Route Suggestion- Clarendon to Union Station

[baiskeli]

@GuyContinental 49583 wrote:

So, I’m considering a job change that would put me downtown right near Union Station (NorthCap and G)- what’s the recommended route from Clarendon (keeping in mind that I’m pretty experienced)? More mileage isn’t a problem as long as the route is cleaner (heck, my RT distance is probably going to drop by 35 miles so I’m going to need extra miles (HP loops or Arl Loop extensions I guess)

New gig (if it happens) would be very much pro-bike which is a happy-maker.

I go through Clarendon on my way to the Union Station area, so I could help. Do you prefer trails or roads? Do you care about car traffic or do you like to avoid it?

I usually go down Key Blvd. to left on Veitch and cross to the Custis. Then I either take the Roosevelt and cross over to the Penn. Ave. lanes or the Memorial and go straight down the Mall. Sometimes from the Roosevelt I go up to the L St. cycle track just for a change of pace. That might work for you since you’d be up at G St.

[GuyContinental]

@baiskeli 49597 wrote:

I go through Clarendon on my way to the Union Station area, so I could help. Do you prefer trails or roads? Do you care about car traffic or do you like to avoid it?

I usually go down Key Blvd. to left on Veitch and cross to the Custis. Then I either take the Roosevelt and cross over to the Penn. Ave. lanes or the Memorial and go straight down the Mall. Sometimes from the Roosevelt I go up to the L St. cycle track just for a change of pace. That might work for you since you’d be up at G St.

After 3 years dodging Loundon County high speed traffic I’m pretty fearless (or resigned…)- just looking for the most fun route (assuming Custis to Key, Memorial or 14th st bridges).

[baiskeli]

@GuyContinental 49602 wrote:

After 3 years dodging Loundon County high speed traffic I’m pretty fearless (or resigned…)- just looking for the most fun route (assuming Custis to Key, Memorial or 14th st bridges).

Then you could also go down Clarendon Blvd. and cut over to the Custis through Rosslyn if you want. You might like the Roosevelt to L St. option too. Go past the Kennedy Center and up New Hampshire and around Washington Circle to L St. Or take K St. over for more adventure. Mass Ave. will take you to G St.–even MORE adventure.

[ARL_wahoo]

Starting in Clarendon, take Clarendon Blvd down to 15th St (the veer off to the right right before Veitch) until it turns into Fairfax Dr. Right on Meade St, left into Iwo Jima. Take that path all the way down past ArlCem, turn left onto Mem Dr leading to Mem Bridge. From there, you could right straight down the mall, or take Indep Ave around to Jefferson to increase your mileage a bit. From the Capitol, head north.

I do this ride in the AM and PM and it’s a lovely ride in the morning with barely any foot traffic on all of the paths (yay no tourists OR cars!). The return trip in the afternoon can be fun playing Frogger on the park/monument paths and it’s hilly once you get past the Lincoln Memorial. Stunning views of DC from Iwo Jima too

[baiskeli]

@ARL_wahoo 49617 wrote:

Starting in Clarendon, take Clarendon Blvd down to 15th St (the veer off to the right right before Veitch) until it turns into Fairfax Dr. Right on Meade St, left into Iwo Jima. Take that path all the way down past ArlCem, turn left onto Mem Dr leading to Mem Bridge. From there, you could right straight down the mall, or take Indep Ave around to Jefferson to increase your mileage a bit. From the Capitol, head north.

I do this ride in the AM and PM and it’s a lovely ride in the morning with barely any foot traffic on all of the paths (yay no tourists OR cars!). The return trip in the afternoon can be fun playing Frogger on the park/monument paths and it’s hilly once you get past the Lincoln Memorial. Stunning views of DC from Iwo Jima too

Is the construction on 50 a problem with that route? I’ve done it, but not since the construction started.

[DaveK]

@baiskeli 49619 wrote:

Is the construction on 50 a problem with that route? I’ve done it, but not since the construction started.

That’s what I do every day (although in reverse), there’s no problem with the construction.

[Subby]

What time will you be coming through DC? M Street before 8am is pretty solid as you have the far right lane to yourself much all of the way (and it’s downhill). You take that to Washington Circle, then take Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House. At that point you can get on the cycle track on New York Ave. and head toward Union Station.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Subby 49622 wrote:

What time will you be coming through DC? M Street before 8am is pretty solid as you have the far right lane to yourself much all of the way (and it’s downhill). You take that to Washington Circle, then take Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House. At that point you can get on the cycle track on New York Ave. and head toward Union Station.

I used to to this in reverse and agree that, in the morning at least, it’s very quick and painless in both directions. In the evenings M St. is a mess, but instead you can get on G on the west side of the White House and take that to Virginia and then onto the TR bridge.

[GuyContinental]

@Subby 49622 wrote:

What time will you be coming through DC? M Street before 8am is pretty solid as you have the far right lane to yourself much all of the way (and it’s downhill). You take that to Washington Circle, then take Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House. At that point you can get on the cycle track on New York Ave. and head toward Union Station.

Not sure yet- right now I do dawn patrol (leave before 6, if doing CX, before 5…). I like early to early hours (7ish-4ish), it works well with other life patterns but a 7 mile commute, be it by car, bike or METRO is soooo much shorter than my current hell commute that I’ll have at least an hour extra per day to play with… Downside is the likelihood of frequent international travel (which is an upside until working spouse and little kids enter the picture)

[dasgeh]

That will be a great commute in part because you’ll have lots of options. Possibly the prettiest option in the morning will be to take either neighborhood roads (like Fillmore) or Washington Blvd if you’re bold to the Wash Blvd trail starting at 50, to 2nd St S to Fort Myer, to the Cemetery.

Going down the hill of the Cemetery in the morning is the best commute in the area.

That will put you on the Memorial Bridge and it’s easy to go from there.

[ARL_wahoo]

@baiskeli 49619 wrote:

Is the construction on 50 a problem with that route? I’ve done it, but not since the construction started.

I never get near any of that mess. The only issue that it may be presenting is on Meade St, there’s a temporary light at the 50 intersection. That must’ve been done sometime over the winter, and while it helps control traffic, it makes someone on the bike a bit nervous because now people are trying to run the light constantly. I get on 15th up by the courthouse, it turns into 14th, and bypasses all of the construction on Fairfax

[ARL_wahoo]

@dasgeh 49658 wrote:

Going down the hill of the Cemetery in the morning is the best commute in the area.

Where do you get into the Cemetery to do this? I’ve always thought about trying to extend/mix up my morning commute a bit since it’s pretty much solid downhill until DC. The afternoon I pick the least of the evil hills of Arlington…

[dasgeh]

@ARL_wahoo 49750 wrote:

Where do you get into the Cemetery to do this? I’ve always thought about trying to extend/mix up my morning commute a bit since it’s pretty much solid downhill until DC. The afternoon I pick the least of the evil hills of Arlington…

You can only go downhill, and you have to enter through Fort Myer. To get onto Fort Myer, I believe on the Hatfield Gate (2nd Street South), the Wright Gate (Marshall Drive near the Iwo Jima) and the Henderson Hall Gate (from Southgate Road) are open, and not all the time.* If you’re coming from N of 395, you’ll want to get to the Hatfield Gate, which is on the eastern most end of 2nd Street South. To get through, you have to show photo ID. If it’s a CAC card (the ID guard for most federal employees), the guards will just waive you through. If it’s a DL or similar, the guards will take it and write down some info.

After going through the gate, go straight to the stop sign. Turn left at the stop sign. You’ll see the gate into ANC on your right after a 1/2 mile (?). I believe it opens at 8am.

*The Base’s website makes it sound like other gates are open, but that’s not what’s been reported on the forum. Does anyone know for sure?

[cephas]

I just started by Union Station myself, coming in from West Falls Church. I take Custis to Key Br, down M to Penn. I’ve tried the Wh H to NY to H to Mass, but I’ve come to prefer L to Mass for the cycle track.

[Author]

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