Traffic/Rush hour advice needed from Mt. Vernon/Alexandria area to Bethesda/Walter Reed Hospital (Mount Vernon: home, construction)

[jautumnw]

Hello,

I'll soon have to start reporting to Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda by 6:30 AM in the mornings. I'm wondering if anyone could shed some light on what traffic is like on the 495 between 5 and 6:30AM? I live in the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria. Mapquest says the trip should take 45 minutes but of course that doesn't take traffic into account. Any tips or advice on when I should head out?

Thank you!!
Jessica

[tysonsengineer]

Ah BRAC, ruining peoples commutes since 2011. Traffic is about as bad you can imagine. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

No but seriously, hope you can take metro cause 495 isnt even a very nice trip from there to Tysons (35 minutes) let alone to Bethesda (another 30 minutes). The morning is the easy part at about an hour, in the afternoon 50% of the time you can get home in that same 60 minutes by 50% of the time it will take you an hour just to get from Bethesda across the river.

Good luck man, government in its infinite wisdom, I wish they could have just fixed Walter Reed instead of consolidating.

Head out at 5:30am and come back at 7pm and you have a good chance of avoiding the worst of it.

[jautumnw]

Hmmm, haven't considered using the metro. How close does it go to Walter Reed and is it pretty safe to ride on that early in the morning? Thank you for your reply!!

[johnsonkk]

The metro is fine and drops off right in bethesda (you can say walter reed but current location is bethesda). You should qualify for mass transit benefits so metro is your best bet.

[gomason]

If you're going to drive, definitely take Route 1 to old town and then get on the GW parkway to 495 or just get directly on the GW parkway depending on what park of Mount Vernon you live in.

The GW parkway is A LOT less stressful than dealing with construction and traffic on the beltway and the commute is much more reliable because accidents are rare.

[Carioca Da Gema]

will her commute be that bad at 0530 in the morning though? I've been gone for awhile, but it didn't used to be THAT bad, that early in the morning...

[tysonsengineer]

No, 530 you are fine. Up until 6:30 this areas traffic is pretty much similar to other "nuisance traffic times" but nothing ridiculous. After 6:30 its allllllll rush hour until about 9:30.

Though you do have the issue of night work on 495 to deal with if you take that. I would agree take GW early morning and you are better off.

[Boo57]

I drive from Vienna to Mt Vernon ( right near the hospital ) and I leave between 5:45 AM and 6:15 AM and it takes me 30 minutes door to door.

On the way home anywhere from 4-5 PM It take me the better part of an hour.

I am not sure about the Parkway since I would have to go past the Tysons nightmare to get there ...

If you can get going early in the morning you should be OK but the afternoon will be difficult no matter which way you slice it

[tysonsengineer]

No no, hes going from Mt Vernon to Bethesda Naval (the new Walter Reed BRAC realignment nonsense)

Not gonna be 60 minutes during rush hour for this trip.

[Dwimmerlaik]

I don't really recommend living on the other side of DC from where you are going to be working. But if you have to do it you could try a couple different routes.

Personally, I would skip the beltway. Take either GW parkway or 395, depending on which you are closer too, north, then go over Memorial Bridge, up Rock Creek Parkway and then get on Connecticut Ave off RCP. At that point, you'll be going against any traffic thats there in the city anyway. Connecticut flows much much better than Wisconsin Ave and its a straight shot to the backside of Bethesda Navy.

I used to commute from the Cleveland Park area of DC (on Conn Ave) to Lorton and you can do it in an easy 20 -25 minutes. Figure in another 15 to make it to Bethesda.

Then you have the advantage of some really great views driving to work everyday, seeing the monuments and all that.