Beginner question: commuting from Palisades to downtown DC

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  • January 21, 2019 at 11:55 pm #920958
    Italian_Kayaker
    Participant

    Newbie here–please be gentle… Want to start bike commuting from the Palisades to downtown, near the World Bank. Google Maps produced two options:

    1. CCT via Norton St entrance. 6.1 miles.

    2. MacArthur Boulevard. 4.8 miles.

    So, option 2 would be shorter and likely faster. But should I assume that option 1 would be safer?

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  • January 22, 2019 at 12:12 am #1094514
    ShawnoftheDread
    Participant

    @Italian_Kayaker 186225 wrote:

    Newbie here–please be gentle… Want to start bike commuting from the Palisades to downtown, near the World Bank. Google Maps produced two options:

    1. CCT via Norton St entrance. 6.1 miles.

    2. MacArthur Boulevard. 4.8 miles.

    So, option 2 would be shorter and likely faster. But should I assume that option 1 would be safer?

    Yes, and your ride past Key Bridge and through Georgetown will be much nicer on the cct while you’re still getting used to things. One mile longer is negligible.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    January 22, 2019 at 2:16 pm #1094555
    secstate
    Participant

    Welcome! You’ll have lots of company on option 1. It’s a great commute.

    After exiting the trail, some people keep straight on K Street into downtown. A larger crowd heads to the intersection of Virginia Ave & Rock Creek Parkway and makes its way into Foggy Bottom up Virginia, with routes from there seeming to vary quite a bit. I find it mostly comfortable, though it might take you a few rides to find your preferred route up (and especially down) Virginia Ave. Usually when going back toward the CCT in the evening, I cross to the south sidewalk around the gas station and then use the pedestrian crossing. I think that’s the best way, since that intersection has its quirks.

    Please let us know how it goes! There’s a regular coffee group that meets on Friday mornings at Swings on 17th and G, which I wish I could attend more often.

    January 22, 2019 at 3:24 pm #1094558
    Crickey7
    Participant

    Don’t forget there are no lights or stop signs on the CCT, so your average speed will be higher. Honestly, I’d do it just to avoid riding the surface streets through Georgetown.

    Note that L Street is an alternative to K depending where you’re going. The cycletrack there is very good till Connecticut.

    January 23, 2019 at 3:06 pm #1094600
    dasgeh
    Participant

    You’ve gotten good advice so far, and I’d definitely start out on the CCT.

    @Crickey7 186271 wrote:

    Don’t forget there are no lights or stop signs on the CCT, so your average speed will be higher. Honestly, I’d do it just to avoid riding the surface streets through Georgetown.

    Note that L Street is an alternative to K depending where you’re going. The cycletrack there is very good till Connecticut.

    I’ve found Georgetown is fine in the morning, but less so at night. For the World Bank, the streets south of K are all fine. Just remember that when you’re in the middle of GW’s campus just before or after class, students seem to treat all streets like the quad.

    January 23, 2019 at 9:58 pm #1094633
    Dewey
    Participant

    @secstate 186268 wrote:

    (especially down) Virginia Ave. Usually when going back toward the CCT in the evening, I cross to the south sidewalk around the gas station and then use the pedestrian crossing. I think that’s the best way, since that intersection has its quirks.

    I work at GW and as I’m thinking about getting back in the saddle I’d like to try a different route home taking Virginia Ave to the Rock Creek trail then the new PBL along K/Water Streets under the Whitehurst Freeway, up and over the C&O up to Key Bridge. I haven’t ridden down Virginia Avenue in rush hour, so I’m curious when you cross Virginia Ave near the gas station do you use the Crosswalk at 27th & Virginia? Google maps doesn’t show any pedestrian signal button, do the lights change fairly frequently? Cheers!

    January 24, 2019 at 12:07 am #1094644
    secstate
    Participant

    VA Ave westbound is downhill, making it relatively easy to keep up with traffic. I get on VA at New Hampshire and quickly get in the far left lane. Around the gas station there are two cutouts in the divider — it’s very rare that I fail to get through to the opposite sidewalk at one of those. It seemed dodgy the first few times I did it but nearly always works out fine.

    Hopefully the gaps in the divider I’m talking about are clearly visible here (I’m posting from my iPad, which doesn’t always play nice with the forum software):

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]19091[/ATTACH]

    If you’re feeling cautious, there’s always the option of riding to the Kennedy Center and using the stoplight & crosswalk to cross the parkway there.

    January 24, 2019 at 1:42 pm #1094678
    Dewey
    Participant

    Thanks!

    January 25, 2019 at 1:29 am #1094742
    Italian_Kayaker
    Participant

    OP here. The CCT was indeed great. I tried Macarthur Boulevard, but after 5 minutes changed my mind and went back to the CCT…

    January 25, 2019 at 2:35 am #1094745
    cvcalhoun
    Participant

    @Italian_Kayaker 186461 wrote:

    OP here. The CCT was indeed great. I tried Macarthur Boulevard, but after 5 minutes changed my mind and went back to the CCT…

    Today? What time? Tree fell down on the CCT this morning, and is blocking the whole trail. So you really need to take the Canal Towpath as far as Fletcher’s Cove, after which the CCT is again great. (Make the CCT great again?)

    January 25, 2019 at 6:30 pm #1094776
    Brendan von Buckingham
    Participant

    Tree down? I’m a woodworker who uses only local wood and love my axe. Tell me where a tree is across a trail, anywhere near me, and I’ll bike on over with my axe and cleat it. (Not kidding).

    January 25, 2019 at 6:48 pm #1094777
    Crickey7
    Participant

    Apparently there was already some guerrilla tree removal this morning, shortly after I watched someone with an electric bike laboriously rassle it through the tangled mass of vines and up a slope.

    January 25, 2019 at 8:41 pm #1094782
    Greenbelt
    Participant

    Trail clearing on the NE Branch last Satuday
    https://vimeo.com/312555428

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