Commuting in Northern Virginia.

As a newcomer in Northern Virginia one of the major concerns should be commuting times. NOVA and the DC metropolitan area is the 7th worst for commuting times according to Forbes Magazine while AOL Find a Job rates it 3rd.

However, there are options:

2 Train Systems

Washington DC Metro and the Virginia Railway Express. There are 3 lines that come into NOVA: Orange, Blue and Yellow. Orange line terminates at Vienna. Blue terminates at Franconia-Springfield, and the Yellow stops in Huntington.

VRE Blue (Manassas) is East-West and Red (Fredericksburg) is North-South.

Driving

Main corridors are: I-95, I-395, I-495 (Beltway), and I-66.

I-95 runs North-South Springfield Interchange. If you continue on into DC, you are actually now on I-395, which runs generally southwest to northeast straight into downtown DC. If you want to continue on I-95, you will join up with I-495, otherwise known as “The Beltway” in Springfield, and head East towards the Wilson Bridge. I-495 will continue around making a loop around DC, while I-95 will take a turn northeast on into Baltimore. If you want to head west, would take The Beltway in the opposite direction towards Tyson’s Corner from the Springfield Interchange which will take you around DC on the west. Going this direction will take you to Route 66 as well as the Dulles Toll Road, and then on into Maryland via the American Legion Bridge and eventually I-270.

Commuting by driving requires plenty of lead time (i.e. leave EARLY) and plenty of patience (STAY COOL). It might be difficult at first, but trust me, you WILL get used to it. If driving under these conditions just doesn’t appeal to you, there are ways to make it a bit more pleasant. One of them is carpooling and using the HOV Lanes.

HOV Lanes

HOV Lanes are special lanes for those who carpool. I-95 and I-66 both have HOV lanes for carpoolers. In order to use the HOV lanes, you must have the required number of people in the vehicle at all times. HOV enforcement times and occupancy requirements are as follows:

I-95 & I-395 HOV lanes

HOV-3: Separate median lanes from Washington, D.C. to Dumfries

• Northbound 6 – 9am
  • Open to all traffic: 9-11am, Fridays 9-10am, 4pm Sat. – 6am Mon.
  • Closed: 11am – 1pm, Fridays 10am – Noon, Saturday 2 – 4pm
• Southbound 3:30 – 6pm
  • Open to all Traffic: 1 – 3:30pm, 6-9pm, Fridays Noon-3:30pm , 6pm Fri. – 2pm Sat
  • Closed: 9 – 11pm, 2 – 4pm Sat.

I-66 Dulles Toll Road

“Slugging”

You cannot talk about driving and HOV without mentioning “slugging“. There are many things that make the Washington DC area unique. But one of the most unique is the phenomenon of “slugging”. Slugging is a transportation system that grew out of driver’s needs to use the HOV lanes legally, and other’s desires for a cheap, reliable way to get to work quickly and not have to drive. Slugging, in a nutshell, is basically where you carpool with strangers everyday. Its a symbiotic relationship between drivers and riders with its own set of etiquette rules, and meeting places that are pseudo-sanctioned by state transportation authorities– a sort of sophisticated, organized hitch-hiking.

Starting some time in the late 70s, strangers came together to share rides into downtown. Drivers enjoyed the legal use of HOV, and riders enjoyed the shortened commute. It is estimated more people use slugging than any other form of transportation around here.

To read more on slugging, take a look at www.slug-lines.com. My good friend’s spouse, David LeBlanc authored the book on slugging and maintains this website. There you can check out slug line locations, etiquette rules, news articles and even poems about slugging.

Bus

Many commuters travel by bus to the Pentagon and downtown DC. OmniRide is the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission’s commuter bus service. This service runs on weekdays and serves the I-95 corridor and Manassas and Gainesville areas along the I-66 corridor to destinations that include the Vienna, West Falls Church and Franconia/Springfield Metrorail Stations, the Pentagon, Crystal City, Rosslyn/Ballston, downtown Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill, and the Washington Navy Yard.

Other local bus transportation in Virginia includes Metro Bus (all over), the Fairfax Connector (Fairfax County) Arlington Transit (ART) (Arlington), CUE Bus (City of Fairfax), DASH (Alexandria), and George (Falls Church).

HOV-2: Far left lane, between Manassas Route 234 and I-495 (outside the Capital Beltway)

• Eastbound 5:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Westbound 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

HOV-2: Both lanes between I-495 and Washington, D.C. (inside the Capitol Beltway); eastbound non-HOV traffic must exit onto I-495

• Eastbound 6:30 – 9am
• Westbound 4 – 6:30pm

HOV-2: Far left lane

• Eastbound 6:30 – 9:00 am
• Westbound 4:00 – 6:30 pm

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~Kirill Gorbounov, MBA, REALTOR®, CDPE, SRES, GREEN, e-PRO.
cell: (571) 276-0986; mailto: KirillRealtor@Yahoo.com
~Elena Gorbounova, LL.M., REALTOR®, Associate BROKER, GRI, ABR, ASP.
cell: (703) 625-7888; mailto: ElenaDeibes@aol.com
http://www.YourSkylineConnection.com/ -Content is King … Learning Center
http://tiny.cc/YSC – PowerPoint on Northern Virginia Market / Economy
RE/MAX Allegiance; 6226 Old Dominion Dr., Mclean, VA 22101
Office: 703-237-9500; E-Fax: 1866-821-0782
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MBA – Masters in Business Administration
CDPE – Certified Distressed Property Expert (short sales)
SRES – Senior Real Estate Specialist
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e-PRO – Certified Internet/Tech.
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Selling & buying in Northern Virginia: Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Annandale, Springfield, Burke, McLean, Skyline Square, Skyline House, Skyline Plaza.