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Old 09-06-2012, 01:43 PM
 
6 posts, read 61,236 times
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Hi everyone,
My housemate just started a job at the USPTO in Alexandria, VA. We currently live in Rockville, MD - very close to the metro, but her commute is at least 1.5 hours each way by Metro. I know that is not a long commute for this area, but she has to be at work for 7:30 am, which means getting up pretty early (4:30 am or so), and she doesn't get home until around 7 pm. Unlike my housemate, my job is very flexible in terms of the hours I need to be there. It seems logical to move closer to Alexandria. Here's one issue: I am really sensitive to motion sickness, so the Metro is always an unpleasant experience for me. Can you recommend driving route(s) from the Alexandria area to Bethesda? Also the best times for driving those routes? I know I can take 495, but I would love to avoid it if possible.
Thank you!
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Old 09-06-2012, 05:48 PM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,395 posts, read 25,634,879 times
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Your 1.5 hour estimate for Metro seems a little off. The times you get in the WMATA trip planner always seem to take longer than actual time. I'm not sure why you put Bethesda when you meant Rockville, but whatever. I would just use 270 to 495 to the GW Parkway down to Alexandria. At that time of the morning, she would need to leave just before 6:30 am to get there by 7:30. Maybe safer to say 6:15 am. It seems to me to take just as long as it would take on Metro. In the PM, GW Parkway to 495 to 270. Avoiding 495 is pretty much out of the question, except if she wants to leave even earlier. She could take the Wooton Pkwy to Seven Locks road down to the end in Bethesda. Turn left and take it to the entrance (one or two stop signs with a sign TO 495) to the Clara Barton Pkwy going North or West and then get on 495 right at the American Legion Bridge. Exit at GW Parkway on the other side of the bridge. That's a pretty short piece of 495 if you must absolutely avoid it. Down in Alexandria, there will be tons of traffic, but otherwise not to hard to get from Washington St (GWP) to the USPTO area. Moving closer is strongly recommended.
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Old 09-06-2012, 08:21 PM
 
6 posts, read 61,236 times
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Hi dfk747,
Thanks for the fast reply. I didn't communicate the situation correctly. The 1.5 hour commute takes into account the 15 minute walk to the metro and the 15 minute walk from the metro to the USPTO. The actual metro time is a little less than 1 hour. The reason I was asking about driving from Alexandria to Bethesda (and not Rockville) was because I wanted to know what the commute would be for me from Alexandria to where I work in Bethesda if I moved closer to that area.
Thanks!
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Old 09-07-2012, 06:37 AM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,395 posts, read 25,634,879 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OutEast-er View Post
Hi dfk747,
Thanks for the fast reply. I didn't communicate the situation correctly. The 1.5 hour commute takes into account the 15 minute walk to the metro and the 15 minute walk from the metro to the USPTO. The actual metro time is a little less than 1 hour. The reason I was asking about driving from Alexandria to Bethesda (and not Rockville) was because I wanted to know what the commute would be for me from Alexandria to where I work in Bethesda if I moved closer to that area.
Thanks!
I see. That makes sense to include the walking time in to your calculations.

The commute from Bethesda would depend on from where you start. "Bethesda" covers a lot of area. The problem with such a commute is that you have to pick a bridge. I see some routes I would take, but they are really complicated routes (something I love). The simplest is back to 495. That may also be the quickest. I se no easy way other than that.

Another note about 495: when the Express Toll Lanes open (this fall), it might be easier to just take 495 all the way to the USPTO area than to use the GW Pkwy.
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Old 09-07-2012, 02:57 PM
 
Location: Beautiful and sanitary DC
2,477 posts, read 3,483,820 times
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A drive from Alexandria to Bethesda would be the reverse of what dfk747 posted: GW Parkway to 495, then off at River Rd, Old Georgetown, or Rockville Pike depending on where you're going. The American Legion bridge is basically your only option; the downtown bridges would force you to traverse surface streets downtown. Rock Creek Parkway won't work for your reverse commute, either. I suppose you could also try going around the Beltway in one or the other direction, but that's much longer distance-wise.

Funny that you also get motion sickness on Metrorail. I have enjoyed reading aboard trains in dozens of cities, but half the time I can't manage it here. I hope that a few hardware changes scheduled over the next few years (new train cars, reverting to automatic train control, removing the smelly carpets) will eventually help the situation.
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Old 09-07-2012, 05:33 PM
 
1,106 posts, read 2,867,323 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paytonc View Post
A drive from Alexandria to Bethesda would be the reverse of what dfk747 posted: GW Parkway to 495, then off at River Rd, Old Georgetown, or Rockville Pike depending on where you're going. The American Legion bridge is basically your only option; the downtown bridges would force you to traverse surface streets downtown. Rock Creek Parkway won't work for your reverse commute, either. I suppose you could also try going around the Beltway in one or the other direction, but that's much longer distance-wise.

Funny that you also get motion sickness on Metrorail. I have enjoyed reading aboard trains in dozens of cities, but half the time I can't manage it here. I hope that a few hardware changes scheduled over the next few years (new train cars, reverting to automatic train control, removing the smelly carpets) will eventually help the situation.
Indeed

OP should stick to the GW parkway. The commute is indeed a reverse commute around or before the time OP needs to get to Bethesda.

I don't ever remember having motion sickness in metro. I do hope maintenance and what not gets fixed asap.
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Old 09-07-2012, 06:04 PM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,395 posts, read 25,634,879 times
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I don't know how I got confused. I was thinking Bethesda to Alexandria when they meant the reverse.
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Old 09-09-2012, 07:55 AM
 
671 posts, read 1,111,720 times
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Would you consider some other solution and live midway?
If you found a place in Falls Church near the metro both of you would have a commute. Hers would be shorter, yours, probably longer then now.

I usually recommend living in the town you work in and having only one long commute but yours looks way too miserable.
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Old 09-09-2012, 09:59 PM
 
Location: Arlington, VA
14 posts, read 33,750 times
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GW Parkway makes getting from Alexandria to Bethesda a breeze. The only question is how you get to GW parkway.
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Old 09-10-2012, 08:19 AM
 
Location: DC
6,848 posts, read 7,946,215 times
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Canal Road - Clara Barton - Wilson Blvd is a possibility.
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