Average commute times?

[Anonymous]

I can take 66-HOV lane (in a hybrid) from East Falls Church to the State Department in 10-12 min. leaving at 8 a.m. I tested the commute from Bethesda once and it was 25 min.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live on Capitol Hill, child attends Gonzaga and I work in Southwest DC. I can leave home at 7:30 drop the son off, park in the garage, catch the elevator, walk across the street, enter the building, badge-in, catch the elevator, enter the office suite, and cut on the computer all by 8:55.

But the return home trip takes about 15 minutes longer.

Next year, child will be ablt drive to school and that should cut off about 10 minutes but add on about 50 years of worrying.

Do you mean you are turning on your computer at 7:55? Otherwise you have an hour and 25 minute commute which sounds extreme, but 25 minutes door to desk with a drop off is impressive.

[Anonymous]

I live in CC DC and getting to 20th and Pennsylvania takes much, much less time (13 minutes?) than my previous commute from the same address to the Hart building.

I used to live in Kensington, MD (Walter Johnson Cluster) and commute to 20th and Penn and I could do door-to-door in 30 minutes (9-9:30). I could also do it in 45 minutes (8:30-9:15), and in almost an hour (8-8:55). Coming homes was a crapshoot, thanks to Connecticut Ave-between the speed cameras, the buses taking two lanes, and the left turners, it's amazing I even made it home!

[Anonymous]

I think everyone else has said it - depends where in DC. I used to live in VA and I swear it feels like it is a closer commute to 3/4 of DC. I live in close-in MD now and when I commuted into SW DC during peak times (Left 8 or 8:30) it was close to an hour commute. From close-in VA, even with traffic, I think the same commute was about 45 minutes in the morning on a bad day. The only downside with VA and the bridges is that if there is a big accident you are screwed. There really is one main way in or out to get from VA to SW DC - not including 66 which is HOV and 50 which can be a nightmare because it is filled with everyone that can't take 66. In MD, there are many more choices - I have a friend that knows how to avoid CT ave to make it to downtown DC. You learn all about the infamous Canal Road and Chain Bridge and Rock Creek Parkway. When I lived in VA I had heard about these roads and had no idea where they started and ended, what hours they went which direction - until I moved to MD.

[Anonymous]

I live near Ballston metro in a townhome:
11-12 mins walk to metro
4-6 mins avg. wait for train
12-14 mins to Farragut West (pretty regular)
5 min walk to office

On a perfectly aligned day with very brisk walking I can get my door-to-desk metro commute down to 30 mins, but average is about 40 mins. On the occasional drive into work, without traffic it's as little as 8/9 mins, but traffic on the 50 is unpredictable. On weekends, the drive into the city (Smithsonian, Penn Quarter, Dupont) is a real breeze. The 50 is basically empty in the evenings and weekends, so very easy to drive in and out of DC from North Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All respondents should say where they are going downtown. IME it makes a big difference.

I live in CC DC and getting to 20th and Pennsylvania takes much, much less time (13 minutes?) than my previous commute from the same address to the Hart building.

This is unrealistic. We live in CC DC--at the very southern part of CC DC--a block off from Connecticut Ave and leaving at 7:30 AM, and the stops at Nebraska, Van Ness, Woodley/Calvert alone take 13 minutes. Even taking RCP, it takes 18 minutes to get to Foggy Bottom.

I'd say, more realistically, door to door takes 25-30 minutes on a good day.

[Anonymous]

We commute between W Falls Church and roughly Union Station. Leaving at 6:50am it takes us 30 minutes to get to our desks, leaving at 7:20 it takes us 45 minutes. On the way home we leave at 4pm and it takes 35-40 minutes on average. Of course we're able to take 66 and that makes all the difference.

[Anonymous]

I agree about the importance of *how* you're commuting. I'm in Clarendon, commuting to Foggy Bottom. Door to door takes 25 minutes with one form of public transportation, 40 with another. Driving takes 35 minutes if I'm parking at a public garage, 10 if my spouse is dropping me off.

The bridges are no bigger a deal than the limited road options for getting in overland.

[Anonymous]

Close-in Chevy Chase MD east of Connecticut --- 20-25 min most mornings to downtown west of White House.
Close-in Chevy Chase MD west of Wisconsisn --- 35-40 min most mornings to same
Close-in downtown Bethesda -- 45 min most mornings to same

I agree that close-in Arlington is a breeze, esp if you can get on I-66 East (HOV-2) from Glebe Rd. 12-15 min most mornings to downtown west of White House.

[Anonymous]

I live in Four Corners in Silver Spring, just outside the beltway.

If I drive at 9 or early in the morning, I can get to 14th and L in half an hour. During the height of rush hour, it's more like 45 minutes.

[Anonymous]

I've never measured it but as we are in the process of househunting I always think Arlington is a way easier commute than Bethesda or Silver Spring. You do have to cross a bridge but there are several options and you can figure out what works best for your commute. It always seems to me like getting through town is a bitch, especially in the morning. (I work on Cap Hill and DH works downtown--we are focusing our search on Arlington.)