What is your preferred route for commuting in and out of NW DC from/to Arlington?

[huskerdont]

@harrykane140693 180383 wrote:

[FONT=”]I have a 15 mile commute, so I do not bike in that often. When I do, I usually take the Roosevelt bridge, get on the roads in Foggy Bottom, and work my way up to the L street bike lane around 20th St. I work at 17th and L.[/FONT]
[FONT=”]Does anyone have a better route? If possible, it would be nice to get on L Street earlier, but not sure what the scene is like going over the Key Bridge and through Georgetown.[/FONT]
[FONT=”]Similarly, now that the M Street lane is completed, that would seem a good route to take when I’m heading home. Is there are preferred route to get back to the Custis Trail via M Street?[/FONT]

I do Key Bridge through Georgetown most mornings. I’m early (6:30-ish through there), and it’s fine for my comfort level. If you commute later when the traffic gets heavy, it could well be different. I see people peel off of Penn all the time to go over to L, but I occasionally ride with someone who does the same route as me and splits off at Washington Circle to go to L using New Hampshire (while I continue on Penn), so that would be worth a try.

However, I rarely go Georgetown in the afternoons b/c it’s such a cluster. It’s just slow weaving through all that traffic, even if you don’t find it dangerous. So I usually take the Roosevelt Bridge in the afternoons. I haven’t used M since the lanes were completed. Certainly worth riding a few times to see what route you prefer.

[Tania]

Heading into the city, I used to never take Key if I was by myself (figuring two of us were more visible than one), opting for Roosevelt instead. I would occasionally take it in the winter when I come in super early and can cruise through there around 6:15 am when I have the streets almost to myself.

For whatever reason I’ve been taking Key the last two weeks through Georgetown – usually around 8am-ish. It’s not that bad but you do have to be comfortable taking the lane and asserting your right to be there as a cyclist.

Coming off the sidewalk and onto the street at 34th and M can be hairy if you don’t time the light correctly and then there will be cars parked along the side of the street so you’ll have to merge left into the middle lane to get around them. The road is also pretty beat up in spots.

I’m making it sound awful. It’s not great but it’s not dreadful either. I just make sure to signal what I’m about to do and stay predictable. I can bike at traffic speed through there so most drivers are accommodating and accustomed to cyclists in that area. I also try to wave thanks when a driver lets me merge in front of them.

For me, Key is faster. Way more stressful than taking Roosevelt though for sure.

Coming home, I’m not sure you could pay me enough to bike through Georgetown during evening rush hour. Maybe things have changed.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

If you bike through Foggy Bottom you’re OK enough biking in traffic. Key Bridge is my preferred crossing a.m. and p.m. I’m Memorial Bridge now because of an office relocation, but I did key for 20 years.

Georgetown a.m. inbound is downhill enough that taking the lane and avoiding the door zone is easy. Looking out for opposing autos trying to left turn in front of me is the biggest hazard I’m on guard for. I use Washington Circle to take New Hampshire to L; the traffic signal timing makes that about the same time as making the left onto L at Penn & 25th (which can get hairy).

Georgetown p.m. outbound has enough traffic that bikes are faster than cars. You learn to take your lane and filter. I especially take a lane to make the left turn onto Key Bridge. I’m not a fan of the M Street bike lane; poor design, sight lines and surface conditions. I espeically dislike the M Street lane where it goes through the stand for a bus stop. C’mon.

[Steve O]

My perhaps-not-highly-recommended-and-definitely-not-for-the-timid route (but probably the fastest – I once made it from my house near 7 Corners to my office at 1310 L Street in under 22 minutes) when I worked at 13th & L NW was:

Inbound:
Key Bridge
Whitehurst freeway
Tunnel under Washington Circle (if you wait for the light to change just back of the tunnel, you can ride through your own private tunnel all by your lonesome!)
Left on sidewalk on 21st (illegal, but only 1 block, heh heh. 21st is 1-way southbound)
L Street (in the old days before the L St. bike lane was built, it was possible to go 20th to 13th all on the green about 2x/wk if you could fly and do the urban guerilla maneuvering required)

Outbound:
I Street urban guerilla gridlock maneuvering
Left on 19th
Right on G to the end
Zigzag onto the Roosevelt Bridge

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@Steve O 180476 wrote:

My perhaps-not-highly-recommended-and-definitely-not-for-the-timid route (but probably the fastest) when I worked at 13th & L NW was:

Inbound:
Key Bridge
Whitehurst freeway

There was a time a few years back when Georgetown had a lot of construction and Whitehurst would back up to Key Bridge. I found a lot of benefit and pleasure in using the Whitehurst then too, then up to surface at Washington Circle.

[EasyRider]

@harrykane140693 180383 wrote:

[FONT=&quot]I have a 15 mile commute, so I do not bike in that often. When I do, I usually take the Roosevelt bridge, get on the roads in Foggy Bottom, and work my way up to the L street bike lane around 20th St. I work at 17th and L.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Does anyone have a better route? If possible, it would be nice to get on L Street earlier, but not sure what the scene is like going over the Key Bridge and through Georgetown.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Similarly, now that the M Street lane is completed, that would seem a good route to take when I’m heading home. Is there are preferred route to get back to the Custis Trail via M Street?[/FONT]

I have a very similar commute to yours. I think the least stressful/mixing it up in traffic route is the route you currently take. The M Street bike lane west of New Hampshire is not my favorite, it’s hard to go more than a block or two before hitting a light. I’d just go home the same way.

[Author]

Posts