Alternate Route to West Bound Custis Trail

[JeffC]

So I commute from my home in Falls Church City (about a mile from where the W&OD trail crosses Route 7 to downtown DC). My commute is normally on the W&OD, Custis Trail, Mt. Vernon, and then across the 14th Street Bridge into DC. I never have problems any time of the year in the morning nor in the fall or winter.

However, in the afternoons headed west in the spring and summer (especially on Tuesday through Friday) when the temps are under 80F the heavy residential areas on the Custis Trail (starting from approximately Spout Run (behind the Italian Store by the “S Curve of Death”) until connection with the W&OD) have just become annoying to ride on for me so I am looking for an alternate route.

The only other easy option for me is to take the Mt. Vernon trail south past National Airport and take the 4 Mile Run Connector to the start of the W&OD in Shirlington.

However, in staring at the map I see one other option to leave the Custis trail around Spout Run and pick up the W&OD trail later. I would like your feedback on this and any other alternatives you might have taken.

So the alternative is to take Lorcom Lane and then some how make it over to 22nd and take that all the way to Sycamore and EFC Metro and pick up the W&OD there. I have never ridden this or even driven it in a car but I was hoping one of you might have feedback or some other suggestions on how to avoid the Custis Trail at this very busy time of the year.

Topic

[OneEighth]

If I’m in a hurry westbound, I just hop onto 29 at Lynn Street and stay on there until cutting left on either Danville or on Kirkwood. Danville to Wilson to Washington. Or just Kirkwood to Washington.
29 has a bike lane once you reach Veitch Street, though it does disappear around Kirkwood.

[eminva]

@JeffC 4685 wrote:

Oh to have a bike only trail (like in Davis, CA or Boulder, CO).

In contrast, the W&OD is not as heavily populated with pedestrians and the Mt. Vernon tends to have more of the professional jogger types who know mostly to stick far right and not go double abreast and there are not lots of houses on the stretches I use.

Or those darned European cities.

I don’t have your good luck on the W&OD, however. I find lots of pedestrians and cyclists of all skill/wisdom levels.

And if you come in on the really late shift, like I do from time to time, you meet up with the kids from PE class from the local middle school taking a jog (well, some of them anyway) right where the W&OD and Custis meet. Had one dramatically fall out right in front of my front wheel a few months ago, sending me off the side of the trail to avoid running over him.

Liz

[JeffC]

@consularrider 4691 wrote:

Or from Key Blvd, take a short left on N Jackson, then over 13th to Quincy, right on Quincy to left on 15th, a jog right at the light at N Glebe, and then left on 16th to Westover. Much less traffic than Washington Blvd with about the same terrain. The block from N Jackson down to N Kirkwood almost looks like a driveway into the townhouses on N Johnson.

I have been off the bike for about 2 weeks due to a stressful and unusual work situation but I biked today for the first time recently and used the Veitch off Custis Trail/Key Blvd/13th/Qunicy/15th/16th until Westover and Washington Blvd route. I drove it first just to see what it was like. Other than some torn up roads on 15th Street this is a very nice route with few cars and no pedestrians to deal with. At Westover I kind of lose sight of any other route so I just took Washington Blvd at near the Lost Dog Cafe/Ayers Hardware and then took that to Sycamore and then cut through the side streets until I got near home. This is an excellent route for anybody tired of the Custis Trail. I actually think it shaved a few minutes off my commute as well although I don’t really keep strict track of time. There are fewer hills and things to slow down for. Excellent suggestion, thanks!

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I once was a regular Washington Blvd user between EFC Metro and the Clarendon Circle (The crazy intersection at Silver Diner used to be a circle around the war memorial with the little cannon on top, so I still call it a circle. Take that.)

I find that between EFC and Glebe, the shoulders are comfortably wide enough to give me my own lane. Between Glebe and Clarendon Circle the lanes are so narrow that I can unambiguously take the lane and keep up well with congested rush hour traffic. Washington Blvd has two lanes for a reason. If someone wants to pass me, they can change lanes.

[JeffC]

I stared at the map again and on Friday instead of taking Washington Blvd at Westover, I took Lexington to 22nd Street and then took that to Sycamore. I think Washginton Blvd is a bit more direct and shorter, the hills are about the same but definitely more traffic on Washington Blvd. It’s kind of a tossup as to what is better.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Eastbound I would also use 22nd Street between Sycamore and Lee Hwy. It hits Lee Hwy at the McDonald’s just short of Glebe. Then I’d take Lee to the trail behind Big Wheel Bikes in Lyon Park. The Lee Hwy segment is a good downhill that offer 25+ MPH speeds. No problem keeping up with AM rush hour traffic. Not practical westbound in the evening rush though.

[consularrider]

FYI: Big Wheel is at Lyon Village, Lyon Park is a different neighborhood over off Pershing.

[Author]

Replies