New to NoVA- Where to rent if work is near Tysons (McLean: buy, elementary school)

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by kn543

Thank you all for your valuable inputs!

Looks like the toll would be one of the factor to consider. We would start looking at Falls Church as suggested. After looking at various apartments online yesterday, we did short list a few in Herndon.

As someone had said we cannot have it all- less commute time, affordable living in nova ��

Keep in mind for most parts of Herndon you also will be on the toll road to make it under 30 minutes. Otherwise route 7 is more likely to be 45ish minutes depending on what part of Herndon. Some of the western fairfax/loudoun folks can fill in the exact numbers. Good luck in your search, I hope you find what you are looking for.

[Deluusions]

Also, keep in mind that if you live in Falls Church you have access to more amentieis. Being closer to DC, your job, a bunch of parks and restaurants.

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Half an hour to Tysons, if you take a toll road, which will cost you almost 10 dollars per day (if the toll increases happen as assumed). For someone who is trying to save money, that extra 300 bucks in gas + toll might be a non starter, same with Reston btw.

Where do you get $10/day for the toll road from Sterling? -- maybe from Leesburg but not Sterling/Herndon or Reston.

28 to the toll road and exit before the main toll plaza on is only $1 each way - $2/day.

The link below indicates no toll increases are planned for 2015.
Toll Rate Table

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by JfromReston

Where do you get $10/day for the toll road from Sterling? -- maybe from Leesburg but not Sterling/Herndon or Reston.

28 to the toll road and exit before the main toll plaza on is only $1 each way - $2/day.

The link below indicates no toll increases are planned for 2015.
Toll Rate Table

If you use the old Route 7 west bound trick, yes you can avoid the real toll price, but if he is working on international drive for instance, that is an extra 10 minute trip rather than to take the spring hill exit. Or if he is working at MITRE it is an extra 10 minute trip rather than to take the 123 exit. So yes, if he works specifically at Tysons west he could do that without much interuption (or some other place on route 7). Otherwise it would be if 7 dollars round trip no? And I believe the plan is for that to increase to $10 based on the Ph2 bond by 2018.

Edit, I forgot the TIFIA loan helped avoid the toll bumps. So I concur its not $10 any time soon, but it is $7 if you don't particularly work on Route 7 and use the freebie method.

[dkf747]

I don't know how people are getting $1 each way. It's $2 eastbound and $1 back for me. Which exit going east doesn't charge $1 to enter the road? Then it's a dollar when you exit at 7 or Spring Hill Rd.

[JfromReston]

Oops - dkf747 - you are right - I forgot about the entrance $1 going eastbound.

[kn543]

So is it $3 if we take the toll road from say Herndon to McLean and back?

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by kn543

So is it $3 if we take the toll road from say Herndon to McLean and back?

Yes, if you don't go through the main plaza just past route 7. In other words exit at 7, or at Spring Hill rd , which is the far right lane of the main plaza.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Yes, if you don't go through the main plaza just past route 7. In other words exit at 7, or at Spring Hill rd , which is the far right lane of the main plaza.

Time out. This person is new to the area so you should indicate what this would mean.

You would be exiting if you did this at the far west side of Tysons. If you are trying to get to McLean, the far east side of Tysons, via local roads it will take you atleast an extra 15 minutes... not to mention the hell that would be wrought on the night commute trying to get on Route 7.

So while yes, you CAN do this, it negates the benefit of the toll road by losing all that extra time anyways. If you were truly going to mclean, ie East side of Tysons or McLean proper, you would typically take DTR to route 123 exit, which would be the full $7 per day, or get use to a 15-20 minute longer daily commute, putting a Herndon trip to around 45 minutes instead of 30.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Time out. This person is new to the area so you should indicate what this would mean.

You would be exiting if you did this at the far west side of Tysons. If you are trying to get to McLean, the far east side of Tysons, via local roads it will take you atleast an extra 15 minutes... not to mention the hell that would be wrought on the night commute trying to get on Route 7.

So while yes, you CAN do this, it negates the benefit of the toll road by losing all that extra time anyways. If you were truly going to mclean, ie East side of Tysons or McLean proper, you would typically take DTR to route 123 exit, which would be the full $7 per day, or get use to a 15-20 minute longer daily commute, putting a Herndon trip to around 45 minutes instead of 30.

It only negates it for certain trips. My understanding is that they want to commute to Tysons, so 7 or Spring Hill will be perfect. If they're going elsewhere, then it depends. I sometimes use Spring Hill on my way to Rockville because maps tell me traffic is backed up on 495. I use local roads to avoid it and it works well, sometimes. We're just telling them it's possible. They make their own decisions.