I live in D.C. (Capitol Hill) and, thanks to a recent office relocation, I am back to riding a bike to work. Takes 10 minutes. Gives me time to post in the morning while everyone on 95, 270, and the beltway is tied in the morning auto shows.
I pay the private school tax to live in the city, but there are compensations.
I may be off base since I don't pay overmuch attention to suburban politics, but my perception of the ICC is that it was always driven by the planners' long-term obsession with an outer beltway. If they can't get the whole thing, they'll settle for bits and pieces. From my perspective, however, an outer beltway would just draw the sprawl further out. No thanks.
Recent analysis of "sprawl" reveals that it's no different today in its form, structure and dynamic than city development ever was ~ dating all the way back to ancient Sumer!