Will DC resume commuter traffic patterns in the fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is already commuter traffic on narrower side streets.

And there are already cyclist who bike on Connecticut.

Not safely.

And understand, the removal of the reversible lanes impact the traffic. That decision has been made. The decision to add, or not, bike lanes, has no additional impact on car traffic. That decision is pending.

You have also now identified the issue with increased traffic on residential streets. Well done.

If drivers are not able to navigate side streets safely, why should they be allowed to drive on a street with many more pedestrians to potentially kill? Let's just ban cars everywhere if they're that profoundly unsafe for everyone to be around.

Not sure what's your point. Are you saying that it's preferable to divert traffic from a major arterial like Connecticut Avenue, which has been engineered and constructed as an arterial road, and instead squeeze commuter traffic down side streets like Macomb and Ordway? Those are much narrower streets, each with one or more schools alongside, where sidewalks hug the street and kids ride bikes in the roadway. We At a recent ANC meeting led by the chair who lives in Maryland, he and several of his buddies seemed to mock concerns expressed about the safety of kids at John Eaton from increased traffic diverted from Conn. Ave to 34th St. It seems that you just want your bike lanes now, and safety and quality of life for everyone else, be damned.

I'm saying that your handwringing and histrionically sighing "won't somebody think of the children???" is disingenuous. People who are opposed to any kind of change whatsoever predictably fall back on that canard. My post illustrates the intellectual bankruptcy of that position.

At this point, there's nothing left to discuss. Study after study has shown that bike lane projects have little impact on traffic and improve safety for other users of the road. If you're unconvinced by the mountain of evidence, it's because you're being willfully obtuse. Have a wonderful day.

When one is blogging from their mother's basement, it's understandable that there is little thought given to the safety of schoolchildren.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is already commuter traffic on narrower side streets.

And there are already cyclist who bike on Connecticut.

Not safely.

And understand, the removal of the reversible lanes impact the traffic. That decision has been made. The decision to add, or not, bike lanes, has no additional impact on car traffic. That decision is pending.

You have also now identified the issue with increased traffic on residential streets. Well done.

It actually has an additional impact. If DDOT eliminates the reversible lane (and there may be some safety justification for that) AND then further reduces capacity by changing traffic lanes to bike lanes, then the rush hour capacity of Connecticut Avenue will be reduced from 4 lanes to 2 lanes (assuming that no delivery trucks are blocking one of the two remaining lanes). That's a 50 percent capacity reduction, which you can't just assume has no impact. Traffic will divert to parallel routes like 34th Street and will Waze-navigate through narrow cross streets to find a way around jammed up Connecticut Ave.

Delivery trucks will be able to park at actual parking spots during rush hour, there should be no need for any more double parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is already commuter traffic on narrower side streets.

And there are already cyclist who bike on Connecticut.

Not safely.

And understand, the removal of the reversible lanes impact the traffic. That decision has been made. The decision to add, or not, bike lanes, has no additional impact on car traffic. That decision is pending.

You have also now identified the issue with increased traffic on residential streets. Well done.

If drivers are not able to navigate side streets safely, why should they be allowed to drive on a street with many more pedestrians to potentially kill? Let's just ban cars everywhere if they're that profoundly unsafe for everyone to be around.

Not sure what's your point. Are you saying that it's preferable to divert traffic from a major arterial like Connecticut Avenue, which has been engineered and constructed as an arterial road, and instead squeeze commuter traffic down side streets like Macomb and Ordway? Those are much narrower streets, each with one or more schools alongside, where sidewalks hug the street and kids ride bikes in the roadway. We At a recent ANC meeting led by the chair who lives in Maryland, he and several of his buddies seemed to mock concerns expressed about the safety of kids at John Eaton from increased traffic diverted from Conn. Ave to 34th St. It seems that you just want your bike lanes now, and safety and quality of life for everyone else, be damned.

I'm saying that your handwringing and histrionically sighing "won't somebody think of the children???" is disingenuous. People who are opposed to any kind of change whatsoever predictably fall back on that canard. My post illustrates the intellectual bankruptcy of that position.

At this point, there's nothing left to discuss. Study after study has shown that bike lane projects have little impact on traffic and improve safety for other users of the road. If you're unconvinced by the mountain of evidence, it's because you're being willfully obtuse. Have a wonderful day.

When one is blogging from their mother's basement, it's understandable that there is little thought given to the safety of schoolchildren.

This....isn't a blog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

Bike lanes make traffic worse and parking harder. People who drive should push their elected officials to start ripping out bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

Bike lanes make traffic worse and parking harder. People who drive should push their elected officials to start ripping out bike lanes.

Counterpoint

Bike lanes make it so fewer people are driving on the roads.
Buses make it so fewer people are driving on the roads.

Parking spaces are limited. You can park in a garage or private lot, rather than limited public space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP is wrong - they haven't decided on whether Beach Drive will stay closed or not. The National Park Service is going to be doing a survey soon about it. CT Ave reversible lanes are gone, but I think the right-most traffic lanes is back during commuting hours. I thought they were planning bike lanes, but not 100% sure it's been finally decided. I think there will be a lot more work from home than pre-COVID (maybe 2-3 days a week for many employers), so I'm hoping traffic will be no worse than before the pandemic even with losing some lanes. But schools will still be in session, so that will affect morning commutes for some.

All the local political powers have lined up to try to limit through traffic in Ward 3. If traffic fully comes back, Bethesda commuters are going to be hurting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

Bike lanes make traffic worse and parking harder. People who drive should push their elected officials to start ripping out bike lanes.

Uh, Mary Cheh doesn't care about those who live in Bethesda.

Honestly, I hope congestion prices comes soon (and as in most implementations, excludes local residents).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

Bike lanes make traffic worse and parking harder. People who drive should push their elected officials to start ripping out bike lanes.

Uh, Mary Cheh doesn't care about those who live in Bethesda.

Honestly, I hope congestion prices comes soon (and as in most implementations, excludes local residents).

Doe it matter. After all, no one in DC seems to drive anymore, n'est pas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP is wrong - they haven't decided on whether Beach Drive will stay closed or not. The National Park Service is going to be doing a survey soon about it. CT Ave reversible lanes are gone, but I think the right-most traffic lanes is back during commuting hours. I thought they were planning bike lanes, but not 100% sure it's been finally decided. I think there will be a lot more work from home than pre-COVID (maybe 2-3 days a week for many employers), so I'm hoping traffic will be no worse than before the pandemic even with losing some lanes. But schools will still be in session, so that will affect morning commutes for some.

All the local political powers have lined up to try to limit through traffic in Ward 3. If traffic fully comes back, Bethesda commuters are going to be hurting.

There are so many wrong statements here it’s hard to know where to begin. Some people like living in their fantasy, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

Bike lanes make traffic worse and parking harder. People who drive should push their elected officials to start ripping out bike lanes.

Counterpoint

Bike lanes make it so fewer people are driving on the roads.
Buses make it so fewer people are driving on the roads.

Parking spaces are limited. You can park in a garage or private lot, rather than limited public space.

Bike lanes reduce the circulation of people in a city. It's like having plaque build up inside your arteries. Not really clear how that's in anyone's interest. Hurts businesses. Hurts people's quality of life. Encourages sprawl.

[Anonymous]

No are equating cars with people. People ride bikes. People ride buses. More people fit on a bus than a car. A bike takes up less spare than a car.

So no, neither buses nor bikes reduce circulation.

Cars are the absolute worst of all worlds in terms of getting people from point A to point B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

You people are a broken record. WMATA has already spent considerable money doing all of these things. Based on your claims that reduced headways on metrorail and regular/frequent bus service would induce demand, they actually did it. They spent the money that could have been used on other capital projects to do this stuff and guess what? It didn’t work.

Listening to the transit bros reminds me about a joke from the 80s/90s about campus leftists in the US. When faced with real world examples of where communism and socialism failed, they always claimed “true communism just hasn’t been tried yet.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There also needs to be a much greater effort to increase mass transit into and within DC. Our metro and bus grid is pretty pathetic, and transit times using WMATA are frankly outrageous. We must give drivers a good alternative to their shitty cars.

+1

As I have posted here and in other threads, the people who want to drive, or who HAVE to drive, should be the biggest advocates for bike lanes and better mass transit.

I thought you believed that space road capacity for cars induced demand for more cars to drive?

So which argument is you being disingenuous?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No are equating cars with people. People ride bikes. People ride buses. More people fit on a bus than a car. A bike takes up less spare than a car.

So no, neither buses nor bikes reduce circulation.

Cars are the absolute worst of all worlds in terms of getting people from point A to point B.

What if the city banned all forms of transportation -- cars, bikes, scooters, walking, etc. -- except for stilts, and said the only way people are allowed to move about the city is on stilts that are at least 15 feet tall? Now, some people like to walk on stilts. People on stilts take up less room than people on bicycles.

So, by your (bizarre) logic, requiring everyone to travel via 15 foot tall stilts would not reduce the circulation of people about the city.