Public Transportation and Smart Growth

I've been a DC/MD/VA resident on/off for over 70 years - before I-495 and I-66. I don't live there anymore and have no desire to drive into the maelstrom.

If the problem is inner-city (DC metro) traffic, this makes some sense. But workforces are becoming more mobile and having hordes of people descending on one building (Pentagon for example) doesn't seem to be true anymore.

While the major concentrated traffic is obviously into the city, much of what passes up and down the east coast is trucks and passenger cars along I-95. The local governments tried to divert traffic by renaming routes (295/395/495) and signage. Real travelers know the best ways.

DC can either go to the east or to the west to find new alternate routes. East takes them into hallowed grounds with lots of landed gentries. Also, the wetlands of the Chesapeake are sort of in the way.

West takes them into some bucolic rolling hills of perhaps Fairfax/Loudon, Montgomery/Frederick. Forty or fifty years ago (when I-270 was being built), these bucolic areas were probably easy to seize with eminent domain. Now, these four counties are among the richest in the country.

How about an elevated highway - I-95 from Springfield to Laurel. Probably about 1,000 feet above ground (sorry "Reagan" International Airport). Need to think about the future and make it 12-20 lanes. Support columns will be probably spaced into every green plot in the city.