How to Avoid Interstate 95 And Still Get to Richmond

Publish date: 2024-08-05

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

In response to the driver trying to avoid heavy traffic on Route 17 approaching Interstate 95 at Falmouth, try this:

Take Route 15 south, but instead of turning left onto Route 17, continue on Route 15 to Culpeper. At Culpeper, take the exit for Route 522 south. Route 522 intersects with Interstate 64 about 20 miles west of Richmond.

Route 522 is a two-lane road and has a few twists and turns as it nears I-64, but traffic is usually very light. With this route one can completely avoid I-95 when going to Richmond.

We travel from Leesburg to visit relatives in Richmond and prefer this route to any other.

Thanks for sharing. I'm going to put those directions in my glove compartment and give them a try. At worst, it will be different from the dreadful, congested I-95 between our Capital Beltway and Richmond.

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The Blue-Bubble Exemption

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Two days ago, I was motoring at 9 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 66. HOV-2 regulations were still in effect. From Manassas to Nutley Street, I was in front of a four-door Ford with a male driver inside, one or two extra aerials on the car and a blue, bubble-shaped light on the dashboard.

Was this a policeman in a unmarked car? I would wager that it was. He was in the HOV lane, all by himself, all the way to Nutley. If he is a police officer, is he exempt?

Jed Duvall

Amissville, Rappahannock

The use of blue lights is supposed to be restricted to law enforcement. Fire equipment and ambulances use red emergency lights. Because unmarked police vehicles come in all forms (Prince William has used sports cars), I'd assume that that was a police vehicle. And if so, yes, law enforcement is exempt from Virginia HOV restrictions, whether on or off duty.

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If any of you are aware of a vendor who sells blue lights to the public, I'd like to know about it.

Parents Can Teach, Too

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I read the column about rowdy juveniles on Metro ["Facing Metro's Precocious Terrors," Dr. Gridlock, Metro section, Oct. 16]. I think most of the time teens unfairly get a bad rap.

For every young terror who attracts attention with his or her antics, there is probably at least one other youngster the same age who's just politely minding his or her own business and who, therefore, never gets noticed. And for every teen who is inconsiderate, there are several adults who are equally bad -- just in different ways. Cell phone users, anyone?

Andrea Shettle

Dr. Gridlock understands teachers who feel that they already have enough to do in the workday and that parents should be the ones primarily responsible for educating children about manners on public transit.

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However, some parents are not models of teaching or supervising. A teacher might take a moment in the day to underscore good manners on Metro.

Jobs, Commutes Change

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I am writing in response to the letter from Terence Heron of Arlington regarding living close to where one works ["For God's Sake, Move Closer to Your Job," Dr. Gridlock, Alexandria-Arlington Extra, Oct. 13]. My wife and I live in Alexandria, three miles from Reagan National Airport. For years, we both worked at National for the same major airline. During that time we used Metro, and I would bike to work.

I now work at Washington Dulles International Airport. What does Mr. Heron suggest for us? Move in the middle so that both of us have to commute?

His view would work if there were only one breadwinner. It sounds as though he is assuming that half of the couple stays at home.

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There is not one solution to commuting. Each family has to come up with what works best for it. I am approaching retirement, and it makes sense for us to stay put.

Keith Calhoun

Alexandria

Living close to one's job is difficult in a two-income family. People change jobs and job locations. Then what?

A Transient Population

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

After regularly reading the advice in your column to live where you work, I finally must comment. How many homeowners -- journalists and politicians excluded -- have had the same job location for 10 years? How many of those are completely confident they will work at the same location for the next 10 years? And how many spouses of those have had and expect to continue to have the same job location? And are both working at the same location?

To Terence Heron, who wondered "Why are people living in Rockville and above and driving to near Dulles to work?" [Dr. Gridlock, Oct. 13], could it be that the Rockville job location closed and moved employees to Dulles? Something similar happened to my family.

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Do you know of sufficient housing in Tysons Corner whose prices are commensurate with the salaries of the sales associates employed at the local malls and stores?

Jo Mozingo

Springfield

It is difficult to live close to one's workplace, for many of the reasons you cite.

Transportation researcher Diane Mattingly contributed to this column.

Dr. Gridlock appears Thursday in The Extra and Sunday in the Metro section. You can write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. He prefers to receive e-mail, at drgridlock@washpost.com, or faxes, at 703-352-3908. Include your full name, town, county and day and evening telephone numbers.

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