Commuting from Columbia to Silver Spring (Bethesda, Fairland: live in, cost, buses)

[Chicagojag]

Hi just wondering how bad the drive is from Columbia to Silver Spring and then back during rush hour. Just got a new job in Silver Spring and the wife still works in West Chicago.

It would be most helpful to hear from people who live in Columbia and are currently commuting. Don't know where we will live in Columbia yet but I will be working on Colesville around Georgia ave. Thanks so much in advance.

[smitity]

I commute from Columbia to Bethesda, but a good chunk of the commute is on 29 (Colesville RD) which will likely be your main road. It used to be a major headache once you reach Fairland/White Oak but it has eased up a little since the ICC has opened. That section is still slow, but not as bad as it used to be, its bearable now unless the weather is bad. Usually I can get from Columbia to the Beltway exit in about 30min, not sure how traffic is between the beltway and Georgia Ave, so I can't help you there.

MTA runs a couple commuter buses between Columbia and DC that stop in silver spring. Look into those, especially if your job can subsidize your transit costs. Currently, it cost me just shy of $200/month in gas to drive from Columbia to Bethesda, I imagine silver spring would be about the same. I think a monthly pass for an MTA commuter bus is around $145 now.