Transit on Thursday: Cue Sammy Hagar Reference Edition
Whilst browsing through our usual feed of transit news, we came upon this USA Today article about the Drive 55 campaign -- it was of modest interest, but nothing that seemed to be too D.C.-area related. After all, the speed limit for all our major highways in Maryland and Virginia have been set at 65 since the national limit was raised by Congress in November 1995 (see page 20 of this PDF), and only a scant few of the District's roads could even come close to safely allowing such high speeds.
But then we stumbled upon this WTOP report about the new Variable Speed Limits (or VSL) in effect on the Beltway near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge -- and how it's had some modest success in managing the overall flow of traffic; suddenly, we found a new darling to quell the seemingly never-ending argument between 65 vs. 55 that's once again reared it's ugly head.
Of course, the usual talking points are cut and dry with the 65 and 55 camps -- first, that it's again an issue because of the incredibly high price of gasoline. Reports have noted that for each mile per hour that is driven over 55, a vehicle's fuel economy is reduced by 1 percent -- and the drop is even faster for going over 65. Of course, 65 backers counter that slowing down increases the amount of time that you're on the road, which could increase congestion. Double-nickel backers would cite that faster driving speeds leads to more reckless driving, while proponents of the current limit would note that in "interstate-heavy" areas of the country like Northern Virginia, fatalities have actually stayed steady or declined since the transition. Proponents of the current speeds say that there's nothing stopping drivers from voluntarily slowing down; others think that without government intervention, it's an empty gesture to simply hope that people will do so. There's more, but we'll spare you.
In the end, all this bickering is why we think VSL is the perfect solution: if you're unfamiliar with the idea of VSL, it's quite simple. Electronically posted speed limits are contingent on the amount of congestion, conditions, and weather in any given area -- or as the WTOP write up zenishly puts it:
John Undeland, spokesperson for the Wilson Bridge Project, compares it to pouring rice through a funnel. If you pour the rice in at a controlled rate, more will go through at a constant speed. But if you pour all of the rice in at once, a jam will form.
A solution that, like variable tolling, should be a big part of the future of metropolitan area highway travel in certain sections of the country -- namely, our backyard. Not to be outdone, Maryland is one of two states that is part of a federal pilot program to test VSL in work zones since 2005. Are VSLs needed everywhere nationally? No -- but they certainly would help in the struggle we have with gridlock. Sen. John Warner (R-VA) has introduced a bill to the Senate that would consider the ramifications of a compromised 60 miles per hour -- but perhaps the Senator needs to simplify matters and look to the promising technology in his own region first.
Photo by Chris a.k.a ~Crush~.
Slugging Percentage -- Now A Statistic For Drivers Too: "We support it, but we can't condone it," is the official line from the Virginia Department of Transportation on slugging -- a riff on hitchhiking which entails picking up riders in order to ride for free in HOV lanes. With the HOT lanes currently under construction on the Beltway enabling cars with lots of passengers to ride for free, we can only imagine that slugging will only get more popular. Frankly, we'd be a bit frightened by the idea of hopping in someone's car that we don't know -- but whatever gets you from one place to the next, I suppose. We thought that maybe our trusty commentariat could supply some of their experiences with this interesting type of transit -- feel free to share your stories in the comments.
Metrobus Detours For Ben's Celebrations: Do note that if you're a frequent rider of the 90 series of buses, Friday's morning rush hour ride might be a bit different. Due to the 50th birthday celebration at Ben's Chili Bowl, a few routes will be diverted between 12th and 13th on U Street, which will be closed to traffic.
There will also be routine track maintenance on the Blue, Yellow, and Red Lines this weekend. Long story short: if you're coming from or going to Braddock Road station, factor in an extra twenty minutes all weekend -- if you're travelling the Red Line between Shady Grove and Twinbrook on Sunday, factor in an extra fifteen minutes.
Engines and Cabooses: Washington airports see large improvements in on-time performance...VRE could see a rate hike of up to 10 percent at once come next year...Yeah, hitting 100 in a 30 mile per hour zone seems like it'd require a stuntman and a Ferrari, not an elderly couple and their Echo...Police are on pace to break the city record for ticketing drivers who are using their cell phones...Virginia ranks 16th in highway cost-effectiveness performance nationally -- Maryland ranks 37th...VDOT has a new traffic information website...Required transit/urbanism reading: a debate on Prince George's County's transit-oriented development planning -- first, the statement, then the rebuttal.