Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Traffic in NoVA
Posted by:
Traffic
()
Date: April 19, 2012 09:42AM
I commute to tysons from chantilly using route 50 east, 66 east, and then 495. Any idea why there are such great variations in daily traffic patterns? For example, yesterday (wednesday), traffic was backed up starting on 50 from under the ffx county parkway to the 66 entrance, and 66 itself jammed all the way to 495. No accidents, broken down vehicles or anything.
Today, 50 was wide open and 66 only jammed around the usual spots (Vienna metro and 495 entrance).
Why such variations? Its like on some days, 30 percent of people decide not to go to work. If it was a Friday or something I would understand, but this is mid week (wed - thurs).
Today, 50 was wide open and 66 only jammed around the usual spots (Vienna metro and 495 entrance).
Why such variations? Its like on some days, 30 percent of people decide not to go to work. If it was a Friday or something I would understand, but this is mid week (wed - thurs).
Re: Traffic in NoVA
Posted by:
JBass
()
Date: April 19, 2012 09:54AM
Its so bizarre man. Sometimes I can get to work in less than 30 mins and sometimes it takes over an hour. Im not talking accidents, either. just volume. There is no figuring it out.
Re: Traffic in NoVA
Posted by:
Verizon
()
Date: April 19, 2012 01:00PM
It's god throttling your bandwidth.
Re: Traffic in NoVA
Posted by:
TheNorthman
()
Date: April 19, 2012 01:01PM
Traffic patterns and especially the delays that are caused by the "negative factors" are as unpredictable as they are maddening. But there are a couple things that I have noticed.
Once "negative factors"(accidents, volume) reach that critical mass, the slightest increase in "negative factors" will cause an enormously disproportionate increase in the duration of the commute. I think of it as the straw that broke the camels back, with the back being VDOT's transportation infrastructure. Everything can be working fine but once that machine(beltway/66) gets stressed just a little to much the result is a systemic failure or delays. A graph of delays as a function of negative variables would look much like a hockey stick (with the hook representing the point where the "machine" fails and huge delays result.)
Aside from the obvious factors that cause delays some less apparent ones are sun. Seriously, driving around a windy highway into sun will cause a driver to slow up ever so slightly. Now picture thousands of drivers slowing up ever so slightly AND the ripple effect.
Another thing that slows shit up is lane changes. Look at the exit ramps, then people switch out of the right lane to avoid the deays caused by exiting motorists switching into the right lane. The result is now two lanes are delayed with more volume coming..... Now add to that, 200 yards down the Toll Road a piece of shredded tire(the proverbial straw) is in the left lane.....and the camel's back is now broken once again!
Once "negative factors"(accidents, volume) reach that critical mass, the slightest increase in "negative factors" will cause an enormously disproportionate increase in the duration of the commute. I think of it as the straw that broke the camels back, with the back being VDOT's transportation infrastructure. Everything can be working fine but once that machine(beltway/66) gets stressed just a little to much the result is a systemic failure or delays. A graph of delays as a function of negative variables would look much like a hockey stick (with the hook representing the point where the "machine" fails and huge delays result.)
Aside from the obvious factors that cause delays some less apparent ones are sun. Seriously, driving around a windy highway into sun will cause a driver to slow up ever so slightly. Now picture thousands of drivers slowing up ever so slightly AND the ripple effect.
Another thing that slows shit up is lane changes. Look at the exit ramps, then people switch out of the right lane to avoid the deays caused by exiting motorists switching into the right lane. The result is now two lanes are delayed with more volume coming..... Now add to that, 200 yards down the Toll Road a piece of shredded tire(the proverbial straw) is in the left lane.....and the camel's back is now broken once again!
Re: Traffic in NoVA
Posted by:
Gunrunner
()
Date: April 19, 2012 01:41PM
Have you tried Centerville Road to Elden St.to Baron Cameron to RT.7 to Tysons?
I've found that staying off the main hiways can save time.I'll caution that I have never gone the way I have advised you to go.It might be worse?
I've found that staying off the main hiways can save time.I'll caution that I have never gone the way I have advised you to go.It might be worse?
Re: Traffic in NoVA
Posted by:
vgnlinfxn
()
Date: April 19, 2012 01:49PM
Route 7 is pretty bad at rush hour.