1973 PEPCO I-95 Extension Inside The Beltway

I-95 inside the Beltway extension via the PEPCO power line right of way
from a 1973 Maryland Transportation Study






























PEPCO-B&O I-95

Who Really Stopped Washington, D.C.'s Freeways

A Telling Deletion About the Politics Subverting D.C. I-95

A Telling Deletion

About the political influence of
Catholic University of America and
Masonic Eastern Star
in Blocking PEPCO-B&O Washington, D.C. I-95
as property holders along the route


Deleted conversation from Imagine DC:

---

Douglas A. Willinger said...

[Dave Murphy- Imagine D.C. quote]

" Now, I'm not endorsing HOV and HOT lanes (and certainly not any new construction of such roads) as any sort of a cure for our traffic problems here in Washington. But this is a very poignant reminder of how entitled we believe are cars should be. "

[my reply]

In that area?

With that giant gap in the northern radial net and the center hub?!

I do not ever see the original 1955-59 system being built for good reason - aka footprint. Why clear cut trees and or houses when there is a 250 foot wide power line, a rr industrial corridor and a 147 foot wide street to go beneath?

I do see a modified version of the 1971 plan somewhat with a redesigned center section (see "Trip" Nov 2007) with the northern I-95 continuation via the PEPCO route.

But only after something major politically happens about what runs that area (aka that Masonic Eastern Star property [on New Hampshire Avenue near Eastern Avenue], which I am suspicious of given the lack of anything from them about that route or the logical to me option of it as a cut and cover tunnel to preserve the property's dignity.

Likewise with CUA's apparent lack of interest in a deck along the B&O corridor. Please note the 1966 plan proposed it to run north to Taylor Street, but that is deleted by the 1971 plan.

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/05/1966-1971-covered-north-central-freeway.html

And as well that attitudes I have witnessed, aka at the end of the following article; do recall the active participation of the Jesuit Georgetown Law Center in the anti highway crusades.

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/02/sampling-of-attitudes-towards-dc-i-95.html

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/01/physical-realities-undermining-north.html

Knowing my history beyond that of the planning of the D.C. area highways, I see no reason to go along with any sort of white is black and black is white placating (as I witnessed at say college frat parties).

February 28, 2009 5:16 PM

Dave Murphy said...

Douglas,
I fail to see the relevance of this...

March 1, 2009 3:43 AM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

You made a strict statement against any new highways in an area with huge gaps in the road network and in common sense.

I think a far better constitutional argument would be the lack of the freeways in the northern sector as placing a disproportionate amount of the traffic burden to the south east of the Anacostia River as classic environmental racism.

Of course Georgetown Law Center apparently would make the situation worse by truncating I-395 at Mass Ave, and with their unjustified influence get their way.

That our government continues with these completely unjustified strict anti freeway policies and boondoggles as street cars while pushing domestic surveillance (while ignoring civil defense) speaks volumes about its nature.

March 1, 2009 9:02 AM

Dave Murphy said...

I made a passing opposition to new construction of HOT lanes and HOV lanes. Are you saying lack of construction of HOT lanes and HOV lanes is unconstitutional?

I fail to see how any of what you said relates to this post.

March 1, 2009 2:03 PM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

No, rather the lack of freeways in the northern sector relative to placing the burden where it is, might be.

HOT/HOV lanes though are a good way IMHO to throttle usage, particularly with transfers to WMATA rail parking garages.

Also the tolls are good for funding the extra high dollar designs of cut and cover and drilled tunnels necessary for accommodating a high speed highway in an urban area.

If you search misc.transport.road, my late 1990s advocacy of the PEPCO-B&O route coupled it with a southbound variable rate toll at Fort Totten and rail transfer facility.

March 1, 2009 4:25 PM

Dave Murphy said...

In the future, I'd appreciate it if you kept the comments focused on the issues presented in the articles I post and save your crusade to have I-95 constructed through NE DC for your own website (unless, of course, it is pertinent to something written about here.) Any further such comments will be deleted.

March 1, 2009 4:35 PM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

The comment was relevant to this and your preceding post.

I did not see any reason to post it twice.

March 1, 2009 6:45 PM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

The link to my blog on your blog vanished, though I do not know why.

March 1, 2009 6:47 PM

---

Masonic Eastern Star Home
on New Hampshire Avenue
between railroad and Eastern Avenue

Proposed D.C. I-95
dashed lines indicating connecting segment of
PEPCO power line-B&O route
through Masonic Eastern Star property

1966 D.C. I-95 proposal
with red area of proposed air rights development
extending alongside CUA northwards to Taylor Street

1971 D.C. I-95 proposal
with proposed air rights development extending south from CUA
(leaving area alongside CUA uncovered-
hence preserving the local isolation from the east via the surface railroad)

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/05/1964-north-central-freeway-routing_08.html

http://cos-mobile.blogspot.com/2008/07/homeland-security-goal-would-be-better.html

http://cos-mobile.blogspot.com/2009/05/romish-masonic-religious-drive-against.html

--- added February 1, 2010

Note- contrast the above February 28 - March 1, 2009 conversation with that about 4 months earlier from the comments section reproduced below from my December 17, 2008 article at 'A Trip Within The Beltway' that republished and expanded upon an article by Richard Layman

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2008/12/under-selling-b-metropolitan-branch.html

6 comments:

Dave Murphy said...

I think burying the Metropolitan Branch is a fantastic idea, and making it multi-modal would be great. But I have my typica question: where would the freeway end? I don't see it getting to the Beltway through Silver Spring, considering all the high density development along the tracks. I can't imagine they'd approve the Fort Totten Park alignment because it would still tear out a good bit of Chillum before it hits the Beltway. I certainly hope you aren't recommending another dead end freeway!

2:53 AM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

The plan would have I-95 split from the rr as a cut and cover tunnel beneath the field of the Masonic Eastern Star Home alongside NH Avenue, displace about 27 brick houses just inside DC and then 13 strip retail properties (with a monumental traffic circle at the DC-MD line, and then some cut and cover in MD with new development atop); there is no reason to use the Fort Totten (Fort Drive) Park route with the existence of the NHA-PEPCO route.

It could and should include the Silver Spring segment, either by ripping out some of the misplaced development on the rr's eastern side, or even a segment as drilled tunnel.

It would not displace the historic Cady Lee Mansion in TP, nor the houses facing the rr along Takoma Avenue, though it would take some of the misplaced Montgomery Gardens apartment complex.

Grade requirements will require placing the heavy rr in a drilled tunnel to northwest of 16th Street, but the WMATA could stay upon the existing Georgia Avenue overpass, which could have a surface street placed on it where the heavy rr is to better connect the area locally.

Some of Cedar Crossing might have to go, along with the entire Elevation 314 building.

However a replica of the historic TP rr station could and should reappear in a new Takoma Station Town Square.

11:47 PM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

Please see:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmqBLaso6uklFbH8gB_MlvwZn31Un448Yia3Zolm7126DvcmJd70vRDGxn25SoY9HZpghUh6oKrBtxoFcuhyQrqO2iXRwGNTFfKmha9JQsiPnTbVtkjNXKM2Tig_4AAHbRkfT/s1600-h/Takoma_Station_Tunnel.JPG

11:49 PM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

The above url may not be readable; it is the illustration in this blog's post of July 2007:

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

try this blog's tag "Grand Arc Mall Tunnel"

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/search/label/Grand%20Arc%20Mall%20Tunnel

Also see the 2 redundant tags about the B&O rr corridor.

11:53 PM

Dave Murphy said...

the PEPCO route seems to be logical, reconnecting at College Park's interchange, I presume. I also imagine it would be two lanes in each direction, and above the railroad ROWs?

I'm a huge fan of burying the Metropolitan Branch, but I have never seen any sort of an estimate for how much it would cost to do so, and what kind of service interruptions the red line, MARC, and CSX would face during reconstruction.

2:39 AM

Douglas A. Willinger said...

The rail lines would first be replaced to avoid service interruptions, before the removal of the existing rail lines and the construction of the underground highway.

8:24 PM

The Doctrinaire Anti New Highways Position of the 1970s- Continued

Canceling highways because private automobile an obsolete concept by the 1990s...

-->

... This request is made because, from my review of the “Combined Corridor and Design Report”, it is obvious that Mr. Airis is proceeding from demonstrably erroneous or obsolete premises, errors that would be manifest if there were an adequate hearing. For example, his report proceeds from the assumption that there will be a 50 percent increase in area population by 1990 with a 100 percent increase in auto travel. Such an assumption is incredible in the face of (1) recent actions by EPA under the Clean Air looking toward the necessity of reducing future auto travel and (2) the growing fuel crisis which, according to Administration spokesmen, will lead to gas rationing within six months and, by 1990, may well render the private automobile as obsolete as the horse and buggy. Furthermore, it should be noted that the proposed six-lane South Leg is designed on the premise that at least 50 percent of the traffic utilizing it would come from two highly controversial (and unapproved) freeways- the [I-66] North Leg Freeway and the [I-266] Three Sisters Bridge."

The Doctrinaire Anti New Highways Position of the 1970s- Peter S. Craig

The Doctrinaire Anti New Highways Position- 'Green' Party

Washington, D.C. Unanimous Cave In On Route Chock

D.C. City Council votes unanimously to subvert transport corridor chock in total violation of post 911 evacuation route concerns, approving 'Brookland Small Area Plan' that shoehorns development to even block adding a single northbound track.


From Greater, Greater, Washington:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1747

The DC Council's Committee of the Whole approved the Brookland Small Area Plan this morning. Technically, they just placed a resolution on the calendar to approve the plan, with some comments; the full Council will vote on the plan later today. However, after this vote, final passage is overwhelmingly likely. Update: The plan passed unanimously.

David-

What was the vote? Was it unanimous or was their some diversity of opinion, debate??

by Douglas Willinger on Mar 3, 2009 11:34 am

Unanimous on a voice vote.

by David Alpert on Mar 3, 2009 11:41 am

That's some government.

That is utterly consistent with my experience when I was promoting the Alexandria Orb and the preservation of the proposed Washington Street Urban Deck.

It was proposed to cover 1,100 feet of the Beltway but which was cut back by some 80% to trade away the funds for things as prettier sidewalks along and around the Prince Street area, voted unanimously by the Alexandria City Council in Dec 2000 and by USNCPC in March 2001.

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-happened-at-alexandria-city-hall.html

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/03/what-could-have-been-said-backroom.html

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

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/03/rubber-stamp-resolution-by-us-national.html

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/03/what-others-got-from-siphoning-urban.html

http://wwwtripwithinthebeltway.blogspot.com/2007/03/how-things-went-at-us-nati_117295465376800441.html

See more at my blog 'A Trip Within the Beltway' under the tag "Alexandria Orb"

by Douglas Willinger on Mar 3, 2009 12:00 pm

D.C. Transportation Led By Jesuitical Traitors

4 decades ago doctrinaire anti freeway activists cried out for canceling all of the un-built highways to 'give rail transit a chance', resulting in some of the worst transportation problems within the U.S.

Now they want to spend millions on slow speed street trolleys, while sanctioning haphazard real estate development to block transport corridors, subverting commuter/evacuation routes, blocking even adding rail capacity.

Our government, including the so-called Defense Department, must be led by traitors...

From Commuter Outrage:

Streetcars Are Stupid, And So Are Our Leaders

by Lewis Derkins
February 28th, 2009, 12:05 am

Metro Employees Hard at Work*
[*my caption would have it as planners who seek to chock transport corridors]

This morning I slogged along to work on the Metro as usual. For some reason, it takes me half an hour to make a trip that takes five minutes in a car, but the upside of this inconvenient delay is that I get to read the Express.

For those unfamiliar with this publication, it’s basically a cliff notes version of the day’s big news events. On page 9 of today’s issue, a headline jumped out at me – “Metro Scours for Revenue”.

This article dutifully informed me that my ride was probably going to become more miserable since Metro is considering “cutting costs and changing services” – read: “cutting services” – to close a $28.8 Million budget gap.

The surprising thing about this announcement is that I read about a DC Department of Transportation plan to announce the revival of streetcars in the district to the tune of $25 Million the previous day.

I’ve talked about this streetcar project before and, spoiler alert: I’m not a fan.

The line is supposed to run a little over 2 miles from Anacostia Metro to Boling AFB. This is idiotic for several reasons including the cost, the limited service and the lack of need.

The streetcars are a part of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative which is supposed to revitalize Anacostia. New flash – if you want to revitalize Anacostia, crack down on the crime. No tourists are in a hurry to ride your pretty streetcars from nowhere to nowhere else with the threat of being shot looming over their heads. And FYI, tourists are the only people who are going to ride this thing.

The idea that Streetcars are going to lead to an urban renaissance is a fairy tale. Let’s be honest about streetcars, they’re something in between a half-assed Metro, and a glorified bus. They’re not as good as Metro because they’re above ground, running on the street, so they don’t protect riders from the elements (just like buses), and they have to travel at the prevailing speed of traffic (and are consequently subject to traffic delays). They’re admittedly prettier than busses, but they don’t have the ability to change routes. If we find out that the line we’ve laid out isn’t necessary, well, oops! Looks like we laid tracks in the street and we’re screwed. At least a bus can be easily rerouted to an area where it’s needed and it doesn’t require any new infrastructure.

But let’s not get too far off track here, why are we spending $25 million on something completely unnecessary when the Metro, which services Anacostia and the surrounding neighborhoods, needs $29 Million? We could give that streetcar money to Metro and alleviate a huge part of the budget shortfall problem.

For Metro’s FY09 Budget, DC gave $295.2 Million, or roughly 16% of the total budget. There is good reason for this, Metro maintains the second largest rail system and the fifth largest bus system in the nation and a huge proportion of its riders are federal government employees.

Why isn’t DC giving this streetcar money to Metro to do something useful with it (the merits of how useful Metro’s actions would be are concededly up for debate) instead of frittering it away on something that looks nice but provides very little real value? And why the hell isn’t the Metro Board of Directors screaming bloody murder about this proposed boondoggle?

Maybe I should be realistic about this, when half of your board of directors rarely even use the system it really isn’t any wonder that they’re out of touch.

A big thanks to the hard-hitting journalism at the Express for not highlighting this stupidity. Perhaps they were just too busy trying to come up with a witty quip for their next headline to bother focusing on something like real journalism.

Thanks also to the average brain-dead DC resident [or hold one's finger up to the wind careerist suck up] who fails to say anything to prevent this buffoonery. Maybe I’m asking too much though. For someone to notice this they’d have to have an attention span longer than 30 seconds and an interest in something other than American Idol so they would 1) read both stories and 2) actually be able to remember the contents of the stories and connect the dots. While we’re at it, thanks public school system for ingraining a sense of intellectual curiosity and civic responsibility in our nation’s future leaders. Bang up job!

We should paint the Metro like a bunch of clown cars and start to play circus music over the intercom in all the stations. We should apply this same technique to the DC DoT offices downtown. What’s the next step in our bright transportation future you clowns, rickshaws or pony rides?

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