Commute between Alexandria and downtown Silver spring

[creadinger]

Ok, I may have a choice to make in the near future which would give me a new commute. From northern Alexandria up to downtown Silver Spring and back. It’s not great.

About 2 years ago I did this 14.5 mile route: MVT -> 14th st Bridge -> 15th Street up Meridian Hill -> jog over to 14th Street -> 14th Street all the way up to Aspen Street -> Rock Creek Park -> Colesville Rd -> to East-West Hwy -> END.

It was ok, but I had some reservations about certain spots that were not great and potentially dangerous. Is Rock Creek Park still closed to cars on weekdays on the northern end? Are the N-S bike lanes through DC safe enough to use often?

Going the long way – up the CCT to Bethesda and over would be more like 19 miles, which seems a bit out of the question, at least in the AM.. even the drive up that way would kind of suck, but at least metro is also an option.

If anyone has any advice on N-S routes through DC it would be appreciated.

[DCAKen]

Beach Drive is closed to cars at all times between Broad Branch Road and Joyce Road and from Picnic Grove #10 to Wise Road. There is no through traffic on Beach Drive with both Bingham Drive and Sherrill Drive closed to cars. Even though the road is open to cars from Joyce Road to Picnic Grove #10, there is practically no traffic on it. I can count on one hand the number of cars on that section of Beach Drive I see in a week.

I commute daily from Dupont Circle to downtown Silver Spring via Rock Creek Park. Since the pandemic, when the Park Service closed Beach Drive to through traffic, my commute has been a dream.

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