Reply to McLean residents sue to stop I-495 widening over environmental impacts

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Widening doesn’t help. This has been well proven. [/quote]

Yup. Widening the roads is a cop out instead of doing the very hard work to find other solutions. Good for them.[/quote]

I just don’t understand how some of you think people should get to work.  Not everyone can afford to live within biking/walking distance of where they work (particularly those who work in McLean!), and not all workplaces are near a metro.  Most people would prefer not to spend hours on a soul-sucking metro commute but don’t have a better alternative.[/quote]

Just because you widen major highways doesn't make traffic better. Widening 495 doesn't mean all of the access roads, neighborhood roads, and streets that are off 495 get bigger, the just stay the same size and now all you've done is encourage more car culture. Traffic is barely impacted because flow slows down when the same 2 way street with tons of traffic from the 495 off ramp is still the same 2 lane street even after widening.[/quote]

Oh please, the Wilson Bridge was rebuilt bigger and better 10+ years ago and traffic is still much much better than it used to be in that direction. One of the reasons is because of the thru lanes that were extended across the bridge, and the better interchange with 295.

The reality is that the American Legion bridge has to be rebuilt at some point, because it is deteriorating. They aren't going to demolish the bridge and eliminate any future river crossing, and it doesn't make sense to spend the billions to rebuild the bridge to be the same size it is now or smaller without attempting to improve the traffic. I actually agree a double-decker is a better option. However, the very rich people living close by on both sides of the river don't want to see a double decker bridge from their homes. So, the current plans are make accommodations for future HOT lanes connections, if Maryland would get its act together too.

[/quote]
1) The reconstruction of the Wilson Bridge didn't impact residential homes on both sides of it - homes, in some cases, that have been there since the 40s and 50s.
2) The bridge is Maryland's problem, as we all know.  There are proposals but nothing ever happens.
3) I live there - no one has seriously suggested a double decker highway at any VDOT meeting.[/quote]

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