Test rode my commute

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  • September 9, 2012 at 1:35 pm #912035
    lordofthemark
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    I live in Annandale and work on M Street SE at New Jersey Avenue. Currently I commute by express bus to the Pentagon, take the Yellow line to L’enfant, and Green line to Navy Yard.

    The back and forth on the metro (Yellow north, then back south on Green) is annoying, and can take upto 30 minutes. I’ve considered biking (at least sometimes) from the Pentagon to M Street instead – if only to get in some riding on weekdays. But till this weekend I had’t test rode.

    I put the bike on the 16B bus (the express buses don’t run on weekends) to the Pentagon. Then rode through the LadyBirdJ mem park to the marina to the MVT and over the 14th street (actually the Mason) bridge, on east basin to Maine Avenue, to Water Street, to 7th SW, to I Street and rode on the bike lane east. On the block where it becomes a sharrows traffic was heavy and I bailed and rode down Half street SE to M. Crossed South Cap on M (didn’t remember which other streets went through at South Cap) then cut down to the Ballpark (where a game was in progress) and over to M and New Jersey. Stopped in at Starbucks to rest and have a frappacino. Going back too M to 1st SW, up the bike lane to I street, over on the bike lane to 7th SW, and reversed the rest of the way.

    Going out took 56 minutes (including a rest room break, and getting lost trying to find the MVT south) Going back took 42 minutes, which I was pleased with (I am riding an old beater of a mountain bike, and I’m a seminewbie cyclist). While it won’t save me time over the metro at my current ride time, it IS doable.

    I hope to find ways to tweak the route (I think devoting some time to exploring around the Mason bridge approaches on either side would help) the and my handling of it (as well as get in better shape, and get a more suitable bike).

    (draft saved)

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  • September 9, 2012 at 5:27 pm #950654
    ShawnoftheDread
    Participant

    There is a short cut going from the Pentagon to the MVT, but it involves riding on the grass along the exit ramp from 395 to Boundary Channel Drive. When you take Connector Road to Boundary Channel, cross the road and go right instead of left. Ride up the grass along the ramp. At the top, turn to your left and you’ll hit the “trail to nowhere” that leads to the southern tunnel under the Humpback Bridge. It knocks about 10 minutes or so off the trip. Just make sure you do it on the grass and not the ramp itself.

    September 9, 2012 at 7:44 pm #950655
    vtben
    Participant

    @lordofthemark 30503 wrote:

    I hope to find ways to tweak the route (I think devoting some time to exploring around the Mason bridge approaches on either side would help) the and my handling of it (as well as get in better shape, and get a more suitable bike).

    One of the unexpected novelties of bike commuting is that as you get into better shape, your commute gets shorter… at least until you start looking for ways to add mileage.

    September 9, 2012 at 8:46 pm #950657
    Riley Casey
    Participant

    The weekend try-out ride is absolutely essential of course but it misses that one bit of positive feedback that every bike commute needs – riding past a block or three of gridlocked rush hour traffic. Just the sort of thing that can warm the heart on a cold winter morning. :p

    September 10, 2012 at 10:36 am #950666
    5555624
    Participant

    M Street SW/SE is part of my commute. In the afternoon, why not just take M Street all the way to Water/Maine? You’re west of the biggest pain, which is at 6th Street SE. (Buses and car pools at the Navy Yard, which often cause me to bail to L Street SE until I get to Half Street.)

    I have no problems with M Street in the morning, but I’m riding earlier than you are and I am not sure what the traffic to Fort McNair is like.

    September 10, 2012 at 1:03 pm #950672
    Mikey
    Participant

    I take your route every workday, I don’t much like M even in the morning, I like the leafy canopy on Eye and like seeing all the kiddies walking to school in the morning.
    You will get faster, if I make all of the lights I can do it in about 25 minutes.

    September 10, 2012 at 1:22 pm #950674
    cephas
    Participant

    @ShawnoftheDread 30507 wrote:

    There is a short cut going from the Pentagon to the MVT, but it involves riding on the grass along the exit ramp from 395 to Boundary Channel Drive. When you take Connector Road to Boundary Channel, cross the road and go right instead of left. Ride up the grass along the ramp. At the top, turn to your left and you’ll hit the “trail to nowhere” that leads to the southern tunnel under the Humpback Bridge. It knocks about 10 minutes or so off the trip. Just make sure you do it on the grass and not the ramp itself.

    I love this new short cut to the MVT. I used to cross the bridge to GW PKWY NB exit to get over by the Pent. Not a great experience, but saved time getting down to Crystal City. I generally ride the ramps instead of the grass to make it quicker – there’s rarely traffic when I’m by those parts anyway. Does anyone know when the southern Humback tunnel trail will be finished?
    Also, I may have lost my eyeglasses near there about a week and a half ago. They’re a Kirkland Signature Mens pair, half-frames (on top, not bottom).

    September 10, 2012 at 1:47 pm #950675
    Certifried
    Participant

    Before I switched to a job in Bowie, I was working in Suitland. I live in Bethesda, and it would take 1h:30m on Metro (red to green). After Bike to Work Day went fairly well for me, I was able to eventually get my bike commute down to 1h:30m down the Capital Crescent Trail->dc->anacostia->suitland. Yep, I could actually make the same time as the Metro and, on bad Metro days, I’d actually be faster. Really, how often does Metro NOT single track or have an incident?!

    Stick with it, and you’ll be not only beating the Metro to work, but you’ll enjoy it more, be healthier, and all the envy of your Metro/car-entrapped colleagues.

    September 17, 2012 at 3:55 pm #951288
    Brendan von Buckingham
    Participant

    I work in SW, so you’re on my turf. I think I St is a better crossing point for S. Cap. Traffic is heavy on the SW side because of the long queue to use the DMV. The SE side is wide open and gets you to NJ Ave easy as pie.

    Once you get the commute route nailed down you’ll see its big advantage over Metro. Your bike commute will be the same time almost no matter what. Maybe it will vary by 5 minutes. Metro on the other hand is an untied shoelace away from being on time or 30 minutes late. I can’t stand the unpredictability of Metro when I have to take it.

    September 17, 2012 at 4:30 pm #951295
    chris_s
    Participant

    @cephas 30533 wrote:

    Does anyone know when the southern Humback tunnel trail will be finished?

    Last official update I heard from Arlington County staff was that negotiations had stalled because the Pentagon has something there along the water that’s super top secret and they don’t want anybody to get near it. (the James Bond fan in me desperately wants it to be a submarine dock)

    However, a project recently appeared in Arlington’s 10 year Capital Improvement plan which makes me think progress has been made:

    Boundary Channel Drive Interchange
    The existing Boundary Channel Drive interchange is inadequate for current demands and for planned growth in Crystal City. The addition of Long Bridge Park and the Aquatics Center accelerate the need for improvements at this location. Long Bridge Park Drive up to and through the interchange with I-395 and Boundary Channel Drive will be reconstructed to provide a safe and attractive environment for all modes of transportation, including bicyclists, pedestrians, buses, and vehicles. Project elements include new curb and gutter, sidewalks, bicycle facilities, streets trees and street lighting. Critical bike and pedestrian connections will be made from Crystal City to the Mount Vernon Trail. Two roundabouts will be constructed, which will serve as a gateway to the new aquatic center and Long Bridge Park. The redesigned interchange will improve safety and will be effective in managing emergency operations that occur frequently in that vicinity.

    That project is scheduled to begin design in FY2013 and complete construction in 2017 (I recommend treating all CIP dates as extremely tenative)

    September 17, 2012 at 5:35 pm #951323
    Tim Kelley
    Participant

    @chris_s 31212 wrote:

    Last official update I heard from Arlington County staff was that negotiations had stalled because the Pentagon has something there along the water that’s super top secret and they don’t want anybody to get near it. (the James Bond fan in me desperately wants it to be a submarine dock)

    However, a project recently appeared in Arlington’s 10 year Capital Improvement plan which makes me think progress has been made:

    Boundary Channel Drive Interchange
    The existing Boundary Channel Drive interchange is inadequate for current demands and for planned growth in Crystal City. The addition of Long Bridge Park and the Aquatics Center accelerate the need for improvements at this location. Long Bridge Park Drive up to and through the interchange with I-395 and Boundary Channel Drive will be reconstructed to provide a safe and attractive environment for all modes of transportation, including bicyclists, pedestrians, buses, and vehicles. Project elements include new curb and gutter, sidewalks, bicycle facilities, streets trees and street lighting. Critical bike and pedestrian connections will be made from Crystal City to the Mount Vernon Trail. Two roundabouts will be constructed, which will serve as a gateway to the new aquatic center and Long Bridge Park. The redesigned interchange will improve safety and will be effective in managing emergency operations that occur frequently in that vicinity.

    That project is scheduled to begin design in FY2013 and complete construction in 2017 (I recommend treating all CIP dates as extremely tenative)

    The last rumor I heard was that there was some sort of munitions storage facility adjacent to the proposed path (which would just as easily be accessed by a car exiting 395…).

    September 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm #952157
    chris_s
    Participant

    @Tim Kelley 31240 wrote:

    The last rumor I heard was that there was some sort of munitions storage facility adjacent to the proposed path (which would just as easily be accessed by a car exiting 395…).

    Stop ruining my dreams Tim. It would be way cooler if submarines were secretly lurking beneath the Potomac going to and fro at all hours on their nefarious spy missions before putting into port at the secret Pentagon submarine dock.

    Munitions storage. Lame.

    September 25, 2012 at 2:13 pm #952161
    Certifried
    Participant

    @chris_s 32132 wrote:

    Munitions storage. Lame.

    I heard it was a test animal munitions storage. Lasers on sharks kinda thing

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