Sunday, June 29, 2008

Parochialist Threat To Truncate I-395 at Massachusetts Avenue

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0608/530988_video.html?ref=newsstory

D.C. government to seek closing useful underground highway segment to screw DC neighborhoods and the general public.

Proposal would reroute traffic through Massachusetts intersection and up New Jersey Avenue to New York Avenue in the hope that more motorists would just go elsewhere.

No mention of post 911 evacuation route concerns- a topic that the government shows zero interest (along with civil defense), instead only interested in domestic surveillance to subvert the 1st amendment.

According to WTOP:

(excerpt)

DDOT Director Emeka Moneme asks for the study in a letter to Phil Mendelson, who chairs the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.

The transportation planning board, part of the Metropolitan Council of Governments, plays a role in deciding policy and providing technical resources on regional transportation issues that the federal government must OK for the region to receive federal transportation funds.

The letter obtained by WTOP reads:

"Based on a Transportation Planning Board finding that a high proportion of New York Avenue traffic has neither an origin nor a destination within the District, DDOT has requested the option of closing a section of I-395 between its current northern terminus at New York Avenue and its interchange with Massachusetts Avenue."

I-395 is a major link to traffic entering and leaving the District on New York Avenue. The idea behind the study is to determine just how much "through traffic" there is in that area and how much "local traffic" there is.

The study is being completed as part of the overall Environmental Impact Statement for the 14th Street Bridge Corridor in the District.

"DDOT is concerned that improving the 14th Street Bridge will further increase through traffic in the city," Ron Kirby, director of transportation for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, tells WTOP.

"If there is relatively little through traffic along that stretch (of I-395), then the concern that DDOT has about closing the road is moot. If on the other hand, we were to show a very high percentage of traffic is coming through, then we will look at the closure."

Interesting 'logic': close a road because it benefits the many rather then the few.

This sounds like another example of white is black and black is white 'thinking' that permeates our rouge government into subverting the public interest.

This sort of neo feudalism/new medievalism is being promoted through not only the DC government but also the federal- to wit the US National Capitol Planning Commission. It published a report in 2006 [warning PDF] which states:

The consultants offered the following observations and recommendations to address the heavy through-traffic using New York Avenue:
The D.C. street network exists to serve District residents and neighborhoods, first, and those who work in the District, second. Give much less priority to accommodating regional (interstate) traffic. (Decker, Morrison, Peloquin, Slade, Stull)
That latter part has lead to the current disastrous results.
Provide multi-modal transportation in the New York Avenue corridor by accommodating pedestrians, bicycles, transit, railroad, and automobiles. (Morrison, Slade)
Better accomplished with a parallel tunnel-highway then pushing the traffic onto New Jersey Avenue.
Focus on moving people––not cars. Encourage a bias against the automobile. (Decker, Morrison, Slade)
This gets regurgitated again and again with no thought to the reality that automobiles accommodate people rather then drive themselves with artificial intelligence.
Removal of the current regional through-traffic volume on the corridor would create opportunities for mixed-use development in this District. (Decker, Morrison, Peloquin, Slade, Stull)
And without a new parallel tunnel-highway create more traffic congestion in complete disregard to post 911 concerns about evacuation routes.
To discourage use of New York Avenue/I-395 for regional through traffic:
(Decker, Slade)
IOW- make the many spend more time and fuel on stop and start surface streets or the longer route of around the city. Will their study even list this?
Consider tolls or congestion pricing. (Decker, Slade)
That could be reasonable to pay for the new highways
Consider truncating I-395 at Massachusetts Avenue. (Decker)
Attempt to push the burden away while greatly increasing traffic on New Jersey Avenue between Massachusetts and New York Avenue, and conflict with the elderly pedestrian inhabitants of the misplaced Bibleway Golden Rule apartment complex and their nearest grocery store.

Me thinks that the people behind this need to be fired, starting with these overpriced/overrated consultants.

DDOT suggests cutting 395 to Mass Ave- Greater Greater Washington
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2 comments:

Alan Page said...

You make a very strong case against closing the tunnel.

Now, in fairness, can you see any strong points in your opposition's position?

4:32 PM
Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

1- some sort of closure of that tunnel segment will be needed temporarily in order to demolish the transition roadway between K Street and New York Avenue to construct the connection to the new northern-easterly tunnel cotinuation past New York Avenue.

2- the tunnel closure will create a nasty traffic bottleneck practically in front of Georgetown University Law Center (Law School) which has long worked against the regions' various highways.

10:18 PM

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