Reverse Commute Suggestions Center City to West Chester (Collegeville, Chesterbrook: house, college)

[dartmo]

Hi everyone, I am starting a new job in West Chester. I live in Center City and will unfortunately have to drive. Mapquest suggests I take 76 to 202, which I know would be an awful ride. I was thinking 95 South and then looping up. Can anyone provide some good suggestions?

How long will this trip take during rush hour?

Thanks!

[solibs]

Seriously - just take Walnut St. out to 63rd and then up to West Chester Pike and out. It's a shorter distance, less gas, and will take you the same amount of time.

[bryson662001]

I have used all the routes and my choice is 76 east to 95 south passing the airport and then north/west on 322 to Rt 1 then west again on 202/322. There is some congestion on lower 322 but it doesn't last long. I would guess 45 min to an hour.

[dartmo]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

I have used all the routes and my choice is 76 east to 95 south passing the airport and then north/west on 322 to Rt 1 then west again on 202/322. There is some congestion on lower 322 but it doesn't last long. I would guess 45 min to an hour.

I live in Old City, so I would think getting on 95 south directly would be the fastest right?

Right now I work in Collegeville so its 76 to 422, which is just horrific. I am actually looking forward to commuting to west chester.

I also thought about taking Walnut --> West Chester Pike, wouldn't the lights be killer? How well does WCP move in that direction?

Thanks for everyone's help!

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by dartmo

I live in Old City, so I would think getting on 95 south directly would be the fastest right?

Yes of course......I'm in Rittenhouse

Originally Posted by dartmo

Right now I work in Collegeville so its 76 to 422, which is just horrific. I am actually looking forward to commuting to west chester.

I also thought about taking Walnut --> West Chester Pike, wouldn't the lights be killer?

IMO yes......killer sounds appropriate.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by dartmo

I live in Old City, so I would think getting on 95 south directly would be the fastest right?

Right now I work in Collegeville so its 76 to 422, which is just horrific. I am actually looking forward to commuting to west chester.

I also thought about taking Walnut --> West Chester Pike, wouldn't the lights be killer? How well does WCP move in that direction?

Thanks for everyone's help!

My last two jobs required a lot of time on the road around the Delaware Valley . . . at one point I was in the West Chester/Chesterbrook/Great Valley area a few times a week. Sometimes I left from home (South Philly) and other times I left from my office in Southwest Philly. Usually rush hour times. I've done all the routes mentioned. None is really better than the other - it just depends on where exactly you're going. Sometimes when people say "West Chester" it's as vague as when people say "Princeton".

If you live in Old City, then yeah, it probably makes sense to do 95 as getting through CC will likely take you a while. I was thinking you were in UC for some reason.

Anyway, there's not a lot of traffic on Walnut St. in the morning (once you get past 38th St.) and, as you might already know all of the lights are timed so you can pretty much set your cruise control for 35mph. Same goes for WC Pike. The only parts I really sat at lights for was around 69th St. I mean, you're not going fast but it's a pretty smooth flow. Most of the traffic in the morning is headed the other way.

It's like when I did 95 to 322 from my house in the morning there were stretches of 95 where i'd be going 65mph then I'd slow down to 15 or 20.
The WC Pike route is shorter by 5-10 miles so it makes up for going slower.

Like I said, it just really depends on your start point and your exact destination.

[dgard59739]

I do this a few times a week. Take WC Pike. 76 to 95 is a gamble each rush hour; it could take as little as 45 minutes but often as long as 90. West Chester Pike is always right around 1 hour. True, there are a lot of lights on WC Pike, but you avoid the highway backups; furthermore, the drive via WC Pike is more "interesting" and always seems like its much shorter, as opposed to the monotony of the highway.