problems i have with the HOV lane.

[Freejack2]

I'm just waiting for someone to say they take their realdoll to work so they can use the hov lane.

 

[T2T III]

is there any public transportation in this area that would work? subway? trolley? etc? If its only 20 miles.

There are lots of public transportation options along the route 66 corridor in Northern Virginia. From Centreville, there is a 50-cent Metro bus that will take you to the Vienna Metro station. From there, you could link with other bus routes or take the train to the Dunn Loring station where there are other bus routes to connect with. The only downfall to this method of transportation is that it will sometimes take you longer than if you drove your own vehicle. The positive note though is that you can relax, sleep or read while someone else suffers the stress of the traffic.

Another option is to see if your company will grant you some flexibility with your work hours. Arriving at work by 7:00 A.M. should cut down on some of the commuting time. Driving during the height of the rush hour to get to work at 8:30 A.M. is a maddening process.

I have a 14 mile commute through this same area which takes me about 30 minutes each way.

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
HOV lanes reward car poolers, so I have no problem with it. Less polution benefits everyone. The thing I dislike about using the HOV lane is that single passenger cars abuse it as a fast lane, which negates the benefit for those cars that actually have 2 or more people. But I think the fine for those who get caught is $200 :Q

hehe they fine 458 here in phoenix

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: Ultima

Doesn't DC have a subway? How much time would you save/lose if you drove to a station and took the subway for the rest of the way?

i work in dulles and commute from manassas... so taking the metro really isnt an option.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: wje

is there any public transportation in this area that would work? subway? trolley? etc? If its only 20 miles.

There are lots of public transportation options along the route 66 corridor in Northern Virginia. From Centreville, there is a 50-cent Metro bus that will take you to the Vienna Metro station. From there, you could link with other bus routes or take the train to the Dunn Loring station where there are other bus routes to connect with. The only downfall to this method of transportation is that it will sometimes take you longer than if you drove your own vehicle. The positive note though is that you can relax, sleep or read while someone else suffers the stress of the traffic.

Another option is to see if your company will grant you some flexibility with your work hours. Arriving at work by 7:00 A.M. should cut down on some of the commuting time. Driving during the height of the rush hour to get to work at 8:30 A.M. is a maddening process.

I have a 14 mile commute through this same area which takes me about 30 minutes each way.

Unless you can do single mode mass transit it will take significantly longer. I did a 3 year sentence downtown and used VRE/Metro to get to work and my daily commuting times was 3+ hours total (1.5 each way). Add the 9 hours I need to be on site and I was not a happy camper at night. As you say the only real way to avoid it it to time shift when possible but not everyone can do this. The fact still remains that the development that has taken place in Centreville and Manassas should not have been allowed without the requisite infrastructure improvements. You cannot add housing for .5 million people or more with no improvements to the local road system then blame the people trying to get back and forth to work for the problem.

 

[Rallispec]

The fact still remains that the development that has taken place in Centreville and Manassas should not have been allowed without the requisite infrastructure improvements. You cannot add housing for .5 million people or more with no improvements to the local road system then blame the people trying to get back and forth to work for the problem.

yep.... that nails it down right there. and all this construction their doing now is too little, too late-- and is only making the problems worse.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Freejack2
I'm just waiting for someone to say they take their realdoll to work so they can use the hov lane.

No comment.

 

[Dooling37]

66 is a complete joke. I live in Arlington and commute to Tysons (*against* traffic, right??). 8 miles takes ~25 min. since it's two lanes the whole way. Incredible how it goes from 4 lanes 20 miles west of the city down to 2 as you get close.
Anyhow, it is worse going in, at least after the HOV requirement is over. Tends to be bumper-to-bumper going into D.C. from about 9:30 - 11:30AM. haha

I wish I worked downtown, I could just take the metro -- too bad the only jobs in DC are govt, legal, and financial. Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait for the 'purple line' to Tysons Corner and Dulles, coming in 10 years.
; )

 

[VirginiaDonkey]

i work in dulles and commute from manassas... so taking the metro really isnt an option

UGH...I feel for you Rallispec.

Have you tried taking rt 28 (centreville rd) up from manassas to dulles and avoiding I-66 altogether?
I don`t know if that is faster or not...just an option. I don`t have to deal with any traffic...I go from Dale City to Manassas...ahhhhh nice

 

[randomlinh]

Dooling37, I really wish they had done that purple line earlier... it would have made it a 30 minute commute to get to college park (i live by the end of the redline@shadygrove). I could have saved a little in housing costs.. communting is just a pain, that and I need to keep use on the car light since the tranny isn't up to speed.

They claim by 2011/12... assuming it gets through and fully approved (haven't kept up w/ it).

Linh

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: gotey

i work in dulles and commute from manassas... so taking the metro really isnt an option

UGH...I feel for you Rallispec.

Have you tried taking rt 28 (centreville rd) up from manassas to dulles and avoiding I-66 altogether?
I don`t know if that is faster or not...just an option. I don`t have to deal with any traffic...I go from Dale City to Manassas...ahhhhh nice

thats what i tried at first.. 28 is just insane though.. either way, i end up wanting to kill myself by the end of the commute.

 

[Dooling37]

lnguyen --

Yeah, that was before all the budget cuts and sour economy, I think. Last I heard it's considerably behind schedule, already.

Doubt I'll still be in the NOVA area to see it when it's complete, but it sure would be nice!

 

[BlueApple]

Ahh, the joys of living in Arlington.

The problem with (at least inside the beltway) is that you never know if it will be backed up. Such as today, I went from GMU campus in Arlington to the main campus, then came back, and it only took me about 30 minutes each way. But midday on a Sunday it could have taken over an hour. Go figure

I sure hope we can get the sales tax raised this election. It would help us a lot.

 

[bUnMaNGo]

up in northern California, the carpool lanes on the freeways have designated hours- during rush hour in the morning and evening (rush hour? maybe rush hours ) which is somewhere from 7am-10am and 3pm-7pm (I forgot already just after moving back down to SoCal for a month ) where the lanes are restricted to two or more people... all other hours including weekends, it is used as a regular lane. Also, you can go in and out of the lane whenever you want (no double yellows to cross over) unlike here in SoCal where you have to wait for those dotted lines to go in/out of the carpool lane. Very useful for passing up those people drivin 60-65 in the carpool lane

 

[C'DaleRider]

Glad I moved out of that area decades ago (during the '70's in Arlington). My bro ther still lives there (Burke). I went up to visit a few years ago and couldn't believe the gridlock at 6am on I-95.

Best bet.........get a motorcycle and enjoy the HOV and all the quicker ways around the area.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: gotey

i work in dulles and commute from manassas... so taking the metro really isnt an option

UGH...I feel for you Rallispec.

Have you tried taking rt 28 (centreville rd) up from manassas to dulles and avoiding I-66 altogether?
I don`t know if that is faster or not...just an option. I don`t have to deal with any traffic...I go from Dale City to Manassas...ahhhhh nice

I was doing that commute until January when they moved me to Tysons. Reston from Manassas was a breeze compared to that. I used to go on the late side and take the Fairfax County Parkway. Generally it was only backed up from Fox Mill to Sunrise Valley at 9-930 AM.