Ballston to Navy Yard route

[consularrider]

There was a thread a couple weeks ago with a similar question, but starting in Old Town Alexandria. From Ballston, it would depend on whether you prefer a street or off street route, but I think heading down the Mt Vernon Trail from Rosslyn to the 14th St Bridge would be your best bet since access through Ft Myer has been restricted.

[ksuzudc]

Thanks for your reply, Consularrider! I know, Ft Myer access has been restricted, that’s why I don’t see anyone. I will test ride the Mt Vernon Trail to 14th St Bridge.

[Steve]

@ksuzudc 45259 wrote:

Thanks for your reply, Consularrider! I know, Ft Myer access has been restricted, that’s why I don’t see anyone. I will test ride the Mt Vernon Trail to 14th St Bridge.

That link that Consularrider gave is really good once on the MVT. To get to the trail, the easiest way is Custic to the MVT. I leave pretty early in the morning, when the roads are mostly empty still, and so I go Ballston->Fairfax->Wilson/Clarendon Blvd->15th St. in Courthouse->Queen across 50->Arlington Blvd access to Iwo Jima->110 trail->Arlington Memorial Bridge->MVT south.

It is slightly more direct, despite the crazy look of the above directions, and saves a few minutes. The downside is the GWPkwy crossings. I take MVT to Custis in the evening because of traffic up Wilson, and not wanting to climb it during rush hour.

[dbb]

Note that you will be going against traffic (salmoning) when you come of the 14th Street Bridge and ride to the right on East Basin Drive. In the absence of tourists, many cyclists take the crosswalk to the sidewalk in front of the Jefferson. The area around the Tidal Basin tends to get a bit crowded around Cherry Blossom time, so you might want to identify the Plan B route as well

[ksuzudc]

Thanks Steve and dbb! Question: I don’t quite figure our this part “Arlington Blvd access to Iwo Jima->110 trail->Arlington Memorial Bridge”
Sorry, I am such a beginner! My first time attempt commute by bike.

[dbb]

We were all beginners once. Nothing to apologize for.

I dislike the GWMP crossing at the crosswalks (too much traffic and way too much chance of becoming a hood ornament) so I would wimp out and get on the Custis down to Roosevelt Island.

(Full disclosure – I commute from Crystal City so I don’t know the surface streets as well as those from North Arlington)

[americancyclo]

@ksuzudc 45264 wrote:

I don’t quite figure our this part “Arlington Blvd access to Iwo Jima->110 trail->Arlington Memorial Bridge”
Sorry, I am such a beginner! My first time attempt commute by bike.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2197845

just watch out for cars. Those crossings of Washington Blvd and the GWMP can be dangerous!

I ride the reverse of this on my PM commute quite often.

[Steve]

@ksuzudc 45264 wrote:

Thanks Steve and dbb! Question: I don’t quite figure our this part “Arlington Blvd access to Iwo Jima->110 trail->Arlington Memorial Bridge”
Sorry, I am such a beginner! My first time attempt commute by bike.

No need to apologize! Here’s the link of how I went when I worked at Navy Yard: http://goo.gl/3fiwA

They call the road next to Arlington Blvd, Arlington Blvd as well. I don’t know why. It’s not 50, its a smaller road with the same name. Traffic is light, but fast when it’s there. The ride towards Iwo Jima is downhill, so you can go pretty quickly. Like I said, Custis to the MVT is probably a bit safer, and only about a half mile longer. For whatever reason I just like going this way (probably just boredom and to mix it up). Also because the road lights make things a little easier than the Custis in pitch black. Now that the sun is coming up, the Custis would probably bother me less, and it’s how I go home.

[ksuzudc]

Super! Thanks so much Steve also for your nice advise!! I will definitely try this route too.

[Rootchopper]

You might want to consider a slightly different route when you get off the 14th St bridge. Instead of salmoning, take a left as the tail hits the road in front of the Jefferson Memorial. Next go left on Ohio Drive along the river. This gets you some cherry blossoms this spring and maybe a rinse off this summer when the Park Service uses river water to irrigate the lawns. Next take a left on Buckeye Drive. Go one block and take a left. When you see the sidewalk on the right get on it. This will take you onto the Case Bridge and over Washington Channel. You will see boats bobbing in the channel and the occassional mega yacht. The Case Bridge trail ends with a switchback and dumps you out at Banneker Circle. Take a right and follow the road down to the traffic light on Maine Avenue. Then left on Mailne and left again on M.

I used the Case Bridge when I work at L’Enfant Plaza. It’s a slightly longer route but has fewer interactions with cars, trucks, buses and witless tourists.

[cephas]

@Steve 45269 wrote:

No need to apologize! Here’s the link of how I went when I worked at Navy Yard: http://goo.gl/3fiwA

Here’s a slightly different version, if you ever want to change things up a bit. It’s based on Steve’s map, but offers you the Roosevelt Bridge instead: http://goo.gl/maps/qFt3w

[Steve]

@cephas 45279 wrote:

Here’s a slightly different version, if you ever want to change things up a bit. It’s based on Steve’s map, but offers you the Roosevelt Bridge instead: http://goo.gl/maps/qFt3w

That’s a cool route! Thanks for the idea.

I also used to cross Arlington Memorial Bridge and then down 23rd/Ohio Drive to meet up with where the 14th Street Bridge drops me off now. It saves you two of the three GWP crossings (though not the worst one). I really liked going that way, and love riding down Ohio Drive. I only stopped because real early, there is no car traffic at the light to go across Independence, and so it seems not to trip the light there. I had to wait for like 5 minutes sometimes, and in the cold at that hour, it freezes me, so I started going down the MVT.

[ARL_wahoo]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I wanted to chime in and also ask an additional question with a similar route

For Ballston into DC, I too recommend either Custis trail or Wilson/Rhodes/15th/Fairfax(?) to Iwo Jima. That bridge over 50 can be sketchy sometimes due to the sidewalk being narrow and the cars whizzing past. You can fly through Iwo Jima AM, then it loops you down by the Cemetery. I personally come across Memorial Bridge and then down Independence on the sidewalks (park land so it’s allowed).

These sidewalks are treacherous in the afternoon due to tourists though. Is there a better way from SW DC (Smithsonian area) back into Rosslyn?

[Steve]

@ARL_wahoo 49311 wrote:

I know this thread is a bit old, but I wanted to chime in and also ask an additional question with a similar route

For Ballston into DC, I too recommend either Custis trail or Wilson/Rhodes/15th/Fairfax(?) to Iwo Jima. That bridge over 50 can be sketchy sometimes due to the sidewalk being narrow and the cars whizzing past. You can fly through Iwo Jima AM, then it loops you down by the Cemetery. I personally come across Memorial Bridge and then down Independence on the sidewalks (park land so it’s allowed).

These sidewalks are treacherous in the afternoon due to tourists though. Is there a better way from SW DC (Smithsonian area) back into Rosslyn?

There are a number of ways, depending on exactly where you are coming from. The maximum tourist avoidance is to take the Francis Case Bridge over into Hains Point. The path begins at the end of L’Enfant Plaza: http://goo.gl/maps/IsPJX

From there, you can get to Ohio Drive and either take that all the way up to Memorial Bridge or just hop on 14 St. Bridge, which would probably be easier. Other options are to go south from the Smithsonian and hop on I St heading west all the way down to Water Street. From there you can ride the sidewalk up to the Tidal Basin area. The only problem with this route is you are still dealing with a lot of tourists.

Those are my thoughts.

[ARL_wahoo]

@Steve 49313 wrote:

There are a number of ways, depending on exactly where you are coming from. The maximum tourist avoidance is to take the Francis Case Bridge over into Hains Point. The path begins at the end of L’Enfant Plaza: http://goo.gl/maps/IsPJX

From there, you can get to Ohio Drive and either take that all the way up to Memorial Bridge or just hop on 14 St. Bridge, which would probably be easier. Other options are to go south from the Smithsonian and hop on I St heading west all the way down to Water Street. From there you can ride the sidewalk up to the Tidal Basin area. The only problem with this route is you are still dealing with a lot of tourists.

Those are my thoughts.

Hmm, that’s a pretty good idea. I was on Ohio once before and it wasn’t too bad, mostly commuters or runners. The current way I go is pretty much along the Tidal Basin, though on the sidewalks next to Indep Ave. The TB area is full of tourists stopping and starting, at least the IndepAve route people are generally walking/puttering along. MemBridge is never an issue for me, the sidewalks are wide enough and it’s mostly other bikers. I’ve had a couple of close calls, but nothing major. The path along ArlCem is nice and shaded and quiet for the most part, and I love riding through Iwo Jima, other than that stupid hill.
The AMs are usually easy, not a lot of people walking around at 7am down that way and I cut up over the WashMon park to the one-way Jefferson and take that to 12th (I work right off of 12th). Overall a nice ride. It’s the PMs that are generally crowded, Mondays and Fridays being the worst and the time right around July 4th when they have metal fencing up all along IndepAve (no where to swerve off the path). I’d like a different route on these days to avoid the masses.

[Author]

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