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Re: Beltway Traffic Jams --I don't understand!!



Alex8940 (alex8940@aol.com) wrote:
: Can someone explain why between the hours of 4:30 and 7:00 there is a
: miserable backup on the interloop starting at Wisconsin Ave and stretching
: to Georgia Ave ?  I swear, as soon as we pass that exit the pace picks up

  THREE things are involved:
    1) heavy traffic that exceeds the road's capacity exascerbated by 
merging traffic joining at 270, Wisconsin, and Conn Ave;
    2) repeated sharp curves that slower vehicles like trucks must slow 
down for, at least to the speed limit, which forces faster vehicles to 
change lanes, slowing those lanes in turn, and they block two friends, 
and so on, and so on...;
    3) the steep hill preceding Georgia Ave which keeps many vehicles
speeds down near the speed limit, even without traffic in front.  It's not
that people CAN'T drive faster, accelerating up the hill, it's that they
don't realize that they have an open lane and that they are only doing 50. 

  Once traffic reaches the crest of the hill, right at the Georgia Ave. 
overpass, cars speed up on the flatter ground.  It's really a
psychological thing--many drivers don't realize that they are
accelerating.  I have a hard time refraining from honking at the idiots
who do 45 in the left lane with an open lane in front of them.  NOW YOU
KNOW WHO YOU ARE!  :)

         ~~~~     Jonathan
        ~c--oo    thonhazz@clark.net
             >
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