BELTWAY BONEHEADS

I didn't get lost till I got to be Dr. Gridlock. I prided myself on having a pretty good sense of direction and knowing where I was. But that became far more of a challenge last summer when I began driving around the region with letters from readers on the passenger seat. -- By Robert Thomson, Janaury 31, 2007; WashingtonPost.com

Two Northern Virginia congressmen quietly asked federal transit officials this month whether the Bush administration would revive a proposed Metro tunnel through Tysons Corner, only to get what one of the lawmakers called a definitive no. -- Alec MacGillis, January 31, 2007; Washington Post

A bipartisan group of Virginia's senior state senators intends to offer legislation this week that would rely on a sales tax on gasoline to finance billions of dollars for road construction and maintenance, according to a draft of the plan, which will be presented as an alternative to a precarious compromise proposal for transportation funding. -- By Michael Shear, January 30, 2007; Washington Post

Take the 12th-biggest business district in the country, which already suffers spirit-crushing traffic jams as more than 100,000 employees and thousands more shoppers try to squeeze onto the few roads in or out of the area daily. Then add the construction of an aboveground rail line that would require the complete reshaping of one of two major roads. At the same time, throw in the addition of two or three sets of highway ramps dropping in from the often-clogged Capital Beltway. Top it off with the building of 30-story towers around the huge mall in the center of the area. The resulting scenario sounds like the cruel fantasy of an angry god. -- By Alec MacGillis, January 27, 2007; Washington Post

Elected leaders in Montgomery County have backed away from a politically charged proposal to temporarily freeze dozens of development projects but said yesterday that they remain committed to tightening controls on growth that has led to crowded roads and schools. -- By Ann Marimow, January 26, 2007; Washington Post