Route 50 to Get Widened

After driving Route 50 for the last 20 years it’s with mixed emotions that I post this news: Beginning in 2010 construction to widen the highway will commence. The stretch of road between Avion Parkway and Poland Road that will become 6 lanes. (Source: Loudoun Times)

My emotions that are mixed? Exasperation and disappointment….. Why? Because it didn’t take rocket science to predict the horrendous traffic we encounter on Route 50 every weekday yet nothing was done for over a decade. While the widening of Route 50 will be helpful it’s a little like pouring a bucket of water on the head of a thirsty person… it’ll feel good and they may get a few sips of water, but the problem will remain.

There are too many people driving on Route 50 during rush hour today and with population growth expected to continue, it will only get worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an anti-sprawl loon, but Northern Virginia has been screwing it’s residents since I’ve lived here (over 40 years now) and the state and local governments continue to get away with it. BUILD SOME INFRASTRUCTURE!!!

When we moved out here in the late 80’s Route 50 was 4 lanes all the way from Gum Spring to Route 28. It took me all of 13 minutes to get from our home south of Route 50 on Gum Spring Rd to Sullyfield Circle in Chantilly.

The good old days…

Now after the population has exploded by over 1000% they’re going to widen one small stretch of highway by 50%. Sheesh.

South Riding Car Wash is my Favorite

When I was a student at George Mason (a very long time ago) a friend and I owned a franchise named Tidy Car. Tidy Car offered car detailing services to individuals and car dealers. Needless to say I learned a lot about caring for cars from that experience.

One thing I saw firsthand was how much damage automatic car washes could do to the paint of a car. It was years before I was willing to subject any vehicle to that sandpaper-like damage.

A relatively new car wash off of Route 50 in South Riding, Main Street Car Care, has turned me into a fan. Although the lines are long on weekends they move quickly. The wash is as mild on the paint as any I’ve experienced despite being effective (car gets cleaned). They even offer a couple of kind souls to dry your car after you’ve run it through to keep the water drops from spotting your car (very important in the hot summer sun).

They offer a coupon on their site in exchange for filling out a short survey. Will take less than a minute so it’s worth the $3 savings.

Happy Valentines Day!

Dads pull from a variety of resources to provide answers to their children. Not always the best resources…

Truth be told.

Home Sales in Loudoun Up 31 Percent in January

The Loudoun Times-Mirror reported that home sales in Loudoun County were up 31 percent from January 2008. The median sale price was $288,000 versus $370,000 the year before indicating that the news isn’t all positive, but I believe it’s better to have turnover at lower prices then a frozen market. Liquidity will bring more investors into bottom fish, establish values lenders can rely on, and help people that need to move out a way to do so.

Source: Loudoun Home Sales Up 31 Percent

Map courtesy of HomeFinders.com