Recommended route to W&OD from downtown

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  • June 6, 2011 at 7:25 pm #926512
    CCrew
    Participant

    14th Street south to Constitution, down the mall to Henry Bacon, around the Lincoln Memorial to the Memorial Bridge, to the MVT trail north to Custis Trail to the W&OD. That will bring you onto the W&OD at the 4mi marker.

    Easier to plug start and destination into Google maps and choose the bike routing, it’s pretty dead on.

    June 6, 2011 at 7:51 pm #926517
    Dirt
    Participant

    Welcome! You use the EPA Bike room? I do too.

    That’s my daily commute. I’d love to show you my routes any time.

    I tend to play with traffic a little more than CCrew’s route. I ride on Constitution west to Virginia Ave. I take that to the traffic circle where VA Ave meets New Hampshire and 25th Streets. That drops right into the Kennedy Center where it is easy to pick up Memorial Bridge. You catch the last 1/4 mile of the Mount Vernon Trail to the Custis trail to the W&OD.

    There are many variations on that.

    Best wishes.

    Pete

    June 6, 2011 at 8:03 pm #926521
    baiskeli
    Participant

    Be sure to cross Memorial Bridge on the south side. Then turn left, cross the GW Parkway (carefully) and you’ll hit the Mt. V.

    June 6, 2011 at 8:29 pm #926526
    peterl
    Participant

    Didn’t know about the EPA Bike Room, where is it and how do I access it?

    June 6, 2011 at 8:30 pm #926527
    peterl
    Participant

    Also – thank you to all who responded. I sb taking my first ride out of town tomorrow!

    June 6, 2011 at 9:37 pm #926530
    OneEighth
    Participant

    Also easy from 14th and PA to cut over to 15th all the way down past the back side of the Holocaust Museum, bend around the Tidal Basin to where the trail begins and crosses the 14th St Bridge (right by the Jefferson Memorial). Once over the bridge, you can either turn left as recommended by CCrew and take the Mt. Vernon Trail to the Custis Trail until it dumps you onto the W&OD (in the Westover neighborhood of Arlington – just west of Wilson Blvd) OR you can turn right and take the Mt. Vernon Trail just past National, stay to the left and pick up the 4 Mile Run trail which will eventually turn into the W&OD.

    Left is hillier, right involves a longish but shallow incline once you get into the Shirlington area.

    June 6, 2011 at 10:37 pm #926535
    peterl
    Participant

    Thanks 1/8th – will check out both soon. Now any thoughts on recommended parking near RRB while I investage where the bike storage room is at EPA? Thanks.

    June 6, 2011 at 11:17 pm #926537
    OneEighth
    Participant

    There are lots of parking garages in the area, though some of them are valet parking and I doubt any of the structures will accommodate a rooftop-mounted bike. Street parking tends to be limited to 4 hours tops (if that).

    June 6, 2011 at 11:25 pm #926538
    Dirt
    Participant

    @peterl 4297 wrote:

    Thanks 1/8th – will check out both soon. Now any thoughts on recommended parking near RRB while I investage where the bike storage room is at EPA? Thanks.

    You can park your bike in the garage on the P1 parking level. There are bike racks. The easiest way to get there is to go down the ramp at the Northern-most entrance on 14th street. That is the one furthest from Constitution Ave. You’ll have to show your ID (Drivers’ license or government ID) to get into the garage. Go down that ramp and bend around to the right 180 degrees. You can go around the gates that let cars in and if you continue straight back, the bike racks are located 50 feet behind the gates for letting cars into the parking are. There’s plenty of space to park your bike and I’ve never had a problem with anyone messing with it.

    Good luck.

    Pete

    June 6, 2011 at 11:51 pm #926539
    OneEighth
    Participant

    No idea why I thought you were looking for car parking. Sorry. Brain fart.

    June 7, 2011 at 12:11 am #926540
    Dirt
    Participant

    @OneEighth 4301 wrote:

    No idea why I thought you were looking for car parking. Sorry. Brain fart.

    People park cars? Weird!

    June 7, 2011 at 1:52 am #926543
    peterl
    Participant

    Thanks Dirt – and yes, let me clarify; I am talking about bike ‘parking’…

    Dirt – I think I know the parking garage; it is on 14th just south of PA on the East side, near where my Loudon Co. bus drops me off. I am going to check it out tomorrow. Also, I work in the EPA building, so I’ll check where the bike storage space is there…

    Thanks again!

    June 7, 2011 at 2:28 am #926544
    Dirt
    Participant

    No problemo. Happy that I could help.

    June 7, 2011 at 3:19 pm #926557
    americancyclo
    Participant

    @Dirt 4278 wrote:

    I ride on Constitution west to Virginia Ave. Pete

    What’s the traffic situation on Constitution like? I usually come up Penn Ave from the Capitol and either go through to Georgetown or more recently, G St to Kennedy. Looking for alternatives that are quicker, preferably with timed lights.

    June 8, 2011 at 12:13 am #926586
    Dirt
    Participant

    @americancyclo 4320 wrote:

    What’s the traffic situation on Constitution like? I usually come up Penn Ave from the Capitol and either go through to Georgetown or more recently, G St to Kennedy. Looking for alternatives that are quicker, preferably with timed lights.

    I’m on it for 2 blocks. You can avoid most of it by riding it on the sidewalk. In the street it is rather busy, but I prefer Otto dancing with pedestrians.

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