The I-95 corridor is supposed to be heavily congested, and it is no wonder. Here we have the most densely populated corridor in the U.S. and it is served by a freeway that is mostly just six lanes. Moreover, the lanes are distinctly narrower than freeway lanes that I am used to in the West — I suspect 12-foot wide lanes vs. 14-footers in the West. At one point on a four-lane section of the GW Parkway, I noted the driver was unable to pass another bus because both together seemed wider than the two north-bound lanes. Some stores and marketing internet sites are selling cialis no prescription usa this medication without prescription. Some men tend to take viagra cialis levitra Kamagra and expect the organ to hold blood. The condition is not serious in the early stage; but in later buy cialis india stages, pains get aggravated gradually, and doing strong exercise will worsen the pains. The maximum dose permitted to be cialis prices taken in a regular classroom, or the student can avail it in the form of an online drivers ed course, that has the approval of the authorities.
THe Federal Highway Administration distinguishes between bridges that are “structurally deficient,” meaning they require extra maintenance and may not be able to support the loads they were originally built for, and “functionally obsolete,” meaning they may be in good condition but suffer from outdated designs such as narrow lanes, low overheads, and/or overly sharp curves. A similar distinction might be made for highways. I-95 seems to be relatively smooth and free of potholes, meaning it is not structurally deficient. But it is close to being functionally obsolete. If we are going to build new infrastructure, this is the kind of infrastructure that should be replaced, not high-speed rail lines that will soon be structurally deficient because we can’t afford to maintain them.
The Antiplanner wrote:
The I-95 corridor is supposed to be heavily congested, and it is no wonder. Here we have the most densely populated corridor in the U.S. and it is served by a freeway that is mostly just six lanes. Moreover, the lanes are distinctly narrower than freeway lanes that I am used to in the West — I suspect 12-foot wide lanes vs. 14-footers in the West. At one point on a four-lane section of the GW Parkway, I noted the driver was unable to pass another bus because both together seemed wider than the two north-bound lanes.
Sounds to me like you were on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway between Washington and Baltimore (and not I-95).
I-95 in Maryland is, with a very few exceptions, 8 standard freeway lanes wide from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge at the Potomac River all the way to Md. 24 at Edgewood, Harford County (Exit 77, northeast of Baltimore), where it narrows to 6 lanes (and maintains 6 lanes wide the rest of the way to the Delaware line).
Getting back to the B-W Parkway, the southern 2/3 of the Parkway is owned and maintained by the National Park Service, and is not intended by the Park Service to be a freeway-standard road. The northern third (north of Md. 175 at Odenton) is owned and maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration, and carries the state route number 295.
“The I-95 corridor is supposed to be heavily congested, and it is no wonder. Here we have the most densely populated corridor in the U.S. and it is served by a freeway that is mostly just six lanes.”
Yes, isn’t it amazing?
I95 is just six lanes from Edgewood, MD to Newark DE, and also from Newport, DE to Trneton, NJ. I95 does not even exist between Trenton and Metuchen, NJ, meaning there is no direct freeway route from the city of Philadelphia (#4 metro area in the country with 7 million people) and New York (#1 meto area with 21 million people). Once you get to NYC, I95 necks down to 6 lanes again to New Haven, then goes down to 4 lanes to Providence. At some point it goes back to 6 lanes again in Massachusetts, but then it comes to an abrupt and premature end at Rt. 128 and fails to reach Boston.
Yet somehow, us poor ignorant freewayless NEC folk are able to get around, despite the lack of a direct 10-12 lane monstrosity rammed through the center of our cities and serving all points from NYC to DC. I don’t know, but I suspect it could be those evil trains you keep railing against, and the 200,000+ people they carry in this corridor every day just on the route parallel to I95.
“I-95 seems to be relatively smooth and free of potholes, meaning it is not structurally deficient. But it is close to being functionally obsolete. If we are going to build new infrastructure, this is the kind of infrastructure that should be replaced, not high-speed rail lines that will soon be structurally deficient because we can’t afford to maintain them.”
Yes of course. Ramming I95 through Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston was SOOOOO popular last time it was proposed that I am sure no one would mind widening it out to 10 lanes and throwing in a 50 ft. median.
The unintended irony of your comments is hilarious.
And of course, we can certainly afford expanding the freeway system we’ve built. That’s why it requires huge transfusions of funds from general tax revenue every year to say nothing of the tens of billions in taxes and fees imposed on motorists every year.
The idea that you are an “expert” on rail and highway transportation, yet you are totally unfamiliar with and ignorant of the transportation system in the northeast of this country is also hilarious. We are only 12 states out of 50 (57?) with 67 million people and the Capitol of the country, along with 4 of the 7 largest metropolitan areas. I had thought being an expert in something required broad knowledge of and experience with existing conditions.
Andrew also wrote:
Yes of course. Ramming I95 through Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston was SOOOOO popular last time it was proposed that I am sure no one would mind widening it out to 10 lanes and throwing in a 50 ft. median.
And this:
The idea that you are an “expert†on rail and highway transportation, yet you are totally unfamiliar with and ignorant of the transportation system in the northeast of this country is also hilarious. We are only 12 states out of 50 (57?) with 67 million people and the Capitol of the country, along with 4 of the 7 largest metropolitan areas. I had thought being an expert in something required broad knowledge of and experience with existing conditions.
Strongly suggest you do some checking of your own, Andrew, and get back to us.
Ever wonder why I-95 follows the Capital Beltway around the east and south sides of Washington, D.C. Or why 95 follows Mass. 128 around Boston?
Well, it’s because the highway does not go through those cities (in spite of what you claim above), instead following circuitous routes around them.
And Andrew wrote this:
I95 does not even exist between Trenton and Metuchen, NJ, meaning there is no direct freeway route from the city of Philadelphia (#4 metro area in the country with 7 million people) and New York (#1 meto area with 21 million people).
The lack of a complete I-95 is in the process of being remediated, though I am certain some would prefer the north and south sections of the road remain disconnected. Read more about it here (Penna. Turnpike site) and here (Peter Samuel’s fine TOLLROADSnews site).
CPZ:
“Well, it’s because the highway does not go through those cities (in spite of what you claim above), instead following circuitous routes around them.”
I95 doesn’t go through Washington and Boston, and fails to cross New Jersey because their citizens revolted against the idea after they saw the heavyfisted jackbooted destruction that took place in the Bronx in New York City and in Fishtown and Eastwick in Philadelphia where entire neighborhoods were flattened and the assorted residents exiled and scattered to the winds to make way for a expressway.
The use of the 128 and 495 Beltways to become mainline I95, as well as the project to reroute I95 to the NJ Turnpike to make a direct link from Philadelphia to NYC only happened because of this revolt. The point remains that you cannot leave downtown Washington and travel north on an expressway, and you cannot leave downtown Philadelphia on an expressway and reach NYC. And yet somehow, we northeasterners manage to muddle through this and lead prosperous and fulfilling lives.
Andrew asserted:
The point remains that you cannot leave downtown Washington and travel north on an expressway, and you cannot leave downtown Philadelphia on an expressway and reach NYC.
But strangely, it is still possible to take a rubber-tired bus between these destinations. Why is that?
And yet somehow, we northeasterners manage to muddle through this and lead prosperous and fulfilling lives.
And most in the Northeast don’t waste their time (or their money, though I suppose they still have to pay taxes) on Amtrak’s service either.
CPZ:
There are 15.75 million Amtrak boardings per year from Maine to Virginia. Someone is using it around here. This is right up there with the myth that because people make a number of non work trips in their autos leading to an overwhelming total number of auto trips versus all other modes, that we can then safely ignore the fact that in major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco, 20% or more of the most important trips people from age 12 to 70+ make every day – the daily commute to work or school – are made on transit systems.
“But strangely, it is still possible to take a rubber-tired bus between these destinations. Why is that?”
Not my point. Imagine California without a direct freeway between LA and San Diego, or Texas with no freeway from Dallas to Houston. It would be total chaos, wouldn’t it? Its not around here because we northeasterners make so many intercity and long commuter trips by rail.
Andrew wrote:
There are 15.75 million Amtrak boardings per year from Maine to Virginia. Someone is using it around here.
A few people use Amtrak, I will concede that. But let’s take your annual number (a classic method used to make something with relatively few daily trips look better than it is – and one that I am not fooled by) and divide it by 365 to come up with an average daily estimate. Rounding to the nearest multiple of 1,000, I get about 43,000. Not such a big number anymore, is it?
Imagine what would happen if the federal subsidies for Amtrak were cut off. By my estimate, not much.
This is right up there with the myth that because people make a number of non work trips in their autos leading to an overwhelming total number of auto trips versus all other modes, that we can then safely ignore the fact that in major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco, 20% or more of the most important trips people from age 12 to 70+ make every day – the daily commute to work or school – are made on transit systems.
And that means (by your own admission) that about 80% of those trips are not made on transit.
Not my point. Imagine California without a direct freeway between LA and San Diego, or Texas with no freeway from Dallas to Houston. It would be total chaos, wouldn’t it? Its not around here because we northeasterners make so many intercity and long commuter trips by rail.
As I explained to you previously, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, PennDOT, and the Federal Highway System are getting rid of that gap in I-95. Apparently someone drives between those cities anyway (ever been on the N.J. Turnpike between Interchange 6 and 8A, where the Turnpike Authority is rebuilding the existing 6-lane Turnpike into a “dual dual” 12 lane configuration (and doing so without massive subsidies from federal taxpayers)).
Amtrak saves more than it costs.