It's been a couple months since I had a chance to write this column and I'm grateful for the opportunity afforded me by the good folks at CommuterPage.com. Many of you might remember me from my years at WTOP Radio and some may have read the column that ran for many years in one of those give away daily papers that are around town. For those who don't know me perhaps it would help to give a brief rundown on where I stand on some of the big issues in Washington transportation.
I'm one of those people who believes that we need a balanced approach to transportation. I think we need some new roads and, at the very least, some improvements to what we already have. I point to the improvements made to the exit from the outer loop of the beltway to the Dulles Toll Road as one of the great examples of reducing congestion by making some simple and relatively low-cost improvements.
We also need more and better transit options...more rail and more bus service would go a long way to reduce congestion and improve the quality of our air. There are also some concerns that projects like Dulles Rail may not do all that it is promised to do and at a great expense. I still believe that bus rapid transit (BRT) options could be better explored as an option in this corridor. I think that exploring the expansion of the Orange Line all the way out to Gainesville makes a lot of sense. The congestion and the demand is there but even that is not easy. For example, what would already full trains coming in from the west do to the passengers already waiting at Vienna and beyond?
I'm mixed about things like hot lanes because I'm not sure they will work. They have been hit or miss, according to transportation reporters I've talked to in the Los Angeles area. I also have to wonder why private companies are so anxious to foot the bill for these projects unless they know how much this will actually end up costing drivers.
The one thing that I really enjoy talking about and I hope you enjoy reading about are the wonderful gadgets and internet tools that are being developed to help us know when the buses are coming or how to get around or how and where to find a parking space. It seems like technology is leading us into some exciting new areas and I plan on highlighting some of the better ones as we go through this journey together.
From time to time or more I will share with you some of my experiences and observations. Yes, I tend to be a bit cynical and wary of things but try to make a case for whatever I'm thinking...sometimes I am more successful than others. I would invite and encourage you to participate as well. Let me know what you are thinking; what you are seeing; what makes you happy about your commute and what you think can be done to make it better. This little slice of cyberspace will be more interesting if we have many voices participating. Send me an email via Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com.
Steve Eldridge is a long-time reporter, observer and commentator on the Washington region's transportation issues. You can contact him directly by writing to: Steve@SprawlandCrawl.com. Unless otherwise requested letters or portions of letters can be used within future columns. Letter writers will be identified by their first name and city/neighborhood.
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