Reply to Upper Beach Drive to Remain Closed to Cars Year Round

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is there spillover traffic now? Because I haven't noticed any. As such, there would be no reason to make any other changes.[/quote]

[b]Yes, there is spillover traffic, and there has been for quite some time, with Beach Drive closed, Oregon Avenue under construction, and the elimination of the E6 bus line. The traffic on Rittenhouse, Western, Nevada and Broad Branch near where I live has increased significantly such that we have had to have speed bumps installed on many streets to slow folks down.[/b] Streams of cars go up and down these once-quiet streets, from morning to evening, as drivers seek alternative ways to communte to schools and work. I dread what will happen once construction begins on Connecticut Avenue.

All of us do not enjoy a 5-day-a-week WFH situation, and my employer, at least, is starting to make noises about having everyone return in-person. So, as other employers move to make the same decision, it's inevitable that there will be more spillover traffic. Not everyone lives close to public transportation, and expecting them to find new jobs that are closer to their workplace is utterly ridiculous. I know that I would not be in a position to buy a new house in this current market or find a new job at my age. Just the facts.

For me, the bus service across town to Friendship Heights via the E4 line is unpredictable with buses arriving back-to-back and off-schedule, with long waits in between. There is no bus service up Western east of the Circle, and in the morning, there are long lines of cars on Western from Chevy Chase Circle to Pinehurst Circle. I have a 25-minute walk to the Metro from my house. Luckily, I can do this; however, I recognize that others cannot and have made the choice to drive. I wish I could afford to do so, as it would cut an hour-long commute from just A to B to 20 minutes; however, parking is too expensive. Also expensive is the Metrorail, and price hikes for this service are on the table for discussion.

Beach Drive should not have been closed until folks are not expected to report in-person to offices downtown AND public transportation options are more affordable and robust.[/quote]

Same thing on our side - 16th is even more mobbed, people are flying down Alaska, Aspen, Luzon, and 14th like they're 6 lane freeways.  Some streets have gotten speed bumps but most have not (just had the speed limits that were already being ignored lowered to 20 from 25, with zero acknowledgement or enforcement) and it's just a complete madhouse.  Vision Zero my @ss.  But hey, people with extremely flexible WFH jobs that allow daily midday gadabouts that also live in a very small slice of the city don't have to walk on trails when they're in RCP anymore, so I guess that's all that matters.[/quote]

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