Live Q&As

Thanks for checking out the annual holiday getaway guide on Sunday's Commuter page. We can't squeeze any more maps and text onto that page. I've been going with the routes that I get the most questions about, then following up with more discussions about routes on the Dr. Gridlock blog. For example, I still need to discuss potential alternatives for those heading west through Pennsylvania that avoid Breezewood.

About 95 south: I must say, I haven't got a really good alternative. Some travelers recommend going west on I-66, then picking up Route 28 to Route 17 and back onto 95. Others say that's a waste of time.

On the east side, some drivers like taking 301 south across the Potomac and reconnecting south of the DC region with 95.

Would others like to comment on that?

Here's the online version of the getaway guide:

http://wapo.st/9cwXgM

Several weeks ago, Metro discovered a problem along the track bed near Friendship Heights that needs fixing. Till Metro can assemble the parts and schedule the work, trains are ordered to slow down in that section. (I don't know why operators don't announce this.)

Farragut North: Michaelangelo would have had that ceiling done by now. I think Metro workers discovered problems they hadn't anticipated that relate to the water pipe system above the ceiling. That required some inter-agency coordination. That's going well, isn't it?

Metro has been cutting its personnel for several years now and plans to do so again this year. The more jobs it cuts, the more opportunities there are for overtime among bus drivers, train operators and escalator mechanics. That boosts their income.

It still doesn't leave Metro without a budget shortfall. We could have one again this year.

Good question, and I'll check. But no, there haven't been announcements yet on the 5A and B30. As you note, extra service was added last year around the holidays.

I think that's a fair question. Metro officials have focused intensely on making sure there's no repeat of the Red Line crash. Notice that the trains still are not back under automatic control, since the controls were a major issue in the crash.

Meanwhile, I think Metro needs to consider its elevators and escalators as part of its basic transportation system. Metro has known about its escalator problems for more than a decade, yet it hasn't given enough attention to that side of the operation.

Here's something from the Maryland State Police, and my recollection is that it's the same for Virginia State Police:

"Make note of the highway that you are traveling, the direction of travel, color, make and license number of the vehicle. If you have a cell phone dial #77 and this will connect you with the nearest state police barrack. Give the dispatcher your name, phone number and the above information. Follow the directions of the dispatcher and a lookout will be given for the vehicle. Do NOT attempt to keep up with a reckless driver - it will only put your safety in jeopardy."

Ann Scott Tyson, who has been covering the escalator issues all year, had a really interesting story in today's Post about the problems with the Westinghouse model that makes up about 80 percent of Metro's escalators: http://wapo.st/bdgkE5

It must occur to many readers that what needs to happen is a complete replacement of those escalators. But we're talking about 80 percent of 588 escalators. It's not like  replacing the escalators in a Macy's store. This would be a huge investment over many years. There's no money to do that -- unless maybe they decide not to replace the 300 oldest rail cars.

No, there isn't. Last year, Metro announced the planned changes -- the thing with the SmartBenefit "purses" -- on Oct. 27, and we all went nuts because employees and their personnel departments were having trouble figuring out what to do and implement the changes in time. Then in December, Metro announced that the IRS had granted a one year extension, till January 2011.

Metro seems to be cutting things even tighter this year.

One of many places where people have to mix in what appears to me to be a counterproductive way.

(The commenter is refering to what a letter-writer and I had to say in my Sunday column about the escalator/elevator situation at Union Station: http://wapo.st/beZOq6 )

The western side of the Beltway in Maryland is a real problem. There's plenty of action on the Virginia side, with the HOT lanes construction, but nothing comparable in Maryland. There's a study, but you won't seen any action for years. No money.

I think people -- voters -- are less demanding about transportation solutions than they were earlier in this decade, but I can't explain why.

I think you're the first person reporting what sounds like a very serious incident. Please tell us more (exact time, for example) and we'll pursue it. Send us a message at:

transportation@washpost.com or drgridlock@washpost.com

None of the HOV systems work well if the HOV lanes are not separated from the general traffic by barriers. Many people won't obey a traffic law if they think they can get away with disobeying it. (In my job, I do things like stand at intersections and watch how many drivers come to a full stop -- or at least almost a stop -- for Stop signs or when they're making right turns on red. It's getting scary.)

I think Virginia state police do try to enforce the HOV rules, but the number of violators overwhelms enforcement. By the way, the police know that when they do enforcement, they not only create traffic jams that defeat the intent of having HOV lanes, they also create a dangerous situation for all drivers because of the resulting congestion and braking.

If I remember correctly, the left lane on each side of Route 123 at the Beltway closed in the spring for 18 to 24 months, while a new Beltway bridge is built above 123. (This is for the HOT lanes project.) I don't believe there's going to be any change on that through the hoilday season.

I don't believe you'll have 95 to yourself, but do think you'll be okay, unless there is a bad accident somewhere along the way. People are spreding out their holiday getaways more and more.

These past few days, I've gotten a bunch of questions about whether it's best to travel on Thanksgiving morning rather than try to escape on Wednesday. Yes, I do think Thanksgiving morning is better than Wednesday, or even Tuesday night, but do keep track of the weather forecast if you're going to cut it that close.

Also, I like the commenter's point about sticking with what you know. We try to offer reasonable alternative routes, but if you can get away at a very off-peak time, why not stick to the highway you know best that has the most lanes? (Answering myself: Many people on the northeast routes hate the 95 tolls.)

People don't seem to be identifying with their captors on the highways and on Metro. I think they just don't believe there are any solutions that won't cost them a lot of money in taxes or fares.

The hybrid exemption in Virginia was meant to encourage people to buy hybrids. They no longer need that encouragement and the exemption should have been allowed to expire years ago.

During our discussions last year, I heard good things from some travelers about the US 15 option. But I just hate that holiday traffic on I-270 up to Frederick. Then there are just as many who hate I-83 just north of Baltimore.

This is what leads so many people to tell me: Know the options, but remember that at the holidays, there are no undiscovered shortcuts. Timing the getaway is more important than the route.

I haven't priced escalators lately. (In my house, we're content to use the stairs.) But I do think Metro needs to be careful about picking a type of replacement escalator if it decides to go that way. It would be committing to buying more than 500 units over many years. (You wouldn't want to buy one model this year, then start buying another model two years from now. One of the key problems now is that there are so many different types of parts to replace in the escalators and elevators, and sometimes Metro has to make the parts itself.

That's just plain weird. Don't be looking for the logic. (And don't think of that one as representing any class of drivers you're likely to encounter on K or any other street.)