Keep travel time messages up, readers say
Gov. Martin O'Malley would be wise to tune out the loud voices complaining about the State Highway Administration's decision to display projected travel time information, according to a survey of Getting There readers.
As of noon, the tally on the admittedly unscientific survey was 100 for keeping the messages and 18 for taking them down. The prevailing view seems to be that drivers wiill get used to the messages on the SHA's electric sign boards if they give them enough time.
In this case, I suspect the majority of my readers have it right. There's always going to be a vocal minority that resists change. And those are the folks that are first to complain and the loudest in doing so. If the SHA sticks by its guns, and the governor doesn't get cold feet, my guess is that this will be a non-issue by mid-April. Most folks can absord a simple message like "15-17 minutes to I-695" without missing a beat. The rest will catch up.
And the next time you see that go to "20-22 minutes," you'll have the option of cutting over to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
Comments
I work on one side of the Beltway and live on the other. I have observed on many occasions traffic slowing on the inner loop prior to exits 13 and 18, then speeding up just after each of the overhead signs that are at these locations. The signs themselves are the cause of the slowdown - people are slowing to read what's on them. The slowing is not due to other factors - the I-70 exit past 13 and the hill prior to 18 - since the traffic would not speed up right at the sign if it were. The governor is right on this one.
Posted by: Vocal Minority | March 22, 2010 3:56 PM
Mike,
I have to disagree with you here. Take a ride north on I95 out of DC on just about any afternoon. As you are stopped about 1/4 mile before the electronic sign stating the obvious (tunnel delays) take a look at how open the road is just beyond the sign. I call it a phenomenon.
People do not adjust, my guess is especially those who are passing through as opposed to regular users of the road.
Take care.
Posted by: Jim | March 24, 2010 7:48 AM