If you work in DC, how do you get to work?

[Bertha Venation]

Poll question: If you work in DC, how do you get to work?

Please make a choice, then tell about your commute. Thanks!

I live in Waldorf, work in DC, and right now I drive. I've been researching the Keller commuter bus. Any thoughts on that?

(Poll doesn't include walking from Metro or garage to office. If you have a long walk, mention it in your post.)

[Burma Jones]

1. I work at home mostly

About twice a week I have to go from Germantown to Quantico and it's about 90 minutes on a good day

[Bertha Venation]

6. Oh, that I had that option.

:)

Our drive is also 90 minutes, but that's average. A good day is 75 minutes.

[demnan]

2. I live in South Arlington

and drive to work in Rosslyn. It takes me about 10 minutes. My commute is heaven but I live in a rental that has become closturphobic with my junk.

I'm looking to buy a home now and won't be able to buy anything big enough so I'm looking south.

Do you guys slug much in Maryland?

I know in Woodbridge and Springfield a lot of people slug with drivers who want to get on the HOV-3 express lanes. You gather at the bus stops and wait for someone to offer you a ride. It is the cheapest way to travel into town. It doesn't sound really safe but women usually travel in pairs to hitch with men. It's leaving town that you have a problem sometimes.

I've known people who live in Waldorf who commute in. Our System Admin lives out there and I feel sorry for him one night he stayed all night dealing with a problem and the next morning he drove all the way home to Waldorf to take a shower and return to work. The guy deserves a medal for that.

It looks like you get quite a lot of house for your money down in Waldorf - seems like a pleasant place.

[Bertha Venation]

4. Waldorf's a very nice place, demnan

Very quiet, and where we are, it's semi-rural. We still get mail addressed to "Rural Route 9." Granted, it's junk mail, but to a city girl it's pretty cool.

I don't know of any slugs to Maryland, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. A lot of people at work who live out here take the Keller commuter bus -- they're supposed to be comfy (like a Greyhound is comfy :shrug: ), not like a city bus. It's $140-something for a monthly pass. Right now my parking is $180.

You're right. Your SysAdmin deserves a medal.

Ever want to know more about Waldorf, PM or email me or kpharmer. We're happy to help.

[Bertha Venation]

9. new info -- no slugs in MD

Mrs. V. pointed this out to me this morning: the slug system is so people can use the VA HOV lanes. MD has none -- at least none from So. MD to DC.

[Mrs. Venation]

12. I Love Living In Waldorf

When I lived in Alexandria, near Landmark, I used mass transit to get to work. Took a bus to the metro, metro to downtown, and a 5 block walk to work. An average one way commute was one hour; some days it was much longer than that.

If you have a long commute, like Bertha and me, you can find someone to ride with, or a car pool to join, and you can use the time reading, or sleeping, or just daydreaming if that's your choice.

Bertha and I bought our house 3 years ago. We bought a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house, unfinished full basement, single-car garage on an acre of land for $150,000. One year ago it appraised at $190,000.

You can't get a quarter acre of land in Arlington for $190,000; Fairfax County is really expensive, too.

Your company should have given your system administrator the day off after he worked all night.

[New Dem]

16. waldorf is nice

i know quite a few people who live in waldorf and the housing market is quite interesting there right now....houses don't stay long on the market.

[Canadian_moderate]

3. Low rate of transit users so far.

I was in DC in February and loved the metro. Surprissed more people don't use it.

[Bertha Venation]

5. Metro is GREAT: problem out here in So. MD is that

we have to drive 45 minutes to get to the NEAREST station. May as well drive all the way; that's half the commute.

[Canadian_moderate]

7. Wow, that's a hell of a commute

I don't live in DC (live in Toronto). Luckily my commute is a 10 minute streetcar ride. Maybe 20 minutes on a bad day. I can also walk it in about 30-35 minutes.

The commutes here are pretty tough as well. People living 30 miles outside the city centre have 1.5 hour commute as well, unless they take the train.

[Lizz612]

8. Ah So. MD!

I'm at college in St. Mary's County, it took us an hour and a half to get to Branch Ave. and that was on a Sunday! It took three hours to get back from a Crossfire taping last semester.

[Bertha Venation]

10. You go to school in St. Mary's?!

Cool!

Yeah. Crappy commutes. :( But I do love living out here.

[Mrs. Venation]

11. If You Are Attending Summer Classes

come on over to Waldorf and let Bertha and me cook for you. We cook on the grill during warm weather, and we love to share with like-minded folks.

[Mrs. Venation]

13. Metro Is Packed

during the rush hours. You must have ridden at off-peak hours. Did you enjoy your trip to DC?

[many a good man]

14. Take the MARC

Maryland has a good commuter rail system called MARC. Two lines go up to Baltimore and the other one heads west to Frederick county and West Virginia. A lot of people get on the train in Martinsburg, WV and ride the train two hours to DC. On MARC you have more room, can eat, drink, and be merry.

I drive one and a half miles to the MARC station (free parking) and take it to Union Station. From there I either walk or take the Metrobus (free w/monthly rail pass) about ten blocks to work downtown. Sometimes I'll take the Metro for a few stops if the weather is bad.

Its about 1 hr 10 minutes door to door.

Metro would take me about the same amount of time. Its about a 20 minute drive to Shady Grove, and its a long walk from the extremely narrow parking spaces to the station. Parking is $3. Then get packed in like a sardine on the Metro car. Shady Grove is the very first stop on the Red Line and the train is already completely full. I was raised a gentlemen so I feel compelled to offer my seat to pregnant ladies and old timers -- but then I have to stand 45 minutes.

Metro is going to become a mess because its underfunded and THERE IS NO ROOM TO EXPAND CAPACITY. They should have built the darn thing with two tracks in each direction and offer express trains. We will need to find other solutions quick, not just build more roads like Virginia.

[sbj405]

15. I Metro

from Greenbelt to Silver Spring. It's no faster, but saves me money on parking. Fortunately, I get the gov transportation subsidy. Otherwise, it would actually be cheaper for me to drive and park. I think that's the key problem facing Metro now. Rises pricing are necessary to keep up the service, but most people aren't willing to sacrifice the convenience of driving, especially if it's not saving them money.

It's amazing what providing the trans. subsidy and charging for parking does.

Bertha, everyone I know who takes the commuter bus loves it. Luxury seating. You can sleep, read your paper, etc. and no stress :-)