Agree. 395 and 66 just don't hack it for decent crosstown freeways. And Fairfax Co. has some pathetically choked country roads that could use some of that local tax money that's constantly sent down to Richmond.
I am talking about the district itself. To get from, say, Capitol Hill to the northwest part of town and the Maryland suburbs, you either have to drive up Wisconsin or Mass Ave, oh joy, and 100s of stop lights, at least an hour, or you can go out Penn. Ave., get on 295, go up 295 to BW Parkway, take the parkway to the Beltway and go west. That trip takes 35-40 minutes to go just a jew miles on the weekend (I can't even think about doing this on a week day) and head for the suburb of your choice. Rock Creek Parkway is not an option because there is always something happening along that route and you end up sitting there for a half hour or more, and if you want to go much farther north than Adams Morgan or Mount Pleasant, you are screwed. There is no direct east-west route, and there is no direct north-south route. L'Enfant is my enemy.