Commute from McLean --> Bethesda? (Arlington, Tysons Corner: apartments, rent, house)

[katie2dc]

Hi,

I just came back from viewing apartments in the area and am basically considering 2 buildings. One is in North Bethesda (near the Bethesda Naval Hospital) and the other is in Arlington (near the Crystal City metro). My main concern right now is what my commute will be. I'm from NYC and used the subway to get around and do not have a car. I will most likely get one but it won't be for maybe a few weeks after I have settled in. On google maps the distance to McLean from both addresses is not bad but I have heard about DMV rush hour traffic. I am leaning towards the Bethesda address in hopes that my commute won't be as horrific...

My first question is, is there a bus that can take you from Bethesda to McLean? The wmata site is suggesting the metro to dc, out to va and then a bus ride. There has to be an alternative for public transportation, right?

My other question is once I do get a car, what is the shortest commute for a 9-6 schedule from Bethesda?

Thanks!

[seiketsu]

I think you're SOL if you're trying to use public transportation to get from Bethesda to McLean. There used to be a Metrobus that crossed the American Legion bridge, but I'm not sure if that route still exists. It's hit or miss in a car. You're pretty much limited to the beltway, which can take 15 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes. There may be some back ways -- e.g., snaking your way down to Chain Bridge and then down 123 -- but I don't think that would be any faster than the beltway. It's not the WORST commute ever -- you would probably average half an hour or less -- but Crystal City might be better. From Crystal City you could hop onto the GW parkway, which almost always moves at speed.

My advice is for people who work in Virginia to live in Virginia, especially if you're renting. If nothing else, moving across the river will take a bite out of your take home pay, as the People's Republic of Maryland has higher income taxes, including locality taxes.

[katie2dc]

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately, I have no idea what SOL stands for (Sorry, out of luck?). So the money I would be saving in rent would be eaten up in income taxes and commuting time/costs?

To be more specific, the job is actually in Tyson's corner, if that changes your advice at all. On a map, the GW seems out of the way for a drive to Tyson's from Crystal City. Is there an alternate route or am I reading the map wrong? How long do you think the commute will be by car from CC to Tyson's?



-K

[athousandlogins]

I don't know of any reasonable way to get from Bethesda to Tysons without a car. And even with a car, the commute would be a bear. Bethesda is a fantastic place to live, though. This is one of the huge drawbacks of the DC Metro area, unfortunately - it's relatively easy to get into DC using public transportation, but going from suburb to suburb (which is what most people actually do every day) is often a big challenge.

There is no Metro rail in Tysons at the moment - they're working on it. So you'd have to rely on buses until you get a car, no matter where you live. Keeping yourself in Arlington or nearby Falls Church would give you a better chance of finding a good bus route.

[katie2dc]

Ok, my bad. I totally meant Pentagon City. The apartment in Va is near the Pentagon City metro station.

So lets say I do get a car and drive to work. Even though Tyson's seems equidistant to the Bethesda and Pentagon City addresses, my commute from Bethesda would be worse?

[bmwguydc]

Part of the Arlington commute is against traffic once you're headed west toward Tysons Corner, though traffic builds in the immediate Tysons vicinity and at the outset of the route with DC-bound traffic. In contrast, the Bethesda commute is limited because of the need to cross the river, which can be done at the American Legion or Chain Bridge. With the Arlington commute, you also have the possibility of taking back roads to avoid some of the traffic into the Tysons area, depending upon which part of Tysons.

The buses from Montgomery County to Tysons were eliminated a few years ago, so you have the rail option to West Falls Church, and then a bus to Tysons. It's not far from WFC to Tysons on the bus, however, but it's a tad inconvenient. There are ways to minimize your commute from Bethesda, but if there's an issue on The Beltway, traffic can turn ugly very quickly.

For example, Goldsboro Road to MacArthur Blvd to the Clara Barton Pwy to The Beltway right at the bridge can be easier than navigating through the 270-bound traffic on the top side of The Beltway. Once across the bridge, it's a shorter trip to Tysons, though there can still be pockets of traffic, especially at the Tysons exits.

The really bad traffic, however, is headed back across the bridge in the afternoon, though you could navigate around some of this traffic with an alternate route. It is easier to get back to Arlington since you can do so on secondary roads, since I-66 east is not easy in the evening, either.

[claremarie]

"So lets say I do get a car and drive to work. Even though Tyson's seems equidistant to the Bethesda and Pentagon City addresses, my commute from Bethesda would be worse?"

On most days, yes. The bridge is a daily bottleneck, and once across the bridge you have very limited options to Tyson's, which is where most of the traffic is heading at that point. Depending upon your exact workplace location, it could take you 30 minutes just to get from the Beltway to your parking space. Plus the various construction projects around Tyson's Corner are just adding to the congestion. As the previous poster noted, the return trip would be even worse.
The other plus to the Pentagon City option is that it is MUCH closer to DC and the airport.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

The really bad traffic, however, is headed back across the bridge in the afternoon, though you could navigate around some of this traffic with an alternate route. It is easier to get back to Arlington since you can do so on secondary roads, since I-66 east is not easy in the evening, either.

Traffic across the American Legion bridge (495) is terrible both ways in the afternoon. I go that way often. Most days, the GW Parkway is eaqsy way to get to Arlington in the PM. However, on certain days it can be a nightmare.

[Claire2900]

Commute times in terms of mileage mean next to nothing in this area. I would strongly suggest living in Crystal city over Bethesda when working in Tysons. The current construction on the beltway and in Tysons's is only going to get worse and crossing the bridge especially in the evening is horrible.

[Stephen 81]

Is there a particular reason you picked Pentagon City over the metro stations along the Orange Line in Arlington? Pentagon City apartments tend to be similar to those in Ballston/Clarendon/Court House in terms of size, age, and feel (if maybe $20-50 a month cheaper), but the latter would make your commute to Tysons significantly easier, both by car and by public transportation.

If you are restricted to the Bethesda and Pentagon City options, I would pick Pentagon City. While neither commute sounds like much fun to me, my parents live near the American Legion Bridge and I hate having to drive near it during rush hour. Also, you've got more options to get from Tysons to Pentagon City. If one of them is unusually bad, you can take another, whereas there is only one way to get to Bethesda from Tysons, and it's not a pretty one (well, the Potomac River Gorge is pretty, but you get what I mean).