Any details about carpooling/slugging from Rt. 17 Fredericksburg to Rosslyn & back? (Woodbridge: home)

[spark4]

Hi,

I'm a local student and I recently got my dream internship in DC - however, it is unpaid. I'm excited but at the same time, I am stressing out a bit since I'm starting in about 2 weeks and I haven't figured out my transportation costs/plans. (Keep in mind that I am a poor college student ) My internship hours are from 9 am - 5:30 (sometimes overtime).

My questions are:

1) How reliable are the number of cars that are willing to pick up slugs from the locations I've mentioned in the post title (From Fredericksburg to Rosslyn in the morning & From Rosslyn to Fredericksburg in the evening)?

2) or do you think the VRE is a better option?

Thanks in advance!

[Fundman]

In addition to VRE, you can catch a bus to D.C. at the commuter lot on 17. Train or bus would be more reliable than slugging. Slugging back to Fredericksburg in the evening wouldn't be a sure thing since there are few drivers going all that way. Almost everyone is going to Woodbridge.

[africa22222]

All,
I just bought a home on route 17, about 0.4 miles from the commuter parking lot on 633 warrenton rd. I work in DC on 14 and k. Martz have several buses from the commuter lot to 15 and k. I would like to know the reliability of these buses. According to martz website, the bus that leaves at 5:55am arrives at 14 and k at 7:20. Is that the case? How crowded are the buses? Do you have to stand on the bus sometimes?

How about slugging in the morning? I was considering that as an option. Slug in the morning and use commuter bus is in the afternoon.

Anyone with experience I'm using the martz bus. Please help.

Thanks

[ChristineVA]

You may want to post in the "e-mail ring" for Fredericksburg to Rosslyn slug line from the slug lines website.

Fredericksburg or Route 17 Slug Line

[gomason]

Train is most reliable and probably quickest. Downside is it would be very expensive because you would need to switch to Metro at Crystal City (like $340 a month if you did it every day versus $290 for Martz).

[Fundman]

africa2222- I take a commuter bus that stops in Woodbridge. The commuter buses use the HOV lane and are reliable 90 percent of the time. But for example, one night last week there was an overturned crane that blocked the southbound HOV lane in the afternoon and caused a massive delay. It took me twice as long to get home that night. You just have to accept that every once in a while there will be an accident or some other problem blocking the road.