So the American legion bridge incident last week

[Anonymous]

Further proof another Potomac crossing is not only needed but is vital yet isn’t even being considered

[Anonymous]

Never going to happen in the agricultural preserve of MoCo, which is the only option, pretty much.

Forget it.

A better option would be another identical crossing right next to the current one, use both, that way, if anything happened on one span all the traffic could use the other. A crash won't shut down both spans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never going to happen in the agricultural preserve of MoCo, which is the only option, pretty much.

Forget it.

A better option would be another identical crossing right next to the current one, use both, that way, if anything happened on one span all the traffic could use the other. A crash won't shut down both spans.

Oh hell no. Induced demand. Will make all state roads that feed into both bridges on both sides complete hellholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Further proof another Potomac crossing is not only needed but is vital yet isn’t even being considered

Even VDOT has suggested that a higher priority is expandec capacity on the American Legion Bridge - preferably with HOV/Toll lanes. That would enable express buses on the HOT lanes to from MoCo to Tysons.

People commuting from Md to Tysons do as well with that as an outer crossing. People commuting from lower MoCo and PG to the outer techway do as well with that as with an outer crossing. Only people from outer MoCo going to the outer Techway really need and want the outer crossing. Which latter would have specific routing issues, as well as likely encouraging sprawl (no, they will never successfully limit the number of exits or enforce the zoning, IMO)

This is aside from the question of adding a new rail link across the river.

[Anonymous]

Another crossing isn't being considered, but expanding the bridge's capacity is absolutely under consideration.

[Anonymous]

OK, can we combine several impossible proposals? How about a new river crossing that has no entry/exit ramps between I270 and the river on the Maryland side, retrocession of the residential part of DC back to MD and draining the Tidal Basin so we can build the new football stadium and name it after the current President?

[Anonymous]

Loudoun county has supported a bridge crossing for years. It's Montgomery County and Maryland that opposes it.

Point of rocks bridge (15) also needs replaced badly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun county has supported a bridge crossing for years. It's Montgomery County and Maryland that opposes it.

Point of rocks bridge (15) also needs replaced badly.

Loudoun may support it (not sure everyone in the neighborhood where the connection from the bridge to Rte 28 would be cut through agrees) I don't think Fairfax which is better off with added capacity at the ALB is on board though. As noted VDOT says the latter is a better choice. I am quite sure Arlington and Alexandria are not enthusiastic about an outer crossing.

We should also look at housing policies that would enable more people to live closer to their work.

[Anonymous]

I think we need another crossing. For one, it would keep most of the trucks off the beltway since they’d go the longer loop. The second reason is if people ever need to evacuate and there is an accident on the bridge, everyone is screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun county has supported a bridge crossing for years. It's Montgomery County and Maryland that opposes it.

Point of rocks bridge (15) also needs replaced badly.

Loudoun may support it (not sure everyone in the neighborhood where the connection from the bridge to Rte 28 would be cut through agrees) I don't think Fairfax which is better off with added capacity at the ALB is on board though. As noted VDOT says the latter is a better choice. I am quite sure Arlington and Alexandria are not enthusiastic about an outer crossing.

We should also look at housing policies that would enable more people to live closer to their work.

I'm in Loudoun county, close to 28 and would support another crossing at 28. There is a LOT of traffic currently going through Georgetown Pike and Tysons that doesn't need to be there. People are just going through to get across the bridge. If the Dulles Toll Road were cheaper, that would help alleviate local roads too, but i don't see that happening any time soon.

And fwiw I do live and work in the same city. I still occasionally have meetings across the area, plus when we travel we have to use the bridge crossings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun county has supported a bridge crossing for years. It's Montgomery County and Maryland that opposes it.

Point of rocks bridge (15) also needs replaced badly.

Loudoun may support it (not sure everyone in the neighborhood where the connection from the bridge to Rte 28 would be cut through agrees) I don't think Fairfax which is better off with added capacity at the ALB is on board though. As noted VDOT says the latter is a better choice. I am quite sure Arlington and Alexandria are not enthusiastic about an outer crossing.

We should also look at housing policies that would enable more people to live closer to their work. [/quote]

We need another bridge--and I think people in western Fairfax would agree.

Housing policies are not going to fix this.
1. Most married couples have two spouses working. One may work in Virginia and the other in MD.
2. In the DMV people do not necessarily stay with the same company for years. Government contractors may be based in Virginia--but work on a contract in MD for a year or two, and then back again.
3. Much of the traffic across the bridges is not necessarily local. People/tourists/truckers driving through.

None of this will be solved by housing. Ask your neighbors where they work.

Maybe PP lives and works in the District. Things are different in MD and VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun county has supported a bridge crossing for years. It's Montgomery County and Maryland that opposes it.

Point of rocks bridge (15) also needs replaced badly.

Loudoun may support it (not sure everyone in the neighborhood where the connection from the bridge to Rte 28 would be cut through agrees) I don't think Fairfax which is better off with added capacity at the ALB is on board though. As noted VDOT says the latter is a better choice. I am quite sure Arlington and Alexandria are not enthusiastic about an outer crossing.

We should also look at housing policies that would enable more people to live closer to their work. [/quote]

We need another bridge--and I think people in western Fairfax would agree.

Housing policies are not going to fix this.
1. Most married couples have two spouses working. One may work in Virginia and the other in MD.
2. In the DMV people do not necessarily stay with the same company for years. Government contractors may be based in Virginia--but work on a contract in MD for a year or two, and then back again.
3. Much of the traffic across the bridges is not necessarily local. People/tourists/truckers driving through.

None of this will be solved by housing. Ask your neighbors where they work.

Maybe PP lives and works in the District. Things are different in MD and VA.

While its true that peripheral suburb to suburb commutes will not end as long as we have so much decentralized employment, I believe many people commuting from from Maryland to Virginia do so because housing is cheaper in Maryland, in part because of restrictions on development close to some major employment centers in Virginia. That is being addressed in some ways, but more can be done.

And I did not say that alone would solve the problem, but I think it should be addressed.

Not sure everyone in western FFX would agree. More importantly, I am skeptical the Fairfax Board of Supervisors which has placed a huge bet on the success of Tysons, would agree.

I live in an inner jurisdiction in NoVa, and used to live in Fairfax. I am quite familiar with conditions in the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Much of the traffic across the bridges is not necessarily local. People/tourists/truckers driving through.


This is being done for those folks

https://mdta.maryland.gov/Capital_Projects/NewNiceBridgeProject/Home

[Anonymous]

Forget the outer bridge. Time for the inner tunnel.

[Anonymous]

While its true that peripheral suburb to suburb commutes will not end as long as we have so much decentralized employment, I believe many people commuting from from Maryland to Virginia do so because housing is cheaper in Maryland, in part because of restrictions on development close to some major employment centers in Virginia. That is being addressed in some ways, but more can be done.

And I did not say that alone would solve the problem, but I think it should be addressed.

Not sure everyone in western FFX would agree. More importantly, I am skeptical the Fairfax Board of Supervisors which has placed a huge bet on the success of Tysons, would agree.

I live in an inner jurisdiction in NoVa, and used to live in Fairfax. I am quite familiar with conditions in the suburbs.

It is worse every year. And, FWIW, many people in Virginia work in MD--so, it's not just housing prices. I have two relatives who turned down or left better jobs in MD because of the commute. It's not just housing.