With Washington DC’s Bike to Work Day today, it has gotten me thinking about why it is that so many people in DC drive, and why the traffic is so bad. It’s ironic that a person can ride their bike into and around town far faster and cheaper than in a motored vehicle.
The longer I go without owning a car, the more I realize that personal transportation vehicles are a waste of money and other resources. The gasoline, the maintenance, the time missed from work getting your vehicle repaired, the amount of space they take up, the vehicle payments, etc., all are reasons we have decided to not purchase another car. We are glad we live in a location where that is feasible.
With the increase of gas prices in recent years, most people I know have analyzed bus routes, bicycle commute times, carpooling options, looking for a way to get by without a car. So far, my suburban friends have been unsuccessful.
Developers around the metro area have finally started to see the merits of building residential and commercial within easy walking or very short drives. Today when people search for jobs their search radius has been shrinking. People want to work closer to home.
Despite this push toward greener mobility, there are more and more vehicles on the road all the time, all fighting for valuable parking in downtown DC. The problem with trying to fix this solution, however, is that if you build more parking, that means more people will try to drive because the parking is available. I say the way to solve the traffic congestion in DC is to remove parking. Build a stadium, but let people metro in from their hotels and from their suburban parking lots. Build more office space, but save the money on the expensive underground parking garages. Spend that money on a bike rack or on metro passes.
Street parking is another congestion-creator. People will drive around for blocks and blocks, searching for a free parking space, burning gas and occupying space on the street. If we just had a few public garages, people would know exactly where to go. Remove the street parking in commercial areas, widen the sidewalks, and make people walk that extra two or three blocks. An added benefit to reducing street parking is reducing the second largest hazard to bicyclists: dooring.
I came across an interesting article about the different things that New York City is looking at for easing congestion and for converting streets from the domain of isolated vehicles into true public space. What is DC doing on this front?
Ironically, for Bike to Work Day, I’ll be driving a car for a change.
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