What has happened to GW parkway in the morning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh... isn't that the whole idea tolls on a road? To create a more efficient supply-demand matching (those who place a higher value on time will pay the tolls) and shift lower-value traffic to other alternatives? One alternative is GW parkway. Seems like the tolls are working.

In this case, those lower-value traffic imposes huge negative externalities to the residents of the alternatives, who have paid high price in their housing to live closer to avoid the traffic on I-66.

I actually am sympathetic to what you're saying, but I would recommend that you use some of that money to lobby our politicians to build new roads, widen roads, or enact other incentives or penalties to encourage more use of the silver/orange lines. Because money is sure as hell the only thing that gets politicians to listen

Here's what happens when you build new roads or widen roads to reduce congestion:

1. The roads get built/widened.
2. In response, people drive more.
3. Soon the traffic is just as bad as it was.
4. Except that the government spent a whole lot of money on more/wider roads.

It would be just as effective, and much less damaging, to dig a big hole and throw the money down it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh... isn't that the whole idea tolls on a road? To create a more efficient supply-demand matching (those who place a higher value on time will pay the tolls) and shift lower-value traffic to other alternatives? One alternative is GW parkway. Seems like the tolls are working.

In this case, those lower-value traffic imposes huge negative externalities to the residents of the alternatives, who have paid high price in their housing to live closer to avoid the traffic on I-66.

I actually am sympathetic to what you're saying, but I would recommend that you use some of that money to lobby our politicians to build new roads, widen roads, or enact other incentives or penalties to encourage more use of the silver/orange lines. Because money is sure as hell the only thing that gets politicians to listen

Here's what happens when you build new roads or widen roads to reduce congestion:

1. The roads get built/widened.
2. In response, people drive more.
3. Soon the traffic is just as bad as it was.
4. Except that the government spent a whole lot of money on more/wider roads.

It would be just as effective, and much less damaging, to dig a big hole and throw the money down it.

I think they should make I66 like 267, part HOV and part free. So those that want to go faster can pay more, those that don't want to pay, get stuck in traffic. This will still affect alternative roads like GW parkway, but to a lesser extent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of the drivists here would support making metro free so that “durned traffic gets outta muh way”?

the downside to that is metro would be in the poorhouse. services are already pretty crappy and they are getting some soret of income/assistance from DC, MD and VA. take away the fare money and i think service would get even worse

Replace fares with direct subsidies from MD, DC, VA in lieu of only building more roads. Make it easier for people to take metro and more will do that, freeing up space for people who really need to (or want to) drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to be able to leave my McLean house at 9:15am and arrive at my downtown office by 9:45am. Not anymore. The morning traffic is just terrible. Today traffic was so bad that it backed up to RT 123. What has happened? Is it because of I-66 insane pricing on all lanes? IF that is the case, it is just so unfair!!

haha

Yeah, your life in McLean must be full of injustices.

Remember the law of McLean relativity. The time it takes to get anywhere from McLean, when discussing the problems of transportation services or infrastructure provided to McLean, is double the time it take to get anywhere from McLean, when discussing the advantages of buying real estate in McLean.

This is what would usually post - thanks for filling in when I wasn't here.