The HOV-3 to HOV-2 Suggestion

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   I-395 this morning in express lanes averaged 73 mph, and I was being passed! Shel - THERE IS NO CONGESTION on I-395 in the express lanes!!! And, Shel, if you read my previous post, you can clearly see that my reference was to I-395. What is it with you people and inability to read?

	Now, the congestion problem is far less due to hybrid exemption than population growth. Is there anyone posting here who disputes that the population has increased since the last time lanes were added? Or are slugs doing the ostrich on this topic as well?

	Have any of you noticed the increase in congestion in the regular lanes? CAN YOU LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT ON YOUR COMMUTE? OF course, you selfishly refuse to acknowledge what nearly everyone else has said about the region that the regular lanes are far more clogged now than they were, and that the average commute in them is well out of proportion with the express lane slow downs.

	None of you have put forth a workable transportation solution except to whine that YOU should have access to the express lanes yet no one else should. Even though, especially on I-395, they rarely travel below the speed limit.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 7:57am
	I-395 this morning in express lanes averaged 73 mph, and I was being passed! Shel - THERE IS NO CONGESTION on I-395 in the express lanes!!! And, Shel, if you read my previous post, you can clearly see that my reference was to I-395. What is it with you people and inability to read? Now, the congestion problem is far less due to hybrid exemption than population growth. Is there anyone posting here who disputes that the population has increased since the last time lanes were added? Or are slugs doing the ostrich on this topic as well? Have any of you noticed the increase in congestion in the regular lanes? CAN YOU LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT ON YOUR COMMUTE? OF course, you selfishly refuse to acknowledge what nearly everyone else has said about the region that the regular lanes are far more clogged now than they were, and that the average commute in them is well out of proportion with the express lane slow downs. None of you have put forth a workable transportation solution except to whine that YOU should have access to the express lanes yet no one else should. Even though, especially on I-395, they rarely travel below the speed limit.

sluDgE Members Profile Find Members Posts Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluDgE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 8:27am
	NoSUV, Are you suggesting opening up the morning I-395 HOV lanes at Edsall Road to all traffic to ease the regular lane backup from just south of Landmark (Duke St) to just north of Seminary Road? That's where it appears the worst morning I-395 backups occur inside the beltway. When we got on the HOV from Burke this morning at about 6:25, I-395 HOV traffic was moving at least 65 mph from Va 644 to just before the Pentagon exit.

NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 8:47am
	sluDgE - Hadn't thought of that, but it would be a good experiment to see the impact. Perhaps a 2 week trial; kill HOV on I-395.

N_or_S_bound Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote N_or_S_bound Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 9:02am
	One must ask: are there people in the lanes "on the right" who could be cruising at HOV speeds if they would only pick up 1 or 2 more people to share the ride and alleviate congestion not only during the commute in, but also relieve some of the pressures of parking? Maybe more efforts could be put towards more people sharing the ride than this insane plea to open up HOV to SOVs....that's about the most inane suggestion I've seen on anything dealing with commuting in this area. It equates to: remove the incentive to alleviate the problem. Good thinking if you got your diploma at a Kmart blue light special. NoSb SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 9:06am
	One must also ask - why are you afraid of having the experiment performed? If I-395 traffic in the express lanes becomes a snarl, then you have some hard data to back your beliefs. If both regular and express lanes free flow, on the other hand, you've got a different set of data. I'm not worried about what would happen - why are you?

N_or_S_bound Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote N_or_S_bound Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 9:40am
	What? Me? Afraid? not in the least. The folks who do track the numbers of vehicles and their occupancy on the HOVs have better numbers than what your (or my) small sample size can reveal. The challenge is getting the politicos to respond to hard quantifiable data from strictly neutral sources and avoid idiocy like putting SOVs in HOV-designated lanes rather than merely responding to the PACs that flock to their doors with green slime trailing behind them. In the vein of making the world a better place which many hybrid drivers ascribe to, I'll also submit the question regarding the equipping of their homes with appliances. (I know this is somewhat off topic and the moderators are welcome to delete this post if they find it irrelevant). Do hybrid drivers also have solar water heating? Solar lighting? Blankets on their hot water heaters? Solar screens? How about all the light bulbs--they been replaced with energy efficient bulbs? Other household appliances? Stove? Home heating? Would seem to me, the number of times the question has been asked about conventional vehicle drivers and their spending/purchasing habits/decisions should be turned around to hybrid drivers and their home ownership decisions...only seems fair to me. Oh, btw, these other choices are PROVEN technologies, but what's the dif between them and hybrid vehicles? They don't have the political backing that motorized vehicles do plus they don't have the marketing support that hybrids do. Oh, the irony of it all.... NoSb SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 11:59am
	NoSB: you are aware, I'm sure, of the "non" HOV express lanes for the 14th street bridge. Why not just move that back to Edsall? Might actually make things safer by slowing express lanes to the speed limit.

N_or_S_bound Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote N_or_S_bound Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 12:06pm
	Aware, not concerned...doesn't affect me so why should I care (TIC). [:p] NoSb SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

NoSUV Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote NoSUV Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 12:40pm
	NoSB - goes with your previous post. Imagine the 14 St bridge if the regular lanes were NOT allowed to use the "HOV" lanes going across. Even MORE gridlock for regular lanes. But, you have a point - why should you care about regular lanes? Good thing the legislature does.

shelbybrynn Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote shelbybrynn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 Sep 2006 at 4:00pm
	NoSuV, As usual you accuse everyone else of doing what you do (sticking your head in the sand). If you don't sit in congestion, then there must not be any. I am sure that the population growth has some impact on the HOV lanes but imagine a world in which there were no Single-Occupany Vehicles and no cheaters on the Express Lanes. I can guarantee that the congestion would be FAR less. On any given day, I can count at least eight hybrids in my immediate area. That is just the ones in my line of vision!! What I am trying to get through to you is that if you want to use the HIGH-OCCUPANY VEHICLE (HOV) lanes, great, but to do so you should be just that, a HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE!! Otherwise, you are just contributing to the problem and really not saving on the environment either. The whole point is to get cars off the road, hence handling the population growth and congestion AND helping the environment, otherwise you are the one sticking your head in the sand...