AM Trip to Baltimore from WVA eastern Panhandle (Tips Please!!) (Ellicott City: school, university)

[electraonazalea]

I have a dental school interview in Baltimore on Wednesday. I have to be in the school by 11:30 AM. I live 80 miles away from Baltimore in the eastern panhandle of W.Va. I'm just curious to know what to expect from Baltimore traffic in the morning, and how far in advance I should plan on leaving. I would prefer being in Baltimore parked and ready by 11 AM so I could be a bit early for my interview. Mapquest says it takes around 1.5 hours to get there, but I have no idea about rush hour traffic in the area. THANKS!

[electraonazalea]

...anyone?

[jaindow]

I live in Baltimore but I am not sure what route you would be taking to get here so it's hard to say. Also, I am not sure what Dental School you are going to. The only one I am aware of is the University of Maryland Dental School that is located on West Baltimore Street.

Perhaps using something like traffic.com can help you assess the traffic level in the morning.

[jaindow]

I've talked to a couple of friends of mine who live in the Arlington area and who come to Baltimore frequently to ask them what they think. I also gave them your time table. They think that you should take the Mapquest estimate and add 30-45 minutes to it. In their opinion, by the time you'd start to hit Baltimore, you will not be in rush hour.

[jaindow]

Oh, and one more thing... I would highly suggest that you print out a map of the area you are going to and highlight 2-3 different parking garages. I would not rely on knowing where only 1 is in case it's full or closed. Always have a back up parking plan prepared. And make sure your map is clear enough to direct you from any of your parking choices to your destination.

Whenever I've ended up in an unfamiliar area and not sure where I am going, I've always found people on the street who are more than willing to direct me. The worst is when you don't plan ahead for parking with alternatives!

[newhart]

electraonazalea, I'd lean towards giving yourself lots of extra time, especially since this is a pretty important interview. I'm assuming you'll be traveling I-70. It's hard to say how traffic will be on this road because one accident can change everything. Even without accidents, I would expect heavy traffic when you get close to Ellicott City and the Rt- 29 interchange, and pretty heavy congestion, maybe even delays at the interchange with 695. You may be going late enough that traffic will have eased up a bit, but 70 can be unpredictable so I'd keep an ear to the traffic reports on the Baltimore stations coming in. And then there's finding you way in the city and parking. I tend to be overcautious in situations like this, but I'd probably leave by 8:30 if you want to get there by 11:00. Good luck!

[electraonazalea]

Originally Posted by jaindow

Oh, and one more thing... I would highly suggest that you print out a map of the area you are going to and highlight 2-3 different parking garages. I would not rely on knowing where only 1 is in case it's full or closed. Always have a back up parking plan prepared. And make sure your map is clear enough to direct you from any of your parking choices to your destination.

Whenever I've ended up in an unfamiliar area and not sure where I am going, I've always found people on the street who are more than willing to direct me. The worst is when you don't plan ahead for parking with alternatives!

how do you look up alternative places to park? The University only suggested one garage, and i'm not sure how to find other ones online.

[jaindow]

Originally Posted by electraonazalea

how do you look up alternative places to park? The University only suggested one garage, and i'm not sure how to find other ones online.

To get a top level view of where some parking garages are, you can check out the following PDF file: http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/i...ng_Web_Map.pdf
You should be able to zoom in on the map by clicking on it and then scrolling to where you want to be. The University is in the lower left hand corner of the area labeled "Westside" which is Yellow/Tan in color. Unfortunately this map is not good about listing the street names, but it may be better than nothing.

The University's site recommends the Pearl Garage and Baltimore Grand Garage as an alternative.

"DIRECTIONS TO THE PEARL GARAGE: From Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd (MLK), turn onto Baltimore St and proceed to Paca St. Turn left onto Paca St, staying in the left lane. Go one block to Fayette Street. Turn left onto Fayette St. Get into the right lane. Proceed past Greene St to the Pearl Garage and turn right, into the garage. Take a ticket as usual. When you leave the Dental School, you will still need to obtain a voucher from the receptionist to pay the lower patient parking fee.

DIRECTIONS FROM THE PEARL STREET GARAGE TO THE DENTAL SCHOOL: Exit the garage. Make a right onto Fayette Street. At the crosswalk, cross Fayette Street and proceed down Arch street. (You will be walking next to the Dental School building.) Turn right onto Baltimore Street. Look for the double doors on your right. Take the elevator or stairs to the Atrium Reception.

OVERFLOW PARKING: is available in the Baltimore Grand Garage at the intersection of Paca and Fayette Street."

Here is the link to the university information: Patient Care & Clinics