[Rummyfan]

I just drove 270 and 495 yesterday. On a Saturday afternoon it’s tolerable. But 495 is a crapshoot any day any time. You never know whether it’s going to take two
Hours from Tyson’s to 95N or thirty minutes. There are only a few ways around and into DC. One more lane on 270 or 495? That may help a little .....

[sphinx]

270 is driveable on weekends and on off-hours. Rush hour, which lasts for about three hours both morning and evening, is the seventh circle of hell. And if someone has an accident, it gets even worse. An additional lane would be about as useful as hair on the dog for an alcoholic.

If the powers that be want to spend more money on highways, they should create more ways to cross 495 and 270. The beltway is an artificial river that channelizes traffic onto the too-few crossing points.

The fact remains that there are now ten million people living in the region. People need to live closer to their jobs. This is happening. Gentrifiers are transforming DC. The edge cities are trying to build real downtowns. The long distance car commuters are living in the past.