Herndon/Reston/Centreville == How long does it really take to commute to DC on public transportation

[Anonymous]

I'm considering these locations as DH works in Reston, but I want to keep commuting options open for me in downtown DC.

I would never drive to DC. I would drive to a park/ride lot, take a commuter bus either to the city or to a metro station. How long does it really take? I've seen the bus/metro schedules, but I wonder if they are realistic. What kinds of commuter buses or other options work best to get to the city?

FWIW, we live near Franconia Springfield metro now. DH travels the Ffx Cnty Pkwy, and I can slug or use metro.

[Anonymous]

It's got to take over an hour each way, I'd think.

I live in Vienna, a short (5-10 min) drive from the Metro. I drive & park at the Metro and then ride in, without changing trains, and it takes me an hour at a minimum, sometimes longer. If you are going to drive to the Metro from Reston or Herndon, you'll have a longer drive, or if you're going to take a bus to the Metro, I'd think equally long or longer depending on how frequently the buses run. (I haven't used the bus in years so I really don't know.) And if you have to switch from the Orange line to another, add more time for that. If you could get a bus that goes all the way to downtown, rather than taking a bus to the metro, I think that would probably get you in faster.

My commute sucks, and I'm already in Vienna close to the metro; I can't imagine going any farther out and adding more time to it.
Do you have to go into DC 5 days/wk?

[Anonymous]

Can you afford something very close to Vienna or Dunn Loring metro? that's about the farthest out I'd ever live - lived between those two metro stations for 12 years and typically took metro into DC. Typically took no more than 55 minutes door-to-door, and was sometimes less. (Driving was more variable - 35 minutes if i left at 6:30 a.m., about 70 minutes if I left at 7:00 or later.) Commute to Reston would be decent from there.

[Anonymous]

I work in Reston and sometimes need to get down to the Navy Yard. I typically give myself 2 hours to do it (bus to WFC, then Metro), although it doesn't take that long, more like 1:30, 1:40 but given the bus only goes every 0.5 hour from the town center I don't want to push it.

The buses seem to run pretty close to on time. They get to avoid the tollway traffic by using the dulles expressway and get to ride the shoulder between the beltway and WFC during rush hour.

The commuter lots have a wider array of buses that go places other than just the West Falls Church Metro, but I don't think any go into DC - although I might be wrong. Of course, the silver line will open up in another year/2 depending on how optimistic you are about it being on time.

[Anonymous]

Depending on where exactly you are working downtown, Reston to DC should take about 1:15, door to door, from a park and ride (home to P&R, bus to WFC, metro to your office, walking time).

There is one express Metrobus that goes from Herndon-Monroe P&R to L'Enfant. It's the 5A on this page: http://wmata.com/bus/timetables/timetables-state.cfm?State=VA. (BTW, Firefox chokes when I try to open the timetables--I use Chrome.)

[Anonymous]

(If the link above doesn't work, take off the period at the end. Didn't mean for that to autolink.)

[Anonymous]

Depends where you're commuting to. We are in Reston and DH commutes by FFX County connector to WFC, then metro to Dupont. On the way in it takes him 1h15 from our front door to sitting at his desk. He reads and ipads on his way in and enjoys the time.

The evening commute home stinks, Not sure how long it takes 1:30-1:45 I'd guess, standing room only on metro of course.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I saw that 5A bus goes to Rosslyn as well.

I appreciate the estimates. 1hr. 15 min. seems a little long for me, as I like to keep it to an hour, especially b/c the Springfield Metro or slugging options we already have keep things at an hour. Basically, it seems like we'd be reducing DH's commute and adding to mine if we go to Herndon/Reston/Centreville.

Love the housing out in that direction though and the access to retail.... never can get 100% of what you want!

[Anonymous]

My husband gets a bus in front of our house in Reston to WFC and then metros to Farragut West. It takes him 55 minutes door to door. As long as he makes the bus he is good (it runs every 30 minutes)

[Anonymous]

Taking the 980 bus from Herndon-Monroe, then the orange line from West Falls Church to Farragut West, takes 50 minutes if all is normal. The return trip is about the same.