Reliability of the VRE and Fairfax Connector (Fredericksburg, Washington: school, living in)

[wally4ever]

I'm a teacher in Fairfax County, and I'm living in Fredericksburg (long story short, it's equally inconvenient for both my fiancee and I), and have found that driving here... well... stinks, a lot. I-95 is unpredictable, and US-1 is practically unusable with all the traffic stops. There's a VRE station close to me, that would drop me off about three miles from my school, and there's a Fairfax Connector bus which goes past my school (the stop is 3/4 of a mile away, but I'm reasonably certain I could get a ride to and from the bus stop each day). The question is though, how reliable are they? Would I need to plan on leaving two hours early to make sure I get there on time, or anything to that effect? Thank you for any advice.

[ChristineVA]

You will need to listen to the traffic and check VRE's website daily. It is my perception that at least once a week, the VRE has a 30 minute delay on the Fredericksburg line. WTOP always reports it but I imagine the info is available on line. You need to be aware that there are routine delays for whatever reason and weather causes delays also. If I were you and had to get to a teaching job, I would always have to be leaving earlier than what I think I would need to because of those delays. They aren't rare enough to cut it too close.

[Pandoras]

There are typically more VRE delays in the summer due to heat restrictions. During the rest of the year, VRE sometimes has occasional delays. I would check Dr. Gridlock on the Washington Post website to get an idea what you could run into. Have you thought about slugging to the Pentagon or Crystal City and taking a bus from there?