D.C. needs to get a lot more car friendly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If that means we can get to vision zero more expediently, then that is good news.

Cutting residents and ANCs out of the loop is a good thing for you? Do you even hear yourself?

I'm not the person you're replying to, but honestly, yes. ANCs have no real power, and it's far past time to start treating them as such. Do you have a problem with the way things are being done? Okay, take it up with MOCA or your councilmember's constituent services team. The system we have right now enables busybodies to stick their fingers in every pie. It's absurd, dysfunctional, and counterproductive.

I don't know what to tell you but the reality is the exact opposite. No one cares about the ANC, as you said they are utterly pointless in their current configuration. It's the residents that are being cut out of the loop. This empowers the busybodies to do even more because it now happens outside of the public purview.

You’re here arguing transpo policy on the 31st page of a thread and your complaining that other people are being too much of a busybody? Maybe you’re just not using your busybodying efficiently enough

Pardon? Im not proposing anything. Im not pushing anything. I dont want speed bumps on my street but don't care if you want them on your street. That's the exact opposite of being a busybody. What I want is for residents to be informed and have a say on measures proposed for their own blocks.

Why? The streets belong to the public, not to you. People who live on a street and want, or don't want speed humps shouldn't be able to trump what traffic experts suggest is best for that street. They can voice their opinion, sure, but that's about it.

They may be experts, but what is "best" for a street is inherently a subjective matter.

Sure, but the traffic engineers operate under a mandate to keep streets safe for all road users. Homeowners and renters have narrow parochial interests that vanishingly rarely extend beyond "but I like things the way they are now and I don't want them to change." This is an absurd position to take in a city, which by its very nature is constantly changing and evolving. It's ridiculous and immoral to use the current system of ANCs as a means to project power and turn one's small corner of DC into a personal fiefdom preserved in amber.

People die on our streets far too frequently. We know how to make them safer, but we can't because city agencies kowtow to ANCs and the ludicrous busybodies who fight tooth and nail against speed bumps because "they know what's best" for their street.

Lol, nice projection. Concerning yourself with matters that don't directly impact you, keeping things hidden from those directly impacted and telling other people what is in their best interest is the very worst sort of busybody. The worst part is the self-righteous justification that you know better.

Tell me "nuh uh, you're the REAL busybody" however often you want and call me whatever names you want to help yourself sleep better at night, but this is why public works progress at a glacial pace, if at all, in DC.

Keep telling yourself that you're doing this stuff for others even though they dont want it, didnt ask you to get involved, and you did it in secret.

What a nonsensical response. I don't need to tell myself those things because I don't work for the DC government. I am a concerned citizen who is expressing frustration that there are selfish and arrogant people who act like petulant toddlers to impede efforts to make this city better and safer for all, and who use ANCs as a means to gum up the works in an attempt to preserve their neighborhood in amber. It sounds like I've touched a nerve; are you one of them, by chance?

No. I am not. I am someone that just accidentally found out that speed bumps were proposed and approved for my street without the awareness, request or support of anyone that lives on my street. I'd have no problem with it is was requested, proposed and discussed with people on my street. By the way, with the change in policy the ANCs have no role anymore.

Definition of busybody: someone who interjects themselves into the concerns of others. Anybody either in support or opposition to speed bumps on their own street is not a busybody.

It's not "your" street, though, the streets belong to everybody. I wouldn't complain if they put speed bumps on the street where I live, because I'd love it if traffic slowed down a bit, but it also shouldn't be up to me -- it should be determined by how it fits into the city's overall policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If that means we can get to vision zero more expediently, then that is good news.

Cutting residents and ANCs out of the loop is a good thing for you? Do you even hear yourself?

I'm not the person you're replying to, but honestly, yes. ANCs have no real power, and it's far past time to start treating them as such. Do you have a problem with the way things are being done? Okay, take it up with MOCA or your councilmember's constituent services team. The system we have right now enables busybodies to stick their fingers in every pie. It's absurd, dysfunctional, and counterproductive.

I don't know what to tell you but the reality is the exact opposite. No one cares about the ANC, as you said they are utterly pointless in their current configuration. It's the residents that are being cut out of the loop. This empowers the busybodies to do even more because it now happens outside of the public purview.

You’re here arguing transpo policy on the 31st page of a thread and your complaining that other people are being too much of a busybody? Maybe you’re just not using your busybodying efficiently enough

Pardon? Im not proposing anything. Im not pushing anything. I dont want speed bumps on my street but don't care if you want them on your street. That's the exact opposite of being a busybody. What I want is for residents to be informed and have a say on measures proposed for their own blocks.

Why? The streets belong to the public, not to you. People who live on a street and want, or don't want speed humps shouldn't be able to trump what traffic experts suggest is best for that street. They can voice their opinion, sure, but that's about it.

They may be experts, but what is "best" for a street is inherently a subjective matter.

Sure, but the traffic engineers operate under a mandate to keep streets safe for all road users. Homeowners and renters have narrow parochial interests that vanishingly rarely extend beyond "but I like things the way they are now and I don't want them to change." This is an absurd position to take in a city, which by its very nature is constantly changing and evolving. It's ridiculous and immoral to use the current system of ANCs as a means to project power and turn one's small corner of DC into a personal fiefdom preserved in amber.

People die on our streets far too frequently. We know how to make them safer, but we can't because city agencies kowtow to ANCs and the ludicrous busybodies who fight tooth and nail against speed bumps because "they know what's best" for their street.

Lol, nice projection. Concerning yourself with matters that don't directly impact you, keeping things hidden from those directly impacted and telling other people what is in their best interest is the very worst sort of busybody. The worst part is the self-righteous justification that you know better.

Tell me "nuh uh, you're the REAL busybody" however often you want and call me whatever names you want to help yourself sleep better at night, but this is why public works progress at a glacial pace, if at all, in DC.

Keep telling yourself that you're doing this stuff for others even though they dont want it, didnt ask you to get involved, and you did it in secret.

What a nonsensical response. I don't need to tell myself those things because I don't work for the DC government. I am a concerned citizen who is expressing frustration that there are selfish and arrogant people who act like petulant toddlers to impede efforts to make this city better and safer for all, and who use ANCs as a means to gum up the works in an attempt to preserve their neighborhood in amber. It sounds like I've touched a nerve; are you one of them, by chance?

No. I am not. I am someone that just accidentally found out that speed bumps were proposed and approved for my street without the awareness, request or support of anyone that lives on my street. I'd have no problem with it is was requested, proposed and discussed with people on my street. By the way, with the change in policy the ANCs have no role anymore.

Definition of busybody: someone who interjects themselves into the concerns of others. Anybody either in support or opposition to speed bumps on their own street is not a busybody.

Insisting on micromanaging public works projects makes you a busybody. How you cannot see that is absolutely staggering to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

I think what drivers want is a return to what they had: ample street parking. In recent years, these spaces have been intentionally reduced. First city spaces were stripped to install city bikes, which could easily be installed on sidewalks as well. Then parking was removed for food trucks. Then parking was removed for bike lanes. These were existing spaces that worked fine. All the spaces on Connecticut Ave NW (on the Zoo side) have been removed for no explicable reason. While public transportation does make sense in most instances, it certainly isn't the most desirable way to commute during a pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

I think what drivers want is a return to what they had: ample street parking. In recent years, these spaces have been intentionally reduced. First city spaces were stripped to install city bikes, which could easily be installed on sidewalks as well. Then parking was removed for food trucks. Then parking was removed for bike lanes. These were existing spaces that worked fine. All the spaces on Connecticut Ave NW (on the Zoo side) have been removed for no explicable reason. While public transportation does make sense in most instances, it certainly isn't the most desirable way to commute during a pandemic.

You've got your causality mixed up. As traffic and population grew they looked for ways to move more people using the space set aside for transportation. What becomes immediately obvious is that if you at number of people moved per unit of road space, private automobiles are by far the least efficient use of space, especially if you include the space they need for parking. So the obvious conclusion is that if you want to move more people, they need to be using modes other than private automobiles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

I think what drivers want is a return to what they had: ample street parking. In recent years, these spaces have been intentionally reduced. First city spaces were stripped to install city bikes, which could easily be installed on sidewalks as well. Then parking was removed for food trucks. Then parking was removed for bike lanes. These were existing spaces that worked fine. All the spaces on Connecticut Ave NW (on the Zoo side) have been removed for no explicable reason. While public transportation does make sense in most instances, it certainly isn't the most desirable way to commute during a pandemic.

Wah! Wah! Wah! My government-subsidized waste of public space is waning! I have the RIGHT to drive my giant SUV 40 miles in from the suburbs and park anywhere I want at 1/10th market rate!

[Anonymous]

If D.C. continues to implement measures that it make it more difficult to drive -- especially in this new era when more and more people are turning away from mass transit -- then I think the cars, the people, the jobs that people drive to, and the tax base will simply go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If D.C. continues to implement measures that it make it more difficult to drive -- especially in this new era when more and more people are turning away from mass transit -- then I think the cars, the people, the jobs that people drive to, and the tax base will simply go elsewhere.

Yeah, DC is showing a serious problem with drop in demand.

Also, why are prices so high in DC? It's crazy because no one wants to live here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If D.C. continues to implement measures that it make it more difficult to drive -- especially in this new era when more and more people are turning away from mass transit -- then I think the cars, the people, the jobs that people drive to, and the tax base will simply go elsewhere.

Yeah, DC is showing a serious problem with drop in demand.

Also, why are prices so high in DC? It's crazy because no one wants to live here.

No one goes to DC anymore, it's too crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If D.C. continues to implement measures that it make it more difficult to drive -- especially in this new era when more and more people are turning away from mass transit -- then I think the cars, the people, the jobs that people drive to, and the tax base will simply go elsewhere.

The tax base in DC is people who live there because people who work there don’t pay income taxes to DC. I would argue the opposite of your conclusion here- people who like living in cities are more likely to favor better public transportation over more car infrastructure. So DC should cater to residents who pay property and income taxes and not the people who like living in the suburbs and want to drive everywhere.

I am a DC resident and if you make it easier to walk, cycle and take public transport then that is attractive to me and will keep me in the city. With the increase in remote work I also have the ability to work remotely and stay in DC rather than have to take a job in VA (I work in tech)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

I think what drivers want is a return to what they had: ample street parking. In recent years, these spaces have been intentionally reduced. First city spaces were stripped to install city bikes, which could easily be installed on sidewalks as well. Then parking was removed for food trucks. Then parking was removed for bike lanes. These were existing spaces that worked fine. All the spaces on Connecticut Ave NW (on the Zoo side) have been removed for no explicable reason. While public transportation does make sense in most instances, it certainly isn't the most desirable way to commute during a pandemic.

I live in D.C., and I'm a driver (my household has two cars, even), and the last thing I want to see public space used for is ample street parking. If you don't want to take Metro, park in a garage. Street parking is pretty inefficient, as it benefits only the particular person whose car is parked in a given spot at one time. For all the complaints on here about "oh, I only see one person riding in a bike lane," the same argument could apply to street parking spots.

[Anonymous]

So many folks want the 1990s version of DC back - ample parking, no crowds, easy traffic, etc. Oh, except they don't want the poverty or crime.

Pick one folks: easy driving with lots of crime/poverty, or tough driving with lots of people/amenities/wealth.

You can't have it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the subway is going to be unusable, and everyone is fine with that, then we need to accommodate people where they are -- in cars.

There are going to be far more people on the roads and that means we need a lot more parking, more emphasis on easing traffic, etc. Ridership on the subway is down 75 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

I didnt used to drive all that much, but now with the subway basically in moth balls, I drive everywhere.

This.

People driving in cities suffer from problems of geometry- if more people are in cars then the only way to make more room for them is to take space from something else. You want parking? I have never driven into a pay lot in DC and not been able to find a spot so I aside you want on street parking. Ok, that takes a lane away from driving. Do you want to close the sidewalks then so that cars can go there? If you really want to be able to drive I. The fort you should advocate for more public transportation so that fewer people are in cars. 30 people can fit on a bus that takes up the space of three cars. Would you really prefer those people be in 30 cars?

I think what drivers want is a return to what they had: ample street parking. In recent years, these spaces have been intentionally reduced. First city spaces were stripped to install city bikes, which could easily be installed on sidewalks as well. Then parking was removed for food trucks. Then parking was removed for bike lanes. These were existing spaces that worked fine. All the spaces on Connecticut Ave NW (on the Zoo side) have been removed for no explicable reason. While public transportation does make sense in most instances, it certainly isn't the most desirable way to commute during a pandemic.

I live in D.C., and I'm a driver (my household has two cars, even), and the last thing I want to see public space used for is ample street parking. If you don't want to take Metro, park in a garage. Street parking is pretty inefficient, as it benefits only the particular person whose car is parked in a given spot at one time. For all the complaints on here about "oh, I only see one person riding in a bike lane," the same argument could apply to street parking spots.

Also in DC and I also drive and I vastly prefer readily available lot parking over street parking, even if more expensive. I love pulling into a lot, parking and walking to the elevator. Don't have to fumble with parkMobile or read street signs. Then when I walk onto the sidewalk I love intersections where there isn't parking all the way up to the corner so you can see if cars are coming or turning-even if it means that a parking spot was removed for that and I might otherwise have been able to park for free there.