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DR. GRIDLOCK Robert Thomson


Cornering the culprit(s) of traffic problems


D MARK GAIL/THE WASHINGTON POST


Barges, cranes and concrete pilings mark the construction site of the 11th Street bridge project, the first newspan to be constructed in the District in four decades. By the end of next year, the newsouthbound lanes ofDC295 and two newfreeway spans will be open to traffic.


The 11th Street bridge is going somewhere W


BY ROBERT THOMSON


hen Greer Johnson Gillis met with reporters on the west bank of the Anacos-


tia River in December to outline construction plans for the new 11th Street bridge, we could see a few workers in mid-river prepar- ing to remove wood pilings. Fromthe same shoreline today,


it’s hard to tell there’s a river out there. The water viewis obscured by barges, dozens of workers, cranes and concrete piers for the new bridge. Gillis, the District’s deputy chief engineer, says it’s more than 25 percent done and on track for completion in 2013.


Milestones The construction project, the


biggest public work undertaken by the District Department of Transportation, is somewhat sim- ilar to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge reconstruction, in that the two old spans will remain in operation while the new spans are built within the same foot-


print. For months, the commut- ers who regularly use this impor- tant regional link could have re- mained unaware that a new ver- sion was in the works. Those days are gone. Between the two old spans, 63


bridge piles rise from the river like concrete redwoods. They are the foundation for two new free- way spans and a separate span for local traffic. The Anacostia boat- house has been relocated along the west bank. A pedestrian bridge over DC 295 has been rebuilt to accommodate the wid- ening of the freeway. The founda- tions for newramps and highway lanes are emerging from the ground by Anacostia Park. What now looks like an Evel Knievel- style launch ramp, as Gillis said, is going to become part of a new elevated portion of southbound DC 295. This will be one of the most


dramatic features of the con- struction project as it takes the southbound drivers over the ap- proaches and exits for the three newspans.


Upcoming work Drivers in the work zone al-


ready have encountered lane closings at off-peak hours, and there have been some traffic de- lays. A significant new phase of the project will begin soon when steel girders arrive for the new bridge spans. They will be trucked out onto the old bridges and lowered onto barges in the river below. Several lanes on ei- ther span could be closed over- nights during the deliveries, which will continue into the win- ter.


Also in the months ahead, ex-


pect off-peak lane closings along 295 and on the east-bank bridge ramps for steel placement. Work will start to pick up on the west bank, where ramp pier construc- tion will require a traffic shift on the Southeast-Southwest Free- way.


The road ahead Gillis said that when she talks


to community groups and other interested parties, their most fre- quently asked question is, “When


are we going to finish?” Place- ment of the steel will have a big impact on perceptions of the bridge. In the spring, she said, it “will really be coming to life” and starting to look like a reality. Here’s what to watch for in the


long term: Spring 2011: New 295 south


opens. Fall 2011: Freeway bridges


open. Winter 2012/2013: Local


bridge opens. Summer 2013: Project com-


pleted. The bridge is “big for us in


terms of construction and re- sults,” Gillis said. It will be the first time in four decades that the District has built a new bridge, rather than rehabilitating one that is already there. And it is a key element in the continuing effort to revive and redevelop the Anacostia riverfront. Coming in the next decade: Replacement of the Frederick Douglass Bridge, which takes South Capitol Street over the Anacostia. thomsonr@washpost.com


earDr.Gridlock: Inthis electionyear, it seems that everyone


wants to learnhowthe candidatesplanto solve the area’s trafficproblems. People expect electedofficials


to solve the trafficproblemas if it’s the government that’s screwingup.However,mynon- scientific experience tellsme thatmost trafficproblems are causedbyhumanerror or by accidents that canbe avoidedby simplemeasures, suchas paying attention,providing plenty ofdistance fromyour car to the car infront of you, and notdoing other thingswhile driving. Idon’tunderstandwhenour


fellowcitizens became a bunch of entitledpeople, andit bothersme thatwe’re always looking for someone else to solve ourproblems. —RayHwang, Fairfax


Idon’t knowof any reliable


D.C. regional statistic or study thatwouldshowuswhat percentage of trafficproblems are our ownfault, rather than the fault of the governments. There’s this anecdotal


measure:Abouthalf thepeople whowrite tomehave a governmental complaint—a mishandledroadproject or a mistimedtraffic signal.The otherhalfwant to complain about eachother. Manypeople see anoverlap.


They say thedesignof some roads, or somemergepoints, canencourage speeding, weaving, tailgating or other forms of aggressivedriving. Others say that law enforcementdoesn’tdo enough to crackdownonaggressive drivers anddistracteddrivers. We’re a lot better at


identifying trafficproblems thandeveloping fixes.During the 1990s, concerns about aggressivedriving ledto laws that criminalizedthat behavior. Themanuals that our young


driversmust study to get their licensesnowinclude sections devotedto aggressivedriving. TheMarylandmanual relates the inadequacies of our transportationenvironment to the badbehavior of individuals: “It is anticipatedthat the


demandonour roadsystemwill increase 40percent by 2020 and that roadcapacitywill only increase by 9percent.Today’s drivers are becoming increasingly frustratedonroads that routinelyhandledouble thenumber of cars of 20 years ago.” Don’t take that asMaryland


characterizing aggressive drivers as victims of society.The manual also calls out the biggest culpritswho contribute to crashes—including those who speed, tailgate,make unsafe lane changes andrun redlights or stopsigns. Our concerns about each


other’sdriving keepevolving. In DR. G’S TIPS


ARMY 10-MILER Metro opens at 6 a.m. today, an


hour early, to help get people to the annual Army 10-Miler race. Also, therewill be extra service on theBlue Line. Metrobus operations at the


Pentagon Transit Center will be relocated temporarily to Penta- gon City until Arlington County reopens the roads closed for the event about 2 p.m. The Pentagon Metrorail station will remain open. Participants and spectators


who take Metrorail to the race should exit at Pentagon or Penta- gon City on the Blue and Yellow lines. Parking is free onweekends atMetro’s parking lots and garag- es.


The race begins at 8 a.m., and THE DAILY QUIZ


What political party is featured on the cover of this week’s Washington Post Magazine?


EARN 5 POINTS: Find the answer, then go to washingtonpost.com/postpoints and click on “Quizzes” to enter the correct response.


South Eads Street from Army/ NavyDrive into the Pentagonwas scheduled to close at 4:30 a.m. Washington Boulevard between Interstate 395 and the Memorial Bridge in both directions, Colum- bia Pike east of Joyce Street, and I-395’s southbound HOV lanes were scheduled to close by 5:30 a.m.


TYSONS LANE SHIFTS Watch for the changing traffic


patterns in Tysons Corner. The lanes have shifted along west- boundRoute 7 betweenRoute 123 andWestpark Drive to accommo- date construction of the new Metrorail line. Another Route 7 shift is sched-


uled to occur this weekend from the west side to the east side of


Westpark Drive. In mid-Novem- ber, another shift is scheduled from the east side of Westpark Drive to Spring Hill Road. These lane shifts are creating a wider median for construction of two train stations.


OHIODRIVE The roadway reconstruction


near theLincolnMemorial is inits final stages. The ramps to and from Lincoln Memorial Circle have been reopened.


GEORGIA AVE./RANDOLPHRD. A lane shift on eastbound Ran-


dolphRoadbetweenDenleyRoad andGeorgiaAvenuewill continue through November. During this time, theMarylandStateHighway Administration says, right turns


POINTS EVENTS Free Movies, Ballgames & Special Events


PostPoints members are frequently invited to enter contests for free movie screenings, theatre tickets, ball games and special events. Contest deadlines and event details are posted at washingtonpost.com/postpoints, Events & Contests. Be sure to check the site often!


from eastbound Randolph Road toGrandviewAvenue and Judson Road are restricted. Judson Road and Grandview Avenue between Newton Street and Randolph Roadare closedto throughtraffic.


RHODE ISLANDAVE. STATION The bus bays at the Rhode Is-


land Avenue Metrorail station will shift for fivemonths starting Monday as construction contin- ues on a new parking garage, a ground transportation service area, and a housing and retail development next to the station. The bus boarding area and the


Kiss & Ride will be across the parking lot near the station en- trance. The Kiss & Ride area will continue to accommodate park- ing, car-sharing, taxis, and pas-


senger pick-up and drop-off dur- ingthe construction,whichbegan in April. Work on the parking garage should be done in June 2011. The rest of the project should be done by the summer of 2012.


NOVEMBERTRACKWORK The Blue and Orange lines


againwill bedisruptedby aMetro track work project. This one, scheduled the first weekend in November, is part of a long-term effort tostabilizeasectionof track between the Cheverly and Dean- wood stations on the eastern side of theMetrorail system. Some relatedworkis scheduled


forHalloweenweekend,whenOr- ange Line trainswill share a track between Stadium-Armory and


POINTS & REWARDS


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Centex Homes A sleek new residence is within your reach. Take a look at centexhomes.com.


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Not a PostPoints member yet? Log onto washingtonpost.com/postpoints for more information about this exciting free program.


Cheverly, causing some delays. But the big impact on riders will occur the following weekend, from 10 p.m. Nov. 5 through the midnight closingNov. 7. During those hours,Metrowill


close the Orange Line between Stadium-Armory and New Car- rollton, and there will be no Blue Line servicebetweenStadium-Ar- moryandBenningRoad.TheBen- ningRoad Stationwill stay open. Orange Line trainswill operate


between Vienna and Stadium-Ar- mory. The Blue Line will be split in


two. Trains will operate between Franconia-Springfield and Stadi- um-Armory, and also between Largo Town Center and Benning Road.


A complete list of PostPoints Spots can be found at washingtonpost.com/postpoints.


September, as localpolice officerswerepublicizing the latest roundof their annual SmoothOperator crackdownon aggressivedrivers,U.S. TransportationSecretaryRay LaHoodannouncedthat distracteddriving last year led to 5,474deaths and448,000 accidents. Again, governments are


trying tomakeusdowhat commonsense shoulddictate. Marylandrecently joinedin withits banondrivingwhile using ahand-heldphone. Aswiththe stigmatizing of


aggressivedriving, ournew loathing ofdistracteddriving opensupopportunities for personaldenial.We older drivers canlookdownat anew generationenthralledwiththe latest technologies, yet canstill bedistractedthe oldfashioned way—by looking at amapor fiddlingwiththe radio—and the consequences canbe equally as tragic.


EnforcingHOV


DearDr.Gridlock: Since cameras areusedfor


other traffic situations,why can’twe findaway toutilize cameras to control illegaluse of high-occupancy vehicle lanes? It is very frustrating to sit in


the regular lanes andseemany one-personvehicles intheHOV lanes at rushhour. —BarbaraCloutier,Germantown


The frustrationofHOV


driverswhodo the right thing is veryunderstandable, andIdo endorse enforcement cameras to catchspeeders andred-light runners.But settingupcameras to see into vehicles andcount passengers is tricky. I’mafraid we’dbe sending toomany people to courtunfairly.The Virginiahigh-occupancy toll lanes,whichwill be free for carpoolers, arenotplanning to use this type of enforcement.


Dr.Gridlock also appears Thursday in Local Living.Comments and questions arewelcome andmay be used in a column, alongwith the writer’s name and home community. Personal responses are not always possible.


To contactDr.Gridlock bymail:Write toDr.Gridlock at TheWashington Post, 115015th St.NW, Washington,D.C.20071.By e-mail: drgridlock@washpost.com.On the Dr.Gridlock blog: blog.washingtonpost.com/ drgridlock.On Twitter: drgridlock.


6


on washingtonpost.com Taken for a ride?


Need to vent about your daily commute? Have a question


that you think Dr. Gridlock and your fellow commuters can answer? Want to share your traffic and transit advice? Join Dr. Gridlock in his new forum at washingtonpost.com/ takenforaride.


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2010


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