Read a few posts still confused about commuting (Arlington, Alexandria: apartment complexes, insurance)

[Archsquare]

If I live in Arlington or Alexandria does bus/train commuting take about 30/45 minutes? Does driving take the same amount? How does commuting compare to driving in terms of time around North VA?

Seems like its worth using the metro is you are farther away into North VA but if you live right next to DC like in Arlington it seems by car is the same amount of time.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Archsquare

If I live in Arlington or Alexandria does bus/train commuting take about 30/45 minutes?

It depends how close to transit you live and work, and of course where work is to begin with. The average commuting time for all commuters in the area would be within those limits.

Originally Posted by Archsquare

Does driving take the same amount? How does commuting compare to driving in terms of time around North VA?

It depends on the time of day. Metro will average about 40 mph while you're on it. So if your job is 20 miles away, it'll take Metro about half an hour to get you there. Add whatever for time and trouble in getting from home to Metro and then from Metro to the actual office.

If you drive around either well before or well after rush hour peaks, you can often manage to average about the same 40 mph, maybe more if you both live and work right off the same highway. If you try that in rush hour, there will still be stretches where you can average 40 mph, but there will likely be stretches where you average 4 mph as well. As a rule of thumb, the time it takes to travel anywhere in rush hour will at least double.

Originally Posted by Archsquare

Seems like its worth using the metro is you are farther away into North VA but if you live right next to DC like in Arlington it seems by car is the same amount of time.

If you travel on Metro, you will pay $4.50 per day if you park in a Metro parking lot. You will pay four times that to park in downtown DC. Virtually nowhere provides subsidized parking. All government and many private sector employers will subsidize your Metro rail or bus fares, or commuter rail or bus fares, or even van pool costs. I haven't paid a penny to ride Metro for many years. So, there's the costs of gas and oil and other wear and tear on the car, the extra parking costs, the additional risk of being involved in a fender-bender, and the elevated levels of frustration that arise when traffic is frequently EVEN WORSE than usual on the one hand. On the other hand, there is probably free and usually on-the-dot dependable travel, though you may not always (or even ever) get a seat, and there will be the occasional frustration of a train breaking down or delays for a sick passenger needing to be EMT'd off the train. Your call.

[Archsquare]

Are all the roads that congested?

Is the US1 into DC congested too?

What if I move to Alexandria and take the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge and the Anacostia freeway into DC?

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Archsquare

Are all the roads that congested?

During rush hour? Yes.

Originally Posted by Archsquare

Is the US1 into DC congested too?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Archsquare

What if I move to Alexandria and take the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge and the Anacostia freeway into DC?

They will be congested.

[Archsquare]

lol thanks! I'm surprised they don't have boat access to DC like they are getting in NYC from NJ and London.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Archsquare

lol thanks! I'm surprised they don't have boat access to DC like they are getting in NYC from NJ and London.

Feasibility studies have been done. There are questions as to whether it is economically viable to start such a project from scratch. NYC for one benefits from having had the supporting infrastructure put in place many decades ago. They can provide service today basically for the costs of operation and maintenance.

[Smoke_Jaguar4]

The reason why people live close into DC is so they can take advantage of Metro. As a rule, driving in this area should always be your absolute last option. Take metro. Take a bus. Rideshare. bike or hike (here this is a serious option: waba.org). Slug (organized hitchhiking: slug-lines.com). If you're looking at apartments, ask if they have shuttles to a nearby metro station. Otherwise ask them where are the nearest bus stops. Plot them using the metro website: wmata.com

Owning a car in this area is an expensive hassle. Many apartment complexes will charge you for parking. You'll need to pay to park when you go to work. This will be at least $300/month. Depending on where you're coming from, insurance and maintenance will be more expensive. Arlington and Fairfax counties in VA assess an annual property tax on all your vehicles. The sooner you learn to live without your car, the better off you'll be here.

And yes, we could seriously use a ferry system here. I remember the one serving the Puget Sound.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by Smoke_Jaguar4

The reason why people live close into DC is so they can take advantage of Metro. As a rule, driving in this area should always be your absolute last option. Take metro. Take a bus. Rideshare. bike or hike (here this is a serious option: waba.org). Slug (organized hitchhiking: slug-lines.com). If you're looking at apartments, ask if they have shuttles to a nearby metro station. Otherwise ask them where are the nearest bus stops. Plot them using the metro website: wmata.com

Owning a car in this area is an expensive hassle. Many apartment complexes will charge you for parking. You'll need to pay to park when you go to work. This will be at least $300/month. Depending on where you're coming from, insurance and maintenance will be more expensive. Arlington and Fairfax counties in VA assess an annual property tax on all your vehicles. The sooner you learn to live without your car, the better off you'll be here.

And yes, we could seriously use a ferry system here. I remember the one serving the Puget Sound.

I often agree with SmokeJag's advice, but this time is an exception. I'm not saying he/she (sorry, can't remember!) is wrong per se--but whether driving is worth it varies by individual.

Parking at work: Some federal employers do provide free parking if you are part of a carpool. But parking in the Kennedy Center is $9/day--which isn't that much more expensive than riding the Metro. And there are other cheapish garages elsewhere in DC. Even the ones downtown often have an early-bird special; I recall one near K Street that charged $10/day if you got in early enough. Other employers farther from DC more often provide free parking; I work in Fairfax County, and ours is free.

Parking at home: Some condos do provide a parking lot for their residents. And if you can find a single-family home, you'll have parking there most likely. Arlington does have residential permits for on-street parking, but not in every neighborhood.

Re. car taxes: It's true that you'll be taxed on the value of your car--but the state provides an automatic reimbursement. If your car is valued at $3000 or less, you owe nothing.

I used to commute by Metro sometimes when I worked downtown. Sometimes it was OK, but I finally got fed up with the unexplained delays, passenger offloadings, overcrowding, etc. That's when my wife and I started driving in together and parking at the Kennedy Center. Worked great for us. This easy drive into DC is part of why we like Arlington--along with low crime, good schools, big trees, and generally nice neighbors. (Not that you can't find those elsewhere.)

I now drive to work, even though my employer (the federal government) would pay for my Metro fare. (A big part of that is that taking Metro would take me about two hours, versus 45-50 minutes by car.)

We would own cars whether we drove to work or not--so for us, driving to work isn't that much additional expense. And even if it were, the increased time and inconvenience of Metro isn't doable for us.

Is driving an expensive hassle for some people? Sure. But not for everyone.

[Smoke_Jaguar4]

I'm a "he"...

The point I was trying to make is many people outside the DC area believe "transportation = car". This is the reality in the vast majority of our country. Here, however, driving is usually not the best option (from a money or time perspective) for commuting to work. Indeed without public transportation options, this NoVA/DC would grind to a halt immediately. Furthermore for people used to things like free parking, this area has some sticker shock when it comes to car costs. (something I forgot: safety and emission inspections...)

Without knowing the OP's particular situation (where he'll work, hours, salary, where he wants to live...) I'll assume driving probably won't be his best option. I've seen too many people move here on a GS-9 salary who thought it was A-Lot-of-Money, only to see them crushed by our cost of living and hidden costs.

[NOVA_almost_native]

Originally Posted by Archsquare

What if I move to Alexandria and take the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge and the Anacostia freeway into DC?

The bridge should not be congested headed east in the morning. My husband commuted via that bridge for nine years (until last month), and the bridge was not a problem. I don't know about 295 (Anacostia Freeway), but my sense is that it is not one of the worst roads around here.