If you live in DC proper

[Anonymous]

1) Roughly what percentage of the time do you/your spouse walk vs. bike vs. public transit vs. drive? (just so I can get a rough sense of your lifestyle/convenience of your location).

2) At what age were/will your kid(s) allowed to take public transit (bus/metro) either by themselves or with friends?

[Anonymous]

We are about 50% walk and 50% public transit (mix of busses and metro). Never bike, we don't own a car, but take Uber rarely/occasionally (prob less than 5% of trips).

We're not there yet, but we're thinking we'll ease into it in 5th grade, starting with riding with friends.

[Anonymous]

We are in Upper NW. Walk 80% of the time and drive the other 20%. Admittedly, not going downtown all that much, and if so, only on weekends. About 1/2 mile from a metro stop.

Kids started taking public transit around 12 with friends and 13 by themselves. Walking distance to all schools, so this was and is fairly rare. Neither started really going downtown a ton until like 15/16, and it was normally with a group.

[Anonymous]

Upper NW, the car sits on the street and sometimes weeks go by before I drive it. I do bus/metro to work. I'd agree that middle school is probably a good age to start letting your child use public transport with limitations.

[Anonymous]

Live central DC. Walk 70 percent. Scooter 20 percent. 10 percent car and Uber.

Kids started walking alone and using public transport alone in 6th grade

[Anonymous]

Live in Adams Morgan. Spouse and I walk 75% of the time. Drive or uber 25%.
Kids started taking public transit aged 10 or 11.

[Anonymous]

Capitol Hill. I walk to work, spouse takes bus or Metro. Kid started walking alone around 10, public transit around 12.

We probably drive every other weekend for trips or errands.

[Anonymous]

Lived in central DC for first decade+ with child. 95% walk, bus, or metro, 5% drive or uber. Moved to upper NW, 12 min to red line, a little less to wisconsin ave, so hopping buses easy, and which we do to get to tjs in glover park or georgetown. 33 bus is 24/7 now Bike more than we used to, kid can walk to middle school every day -- and does the nearly mile without complaints -- and is allowed to ride public transportation with friends @ 12 years old before dinnertime. All essential amenities within 15 or so minutes or so and we were accustomed to walking, so we continue to do so.Don't go downtown a lot -- take metro if do, metro or uber back -- but may drive if going to Rockville or MoCo for event or for food. Car largely sits in our garage and usually comes out for trips or sporting events.

[Anonymous]

Walk/drive or public transportation 85/15

My kid is 13. We live near a metro and several bus stops. He can take public transportation by himself, but usually opts not to do so. We have a parking spot so I often drive him to save time.

[Anonymous]

Live on Cap Hill. We drive probably 75% of the time, walk 20% and metro 5%. One adults works from home every day and the other works from home 4 days and drives to work 1 day a week. We have a middle schooler who gets driven to school in the morning and walks home in the afternoon. They're not allowed to metro but we will probably allow it next school year. They walk all over Cap Hill. We have bikes and we used to bike a lot but now don't for some reason - not sure why but it just fell out of the rotation.

[Anonymous]

Live in NWDC by metro. I take public transportation maybe 50% of the time. DH takes it 10% because he works in a non-metro/bus accessible area. Kids take it 99% of the time. Oldest teen drives but has learned parking in DC can be tough. They started taking public transportation alone/with friends in 6th grade.

I was hit by a car biking many years ago so I don’t ride on the road anymore. Kids tell DH when they’re biking so I don’t have a panic attack. I have no clue how much they all bike.

[Anonymous]

Raised two kids in NWDC. Day to day, to school, work, etc. 100% drive. Weekends, night, walk to restaurants, Whole Foods, 50% walk.

[Anonymous]

Walk/train/bus 85% of the time
Kid staying using train at late 8yo

[Anonymous]

Live in Shaw, we all walk to school and work and friends houses. to get around town, walk + metro or bike. Next year our kid will be going to middle school via metro or by bike... i would probably let him metro (ideally with a friend) the three stops, but if he bikes one of us will go with. I imagine by 7th grade he'll be fully independent?

[Anonymous]

I don’t live in DC anymore but used to and remember seeing kids about 11-12 years old commuting to / from school on the metro. I remember seeing a group of kids about 13 at an event at the Smithsonian once and thinking how cool it was they could just get themselves there (theh walked to the same metro stop as me after).