Commute from Brambleton/Broadlands to Reston Town Center w/o using Dulles Greenway (Charlottesville: rentals)

[VACAV]

Hi all,

My wife and I are relocating from Charlottesville, VA to NOVA. We are really excited about the move. We are having a hard time, however, deciding where we want to live. We are considering (among other places) Brambleton and Broadlands and are trying to figure out what the commute would be like.

I will be commuting each day to Reston Town Center. I would like to avoid the dulles greenway if possible. There's something about paying a $4 toll to travel less than a mile that just doesn't sit right with me. In any case, I was wondering if anyone has experience commuting from those communities on routes other than the Greenway (i.e. Waxpool, Loudon County Parkway, Sully Road, etc.) who could comment.

Essentially, I am trying to decide between living in Sterling/Potomac Falls (and paying a little more in rent) and one of the Ashburn communities (and potentially having a longer commute). If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Ashburnite]

If you're on Waxpool by 6:45am the commute is pretty smooth. Anything later than that in the mornings until around 9:15am is going to be busy. Coming home Waxpool gets pretty busy by 5:15 until around 6:30pm. The Dulles Toll Road can be busy but usually not too backed up unless there's a problem somewhere. Route 7 gets busy with stop and go traffic both going in and coming home. Again, the earlier you leave in the morning the better it will be. If you have a gym at the office and like to use it, you might consider going in early each day and using the gym first so you miss the heavy traffic.

Living in Brambleton will limit your options a little more in terms of avoiding the greenway but Broadlands is a little easier. You might also consider Ashburn Village.

[Caladium]

Later this year they'll begin construction on Kincora and completing Pacific Ave. which will run parallel to Rt 28, connecting Waxpool to Rt. 7. I have a feeling that's going to affect traffic on both Waxpool and Rt. 7 for several months.

If it was me, I'd stay east of Rt. 28. Cascades has some nice rentals, and some of them aren't that expensive. Then, when the project is done, you might consider moving to Ashburn.

[Ashburnite]

Caladium makes a good point re: renting. Many people new to this area rent first for a while to give them a chance to really explore the area and decide where they want to buy.

[VACAV]

Thank you so much for the advice. This is extremely helpful. The more I think about it, the more attractive Potomac Falls/Cascades is to me in the short term. I really like the Ashburn communities a lot, so perhaps we will relocate that direction after some of the infrastructure improvements have been made.

Thanks again!

[GoHokiesGo]

I live in Ashburn and I usually skip the toll road, Rt 28, and Rt 7 to get to Reston Town Center. Here's my route to get there:

• Waxpool Rd and cross over 28
• Continue on Church Rd (waxpool turns into this on the sterling side)
• Continue until you get to the 4-way stop sign at Sugarland Rd. (pass stoplight intersection at Sterling Blvd)
• Right on Sugarland Run
• Right on Drainesville Rd
• Left at Wiehle Ave (3rd light)
• Right onto Fairfax Cty Pkwy
• Left onto New Dominion Pkwy entering Reston Town Center

Google Maps Link

You'll still hit traffic on Waxpool if it's past 7:15am when you're headed into work, but this can still help you avoid the toll road costs and traffic backed up on Rt 7.

It takes me roughly 20 minutes from my house in the middle of Ashburn

[eastli84]

If you are going from Brambleton to RTC, just take Ryan Rd to Loudoun Co Parkway, to Waxpool, to 28 South, finally to the toll Road. This way you will skip the rediculous greenway toll. Brambleton to RTC = approx 25 mins in rush hour. In the afternoon, 28 north getting onto Waxpool is backed up, but never insane. My roommate does this every day and has never complained..

[GoHokiesGo]

One way to skip the 28 North Traffic into waxpool is to take the Old Ox Rd Exit, which is right where traffic usually begins to back-up; you can then turn left at the light onto Shaw Rd and that parallels 28 basically (it's the road behind those small businesses you see along 28 and Belfort furniture). I've been taking this way lately and it saves probably 10 minutes of traffic on 28N just to exit to waxpool.

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by GoHokiesGo

One way to skip the 28 North Traffic into waxpool is to take the Old Ox Rd Exit, which is right where traffic usually begins to back-up; you can then turn left at the light onto Shaw Rd and that parallels 28 basically (it's the road behind those small businesses you see along 28 and Belfort furniture). I've been taking this way lately and it saves probably 10 minutes of traffic on 28N just to exit to waxpool.

You can also take the second Waxpool exit from 28N. It's a right-hand exit just past the flyover left-hand exit. That positions you for either of the two left lanes on Waxpool, rather than fighting the flyover<->Wegmans hoohah in the right lanes.