commute from Madison HS to Oakton HS (Annandale, Fairfax: 2011, home)

[camer]

I've been reading how dreadful the traffic is in the DC area.

Using surface raods, how long would it take me to travel from Madison HS to Oakton HS @ various points of the day?

We're looking @ Vienna as a possible place to live: Within a mile from either Madison or Oakton HS.

Is it true that just getting to the grocery store will entail a major commute through traffic?

[vlh71]

The commute between Madison and Oakton HS is short (distance). It may be 15 min. give or take depending on the time of day/traffic. The main thoroughfare through Vienna is 123 (Main St.) The grocery store situation isn't bad. Along 123 from Hunter Mill all the way to Courthouse Rd. you will find a Whole Foods, Macgruders, Giant and I believe a Safeway (if it's still there - heard it closed or was closing). There are just so many intersections/lights along the route. It's a very "town" feel. I grew up in that area - my Mom has worked at Madison for 25 years. There are lots of shopping spots, restaurants, Dr. offices, etc. It won't be a 2 min. drive for groceries but IMO, a realistic drive. Hope that helps! Best of luck!

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by camer

I've been reading how dreadful the traffic is in the DC area.

Using surface raods, how long would it take me to travel from Madison HS to Oakton HS @ various points of the day?

We're looking @ Vienna as a possible place to live: Within a mile from either Madison or Oakton HS.

Is it true that just getting to the grocery store will entail a major commute through traffic?

Well I live in that area and I wouldn't say going to the grocery store is a major commute. At the same time the traffic on 123 is HORRIBLE. I will say that I do avoid going to the grocery store during rush hour. Often I get home from work after a long day and I will get hungry but I usually just wait or have pizza delivered. It's just so much trouble just to drive a mile to Giant. I don't say that to scare you but the traffic on 123 is some of the worse I've ever seen.

I think they need to work on synchronizing the traffic lights so that it actually moves when the light turns green. So yes you'll have to deal with traffic during rush hour to go to the grocery store and it's not very pretty on Saturdays either. At the same time Oakton is a really nice place to live just safe and pleasant but be prepared for the traffic.

[camer]

Originally Posted by terrence81

Well I live in that area and I wouldn't say going to the grocery store is a major commute. At the same time the traffic on 123 is HORRIBLE. I will say that I do avoid going to the grocery store during rush hour. Often I get home from work after a long day and I will get hungry but I usually just wait or have pizza delivered. It's just so much trouble just to drive a mile to Giant. I don't say that to scare you but the traffic on 123 is some of the worse I've ever seen.

I think they need to work on synchronizing the traffic lights so that it actually moves when the light turns green. So yes you'll have to deal with traffic during rush hour to go to the grocery store and it's not very pretty on Saturdays either. At the same time Oakton is a really nice place to live just safe and pleasant but be prepared for the traffic.

Thank you. What's considered rush hour in the DC area? Is it similar to the SF Bay area: 6 AM - 10 AM and 2 pm - 7 pm?

[camer]

Originally Posted by vlh71

The commute between Madison and Oakton HS is short (distance). It may be 15 min. give or take depending on the time of day/traffic. The main thoroughfare through Vienna is 123 (Main St.) The grocery store situation isn't bad. Along 123 from Hunter Mill all the way to Courthouse Rd. you will find a Whole Foods, Macgruders, Giant and I believe a Safeway (if it's still there - heard it closed or was closing). There are just so many intersections/lights along the route. It's a very "town" feel. I grew up in that area - my Mom has worked at Madison for 25 years. There are lots of shopping spots, restaurants, Dr. offices, etc. It won't be a 2 min. drive for groceries but IMO, a realistic drive. Hope that helps! Best of luck!

Thank you. You mentioned your Mom working @ Madison HS. Do you know anything about the county-wide redistricting plan that will happen in the near future? If you do, how soon? Based on your experience, how often are NoVA schools redistricted? I was told to buy a home as close as possible to Oakton or Madison high schools.

[michgc]

I cannot imagine the distance between Madison HS and Oakton HS taking more than 7 or 8 minutes. They are very close to one another. I live about a mile from each of them. And it shouldn't take more than 8 minutes to get to a grocery store. There is no Safeway anymore in Vienna, but there is a Whole Foods, Magruder's, and Giant. And there is another Giant (a bigger, newly remodeled one) in Oakton. Yes, traffic is bad at certain points of the day on Route 123, but to get somewhere in town does not take that long.

I have not heard about any county-wide redistricting plan. There are neighborhoods here and there redistricted probably once a year (maybe a few per year?). Last year, some neighborhoods were redistricted to South Lakes High School. This year, they are possibly redistricting some neighborhoods out of Annandale High School. A couple of years ago, the Gifted and Talented in the Vienna area was redistricted out of Kilmer Middle School to Jackson Middle School. So, there seems to always be some boundaries moving in Fairfax County. Having grown up in Pennsylvania where the township runs the schools, I find it pretty frustrating. I can guess why someone suggested being within a mile of Oakton or Madison. They are both good schools. I live in the Town of Vienna and can answer other questions if you wish.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by camer

Thank you. What's considered rush hour in the DC area? Is it similar to the SF Bay area: 6 AM - 10 AM and 2 pm - 7 pm?

Yeah that's about right. Sometimes it might last until 8 in certain spots but the worst is over by 7.

[JEB77]

Originally Posted by camer

Thank you. You mentioned your Mom working @ Madison HS. Do you know anything about the county-wide redistricting plan that will happen in the near future? If you do, how soon? Based on your experience, how often are NoVA schools redistricted? I was told to buy a home as close as possible to Oakton or Madison high schools.

According to the FCPS 2010-14 Capital Improvement Program, FCPS Staff proposes to make recommendations on a county-wide study in September 2009. And that would only be the start of the process; many more meetings would follow. It's impossible to imagine anything happening on a county-wide basis "in the near future." Redistrictings generally aren't very popular, and it's possible the whole thing will never really get off the ground before the next School Board elections in 2011.

Redistrictings involving only a limited number of schools take place every year or two, depending on which schools are perceived as over-crowded or under-enrolled, and when new schools are constructed. The current redistricting at the high school level under consideration does not involve either Oakton HS or Madison HS, but instead Annandale, Falls Church and Lake Braddock HS.

As others have pointed out, Oakton HS and Madison HS are very close to one another. [In fact, Fairfax HS is also close to Oakton HS.] No one starting on a blank slate would build two high schools in this part of the county so close to one another. One consequence of their proximity is that their boundaries (particularly, the Oakton HS boundaries) are redrawn more often than the boundaries for some schools. However, the general consensus seems to be that, while not required by law, students living in the Town of Vienna will always be assigned to Madison HS.

Without any real understanding as to where FCPS may end up a few years later, I'd try to stay east of Hunter Mill Road or in the Town of Vienna if I wanted to stay in the Madison district. Oakton's boundaries are so funky (a long east-west swath in the central/western part of the county) that it's hard to offer any suggestions. You can travel a short distance from Oakton HS and be in the current attendance zones for not only Oakton, but also Madison, Falls Church, Woodson and Fairfax HS.

Good luck.

[JEB77]

Originally Posted by michgc

A couple of years ago, the Gifted and Talented in the Vienna area was redistricted out of Kilmer Middle School to Jackson Middle School.

This only affected some GT students in Vienna. A large number of the Vienna-area GT students continue to attend Kilmer, which is also located in Vienna (Jackson is in Falls Church) and would be these students' base school in any event.

[camer]

Originally Posted by michgc

I cannot imagine the distance between Madison HS and Oakton HS taking more than 7 or 8 minutes. They are very close to one another. I live about a mile from each of them. And it shouldn't take more than 8 minutes to get to a grocery store. There is no Safeway anymore in Vienna, but there is a Whole Foods, Magruder's, and Giant. And there is another Giant (a bigger, newly remodeled one) in Oakton. Yes, traffic is bad at certain points of the day on Route 123, but to get somewhere in town does not take that long.

I have not heard about any county-wide redistricting plan. There are neighborhoods here and there redistricted probably once a year (maybe a few per year?). Last year, some neighborhoods were redistricted to South Lakes High School. This year, they are possibly redistricting some neighborhoods out of Annandale High School. A couple of years ago, the Gifted and Talented in the Vienna area was redistricted out of Kilmer Middle School to Jackson Middle School. So, there seems to always be some boundaries moving in Fairfax County. Having grown up in Pennsylvania where the township runs the schools, I find it pretty frustrating. I can guess why someone suggested being within a mile of Oakton or Madison. They are both good schools. I live in the Town of Vienna and can answer other questions if you wish.

Thank you for being williing to answer questions. I appreciate your helpfulness. On the commute into DC (Georgetown Med Ctr) from Vienna Metro: I hear the metro parking lot fills up quickly. Augh. My husband would hope to leave Vienna around 6-6:15 AM. Will there be a problem with metro parking @ that hour? If not, when does the rush/congestion for parking spaces start?

Should he decide to drive in, would the commute @ 6 - 6:15 AM be 30 min or less? Could you tell me how long it would take him to drive back, say to the Madison HS area, @ 6 pm? Not.....?????!!!!!

He would also have to work some weekends. Is the metro more convenient EVEN on the weekends?