Friday, April 5, 2013
495 Express Lanes open to all at no cost April 6-7.
Have you always wanted to try the 495 Express lanes in Northern Virginia, but don’t have an EZ Pass or thought it may not be worth the toll? This weekend, you can take the Express lanes for a test drive at no cost, and with no need for an EZ Pass, according to the Washington Post’s Dr. Gridlock. Dr. Gridlock received a question from a reader who had received an email announcing the free usage weekend, and wondered how the event would be advertised on the electronic signs along the Express Lane’s route. The 495 Express Lanes run for 14 miles in the middle of the Capital Beltway, from approximately one mile south of the George Washington Parkway/Georgetown Pike exit to where 95 and 395 intersect in between Springfield and Franconia. The …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Will Virginia’s pilot paid lane program expand to Maryland?
On Nov. 17, the 495 Express or HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes in Virginia - 14 miles of separate lanes stretching between the Springfield Interchange and just north of the Dulles Toll Road - offered a new pay model for motorists, with lane tolls changing based on real-time traffic conditions. The project's goal was to bring in more revenue to the state of Virginia, while easing traffic congestion. A Maryland Department of Transportation website states that the HOT lanes approach is not under consideration in Maryland, mainly due to “limitations on the ability to enforce lane restrictions and occupancy requirements.” However, Maryland is investigating creating “Express Lanes” which would feature EZ-Pass-like toll collection, and allow …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The accident is on the Beltway near New Carrollton.
An accident on the inner loop of the Beltway closed down three southbound lanes on Interstate 95 in Lanham Thursday morning. According to officials, the accident occurred around 10 a.m. near exit 20, or Annapolis Road. Cars could pass the accident in the left lane and shoulder, according to WTOP traffic. According to Prince George's Fire/EMS Spokesman Mark Brady the accident involves more than one vehicle, however, the driver of one vehicle is trapped and critically injured. Brady tweeted, "...adult male driver extricated and will be [transported] by medics to area Trauma Center in extremely critical condition." The lanes were reopened around 11 a.m.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Greenbelt's firefighters were tending to an accident on the beltway when a Lexus slammed into their fire engine, according to a fire department official.
A 2005 Lexus slammed into a Greenbelt fire engine while firefighters were tending to a vehicle accident on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway, according to Mark Brady, Prince George's County Fire/EMS spokesman. While the Lexus was being cleared, another vehicle slammed into it, barely missing firefighters, Brady said. The Greenbelt Volunteer Fire Department was using its fire engine as barrier protection for civilians, emergency personnel, and units from Greenbelt, West Lanham Hills and Berwyn Heights, which were working on the initial beltway crash between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Rt. 295) and the Annapolis Rd. (Rt. 450) interchanges. Brady said the driver of the 2005 Lexus showed disregard for warning lights and slammed into…
Friday, August 10, 2012
A study confirms that driving home on Fridays takes longer than commutes during the rest of the week.
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Friday, August 10, 2012
A recent study confirms what Washingtonians have long known to be true—Friday afternoon commutes cause more headaches than your average drive home. A study conducted by an outside traffic research firm for Governing.com shows that Friday afternoons are the worst time to drive in nearly three-quarters of metro areas nationally, including Washington, DC. DC ranked as the ninth worst metro area for Friday afternoon delays of the 100 cities included in the data, according to the report. The average Friday afternoon delay in the region clocked in at 7.47 minutes for a 30-minute commute. Monday through Thursday, the data shows the average delay to be about 5.94 minutes for a half-hour trip. Washington ranked just below Portland, OR, at eighth …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Police are diverting northbound parkway traffic onto southbound I-495, following a one-car accident in Greenbelt, MD.
One occupant is dead following a one-car accident on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The accident occurred just south of the Capital Beltway in Greenbelt, according to Sgt. A. Wong with the U.S. Park Police. Police are diverting traffic onto southbound I-495, according to Wong, who said an investigation is under way and police are working to open lanes. Get daily and breaking news email updates from Greenbelt Patch by signing up for newsletters here.
Friday, June 15, 2012
But, Maryland State Police it was only a military aircraft.
Commuters took to Twitter on Wednesday evening when they believed a UFO landed on the beltway near Kenilworth Avenue. However, the aliens weren't landing. Maryland State Police told WTOP that the saucer-like aircraft was actually a military plane in transit from West Virginia to Maryland's Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Check out this video from a previous encounter with a similar aircraft. For the full story, read WTOP.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Taking the ICC, beltway and local roads, see which challengers make it to Laurel first?
It was a roadway showdown of sorts -- to mark the opening of the next section of the Inter County Connector. Residents and officials from local regional transportation groups challenged each other to drive the different routes between Gaithersburg and Laurel, both using the new highway and not using it. The section that opened today will allow commuters to drive quickly from I-370 in Montgomery County to I-95 in Prince George's County. All that remains to be built of the 18.2-mile highway is a small stretch connecting I-95 to Route 1. That section is set to begin construction later this year or early next year. Members of the Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance created a challenge to see who could reach the ICC’s end point near West…
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Several state police commercial vehicle teams will be patrolling the beltway.
The Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Thursday will be conducting “Operation Tailgate, ”an initiative targeting unsafe and overweight commercial vehicles in Prince George’s County. “Operation Tailgate” will target commercial trucks and buses traveling the I-95/I-495 corridor. State police personnel, along with state and local law enforcement and regulatory agencies will be operating stationary inspections and roving patrols in the area. Several state police commercial vehicle teams will be patrolling I-495. During the inspection process, efforts will be focused on locating wanted fugitives, impaired drivers, unqualified commercial vehicle operators, fraudulent documents and other unlawful behavior. During the …
Polly
8:31 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
At that hour of the morning I'd suspect alcohol, drugs, lack of sleep, cell phones and/or texting. How else could you possible miss a freaking fire truck with lights blazing?? Why no names of the drivers given? A quick search on the Maryland Judiciary Case page would elicit more info. more ›