I admit that I was surprised to hear the results of the Virginia Tech study giving buses signal priority. As David Francis reported in Wednesday’s Examiner, the study of the Route 1 corridor in Northern Virginia found that giving buses priority worked well for the buses but slowed everyone else down. But I thought that was to be expected. I thought that moving 50 people on a bus more quickly would be seen as a reason for people to get out of their cars and onto the bus, at the same time reducing the number of cars out there. I also expected that some drivers would catch on to the fact that those buses kept moving and would fall in line behind them. This concept still seems worth considering, and it sounds like planners will make some changes to the test on Columbia Pike. If just 5 percent of those in cars took the bus instead, much of the congestion on these busy routes would be eliminated.
Paper pickup on the Metro
Darren writes: “How is it that someone who writes for The Examiner can complain about the possibility of newspaper litter in the Metro system? Am I missing something? If not, it seems perfectly appropriate to interpret your article as an attempt to head off potential competition for your paper in Metro stations.
“The Metro system has looked a lot trashier in the last two years, and the biggest reason has been the launch of the free tabloids along with their distribution at the entrances to stations. You complain about the idea of Metro getting a little money for allowing the sale of newspapers, yet your papers clutter the system and as far as I know, The Examiner and the Express pay nothing to WMATA. What about the ‘added cost of cleanup’ from that?”
Here’s the difference: I can and have asked our readers to be good citizens and to take their papers with them. I would encourage readers of any other papers, including the Financial Times of London, to take them along too, but I don’t write for them. The number of tabloid newspapers left behind is indeed a problem, but imagine how bad it would be to have a multisection paper and its advertising inserts underfoot.
Roger writes with a comment and a pretty interesting suggestion that I think has merit: “It seems like every time you discuss litter on the Metro, a resounding chorus of ‘it’s the free dailies’ goes up. I would like to advance an idea to The Examiner and by proxy to the ‘other daily’ that the papers step up to the plate just a smidge and show that they care about the problem. You should impress upon your editor that they print that ‘throw your paper away’ logo in some nice and obtrusive places on their paper. My idea: the top or bottom outside corner of each page, and a big one on the back.”
Recycling in the conveniently placed bins inside each Metro station is an even better idea. Let’s all chip in and help keep the system clean.
Have questions, comments or random musings? Write to [email protected].
