Shocking rhetoric from John Townsend and AAA

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:02:00 EDT

by Dan Malouff, Ken Archer, David Edmondson, Ben Ross, Aimee Custis, Dan Reed, Geoff Hatchard, Rahul Mereand-Sinha, Jaime Fearer, Topher Mathews, Matt Johnson, Michael Perkins, Martin Moulton, Steven Glazerman, Tracey Johnstone, Tim Krepp, Steven Yates, Sandra Moscoso, Nick Casey, Joe Weedon, Canaan Merchant, Bradley Heard, Jereme Altendorf, Jacques Arsenault, Brent Bolin, Abigail Zenner, John Muller, Brian McEntee, Ben Harris, Sarah Lewis, Sally Hobaugh, Ryan Sigworth, Darren Buck, Mark Jordan, Miles Grant, Jessica Christy, Laura Dallas McSorley, Nolan Treadway, and Stewart Schwartz

This week's Washington City Paper cover story quoted AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend calling Greater Greater Washington editor David Alpert "retarded" and a "ninny," and comparing Greater Greater Washington to the Ku Klux Klan.

Many other reporters, people on Twitter, and residents generally have clearly stated in response what should of course go without saying, that such personal attacks are beyond the pale.

Some may get the sense that there is personal animosity between Townsend and the team here at Greater Greater Washington. At least on our end, nothing could be further from the truth. We simply disagree with many of his policy positions and his incendiary rhetoric.

Spirited argument is important in public policy, but it should not cross into insults. When it does, that has a chilling effect on open discourse. Fostering an inclusive conversation about the shape of our region is the purpose of this site, but discourse must be civil to be truly open. That's why our comment policy here on Greater Greater Washington prohibits invective like this. In our articles, we try hard to avoid crossing this line, and are disappointed when we or others do, intentionally or inadvertently.

The "war on cars" frame unnecessarily pits drivers against cyclists and pedestrians instead of working together for positive solutions. The City Paper article, by Aaron Wiener, does a good job of debunking that, and is worth reading for much more than the insults it quotes.

When pressed, Townsend told Wiener he wants to back away from the "war on cars."

"I regret the rhetoric sometimes," he says. "Because I think that when you use that type of language, it shuts down communication with people who disagree."

We hope Townsend, his colleagues, and their superiors also regret the things he said about David and Greater Greater Washington. We look forward to the day when AAA ceases using antagonistic language and begins working toward safety, mobility, and harmony among all road users.

In the meantime, residents do have a choice when purchasing towing, insurance, and travel discounts. Better World Club is one company that offers many of the same benefits as AAA, but without the disdain.

289 comments

MD toll agency pushes more driving to fill little-used road

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:34:00 EDT

by Tracey Johnstone

At a time when Maryland, the District, and Virginia are trying to coax people to drive less, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA), which oversees toll roads, has embarked on a campaign encouraging people to drive more. Specifically, they want more people to drive the Intercounty Connector (ICC).

Photo by Dougtone on Flickr.

Maryland is not getting its money's worth from the $2.5 billion highway despite the high tolls: 70 cents to travel one exit, and $4 to travel the whole length one way. A complete round trip is $8. People cite high tolls, few exits, low demand, and the 55 mph speed limit as reasons to not drive the ICC.

The state agency is on the stump to encourage drivers to use the new toll road. Last Sunday, MdTA had a booth at the Bethesda Farmer's Market. Workers handed out literature showing how to sign up for E-ZPass, without which drivers on the ICC face an additional charge.

MdTA's booth at the Bethesda Farmer's Market. Photos by Ronit Dancis.

Promoting the ICC seems a strange use of state money when Maryland's governor has set a state goal of doubling transit use by 2020. An MdTA spokesperson claimed that this is standard outreach aimed at encouraging use of the electronic E-ZPass system to pay tolls. But the focus of the agency's signage was the ICC itself, not the electronic pay system.

If the ICC were an isolated road, encouraging more people to use it might not be a problem. Yet drivers on the ICC access it from other crowded roads, such as I-270, Route 29 and I-95. These roads need fewer drivers, not more.

Are any readers aware of a campaign anywhere in the world that is trying to make people drive more?

65 comments

High ICC tolls show how expensive new freeways are (Oct 19, 2009)
Floreen shocked by tolls on project she supported (Dec 24, 2009)
SHA avoids the T word in 270 reply (Oct 28, 2009)
Why is the ICC so empty? How long will it stay that way? (Jan 3, 2012)
What will VA and MD buy with their borrowing and taxing? (Feb 24, 2011)

Tracey Johnstone - Greater Greater Washington

Shocking rhetoric from John Townsend and AAA

MD toll agency pushes more driving to fill little-used road