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Post by Rich Fisher on May 10, 2007 22:29:03 GMT -4
Who got stuck in the backup tonight? It took me almost 4 hours to get back from DC via Dillon Bus. Seeing that the accident was caused (according to what I've heard so-far) by someone towing a trailor that broke loose, maybe there needs to be some restrictions on that sort of thing? There have been plenty of times that I've been behind unsafe looking towers, or landscaper trucks with stuff flying out of the back, etc. Maybe the checkpoints for the big trucks should also be inspection stations for towers? It's just horrible that 3 people were killed due to a thing like this.
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Post by Frank on May 10, 2007 23:17:01 GMT -4
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Post by einebierbitte on May 11, 2007 3:48:07 GMT -4
I too was stuck on a Dillons bus forever trying to get home!!! hmmm Rich...I wonder if we were on the same bus.. Tragic..just tragic....I just viewed photo's of the crash and it's horrifying.....
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Post by Mike on May 11, 2007 6:30:32 GMT -4
I passed minutes after it happened (on the east bound span), it was a horrible site.
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Post by heather on May 11, 2007 9:48:36 GMT -4
When I got up to the toll booths, it was not too long after it happened so we were only backed up to where the EZPass only lane starts. My husband was probably 30 cars or so behind me but we got across the East bound span right before they closed it down to one lane. Horrific accident!!
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Post by matt on May 11, 2007 9:51:43 GMT -4
3.5 hours door to door.
I think kudos are in order for the emergency crews. It was a mess - horrific to see as we made our way past it on the othe bridge - but they did seem to manage traffic as best they could. I grudgingly give credit to gummint employees, but they earned it; I was impressed at their ability to get the cars off the bridge, shut down/open up lanes and all and manage traffic.
Most people seemed to quietly accept the delay and there was less rudeness and aggression than usual in Bridge Traffic; as I told a friend who called ot check on me - could be worse than a couple hours in traffic... coulda been in that accident.
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Post by theodat on May 11, 2007 11:24:19 GMT -4
I too was stuck in the traffic..thought I could wait it out by doing errands at Sams Club and window shopping at Best Buy. By 7pm it looked like I was going to have to tough it out. Took me 3 hours to get home (I was able to watch a full length movie on my ipod while waiting). Just glad I made it home and was not one of the unfortunates that will never make it home again. The Bay Bridge is always just an accident waiting go happen...not sure what can be done about it. The volume is more than anyone ever expected when they designed and built that bridge. One of the problems that contributes to volume is that it is a shortcut around Baltimore and to a certain extent Washington DC so you see allot of truck traffic heading north. I always avoid the reversible lanes whenever possible just because of the fright factor I get with all of the traffic seeming to head right towards me when heading up grade and around the corner.
Like Matt said thanks to the emergency crews for doing a great job during extreme conditions.
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Post by Rich Fisher on May 11, 2007 11:28:48 GMT -4
I too was stuck on a Dillons bus forever trying to get home!!! hmmm Rich...I wonder if we were on the same bus.. Tragic..just tragic....I just viewed photo's of the crash and it's horrifying..... I was on the 922 - the 4:30ish out of DC that stops in Annapolis. If I would have driven in to work, I would have stopped at Heroes on Ridgely Ave for several hours
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Post by einebierbitte on May 11, 2007 11:32:50 GMT -4
I too was stuck on a Dillons bus forever trying to get home!!! hmmm Rich...I wonder if we were on the same bus.. Tragic..just tragic....I just viewed photo's of the crash and it's horrifying..... I was on the 922 - the 4:30ish out of DC that stops in Annapolis. If I would have driven in to work, I would have stopped at Heroes on Ridgely Ave for several hours I was on the 950 express out of DC around 5 ish....But we ended up going to the Truman Parkway and picked up KI commuters from there so not so many busses would be stuck trying to go over...Especially the one 922 bus that only had 2 people!!
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Post by Frank on May 11, 2007 11:34:08 GMT -4
I stopped by Verizon and Sams Club also. I thought it would die down. My wife got across and called me to tell me the EZ-Pass lane was slow, but moving. I jumped in and still waited. Maybe she should have said S - L - O - W and barely moving. This is why they need to consider another bridge from So Md to Cambridge. This would have minimized the impact because traffic would be 40% lighter, and nobody would be driving in the oncoming lanes.
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Post by Rich Fisher on May 11, 2007 11:37:35 GMT -4
It's so obvious that we need a new crossing, but it just isn't happening. I guess it's like the I.C.C. as well - many, many years... Even a tunnel would be fine. Anything!
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Post by Rich Fisher on May 11, 2007 11:52:12 GMT -4
The victems have been identified:
"Police identified the dead as Randall R. Orff, 47, and his son, Jonathan R. Orff, 19, both of Millington, and James H. Ingle, 44, of Crofton."
Jeez...
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Post by baycitydan on May 11, 2007 12:41:07 GMT -4
A father/son is just aweful. I agree that no matter what a new crossing needs to be built now. Is there any significant group lobbying for a new crossing? I'd join them.
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Post by mikey on May 11, 2007 14:13:27 GMT -4
Thanks Frank. I came through Annapolis around 6pm and started to get off and hit Sam's Club. Just like you. But then I figured it would be just as bad in 1 or 2 hours. Guess I was right.
I got home at 9pm.
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thomas
Full Member
Welcome to the Land of Pleasant Living!
Posts: 169
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Post by thomas on May 11, 2007 14:45:20 GMT -4
BaycityDan, I'm with you. I'd volunteer time to help out a group trying to get another bridge built down south. It's time they did something. The summer backups are getting out of hand - from the Parole exit to the toll booths! This is unacceptable, and our elected officials need to address this. And no more useless task forces wasting everyone's time and money.
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Post by Frank on May 11, 2007 15:26:10 GMT -4
They talk about how long it will take to complete, but the sooner they get started, the sooner it is opened. We don't need another study, they just need to get started!
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Post by shorti on May 11, 2007 15:40:24 GMT -4
Luckily I worked from home yesterday and didn't have to deal w/ this, but my fiance did... he got home about 9pm... But there's this guy I work with who just moved to the eastern shore last weekend - this was his first bridge headache... took him 5 hours to get home... i saw him this morning & said "Welcome to the life of living on the shore" and kind of laughed... i think if something like this had happened prior to his settlement, he might have backed out...
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Post by mikey on May 11, 2007 21:22:49 GMT -4
thomas, you should start a lobbying group. Id join, and so would hundreds of others. The media would cover anything that you held. And it could only help the spineless bastards take steps towards a solution.
The 2-way traffic is necissary to keep us from having 2 or 3 hour commutes every day, but it is dangerous.
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Post by sarahj on May 12, 2007 18:47:19 GMT -4
I was bringing one of my children from a doctors appointment and luckily I used the east bridge to come home, the accident had just occured. Glad I didn't use the other bridge!
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Post by ljp on May 13, 2007 10:48:55 GMT -4
The MTA released a statement, Friday I think, that said that the 2-way traffic plan on the bridge in no way added to the accident. Are they afraid of a law suit or something? I understand that when the trailer came loose it headed to oncoming traffic. Where is this traffic supposed to go? You can't swerve to avoid it when you are in that lane. I have been in an accident on the bridge before and totaled my car it was pretty scary. This is precisely why I won't drive East on the West Bridge. As usual it takes a fatality for the gov't to act, will this spark a push to 'fix' the traffic problem?
I hear over and over from my friends on the west shore when I complain about traffic on Fridays, Sat mornings and then Sunday moving west. You know what they say? "That's what you get for living in a touristy area. You get the benefit of living near the water so deal with the headaches." I am guessing that those in the position to solve the traffic problem also feel the same way? and just look at Pipkin like a whining child? They apparently are not dealing with the headaches so don't realize how bad it is.
I would also join and group created in support of another span. This is isn't the first time that a head on accident resulting in a fatality has occurred because of the 2-way traffic. You guys are right, enough talk and studying time to act.
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Post by falgar25 on May 13, 2007 11:25:35 GMT -4
I'm sure they are worried about lawsuits. And I'm just as sure that some of the lawsuits will be file by people who were nowhere near the bridge on Thursday. That is an unfortunate condition of our society today.
So are they lying when they say the 2-way traffic plan did not add to the accident this time?
The 2-way traffic on the bridge is certainly more dangerous, but that doesn't make it too dangerous or unnecessary. Since they started reversing the bridge on the daily basis and put in the EZ-Pass lanes, my evening commute has been much nicer.
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Post by ljp on May 13, 2007 13:06:35 GMT -4
I absolutely agree that it relieves the congestion and far more many times than an accident has occurred as a result. I just meant that there have been head on collisions before on the bridge during 2-way traffic, that would not have happened if there had not been 2-way traffic. It seems to me that the Bridge Authority would be able to use this as an argument for another span vs. stating that the 2-way traffic doesn't add to the danger factor.
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Post by matt on May 14, 2007 9:47:02 GMT -4
I read that this is the third 3-fatality wreck on the Bridge... all three wrecks occured during two-way traffic.
I read that and said "oh crap, now they're going to go back to long delays and backed-up traffic with one-way only."
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Post by mikey on May 14, 2007 11:19:11 GMT -4
I thought the same thing, Matt.
Oh, Crap !!
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Post by bchevy on May 14, 2007 20:56:12 GMT -4
Two way traffic does not, and can not CAUSE an accident.
is it more dangerous? that's a stupid question that anyone with 1/2 a lick of common sense can answer. For the rest of you: YES it's MORE dangerous.
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