Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Washington DC Parochialism Emanating From All Levels Of Government

Federal:
US National Capital Planning Commision (NCPC) - supports further truncating I-395

Regional:
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments - supports vast new road tolling with no new lanes within the I-495 Beltway; COG report gives 1st billing to private "environmentalist" advocate who opposes any new lanes even outside the Beltway.
Local:
DDOT- flirts with further truncating I-395

Whatever happened to the idea of additional evacuation routes?

A Beholden Doctrine

10 comments:

Judd Wiley said...

How are they planning on truncating the 395? Please tell me they're not planning on converting existing capacity into carpool lanes.

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

See this link and the links within

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/06/parochialist-threat-to-truncate-i-395.html

Nothing to do with carpool lanes.

They propose to close to all traffic the northern I-395 tunnel (that sits between Massachusetts Avenue and K Street, with the current off ramp there as the new freeway end. The idea is to discourage through traffic on NY Avenue- to hell with the general public, and the fact that there is room to build a parallel freeway connecting to existing I-395 by a new tunnel as I propose.

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/11/i-395-extension-superior-option.html

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

Here's a PDF of the recent report by US NCPC favoring this parochialism.

http://www.ncpc.gov/UserFiles/File/NYFLA1106.pdf

Judd Wiley said...

You make a very good point about evacuation routes.

What do you mean by "parochialism"?

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

Only caring about one's immediate surroundings, and everyone else does not matter; is anti-regionalism.

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

Here is an example, from the USNCPC report:

"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)"

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

Here's an example of this attitude at USNCPC:

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/03/what-this-was-outcome-of-highly.html

Unknown said...

... and the USNCPC is totally correct. Do you want a freeway cutting through your neighborhood? Cities are for people, not freeways. Trucate the freeway and use it for a new separated Blue Line. Then put a cap on it to reconnect Union Station and NoMa to downtown.

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

Extend the freeway as a box tunnel beneath a new linear park and do the same with the Red Line rr.

Have you ever tried replacing the word "freeway" with "railroad" to see how in vogue it is to be medieval?

The public good definitely outweighs the selfishness of a few institutions that like remaining isolated by a rr.

Douglas Andrew Willinger said...

You also forget, both railroads and freeways serve people.