In addition to Mayor Fenty killing two lanes of traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue to create 8 hours of gridlock per day to appease the 12 bikers and Segways that use the bike lanes, Metro is now hiking fares.

It is cheaper (and likely safer) to drive inside-the-beltway.

Washingtonian’s Rodger Nayak: The Cost of Commuting

To calculate whether taking Metrorail is still worth it, we’ve calculated the rush-hour cost of taking the Metro into the city from various points on or outside the Beltway and the estimated cost of driving into DC from those same places. Every time, we found driving to be the cheaper option, particularly if you take your car to the subway station and pay to park in a Metro garage or lot. Of course, this doesn’t factor in the cost and frustration of sitting in Beltway traffic. But considering the delays and air-conditioning breakdowns that have made evening commutes so excruciating lately, it may well be worth considering whether it’s time to brave the region’s roads and leave those SmarTrip cards tucked away.

Before you start sending the hate mail, we like bikes.

We ride them [not very well].

But we DO NOT UNDERSTAND why there are two bike lanes in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue.