NEWBIE to MD Area: Safe Communter Route Wheaton – Verizon Center

[Riley Casey]

Wheaton has the continental divide that is Georgia Ave. If you are west of Georgia there are side street routes that funnel down to Rock Creek Park and there all the way into the city but with a fair amount travel on the road way with the car commuters until well into the city. It also dumps you out well west of the Verizon Center. East of Georgia side streets can be found to arrive at Sligo Greek Parkway which does have a side path into Takoma Park. At Maple Ave in Takoma its a reasonable ride up to the Takoma Metro and from there down to 5th St with a jog along Park Rd at the reservoir, back onto 5th past Howard U and then west over S St to 6th St to the Verizon Center. That route is fairly low traffic ( by my standards but then I’ve lived in the city for decades ) until south of Rhode Island Ave. Grant and Sherman Circles are very nice as is LeDroit Park. As always a weekend test ride is a good start.

[Greenbelt]

If you choose the east route, you can continue on Sligo Creek trail past Tacoma Park, to where it intersects the NW Branch trail near the West Hyattsville Metro. From there, it’s not a bad jog through NE DC to connect with the Met Branch trail.

I take a route like this — except i connect from the NW Branch into NE DC coming from the other direction. http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2176315

Scenic, pleasant, not crowded. On the other hand, it can get a little lonely on these routes late at night, which doesn’t bother me, but is worth noting — these routes are pretty well used in rush hour, but they aren’t bike highways by any means. -Jeff

[Author]

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