Route Advice: Huntington to Crystal City

[Bilsko]

That one sounds like its ripe for a commute along the Mount Vernon Trail – she’ll have to deal with surface streets to get down to the trail (somewhere near Belle Haven Rd/Four Mile Run) and then take Union / Lee through Old town to meet up with the trail again. Get off the trail at the airport and Crystal City access. That makes the ride about 80% on trails and good for a new rider.

[Anonymous]

How early in the morning does she leave? Is she a complete newbie wrt riding with traffic? Unfortunately getting across Rt.1 near her starting point, during morning rush, is not going to be the most newbie-friendly routing. Getting to MVT will require both Rt.1 and GWP crossings. (Bilsko is right that once she gets on the trail it’s nice, though.) Neighborhood streets to Telegraph to 495 flyover to Eisenhower might be better even though it is more street riding.

I live in the area if she wants some company exploring routes on a weekend?

[bobco85]

What do you guys think about a route passing through Mount Eagle Park and using Huntington Avenue? I’m unfamiliar with Huntington Avenue during rush hour, so I do not know if it would be a viable option.

If one did take Huntington Avenue, they could go either direction:
– east on Huntington Ave (uses Mount Vernon Trail): http://goo.gl/maps/6FjhV
– west on Huntington Ave (uses Potomac Yard Trail): http://goo.gl/maps/xasLq

I’ve only ridden on Kings Highway in that area twice (first time was due to a wrong turn, second time was taking a new route where a guy passing by in his truck yelled at me, “What the F*** you doin’?”), and I would not ever ride that bicycle-unfriendly roadway again due to the high speeds and dangerous drivers. Whatever steps can be taken to avoid that road are likely much safer.

[Anonymous]

I like Huntington Avenue in general, though I haven’t ridden it during rush hour. It is a better place to cross Rt 1 than either Kings Hwy or Fairhaven/Quander if heading to MVT and takes you right to Eisenhower bridge the other way.

I am not sure if the route you mapped to get there is rideable and publicly accessible? If so, I approve. I’ve also cut through metro parking garage before…

[Justin Antos]

I’d recommend the Mt. Vernon Trail as well. Huntington isn’t terribly pleasant at rush hour if you’re not comfortable taking the lane, so to start I’d say just take sidewalks over to this spot where it’s a nice sidepath over to the MVT. Then just follow all the other cyclists up the trail to the Crystal City connector. And good luck!

[Rootchopper]

I agree that she should ride across US1 at Fairhaven. This becomes Quander. Take Qaunder to Fort Hunt Road. Right on FHR and immediate left on Westgrove. Take Westgrove to a left on Park Terrace and cross GWMP at Tulane. This picks up the MVT at Dyke Marsh. 7 miles south of the Crystal City connector. This route involves back tracking a few miles but it is worth it to avoid Huntington area or Telegraph Road, and the Belle View Boulevard crossing of the GWMP. . Big drawback is Westgrove is a challenging hill in the evening. Also, could hit West Potomac HS traffic if leaving early enough.

If your friend is a total newbie and has a car, she could drive this route to Tulane. park on Tulane and ride from there. (There are already four or five people who park there for bike or bus commuting.) Do not park in the Belle Haven Park lot. You’ll probably get a ticket sooner or later. I did this Tulane parking thing for a few years during the Wilson Bridge construction.

Also the GWMP crossing at Tulane has a center island and is safe regardless of time of day.

[Rootchopper]

Just to clarify, I did not mean to mock newbies in the above so no offense meant. BTW, the drive/bike option is about as good as it gets for a bike commute. Flat. Scenic. Varied. If I were you I’d do it every day. As a matter of fact, I do!

[scoot]

@bobco85 114577 wrote:

What do you guys think about a route passing through Mount Eagle Park and using Huntington Avenue? I’m unfamiliar with Huntington Avenue during rush hour, so I do not know if it would be a viable option.

If one did take Huntington Avenue, they could go either direction:
– east on Huntington Ave (uses Mount Vernon Trail): http://goo.gl/maps/6FjhV
– west on Huntington Ave (uses Potomac Yard Trail): http://goo.gl/maps/xasLq

I’ve only ridden on Kings Highway in that area twice (first time was due to a wrong turn, second time was taking a new route where a guy passing by in his truck yelled at me, “What the F*** you doin’?”), and I would not ever ride that bicycle-unfriendly roadway again due to the high speeds and dangerous drivers. Whatever steps can be taken to avoid that road are likely much safer.

Those N. Kings drivers are also awfully aggressive coming down the hill toward Telegraph. 20MPH+ right turns on red from the center lane are very common. Fort Hunt drivers turning onto Route 1 aren’t much better, so pick your poison trying to access either of those bridges over Cameron Run.

The cut-through to Huntington Ave is a nice idea; Huntington is certainly the best ride of any major thoroughfare through that area. I would not have been comfortable riding Huntington as a complete newbie, though. There are sidewalks, but they cross an awful lot of intersections and driveways.

If she does use Huntington, she might be able to minimize the right-on-red hazard (at Fort Hunt and Route 1) by going straight across Route 1 to the traffic signal at Fort Hunt, then across Fort Hunt to the office building service road, then rejoin the sidepath immediately before the bridge. This also makes you more visible to the many drivers who fail to yield to sidepath users after bypassing the intersection via that service road.

[ShawnoftheDread]

Or, sidewalk on Telegraph, pedestrian bridge to Eisenhower, Mill, Jamison, Dulaney, Diagonal, Commonwealth, 4MR around to Eads.

[Tania]

Thanks everyone!!! We’ve got some good options here.

[Terpfan]

I’ve done that ride a couple times and she has a few options, depending on her comfort level. I live about a mile south of there and in the winter, tend to go that way if there is snow on the ground. I suppose it also depends somewhat on where in Crystal City she is going.

One option is to take Kings Hwy down to Telegraph. The on-road riding is not half as bad as you would think there, but if she’s uncomfortable with it, then take the sidewalk (on the way home, instead of trying climb King’s Highway, she can take the Hunting Metro Access road as if she were going to park in the upper lot from Huntington Rd and then just zig zag inside the garage up). Once she gets to Telegraph, she can go right and then cross Huntington Ave and a path totally separated from the roadway will take her up and to the right over top of the Beltway). The path will dump her out at Eisenhower and Stovall. From here, I would just go straight on Stovall and then right on Mill Road. (You options here such as Shawn mentioned or take Mill all the way down to the start of the cemetary and on the left side of the road is a sidewalk with curb cut that goes over to Duke St). From there, go left sidewalk maybe 20′ and cross to then take she can take Daingerfield Rd down, which becomes Commonwealth Ave in Del Ray. There is a bike lane here almost the entire way once you cross under the Metro. If she stays on it until the very end, it will drop her off at 4 Mile Run Creek and go right on the trail maybe a block or so, which takes her to Rt 1 just south of Potomac Yards. From here just one block up to Glebe that will take her back to Potomac Ave and its bike lane or she can go down a few blocks to get on at Crystal Drive.

Another option is take Fairhaven down to Rt 1, but stay on the same (west) side of Rt 1 and proceed up the access road to the left (I take this route maybe once or twice a month). She will go a few blocks here to where the traffic light is at the Urgent Care/Holiday Inn. Wait for this traffic light and then take go left down Rt 1. The next traffic light down that hill is Huntington Ave and that’s where she will switch to the path running alongside Rt 1. I realize people Rt 1 as a very busy road and it is, but if you go with this light, the speed you get going downhill means the only traffic with you is any other turning car (usually one or two, tops, and they get in front of you). Once she gets down on the path, just follow it and it will mirror the 495 north/eastbound on ramp and take her up to the GW Parkway (called Washington St here). Proceed across it and I like to go left at the bottom of the hill at the first chance, which puts you on Royal St. Taking Royal Straight all the way across Old Town will drop you off at a small path right by the power plant that connects to Abingdon Drive (or sidewalk alongside it). Proceeding straight there will hook up to the MVT right after the traffic light at Slaters. And then she can take the MVT to the 4MR Trail or Crystal City Connector depending upon where she is going. Alternatively, she can go not turn left and go all the way down the MVT coming around Jones Point underneath the Wilson Bridge–it’s intuitive. This will put her on Union St and if she follows that until it makes a left by a warehouse and traintrack crossing, then she’ll see the path entrance along her right (second choice of the two). That’s the MVT and this way takes you on the river side of the power plant. Then follow 4MR or Crystal City Connector.

I don’t think it’s worth the time taking Quander all the way to Ft Hunt and Westgrove way, plus in my opinion, people drive fairly aggressively on that stretch of Quander for some reason (I have no idea why).

[Terpfan]

I should probably add of those choices, I think the Rt 1 way is the easiest. It’s important to note that the sidewalk on the west side does not go all the way. It abruptly ends at the bottom of that hill and is a 50′ stretch of narrow dirt that’s not advisable to ride on. The east side of the road (with all the hotels) does not have a sidewalk. The speed of the cars makes folks nervous, but the light at that Holiday Inn stays green long enough combined with downhill speed to make it perfectly easy. I forgot to add if she does the turn that route that you have to ride briefly on Rt 1 to get over to the access road running next to it. Similarly the trick there is to be at the crosswalk of Huntington Ave & Rt 1 and cross as soon as you get lights in your favor from the southeast corner of Huntington. You should have enough time to make it to the access road. Alternatively, the Huntington Metro trick is always an option.

Also dittoing the offer to help along the route depending on the time of day or if it’s BTWD, I’ll have flexibility (I live up Rt just a little bit in Groveton–the area near the Beacon Hill shopping area). I roll through that area around 7-7:15amish. And it’s not out of my way, although I usually take the Beacon Hill to GWMP/MVT route way. The Rt 1 way for me tends to follow if I have errands to run or just am bored with the same route every day.

[GovernorSilver]

@Amalitza 114578 wrote:

I like Huntington Avenue in general, though I haven’t ridden it during rush hour. It is a better place to cross Rt 1 than either Kings Hwy or Fairhaven/Quander if heading to MVT and takes you right to Eisenhower bridge the other way.

I am not sure if the route you mapped to get there is rideable and publicly accessible? If so, I approve. I’ve also cut through metro parking garage before…

Huntingon Park Dr. goes through an apartment/condo property, but there’s no gate. Mt. Eagle Park is publicly accessible – theoretically until “closing time” – but there’s nothing to stop cyclists from entering any time. The winding path between the park and Blaine Dr. however is steep enough to be a tough challenge for a beginning cyclist such as myself. Blaine Dr. is also steep enough to be a challenge for me (fast descent, climb gives me a hard workout).

Once the cyclist is on Huntington Ave, it looks like he/she pretty much has to bike on the street. I tried the sidewalk yesterday and hit trash cans, and got bruised from falling, trying to maneuver around objects left lying on the sidewalk. Going east doesn’t look so bad because one can easily switch from road to pedestrian walkway to set up for crossing Rt. 1 then crossing Huntington to get to Mt. Vernon Trail. Going west though looks tricky because the cyclist would eventually have to get back to Blaine Dr. – either take the left lane and risk getting in front of a speeding motorist, or pull over to the sidewalk then try to cross as a pedestrian.

Also, going west from Blaine Dr. to the Eisenhower overpass trail is tricky because a good chunk of the sidewalk has been eliminated by construction across the street from the Metro station. The cyclist may be forced to weave in traffic if there’s a long line of cars waiting to turn right from Huntington to Telegraph Rd – until usable sidewalk is found again.

[GovernorSilver]

BTW, on the way back from Mt. Vernon Trail, a more experienced cyclist passed me. I followed him a bit across Huntington Ave. then across Rt. 1 at the Huntington and Rt. 1 intersection. I noticed he then turned left and went south on the sidewalk along Rt. 1.

I was intrigued because I thought there wasn’t a safe way to bike along Rt. 1 in the southerly direction after the intersection. I looked in Google Maps’ Earth view and saw that the sidewalk he was traveling on ends abruptly, just after passing the tennis courts on the right, before it would have met Mt. Eagle Drive. Assuming the Earth view is still current, I wonder if he simply dismounted and carried his bike to Mt. Eagle Drive. According to Google Maps, Mt. Eagle Drive eventually intersects with a bike trail – a trail that eventually splits, with one direction going to Mt. Eagle Park.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done that. The sidewalk does end there. There is a dirt “desire” path that pedestrians have worn. Depending on your preference, you can walk your bike on that path, ride your bike at pedestrian speed up that path and dismount if you encounter a pedestrian coming the other way, or simply take the lane on Rt. 1. After testing out all options, I mostly preferred taking the lane in all but the heaviest traffic times, though I would take the lane starting at Huntington rather than start on the sidewalk and then try to jump back in to the road among the cars. THAT (going between sidewalk and road) is highly scary.

“Safe” would not exactly be the description I’d use, but it can be done. It is a very short stretch on Rt. 1. It is not fun. Depending on where you’re going, there isn’t necessarily much in the way of alternative options.

[Author]

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