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Yeah, that commute does look brutal. Just to throw out some alternatives; look at the MARC if you're near their Bowie State U. stop, also there are vanpools out of Bowie: Metro - Getting Around - Regional Transit
Yeah, that commute does look brutal. Just to throw out some alternatives; look at the MARC if you're near their Bowie State U. stop, also there are vanpools out of Bowie: Metro - Getting Around - Regional Transit
What exactly is a vanpool? Obviously van sharing, but what's it entail? I'd rather avoid MARC if I can help it.
What exactly is a vanpool? Obviously van sharing, but what's it entail? I'd rather avoid MARC if I can help it.
Basically a privately operated van service that picks people up. Looks like there are a couple on that list based in Bowie. You'd have to call them to see if they pick people up or if you need to go to a central location.
My wife uses bus and Metro to work (Gaithersburg to Courthouse Metro). The bus is pretty reliable. The trains seem to run slower than they should. Total commute takes about and hour and twenty minutes. She has about 10- 20 minute cushion so she won't be late when the train is slower than normal. She walks past the closest bus stop to another stop a few blocks away that is just one stop from Metro. If she went to the nearest stop, it would add 20 minutes to the commute. If you can do that then it's a good idea.
Which means a wake up call at what 5? That's brutal.
I'm out the door at 6am in order to catch my bus to Pentagon or Pentagon City, luckily I live off of Columbia Pike so I have a large selection of buses. Metro takes me about 10 minutes from PC to Gallery Place, then 20 minutes from Gallery Place to Medical Center, so I'm usually there just shy of 7am. I start my work hours at 7:30, and the one thing that kills my commute is my job's shuttle since I work off campus, and they aren't always consistent.
Using Metro during rush hours usually isn't a problem: the service is fast, frequent, and it's not too cramped if you know how to deal with crowds. The only issues are more related to the inherent choke points within stations that could cause you to miss a train or connection, but another one will come within two or three minutes. It's the off-peak service you have to be careful with; even at 10am on a weekday, I've had to wait over 15min for a train. WMATA also has a habit of randomly doing track work during mid-day and late-night hours, so be prepared as it could impact your travelling.
What exactly is a vanpool? Obviously van sharing, but what's it entail? I'd rather avoid MARC if I can help it.
Just out of curiousity, what don't you like about MARC? It's a lot more reliable than having to take a bus and would get you downtown a lot quicker.
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