Route from Rosslyn to SW DC?

[dasgeh]

@Emm 79328 wrote:

I’d like to try biking to work this spring-fall. Just curious if anyone here bikes these routes (or similar ones) and has recommendations. I need to get from Rosslyn to 4th and E st sw. Google maps gives me 2 options.

Option 1: Mt Vernon Trail to memorial bridge, cut across the mall on the pedestrian paths, and then down 4th st.
Option 2: Mt Vernon trail to the 14th street bridge, main ave sw, 9th ave sw, G st sw, to 4th st sw.

If it helps, I have a hybrid so I am not going to be one of those super-fast bikers. I’d try the mall route since it seems safer, but I think with the heavy pedestrian traffic it gets in the summer, it might be tough to navigate safely in the evening. The difference distance wise between the 2 options is .6 miles, so it’s not a factor in the decision.

Thank you for any advice you have!

Welcome! Biking to work is awesome.

The tourists on the Mall were bad TODAY, so I’d say you’re best bet is the 14th St Bridge. I’m sure you’ll get lots of help on the rest of the route.

[DismalScientist]

Bridge access from the MVT is much better for the 14th Street than the Memorial Bridge. (You have at grade crossings of the GW parkway to get to Memorial Bridge.) There is some discussion of Maine Ave. and taking the Case bridge in this thread: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?6650-Southwest-Waterfront-redevelopment-Water-St-to-be-closed

You could always ride both and see what you prefer.:rolleyes:

[Mikey]

MVT to 14th street bridge, then along the sidewalk/East Basin Drive to Maine Ave. Stay on Maine, or cut over to Water street (before the detour takes effect) then take 7th street to Eye street. You can take this to 4th, or you can stay on water until it intersects at 4th and P (depending on where you are going on 4th.)

Once the waterfront project closes water street take Buckeye drive to the Case Bridge trail onramp then take the Case bridge to Banneker park, for there you can access SW prety easily from G, or come down to Maine and over to 7th and Eye.

I take these routes every day, even in the snow and it wasn’t bad at all.

[Emm]

Thanks everyone! This is very helpful. I’ll spend the next weekend or two riding the routes before I try them in rush hour, and then go from there. I appreciate the advice!

[dbb]

I posted a route with photos across the Case bridge a while back. I’ll find it this evening.

[dasgeh]

I misread the first post: No, you don’t want to take MVT to Memorial Bridge.

However, there are two other choices to consider:
MVT to TR Bridge, then along the Mall
110 Trail to Memorial Bridge, then along the Mall.

Some notes:
– I believe these are shorter than taking the 14th St Bridge.
– Which of these 2 I would take depends on where in Rosslyn I would be starting from
– I’d take the sidewalk/paths from the Lincoln (or Constitution and 19th) to 15th St, I’d take the street on Jefferson Ave SW — that’s a low volume road between the Mall and the museums. The speed limit is 15mph. Much better than sidewalk/path. (It’s one-way, you take Madison Ave on the N side of the Mall on the way back)
– The first is basically the second half of my commute. If you want a ride buddy, let me know.

[rcannon100]

Agreed with the peanut gallery.

14th Street Bridge is safer.

Memorial Bridge involves four to six street crossings, including the GW twice, that are precarious. 14th Street Bridge will eliminate those street crossings.

[cyclingfool]

Piggybacking on dasgeh’s post (two up)

The sidewalks/paths on the south side of the Mall from the Lincoln are also good, and sometimes have less pedestrian traffic than the north side from my experience. If nothing else, it’d be good for a change of pace scenery-wise every once in a while, which is always a good thing.

A big +1 for Jefferson Ave SW. Great for cycling down the Mall.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4204411

[Steve]

@rcannon100 79429 wrote:

14th Street Bridge is safer.

I would agree with this for the most part certainly, however some of it depends on the time of day. In the early morning GWP is empty enough that I go 110 trail to Memorial Bridge, because I’d rather avoid the Lynn/Lee intersection than anything else, and also prefer surface roads to trails when they are extremely empty (sometimes empty trails creep me out), and going this way involves only 1 GWP crossing. I also go this way because going south on Ohio Dr. in the early morning is much easier than being blinded by headlights on the MVT going south. In the evening I take 14th St. to MVT to Custis because crossing the GWP is harder, and going uphill thru Courthouse that way is harder.

I guess what people are saying it “it depends.” There are a number of really good ways to go from there, especially depending on what part of Rosslyn you are coming from. All the ways indicated here work very well, it will just depend on what works best on your balance of things.

[dasgeh]

@Steve 79439 wrote:

and going uphill thru Courthouse that way is harder.

That’s funny. I always found the climb easier on 14/15th through Courthouse because you don’t have that really steep up and then down again that’s on the Custis by the ped entrance/stairs.

[dbb]

Found it

Here is a route from Elephant Plaza across the Case Bridge. Seem to have lost the link to the last photo but from the Hains Point side of the Case Bridge head to the Potomac around the Park Police building and then come back towards the ramp to the 14th St Bridge at Jefferson.

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?1949-Getting-to-the-Case-Bridge-(SW-Freeway)-over-the-Fish-Market&highlight=cherry+blossom

[Steve]

@dasgeh 79445 wrote:

That’s funny. I always found the climb easier on 14/15th through Courthouse because you don’t have that really steep up and then down again that’s on the Custis by the ped entrance/stairs.

I’m not sure where you mean by the stairs. Are you talking like down past Italian Store? I exit the Custis and take Veicht to Key to get back to Ballston to avoid some of the climbing on the Custis beyond that point, so perhaps I’m just not thinking of the location. The 14th/15th climb I’m just pathetic on.

Basically I’m lazy is what I’m saying.

[dasgeh]

@Steve 79450 wrote:

I’m not sure where you mean by the stairs. Are you talking like down past Italian Store? I exit the Custis and take Veicht to Key to get back to Ballston to avoid some of the climbing on the Custis beyond that point, so perhaps I’m just not thinking of the location. The 14th/15th climb I’m just pathetic on.

Basically I’m lazy is what I’m saying.

No, in Rosslyn. You know, after the light at Nash, you climb, it gets steep, there’s a break in the fence with stairs beyond it where clueless pedestrians come into the trail, then you go downhill a little. I HATE that downhill because it just means I have to go that much more uphill to get to the top of the climb. If you go through Courthouse, at least you don’t lose elevation that you just have to gain back.

TL;DR version: I’m lazy too

[Terpfan]

Without adding much, you definitely want to take the 14th St bridge of those two choices. You could do TR and even Key to lesser extent, but if it were me, I would be doing 14th. Folks at my job ask why I cross that way in route from south of OT to job in upper NW. Everyone is convinced Memorial is faster. I said, quite possibly, presuming vehicles stop and don’t hit me (or each other in trying to stop for me). I already cross the GWMP down south of OT and that’s plenty of excite for me.

[Kolohe]

@dasgeh 79333 wrote:

The tourists on the Mall were bad TODAY, so I’d say you’re best bet is the 14th St Bridge. I’m sure you’ll get lots of help on the rest of the route.

I found last year that tourists aren’t really an issue on the morning commute, but certainly on the afternoon. Though the worst of everything is right at the Jeff Memorial and 14th bridge ingress/egress during Cherry Blossom season.

[Author]

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