ending reversible lanes along Rock Creek Parkway

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they do this, they really should explore: (1) making the light and left turn signal at Virginia Ave much, much longer, including possibly allowing both lanes to make the left turn, and (2) putting in a traffic light at that choke point after the tunnel where cars have to make the left turn.

This would create many more problems and pollution in the park. Horrible idea.

How would it create more pollution? Having a long line of cars inching up gradually while waiting to make that left turn seems to generate tons of pollution already.

You will add to the long line from the south, so double the idling cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What could possibly be safer than one-way traffic? Sounds like BS to me. More from the anti-car lobby.

It is an environmental issue. Remember, it is called Rock Creek Park for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they do this, they really should explore: (1) making the light and left turn signal at Virginia Ave much, much longer, including possibly allowing both lanes to make the left turn, and (2) putting in a traffic light at that choke point after the tunnel where cars have to make the left turn.

This would create many more problems and pollution in the park. Horrible idea.

How would it create more pollution? Having a long line of cars inching up gradually while waiting to make that left turn seems to generate tons of pollution already.

I think they're talking about the AM rush when cars turning left into VA Ave just use the north oubd lanes and turn left without stopping.

I love the statistic that more crashes happen during the hours that the lanes are reversed ignoring the fact that thats also the time with the most volume and people travelling fastest because it's rush hour.
Don't be surprised when DC council members start suggesting adding a protected bike lane for the 500 bike commuters displacing a portion of the 7500 cars.

Hyperbole is everything.

It is federal property. The DC Council has zero purview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The better idea would be to install discrete automatic tolling equipment on RCP which both would discourage the traffic somewhat and provide an important revenue stream for NPS in the National Capital Region. Right now the Park Police and NPS are charged with managing a commuter road, not exactly in their mission, while RCP needs repair, graffiti has proliferated, basic maintenance appears to have stalled, and the park has become a dump in places.

Our federal tax dollars support the park. Adding tolling would be a double whammy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the danger associated with them. But as someone who commutes on that road every morning and afternoon I honestly would have to quit my job and find a new one if they got rid of one way traffic. My morning commute could still be somewhat okay. My afternoon commute would be horrible. That road would be backed up so far it would just be ridiculous.

I always thought they were less helpful in the afternoon because the backup to make the right turn where Calvert Street branches off to the left is horrific, and one way traffic doesn't do anything to help there.

DP but a lot of people head left at that intersection. They would otherwise be adding to the traffic.

I hope they keep the one-way traffic… hopefully they could find ways to improve or automate the closures instead of just ditching the system entirely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The better idea would be to install discrete automatic tolling equipment on RCP which both would discourage the traffic somewhat and provide an important revenue stream for NPS in the National Capital Region. Right now the Park Police and NPS are charged with managing a commuter road, not exactly in their mission, while RCP needs repair, graffiti has proliferated, basic maintenance appears to have stalled, and the park has become a dump in places.

Our federal tax dollars support the park. Adding tolling would be a double whammy.

Most national parks charge a hefty fee to enter.

[Anonymous]

It would create massive gridlock on Connecticut Ave (which DDOT wants to narrow effectively) and other already-crowded major streets. Waze-crazed drivers will frantically seek cut-through routes on narrow neighborhood streets, worsening safety for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The better idea would be to install discrete automatic tolling equipment on RCP which both would discourage the traffic somewhat and provide an important revenue stream for NPS in the National Capital Region. Right now the Park Police and NPS are charged with managing a commuter road, not exactly in their mission, while RCP needs repair, graffiti has proliferated, basic maintenance appears to have stalled, and the park has become a dump in places.

Our federal tax dollars support the park. Adding tolling would be a double whammy.

Most national parks charge a hefty fee to enter.

No they don't and that's what an annual pass is for.

NPS barely does any maintenance or upkeep around here. That's why the Tidal Basin and National Mall have needed GoFundMe's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The better idea would be to install discrete automatic tolling equipment on RCP which both would discourage the traffic somewhat and provide an important revenue stream for NPS in the National Capital Region. Right now the Park Police and NPS are charged with managing a commuter road, not exactly in their mission, while RCP needs repair, graffiti has proliferated, basic maintenance appears to have stalled, and the park has become a dump in places.

Our federal tax dollars support the park. Adding tolling would be a double whammy.

Most national parks charge a hefty fee to enter.

No they don't and that's what an annual pass is for.

NPS barely does any maintenance or upkeep around here. That's why the Tidal Basin and National Mall have needed GoFundMe's.

To be fair to the NPS, they have been starved of funding and are down in staffing over the last 10 years. Something has to give.

[Anonymous]

As someone who commutes by RCP most days, getting rid of the one way's would back up morning traffic going south from VA Avenue all the way back past the P Street exit, and going north in the afternoon from VA Avenue all the way back past the Lincoln Memorial. It would be terrible, and as an above poster says, I would probably be one of the drivers who follows Waze through neighborhoods streets to save time.

[Anonymous]

This is the problem with DC: they want workers back in the office but commuting here is a nightmare. They should be exploring ways to ease the commute, not make it worse. If anything, the one way needs to probably have the time periods expanded because the commutes here don't end at 9:15. A 10:00 end time is more realistic. Same thing in the evening -- 7:00 would be better.

Also, they need to do better traffic management on alternate roads like 16th Street -- e.g., allowing street parking on 16th Street is dumb. It's all residential, and if people want to park, they can do it on side streets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've only ever been hit when traffic is two ways. No thanks!

Yes, your personal experience is the only thing that matters. No worries about the statistics which indicate a completely different circumstance empirically!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've only ever been hit when traffic is two ways. No thanks!

Yes, your personal experience is the only thing that matters. No worries about the statistics which indicate a completely different circumstance empirically!

DP. The stats support one way streets being safer. Its just fewer points of conflict and reduced kinetic energy in crashes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they do this, they really should explore: (1) making the light and left turn signal at Virginia Ave much, much longer, including possibly allowing both lanes to make the left turn, and (2) putting in a traffic light at that choke point after the tunnel where cars have to make the left turn.

This would create many more problems and pollution in the park. Horrible idea.

How would it create more pollution? Having a long line of cars inching up gradually while waiting to make that left turn seems to generate tons of pollution already.

It wouldn't help anything. There's nothing wrong with that intersection except for people new to the road not realizing that it is not a merge.

I think if they simply put up some plastic pylons separating the lanes in the same direction it would help a bit. It would limit the late merge going north and help the people coming off of Beech Drive going south know that they don’t need to worry about the cars coming from Calvert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've only ever been hit when traffic is two ways. No thanks!

Yes, your personal experience is the only thing that matters. No worries about the statistics which indicate a completely different circumstance empirically!

DP. The stats support one way streets being safer. Its just fewer points of conflict and reduced kinetic energy in crashes.

One way streets are safer, as are those with lower lane count (because of the pacing effect) and slower speed limits. Roads that reverse themselves and have different directional flow (including 2-way) at different times are not.