If DC had to be evacuated, what would be the best routes through Nova? (Leesburg: live in, bill)

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I once heard that part of the reason for building the Appalachian Trail was to serve as an evacuation route for people on foot. Do you think someone was pulling my leg or was that once actually a plan? I've hiked a bit of it and it seems hard to believe it would make a good evacuation route.

Only certain people could use it though (physically capable). It would not work well with for the elderly, small children, etc. Or if it's snowy and icey.

And then there would need to be designated shelters/structures for those on foot.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by MountainMen

. . . Does the Washington Old Dominion bike path cross the App. trail at any point?

Originally Posted by globalburgh

Makes me think of some alternative ways out of DC. Bike paths and even walking trails might be quicker with just a bicycle. Some paths could accommodate a car.

It ends in Purcellville.: Map of the W&OD Trail

Great idea about the bike path!

[BayAreaHillbilly]

If one is worried about evacuation scenarios it may be best to do a strategic relo to somewhere in the Western burbs.

[novatert]

Originally Posted by globalburgh

Makes me think of some alternative ways out of DC. Bike paths and even walking trails might be quicker with just a bicycle. Some paths could accommodate a car.

The W&OD trail goes right through my neighborhood. Sometimes when I'm stuck in rush-hour traffic I have an enormous urge to turn onto it and drive straight home.

[Caladium]

Just a heads up for those who may not have seen the previous thread that started this--not to worry, this isn't a serious worry.

This is more of a philosophical question that popped up in another thread when we learned Rt 7 (of all crazy ideas) was intended as an evacuation route. We went off topic to discuss it, started having too many off topic posts, and bada bing bada boom, this thread was born. Nobody's really worried about evacuating (hey, we have duct tape after all )

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I once heard that part of the reason for building the Appalachian Trail was to serve as an evacuation route for people on foot. Do you think someone was pulling my leg or was that once actually a plan? I've hiked a bit of it and it seems hard to believe it would make a good evacuation route.

i read that book by bryson (?) about it, there was some history, I am pretty sure it was done with hiking in mind. Besides the whole long distance evacaution idea is a product of the cold war, afaict, and AT is older than that.

[robbobobbo]

Forget about it. I remember how long it took to drive from Crystal City to Shirlington area on the day of the 9/11 attacks. If everyone knew they needed to evacuate and headed out at the same time, I don't believe there would be any best route capable of moving you a good distance outside of DC in a short time. If there was something coming with advance notice, like a hurricane, maybe the authorities could do staged evacuations, avoiding everyone getting on the road at the same time. I don't know if that's done elsewhere.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by novatert

The W&OD trail goes right through my neighborhood. Sometimes when I'm stuck in rush-hour traffic I have an enormous urge to turn onto it and drive straight home.

during that terrible snow storm where people were stuck for hours - i was on an express bus, stuck in traffic on Little River Turnpike. I just got off and walked home. passed several other buses, and LOTS and lots of cars

[ICS67]

I am not really being even semi-humorous when I say: consider a limited evacuation by water as one of the options. On 9/11, and on the subsequent great Northeast blackout a few years later, a good number of people were able to evacuate New York City and get home to New Jersey only because of the trans-Hudson ferries. Not sure how many commerical cruise/charter boats there are on the Potomac, but in a real crisis I could see them maybe getting some people from DC to someplace like Alexandria.

Robbobobbo is right, though, that in the final analysis it is probably pointless to think DC can be evacuated in a hurry in case of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. I was at work in SW Washington, two blocks from the Air & Space Museum, on 9/11. Some cars parked in the garage of my office building needed an hour just to get out of the building. Streets in all of downtown were totally gridlocked, and some drivers were actually using the wide pedestrian walkways on the Mall that parallel the Smithsonian museums to cut though (not that it did them any good when they got to a paralyzed cross street). I was walking faster than traffic was moving. Only viable alternatives I see are A) shelter in place, B) hope you have a friend living within walking distance in DC or nearby Arlington who can put you up, or C) delay your departure until traffic lightens.

Something for everyone to think about and plan for well in advance.

[yamota]

I would definitely just try to walk out, if I have to swim across the potomac I will