Gas pipe under Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Bethesda to be replaced in October

Earplugs may soon sell out at Bethesda stores, as yet another noisy project is poised to add to the nighttime cacophony next month. A Washington Gas natural gas pipe under Wisconsin Avenue will be replaced. The segment in question runs underneath Wisconsin between Fairmont Avenue and Commerce Lane.

Work will be performed at night between the hours of 7:00 PM and 5:00 AM, beginning in October. The contractor has requested a Temporary Noise Waiver from Montgomery County, so that the work may be done at night. Expect some additional traffic issues where the pipe passes through the demolition/construction zone for the Marriott HQ south of Norfolk Avenue.

OURISMAN HONDA EXHORTS BETHESDA TO "FREE YOURSELF FROM FOREIGN OIL!"

I was walking down Bethesda Avenue the other night, and saw a silver car that appeared to be making a call on a landline payphone.  And a Bethesda-friendly sign message, exhorting passersby to "Free Yourself from Foreign Oil!"

"I'd like to make a collect call.
My name is Honda Civic."

 So I had to stop and find out what was going on!

Turns out, Ourisman Honda is offering a natural gas-powered Honda Civic - and, an at-home natural gas "gas station," which can be installed outside, or even inside your garage.

You can set up this same natural "gas station" in your driveway or garage

The at-home system, called Phill, is similar in concept to whole-house, natural gas generators now popular in the area.  However, it is about the size of your electric switchbox, uses the electricity equivalent to a small appliance, and has a noise level equal to an air conditioner.

This is an alternative to an electric car you would plug in at home.  And, of course, it means you can fill up your car's tank while you're asleep, when it's raining, or when snow and ice make it difficult to reach the gas station.

You can stop by Ourisman Honda and check out the display yourself, the next time you're at Bethesda Row.

Green machines at Bethesda Row:
Honda CR-Z Hybrid [left], natural gas Honda Civic

Have you made the switch to an alternative fuel vehicle (Prius, Leaf, Volt, Civic, etc,)?  Has it saved you money on gas, or did the high price make it no cheaper than a gasoline engine vehicle over time?