Reverse Commute From Arlington/Alexandria to Tysons

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by rubytue

The trouble with Tysons is that its right on the beltway, and there is no such thing as a "reverse commute" when you are traveling the beltway. The reverse part of the commute would be taking the roads (e.g. 66) out to the beltway.

I guess I should've clarified what I meant by reverse commute. If I lived in Herndon and had to commute to either Tysons or DC, I'd be going with traffic. If, on the other hand, I lived in Arlington and worked in Tysons, I would be headed west on 66 against traffic since most morning commuters on 66 would likely be headed towards DC, not away from it.

Originally Posted by rubytue

Also, to the OP, you mentioned Just to clarify, you can't get the clearance yourself, tou have to have a job (or at least an offer) and an employer who will sponsor you. You might already know this, but I've seen lots of people think they could just move up here and apply for the clearance on their own.

I understand that clearance requires having a sponsor. The reason I brought it up was to show why I'm more likely to land a job in NOVA and therefore the "reverse commute" becomes a bigger issue. If I was sure that I would land a job in DC, then I would definitely live closer. But I know that not having a clearance will put me at a significant disadvantage for those jobs.

[terrence81]

Not having a clearance is one of those things you can't help. So don't focus on that. If you see a job that's like you must already have a clearance then move on to the next one.

As far as Tysons is concerned. Like someone said there is no real going against traffic. There's traffic in both directions. If you are on 66 yes there will be less traffic but not a total elimination of traffic. If you are on 495 from either direction going to Tysons there WILL be very heavy traffic. Try some place in north Arlington NOT Alexandria. Alexandria will probably be cheaper outside of course Old Town but it will definitely have heavy traffic going to Tysons.

[NOVAmtneer82]

Originally Posted by DennyCrane

I guess I should've clarified what I meant by reverse commute. If I lived in Herndon and had to commute to either Tysons or DC, I'd be going with traffic. If, on the other hand, I lived in Arlington and worked in Tysons, I would be headed west on 66 against traffic since most morning commuters on 66 would likely be headed towards DC, not away from it.



I understand that clearance requires having a sponsor. The reason I brought it up was to show why I'm more likely to land a job in NOVA and therefore the "reverse commute" becomes a bigger issue. If I was sure that I would land a job in DC, then I would definitely live closer. But I know that not having a clearance will put me at a significant disadvantage for those jobs.

There isn't really much of a reverse commute in the DC area...there are nearly as many jobs in Fairfax County as in DC proper. Of course Fairfax covers a much larger area but most of the job centers are concentrated in a few specific places like Tysons, the Dulles Corridor, Fort Belvoir, etc. Believe it or not but there are portions of I-66 where traffic is actually heavier outbound away from DC in the morning than inbound. Yes there are HOV restrictions inbound but many people also carpool outbound towards the Beltway and beyond...all part of DC area living I guess.

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by terrence81

As far as Tysons is concerned. Like someone said there is no real going against traffic. There's traffic in both directions. If you are on 66 yes there will be less traffic but not a total elimination of traffic. If you are on 495 from either direction going to Tysons there WILL be very heavy traffic. Try some place in north Arlington NOT Alexandria. Alexandria will probably be cheaper outside of course Old Town but it will definitely have heavy traffic going to Tysons.

Unfortunately, north Arlington will probably be beyond my means. That's why I was considering Alexandria as an alternative. I'm sure the traffic going from there to Tysons will be bad, but would it be any worse than going from Reston? If not, then I might as well live in Alexandria since it's closer to DC and has more young singles.

[Leroy Brown]

It is certainly correct to say that no matter where you're trying to drive in NOVA during rush hour you will run into a lot of traffic. But it is nuts to suggest which direction you are going in doesn't matter.

The reverse commute from North Arlington to Tyson’s is manageable. The real key is to avoid having to take the inner loop of the beltway to Tyson’s in the morning. The inner loop is insane near the Tyson’s area in the morning because commuters from the western suburbs are taking it to Tyson’s, to the GW parkway to get into DC, and across the river into Maryland to the 270 corridor. There are three reasonably fast ways to get to Tyson’s from North Arlington in the morning that do not involve the beltway - you can Take the GW parkway to the outer loop (might make sense from Roslyn), take Old Dominion drive through McLean (might make sense from Ballston), and you can take 66 to the Dulles Access Road which will plop you off right on 123 just north of the mall. Traffic on 66 can be erratic – but the commute from anywhere in North Arlington should be manageable by the standards you've set.

I’ve never tried to commute from Old Town/Alexandria in the morning but I think it would be manageable too. The drive from Reagan National Airport to Tyson’s is pretty easy in the morning down the GW parkway against traffic. It’s not hard to get to the parkway from Old Town certainly, tougher from other parts of Alexandria.

The commute you absolutely want to avoid is trying to come from Shirlington or the other parts of South Arlington near 395 to Tyson’s. You would either have to drive across Arlington during rush hour or take 395 to the Beltway. Which would both be awful.

It can be real slow driving across Tyson’s on 7 or 123 during morning rush, so where your job is can a fair bit of time to your drive. But I think anywhere in Tyson’s should be ok.

The caveat to this advice is that the ongoing Beltway/Metro construction is really going to screw things up from time to time over the next four years. But hey, if you stick around you’ll be able to take the Metro to Tyson’s Corner from Arlington in 2013!

[DennyCrane]

Thanks Leroy. That was extremely helpful. Now I just need to find a job. If I have several to choose from, then the commute will be a factor in deciding which to go with. Of course, if I only get one offer, then that pretty much decides everything.