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District of Columbia

Started by Alex, April 07, 2009, 01:22:25 PM

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1995hoo

Quote from: Beltway on July 20, 2019, 10:14:02 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 20, 2019, 05:56:10 PM
Quote from: vdeane on July 20, 2019, 12:41:17 PM
40 mph is not unprecedented for interstates.  I'm pretty sure I-395 and I-695 in DC were already there (with 35 on part of I-395).  I-490 through downtown Rochester is also 40.
There's definitely a 35-mph segment on I-395 northbound heading down to the Third Street Tunnel.

That would be the ramps between the Southwest/Southeast Freeway and Center Leg Freeway.

Granted it carries I-395 thru the interchange, and originally carried I-95, but those are technically ramps and not mainline.

I view it as a regular speed limit, however, because it's signed with white "Speed Limit 35" signs rather than the yellow advisory speed signs one normally sees on ramps.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.


famartin

Could someone explain to me why they call it the "Third Street Tunnel" when its closer to going under Second Street (if there was still a Second Street at that point)?

mrsman

Quote from: famartin on October 22, 2019, 01:12:35 PM
Could someone explain to me why they call it the "Third Street Tunnel" when its closer to going under Second Street (if there was still a Second Street at that point)?

I believe it's because many of the entrances to the tunnel (Mass Ave, D St.) are along 3rd street in Downtown.

Beltway

Quote from: mrsman on October 25, 2019, 04:31:55 PM
Quote from: famartin on October 22, 2019, 01:12:35 PM
Could someone explain to me why they call it the "Third Street Tunnel" when its closer to going under Second Street (if there was still a Second Street at that point)?
I believe it's because many of the entrances to the tunnel (Mass Ave, D St.) are along 3rd street in Downtown.
3rd Street NW and SW runs the whole length of the Center Leg Freeway corridor.

2nd Street does not cross the Mall.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

noelbotevera

I plan on watching The Irishmen sometime in early November (Nov. 8th or Nov. 14th - a Friday and a Thursday, depending on how my dad's schedule works out). The closest cinema to me offering it is Landmark's E Street Cinema by the Ford's Theatre. I'm coming from I-270 in the northwest, and I'm likely arriving sometime during rush hour. So, what's the best way of getting across DC?

Well, here was my thoughts:

Beltway -> Clara Barton Pkwy/River Road -> Whitehurst Freeway/K St -> 11th Street
Disadvantages: Clara Barton Parkway has one way restrictions. According to Wikipedia, I'm forced off at Glen Echo, so the best way would have to take MacArthur Boulevard which parallels the Parkway at the expense of traffic signals

Beltway -> George Washington Parkway -> I-395 -> 12th Street Expressway
Disadvantages: The 14th Street Bridge is a significant bottleneck.

G.W. Parkway -> Arlington Memorial -> Independence Avenue -> ???
Disadvantages: Crossing the National Mall. Traffic lights on Independence would likely screw something up.

Straight shot via Wisconsin or Connecticut Avenue (via exit 1 on I-270/exit at the end of I-270)
Disadvantages: Traffic lights, possible suburbs traffic?

Suggestions would be appreciated. To avoid time constraints as much as possible, I'll assume that it'll take 3 hours to reach DC. Another possibility would be to use Metro (catch it at Shady Grove), but that's just as uncertain as driving in.

ARMOURERERIC

When I lived there 30 years ago, I would have parked at Shady Grove Metro and take the Red Line in.

oscar

If you're going to downtown D.C. from out of town, doing battle with the D.C. region rush hour is insane. I-270 => I-370 => Shady Grove Metro to downtown is the way to go. Metro has its issues, but not nearly as bad as the highways inside the Beltway.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

ixnay

Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on October 27, 2019, 07:37:46 AM
When I lived there 30 years ago, I would have parked at Shady Grove Metro and take the Red Line in.

The Red Line's nearest stop to Landmark's is Metro Center at 12th and G NW.

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/#main-content

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

1995hoo

I'd probably just take the Metro, as others suggest. Remember each person needs his own SmarTrip card–you can't share a card like you can in New York. Also remember one of the cards will need the parking fee loaded because you can't pay cash at the garage exit. Do not stand on the left side of the Metro escalators–stand single-file on the right if you aren't going to walk.

The 12th and F exit from Metro Center is moderately closer than 12th and G, but I think the easiest one to use is probably 11th and G because you can easily use that one to exit and to re-enter later. When you get off the inbound Red Line, this exit is the one located close to the front of the train (make a left as you exit the train unless you're riding all the way at the front). When you come out at street level, just go straight ahead for two blocks and make a left on E. The cinema is on your left. But be aware there are a lot of panhandlers and bums around that Metro exit because it's sheltered under the corner of the Woodies building. (I say this exit is easy for the return trip because the Red Line is on the upper level at Metro Center and has side platforms. If you re-enter at 12th and F, you'll need to go down to the lower level to pass under the Red Line and come back up on the far side in order to be on the correct platform. Not a huge issue, but it's easier just to enter via a different route and avoid the issue.)

BTW, most of Metro's signs list the streets in the wrong order. People here almost always put the numbered street first when referring to a location or giving directions, but for some reason Metro's signage people think the lettered street goes first ("F & 12th" instead of the standard "12th & F," for example). Not a big deal; I mention it just in case you use the platform signs for guidance so you aren't thrown off by the signs having it in the wrong order.

If you must drive into the city, note you don't necessarily want to park right near the cinema, depending on your schedule, as many downtown garages close by 7:00. The closest parking to that cinema is probably 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue. You enter from 10th Street across from the FBI and it's self-park. The garage is open late, too (I've parked there when we took my father to dinner at Central for his birthday). That's a good garage. Another good one is about a four-block walk up 11th Street, the City Center garage (this is where I usually park these days when I drive)–it's massive, it's open 24/7, and it has those nice red and green lights to help you spot empty spaces. You simply walk straight down 11th Street to E and make a left and the cinema is there. (When I drive, I turn into the garage from 11th just north of H. Note when you leave via that same ramp there is no left turn.)

There is also a garage next to Ford's Theatre that's open late. One of our Caps ticket-sharing partners uses it. I know it's valet during the day and self-park later, but I don't know when the switchover occurs. I generally don't park there because I don't know what the hours are for that–when I drive in, it's usually because we have a game that night and I don't want to leave my keys with a valet when I won't be back to the car until 10 PM (well, I hate valet parking anyway and try never to use it as it is). I don't want to have to track down an employee later at night when there's more traffic trying to exit.

Regarding routing: The Clara Barton Parkway and Canal Road both have one-way segments during rush hour. You don't want to use MacArthur Boulevard, which has a lot of lights and also has speed cameras. Memorial Bridge to Independence Avenue isn't a bad route except the bridge is under major construction and the traffic circle at the "Virginia" end (it's actually in DC) is a bad spot if you don't know the area well–traffic on the circle must yield to entering traffic and it's easy to get stuck at rush hour if you're not very aggressive in forcing your way into traffic. If you do use that route, the best place to turn left from Independence to get across the Mall is 15th Street because there is a green arrow there. I'm pretty sure left turns are illegal at 14th, and I'm also pretty sure there's no turn arrow at 12th. You don't want to go all the way down to 7th.

If you come down the GW Parkway, you could go across the Roosevelt Bridge and up Constitution Avenue, but note that tends to be slow from 19th Street to at least 15th. (Also be careful at 18th because a lot of people illegally go straight from the left-turn-only lane.) I'd turn left at 15th because there are two turn lanes with green arrows, but note that it's a short green arrow made shorter by red-light runners on 15th beginning their left turns after the light has changed.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: noelbotevera on October 27, 2019, 12:25:11 AM
I plan on watching The Irishmen sometime in early November (Nov. 8th or Nov. 14th - a Friday and a Thursday, depending on how my dad's schedule works out). The closest cinema to me offering it is Landmark's E Street Cinema by the Ford's Theatre. I'm coming from I-270 in the northwest, and I'm likely arriving sometime during rush hour. So, what's the best way of getting across DC?

Well, here was my thoughts:

Beltway -> Clara Barton Pkwy/River Road -> Whitehurst Freeway/K St -> 11th Street
Disadvantages: Clara Barton Parkway has one way restrictions. According to Wikipedia, I'm forced off at Glen Echo, so the best way would have to take MacArthur Boulevard which parallels the Parkway at the expense of traffic signals

Clara Barton Parkway and most of Canal Road, N.W. from Glen Echo in Maryland to Foxhall Road, N.W. runs one-way in the opposite direction weekdays (toward Glen Echo) from 2:45 PM to about 7:00 PM).

Quote
Beltway -> George Washington Parkway -> I-395 -> 12th Street Expressway
Disadvantages: The 14th Street Bridge is a significant bottleneck.

George Washington Memorial Parkway southbound approaching I-395 can be extremely congested in the afternoons.

Quote
G.W. Parkway -> Arlington Memorial -> Independence Avenue -> ???
Disadvantages: Crossing the National Mall. Traffic lights on Independence would likely screw something up.

Arlington Memorial Bridge is under reconstruction, with only one lane in the off-peak direction open.

Quote
Straight shot via Wisconsin or Connecticut Avenue (via exit 1 on I-270/exit at the end of I-270)
Disadvantages: Traffic lights, possible suburbs traffic?

Lots of traffic signals.

Quote
Suggestions would be appreciated. To avoid time constraints as much as possible, I'll assume that it'll take 3 hours to reach DC. Another possibility would be to use Metro (catch it at Shady Grove), but that's just as uncertain as driving in.

Metro might be the best bet here. 

Also, it is difficult and expensive finding a place to park in the downtown area of D.C.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

1995hoo

Forgot to mention: Verizon Center is a couple of blocks from the E Street Cinema. The Capitals aren't at home on the dates you noted, but the Bullets have a home game on November 8 and Georgetown basketball plays there on November 14. Some parking garages may be busier as a result. Don't even think about using the Gallery Place garage over by the arena because they'll charge an "event rate"  of $35 (at least for the Bullets game, anyway).

The garages on 8th Street between G and H are not good options either because the street is too narrow and has stop signs at both ends of the block–very difficult getting out of there if there's an event at the arena.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

KEVIN_224

I think you meant Wizards for the NBA.

1995hoo

Quote from: KEVIN_224 on October 27, 2019, 07:09:42 PM
I think you meant Wizards for the NBA.

No, I meant Bullets. They might call themselves by the racist name you mentioned, but they've never done anything to distinguish themselves from all those mediocre Bullets teams when I was growing up around here (and I'm just a little too young to remember their lone championship).

Besides, Nils Lofgren hasn't recorded "Wizards Fever" !!!  :bigass:
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

ixnay

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 27, 2019, 07:29:58 PM
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on October 27, 2019, 07:09:42 PM
I think you meant Wizards for the NBA.

No, I meant Bullets. They might call themselves by the racist name you mentioned, but they've never done anything to distinguish themselves from all those mediocre Bullets teams when I was growing up around here (and I'm just a little too young to remember their lone championship).

Besides, Nils Lofgren hasn't recorded "Wizards Fever" !!!  :bigass:

I use "Wizards" myself (and I still call MiLB's Reading [PA] Fightin Phils the "Reading Phillies"), but "Wizards" doesn't have the attitude of "Bullets".

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

1995hoo

"Wizards"  is a dumb name for a team in a heavily black sport with a heavily black fan base in a heavily black city, given the use of "wizard"  by the Klan.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

jakeroot

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 28, 2019, 08:03:51 PM
"Wizards"  is a dumb name for a team in a heavily black sport with a heavily black fan base in a heavily black city, given the use of "wizard"  by the Klan.

I'm not sure that relating a heavily-black sport with gun terminology is necessarily wise, either.

Both names suck.

Beltway

#966
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 28, 2019, 08:03:51 PM
"Wizards"  is a dumb name for a team in a heavily black sport with a heavily black fan base in a heavily black city, given the use of "wizard"  by the Klan.

Wizards are involved with witchcraft, which means that they traffic with the Demons of Hell.

Isaiah 8:19-20
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto spiritists and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; shall the people not seek unto their God?  Shall we appeal for the living unto the dead?  To the law and to the testimony!  If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Not a good team name.

http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

ixnay

#967
Quote from: Beltway on October 28, 2019, 08:48:51 PM
Wizards are involved with witchcraft, which means that they traffic with the Demons of Hell.

Isaiah 8:19-20
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto spiritists and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; shall the people not seek unto their God?  Shall we appeal for the living unto the dead?  To the law and to the testimony!  If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Not a good team name.

:rolleyes:

That said, a few of the folks on freerepublic.com would probably agree with you.

Even if every denomination poses as the one true Christianity.

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

AlexandriaVA

The now-late owner who changed the name was Jewish, so I doubt it bothered him much

Alps

Aaaaaaaand let's get back to roads.

Henry

#970
Quote from: oscar on October 27, 2019, 07:53:08 AM
If you're going to downtown D.C. from out of town, doing battle with the D.C. region rush hour is insane. I-270 => I-370 => Shady Grove Metro to downtown is the way to go. Metro has its issues, but not nearly as bad as the highways inside the Beltway.
I agree, it's better to take the Metro into town than try to drive through that notorious traffic.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

KEVIN_224

Now you'll have the Nationals parade on Saturday at 2 PM ET. METRO will surely be fun that day! :)

1995hoo

Quote from: KEVIN_224 on October 31, 2019, 06:24:16 PM
Now you'll have the Nationals parade on Saturday at 2 PM ET. METRO will surely be fun that day! :)

He said they were looking at November 8 or 14.

"Metro"  is not an acronym, BTW. No such thing as "METRO."
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

KEVIN_224

I've been told that before. You are right. I've always spelled it out in capital letters. Now I know that MBTA in greater Boston IS an acronym! :)

AlexandriaVA

WMATA, however, is indeed an acronym



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