Silver Spring. Photo by thisisbossi.

As part of their proposals for BRAC-related infrastructure adjustments, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) proposed adding an extra reversible lane on Connecticut Avenue between the Beltway and Manor lane. No matter the area, the state’s highwaymen continue floating more lanes as the solution to every problem, despite reversible lanes’ poor track record in Silver Spring.

The new lane would eliminate the need to widen the road near Jones Bridge Road, making the previously discussed demolition of five houses along Connecticut Avenue unnecessary, although the existing median would have to be eliminated.

A friend of a friend who lives on Connecticut Avenue between the Beltway and Jones Bridge Road recently received a letter from the Maryland SHA telling him that he might have to sell his house in order to make way for another two lanes of car traffic. Fortunately, it would appear that the state has decided against this option. However, why do they need to widen the road? Maryland does need some infrastructure adjustments to accommodate the upcoming BRAC-related jobs moves. However, why are they so focused on cars and traffic? After all, if you only plan for more cars and traffic, you only get more cars and traffic.

Fortunately, the scope of the road widening projects around the county is being reduced:

Several of the changes reduce the scope of the projects. They include eliminating proposed widening of Rockville Pike south of Jones Bridge Road near Glenbrook Village and adjacent to the Boy Scouts of the National Capital Area Council building and eliminating a proposed right-turn-only lane on Oakmont Avenue at the intersection of West Cedar Lane and Old Georgetown Road. Lane widths along the Pike at Cedar Lane and Jones Bridge Road would also be reduced.

However, despite the scaling back of the road projects, they will still induce more traffic. Just like with the misguided proposal to widen I-270, the existence of the wider road will cause more people with the choice to drive their car rather than take transit. Also, the wider roads will incentivize potential residential real estate buyers to live farther from their jobs. All the extra motorists will jam up the road. Just like with the I-270 widening from the late 1980’s, the county will be right back at square one with traffic congestion. All the money that was spent on roads with the intention of relieving traffic will have gone right down the toilet. On top of that, the county/state will have a larger road maintenance bill, and the wider roads will make it less likely that more energy-saving walkable urban human settlements will ever be built near the widened traffic-sewer roads. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Local residents understand the correlation between road widening, increased traffic, and demand for more road widening in response. They are appropriately skeptical:

While he [Andy Scott, special assistant for economic development to Acting State Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley] said SHA should “fast track” the Connecticut Avenue and Jones Bridge Road intersection study because of the possibility of property seizures, Ken Strickland of the Chevy Chase Valley Citizens Association also asked SHA to look at the intersections comprehensively, such as improving access onto Jones Bridge Road eastbound for residents of his neighborhood.

"We don’t want to revisit this in three years,” Strickland warned officials about the intersections.

Adding the extra lane on Connecticut Avenue would make the road even more of a traffic sewer than it already is. Rather than focusing on cars and traffic, we need to focus on moving people. The recent change in the language about the proposal to improve access allowing for a second entrance to the Medical Center Metro from the eastern side of Rockville Pike rather than only a pedestrian tunnel under the road is a step in the right direction. Adding additional Metro stations on the western Red Line in order to increase the land in walking distance to transit that serves Medical Center is another good strategy to move more people. Building the Purple Line so more people are connected to the western Red Line with rail transit is another such strategy. Improving MARC service from Frederick is another strategy. There are many ways, both large and incremental, that can move people to the new jobs surrounding the Medical Center Metro. Road widening projects will cost as much or more as similarly scaled transit projects, move fewer people, and will eventually choke on their own induced traffic.