For Those In the DMV - Will the Commute Get Better or Worse in the Fall???

[Anonymous]

I just returned to work in person about a month ago and my commute has increased by about 15-20 minutes, putting my commute at around 90 minutes. I am coming from 270 (Gaithersburg) and going to downtown D.C. on to Penn Ave., NW. I'm assuming the commute is worse now because a lot of people are not taking public transportation and are instead, driving in. Do you anticipate this commute time will get worse in the Fall? I'm in the process of making some housing decisions right now and also weighing a job further up 270 (Frederick).

[Anonymous]

It will be worse because more people will be going to the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be worse because more people will be going to the office.

This. I'm surprised. My commute is much, much better coming from VA.

[Anonymous]

So why don’t you take the red line in?

[Anonymous]

It will be worse. Most of us in my office have permanently fled Metro since the pandemic. We don’t get free metro money and our employer provides parking for a reasonable rate so we just drive.

[Anonymous]

The long-term trend is that (car) traffic will get worse. Long-term as in 5-10-15 years. The pandemic is an aberration.

[Anonymous]

With metro trains on sone lines running every 20 minutes, folks say, no thanks, gimme my car.

[Anonymous]

I would explore the Frederick job and related commute a bit more. I am now fully WFH, but pre-pandemic I used to have a commute against traffic (MoCo to Columbia) and it obviously makes a huge difference. It would take me the same amount of time to go 30 miles as it did to go 8 miles to my previous job in DC. I don’t know if commuting up 270 would be strictly against traffic, especially near Urbana and nearing Frederick, but something to think about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With metro trains on sone lines running every 20 minutes, folks say, no thanks, gimme my car.

Yeah but that’s going to change. More trains will be running by the end of the summer and starting Monday the wait times will be shorter on certain lines. That being said with the move to return to work in person I see it getting worse.

[Anonymous]

Worse
Several fed agencies will come back after Labor day.

[Anonymous]

Worse. This area is going to be bad as LA in 20 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Worse
Several fed agencies will come back after Labor day.

Hmm did not know this.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you should ever count on traffic in the DMV to trend in a "it's getting better" direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would explore the Frederick job and related commute a bit more. I am now fully WFH, but pre-pandemic I used to have a commute against traffic (MoCo to Columbia) and it obviously makes a huge difference. It would take me the same amount of time to go 30 miles as it did to go 8 miles to my previous job in DC. I don’t know if commuting up 270 would be strictly against traffic, especially near Urbana and nearing Frederick, but something to think about.

Thanks - I actually tested out the Frederick commute a couple of times last week during morning rush hour and it was about 30 minutes, even with a little more traffic as I neared Urbana. The job I'm considering is right off of the exit. In comparison, last Tuesday, my commute to/from D.C. took me close to two hours each way . I think with all of the work from home opportunities, many people are using Monday to work from home so there is a ton of traffic for those people who go in Tuesday. After two years of working from home, it was extremely frustrating and such a time suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would explore the Frederick job and related commute a bit more. I am now fully WFH, but pre-pandemic I used to have a commute against traffic (MoCo to Columbia) and it obviously makes a huge difference. It would take me the same amount of time to go 30 miles as it did to go 8 miles to my previous job in DC. I don’t know if commuting up 270 would be strictly against traffic, especially near Urbana and nearing Frederick, but something to think about.

Thanks - I actually tested out the Frederick commute a couple of times last week during morning rush hour and it was about 30 minutes, even with a little more traffic as I neared Urbana. The job I'm considering is right off of the exit. In comparison, last Tuesday, my commute to/from D.C. took me close to two hours each way[b] . I think with all of the work from home opportunities, many people are using Monday to work from home so there is a ton of traffic for those people who go in Tuesday. After two years of working from home, it was extremely frustrating and such a time suck.

I'm really surprised by this. I take almost the same route as you- from Rockville to two blocks from Penn Avenue down 270. It has never taken me more than an hour, and I average 35 minutes in the morning.
I wonder what times you are on the road and whether you are taking a really odd route downtown once you get off 270?