Hogan express lanes compromise may be a bust for Beltway drivers

Gov. Larry Hogan's compromise agreement on his Express Lanes proposal, which earned a needed second vote from Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot to move the project forward, may still provide traffic relief along I-270. But it could wind up being a bust for drivers on the Capital Beltway.

The compromise essentially puts the Express Lanes plan back to where it was hung up a few months ago. Hogan had agreed to postpone the Express Lanes on the Beltway, and focus on I-270 first. There would be no improvement for Beltway drivers under that scenario.

Then Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam stepped forward with a proposal to assist in expansion of the over-capacity American Legion Bridge in exchange for allowing Virginia's Express Lanes to cross the bridge and run into Maryland. Recognizing that this would only work if the Beltway Express Lanes continued around the interstate, and the reality that the project was more feasible if companies could bid on Beltway Express Lanes that went at least to I-95, Hogan then revived the Beltway portion of the project.

Franchot, under pressure from his constituents and preparing to launch a gubernatorial campaign, immediately withdrew his support again. Hogan then capitulated on the Beltway portion beyond the I-270 spur to regain Franchot's vote. But that compromise is a Beltway backfire, and Hogan appeared to realize he will be long out of office by the time that is apparent.

The reality is, unless voters "get dangerous" as former Gov. Bob Ehrlich exhorted them to years ago, there may not be a single vote for Express Lanes on the Beltway on the Board of Public Works. There very well could be a Democratic governor, a Democratic comptroller, and there certainly will be a Democratic treasurer.

So, Beltway Express Lanes past the I-270 interchange are almost certainly dead.

But the compromise plan will likely make traffic on the Beltway even worse, not better.

First, Northam ingeniously made his problem our problem. Extending Express Lanes over the bridge means that he moves the current choke point where drivers enter and exit those lanes onto the Maryland side of the river. His problem is now solved, and we got played like a violin.

Second, Beltway Express Lanes will now terminate in the vicinity of the existing logjam between River Road and I-270 on the Beltway. This jam is caused not only by lack of capacity, but also by the drivers trying to change lanes to either access I-270 or to continue east on the Beltway. There's also a third factor, which is drivers entering from River Road who then need to merge into the far left lanes to access I-270.

So now you will have cars that want to stay on the Beltway pouring out of the Express Lanes exit in that area - and with the lanes in the center, they will have to merge across several lanes to do so.

Apparently no one bothered to study the reality of the situation on the ground there before making this decision. And the local media was too busy filing some of the most embarrassingly-biased praise reports about the Maryland General Assembly ever published to notice what a just-plain-dumb Express Lanes package was put through by the Board of Public Works.

Northam won. Upcounty drivers may benefit if the lanes really go to Frederick - and especially if they are continuing to Virginia southbound - and that's a very good thing. But Beltway drivers are likely to find this Express Lanes compromise a bust. And we still need a new Potomac River crossing.

There will be no real traffic relief until voters start playing hardball at the ballot box, and elect new leaders who will play hardball in Rockville and Annapolis.

Yvonne Fx closes at Montgomery Mall

Yet another business closure to report this morning. Women's apparel boutique Yvonne Fx has closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The store opened only five months ago, and is the latest victim of Montgomery County's moribund economy and notoriously anti-business climate. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of retail jobs since the turn of the century, according to the Maryland Retailers Association.

Java Nation opens Rockville Pike location

Java Nation's new location in White Flint will serve its first dinners tonight, Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 11120 Rockville Pike. Their initial hours of operation will be 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Thursday-Saturday, and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday-Wednesday, so a breakfast and lunch spot early in the week with dinner hours late in the week. The owners "warn" that you may find "a warm and cozy atmosphere inside."

Ding Tea Rockville sneak peek

The sign is up at Ding Tea, opening soon at 785-C Rockville Pike in the Ritchie Center. In fact, I was there when the sign was being installed last night. They plan to open in mid-January, so stand by for the final opening date.

As you can see, the interior looks ready to go. The "Rockville" signage gives it more of a hometown feel. Ding Tea's owner says the chain's top 10 bestselling drinks are their Signature Milk Tea, Jasmine Green Milk Tea, the very seasonal Winter Melon Milk Tea, Hokkaido Oolong Milk Tea, Matcha Milk Tea, Honey Green Tea, Taro Milk Tea, Lychee Green Tea, Strawberry Yakuit, and Top Fruit Tea.

Rockville's Los Primos Tex-Mex & Grill is elite on new Yelp Top 100 list

Rockville is one of only two cities in the Washington, D.C. region to appear on Yelp's new Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. for 2020 list. Los Primos Tex Mex & Grill at 12303 Twinbrook Parkway is the only restaurant in the entire state of Maryland to appear on the list. The only other spot in the D.C. area to make the cut is Farmbird, certainly a worthy choice on H Street in the District.

Los Primos also features Salvadoran cuisine, in addition to Tex-Mex. The restaurant opened in November 2018.

Boardroom Salon for Men opening Rockville location

Men in the White Flint area will soon have another barbershop and grooming option. Boardroom Salon for Men will be opening a location at Montrose Crossing shopping center. The upscale barbershop has spread to 40 locations in 5 states since it began in Texas. At Montrose Crossing, it will fill the last vacant space in the property's newest Rockville Pike-facing structure between Slapfish and the AT&T Store.

In addition to haircuts and other salon services, you'll find complimentary beverages, chessboards, pool tables, televisions, dark wood paneling and plush leather chairs designed to create an upscale environment. Optional membership programs will give you unlimited haircuts at a discount rate over the life of the term you choose.

“Boardroom is a recognized leader and innovator in quality men’s grooming, with a mission to help men ‘relax, look great, and feel confident’ –they will fill a real niche for Rockville’s dense business and residential communities with their unique take on experiential service, adding to the convenience of Montrose Crossing as a shopping destination,” Federal Realty Director of Asset Management Kari Glinski said Monday.

Democrats propose Netflix tax for Montgomery County

Democratic leaders in the Maryland General Assembly are poised to propose a new tax on the highly popular entertainment streaming services used by most Montgomery County residents. The officials announced the proposed tax quietly in a Friday news dump strategically arranged by The Washington Post, whose reporters were aware of the pending tax earlier in the week, another clear example of coordination between the Montgomery County political cartel and the Post.

Subscribers to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, and other streaming services could find a hefty tax added to their bill as soon as this year. The Post reports that the new Netflix tax would be one of several new taxes slapped on residents of Montgomery County and the rest of the state to cover a new $6000-per-taxpayer spending hike for public education statewide. Montgomery County is already spending record amounts on public schools, and the County's own recent report shows that the declining school system has only gotten worse for all the high spending.

Now residents' Baby Yoda and You addictions are squarely in the tax crosshairs of the cartel. With property and income taxes at record highs, it is almost impossible for officials to add $6000 in hikes via those taxes. The county is now turning to these sin taxes, similar to those you pay on your cell phone service and the rain that falls in your home's yard, to get the same amount in sneakier ways. You may recall that the County floated a new Trash Tax in 2019, for example.

The Netflix tax will be hard to pass openly, however. Most of their constituents will be furious, and the tax will fall heaviest on young people, the poor and senior citizens - like all of "progressive" Montgomery County's regressive flat taxes.