expects there to be lots of cars. I would be pissed if I lived in a neighborhood near Georgia.

Waze will redirect everyone around Georgia.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/24/nyregion/traffic-apps-gps-neighborhoods.html