Commute from Dunn Loring to L'enfant Plaza (Independence: maintenance, live)

[AAchander]

I currently take the metro to work and spend a fortune on parking/fares. I am considering driving because my company will reimburse me for these travel expenses (long story). I live a mile away from the Dunn Loring Metro station. How long would it take to get to L'enfant Plaza from Dunn Loring (pretty much the intersection of 66 and 495). I'd be traveling alone so I can't use 66 (can't use HOV).

Thanks

[MacUser85]

Yeah doesn't it bite that Metro costs so much? We hear over and over to take Metro, take Metro, take Metro, but often times, the cost is greater for some.

Anyways, back to your question...lol...you basically have two options....50 East to the GW Parkway and then across the 14th Street Bridge or 495 South to 395 North and across the 14th Street Bridge. My guess is, while it may look longer on the map, the all interstate option is the way to go. 395 North's worst part is from Pentagon City to the bridge span--the other stuff is stop and go 30 mph or so. Best of luck to you and pack some good podcasts or radio shows to keep you company!

[saganista]

Originally Posted by AAchander

I currently take the metro to work and spend a fortune on parking/fares. I am considering driving because my company will reimburse me for these travel expenses (long story).

Exactly the opposite of the usual story. Most folks stop spending a fortune on parking and gas by taking the Metro and picking up the SmartBenefits subsidy of up to the first $115 a month.

Otherwise, there aren't that many options that you can't just try them all out and see which one works best at the particular times you need to travel. Myself, I might take 50 all the way and just cross the Roosevelt Bridge. Then I guess you can take Independence all the way over although I never have, or take either Constitution or E Street over to 14th and then south to L'Enfant Plaza. I did the E Street route for a while when I had to get to Public Debt (behind the Main Ag building), and that worked well enough, but it was a while ago, so I don't know how conditions might have changed. I was doing that in under an hour at peak and down to 40-45 minutes if I could hold off for an hour or so. Time-shifting can really work wonders if that's an option for you...

[MacUser85]

Saganista is correct--if you get a transit subsidy that is more cost-effective than gas and maintenance--by all means go for it. My slightly rough tone toward Metro was more for folks who had no transit subsidy AND were finding driving to be shorter than Metro for them. In that case, it's hard to make Metro work.