Horner Road Expansion Area Opens!

The new lot opened today, but there was very little change in how things worked. All slugging continued to be centered at the old bus stop. The new bus stop was used for Omniride pick ups, but the busses also came to the old stops. The only significant change is that the Omniride busses no longer fight their way through the slugging congestion to get to the stop.

I think that two lines need to be created to make the best use of the new facility. I will offer a suggestion and welcome your ideas.

1. Create a new slugline at the new bust stop for all sluggers going downtown - 14th Street, 18th Street, Navy Yard, etc.

2. The "old" bus stop could be used for Pentagon and Crystal City traffic.

This would seem to be a fifty-fifty split of traffic and would allow many more cars to get to and through the lines much more quickly.

I am not sure which line the Rosslyn traffic would want to go to. I guess Rosslyners can decide that.

Like it? Hate it? Any other ideas?

Also, assuming we do decide to form two lines, how can we go about spreading the word?

Thanks for you time,
Jeff

My thoughts (as someone who may soon try Horner) is that you're pretty much on the right track. I'd suggest the grouping should be Pentagon/Rosslyn/Crystal City in one line/location and Downtown in the other. It makes sense to keep the first grouping as a single line because that way drivers headed to Rosslyn or Crystal City can opt to take Pentagon riders if necessary (or a mixture). Admittedly, this probably only applies at either end of the rush hour, but during the summer, with vacations, things get wierd. The trip through the Pentagon only adds a minute or two, so if you're in a single line it doesn't pay to wait.

As to which location to put which group... Is there a clear relationship between eventual destination and whether folks come in off 95?? That is, if the folks coming in from 95 are more likely to be headed to Pentagon/Rosslyn/Crystal City, then they should be at the old bus island. But if the folks coming in from the 'local' area (Lake Ridge, Minnieville Rd., etc.) are mostly headed to a particular destination, then the new bus island is the correct place. Otherwise, somebody flip a coin...

- Eric.

I have been slugging from Horner Rd for a couple of years and I agree that the line needs to be broken up - and soon! With the expansion of the lot and the changing traffic patterns it is becoming more and more congested and hazardous.

I agree that a new entrance from the back of the lot is a good idea. However because there is such a large number of cars going to the Pentagon I think one line should be solely for Pentagon commuters and the other should be for the rest of the destinations (Not sure where the best location would be - Maybe Pentagon to remain at the current site and the others to move to the expanded area). Maybe the lines can eventually break out even more (Pentagon, Rosslyn/Crystal City, Downtown). I don't think starting a seperate line for the Downtown commuters would shorten the line much and one of the main problems is that the line is often too long to be manageable. Those people furthest from the cars cant hear where the drivers are going and many people jump the line out of turn causing confusion and frustration.

Seperating the lines should be relatively easy with a few signs. There may be a couple of days of confusion, but it will definitely be worth it.

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My thoughts (as someone who may soon try Horner) is that you're pretty much on the right track. I'd suggest the grouping should be Pentagon/Rosslyn/Crystal City in one line/location and Downtown in the other. It makes sense to keep the first grouping as a single line because that way drivers headed to Rosslyn or Crystal City can opt to take Pentagon riders if necessary (or a mixture). Admittedly, this probably only applies at either end of the rush hour, but during the summer, with vacations, things get wierd. The trip through the Pentagon only adds a minute or two, so if you're in a single line it doesn't pay to wait.

As to which location to put which group... Is there a clear relationship between eventual destination and whether folks come in off 95?? That is, if the folks coming in from 95 are more likely to be headed to Pentagon/Rosslyn/Crystal City, then they should be at the old bus island. But if the folks coming in from the 'local' area (Lake Ridge, Minnieville Rd., etc.) are mostly headed to a particular destination, then the new bus island is the correct place. Otherwise, somebody flip a coin...

- Eric.

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I agree that a new entrance from the back of the lot is a good idea. However because there is such a large number of cars going to the Pentagon I think one line should be solely for Pentagon commuters and the other should be for the rest of the destinations (Not sure where the best location would be - Maybe Pentagon to remain at the current site and the others to move to the expanded area). Maybe the lines can eventually break out even more (Pentagon, Rosslyn/Crystal City, Downtown). I don't think starting a seperate line for the Downtown commuters would shorten the line much and one of the main problems is that the line is often too long to be manageable. Those people furthest from the cars cant hear where the drivers are going and many people jump the line out of turn causing confusion and frustration.

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My thoughts (as someone who may soon try Horner) is that you're pretty much on the right track. I'd suggest the grouping should be Pentagon/Rosslyn/Crystal City in one line/location and Downtown in the other. It makes sense to keep the first grouping as a single line because that way drivers headed to Rosslyn or Crystal City can opt to take Pentagon riders if necessary (or a mixture). Admittedly, this probably only applies at either end of the rush hour, but during the summer, with vacations, things get wierd. The trip through the Pentagon only adds a minute or two, so if you're in a single line it doesn't pay to wait.

As to which location to put which group... Is there a clear relationship between eventual destination and whether folks come in off 95?? That is, if the folks coming in from 95 are more likely to be headed to Pentagon/Rosslyn/Crystal City, then they should be at the old bus island. But if the folks coming in from the 'local' area (Lake Ridge, Minnieville Rd., etc.) are mostly headed to a particular destination, then the new bus island is the correct place. Otherwise, somebody flip a coin...

- Eric.

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Well, for downtown destinations, that should definitely be a separate location, as they have no relationship with any Northern VA destination. The idea for having Rosslyn & Crystal City co-located with the Pentagon line is that Rosslyn/Crystal City drivers can always take a Pentagon rider if nobody shows up for their destination. Their presence in line won't make any appreciable difference to the Pentagon-only folks. Until some folks decided to ruin it and cut the one-and-only line, the system I suggest worked extremely well at Tackett's.

The bottom line for Rosslyn/Crystal City folks, though, is that it increases the wait time (on average) if they're forced to have their own line.

I should add that drivers & slugs should be using signs. If there's currently confusion about where cars back down the line are going, "walking the line" works best. That is, since Pentagon seems predominant, people for other destinations start at the head of the line of cars and walk the line, holding a sign for their destination. Unless that's just not workable at the present location.

- Eric.



Edited by - Eric on 16 Jul 2002 16:05:07

I agree it would be nice two form at least two differrent lines. I propose that the first line should stay in the existing location and be for all No. VA locations. I also propose that a line form in the new lot for all DC locations. Drivers picking up for No. VA locations, continue to enter the lot from the Parkway and form a line as always. Drivers picking up for DC locations should enter via Telegraph entrance and form a line there.