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DC Commuters come in? Metro/MARC questions.
Not this coming week, but the week after, I have to spend two days in DC for work. 8 to 5 schedule. Nearest metro station to where i need to be is Metro Center. And I'm coming from the MD 32/I-95 area. So the MARC line is pretty easy to get to (Laurel station) but then I'd have to get on the metro for a couple of stops, right? Or I could drive down to the beltway and join the hoards parking and getting straight on the Metro.
Or I could drive. But I REALLY don't want to do that. I hate driving in DC. Hate. I get lost every damn time.
I'm fine figuring out the schedules and all...my problem is just that I seem to have too many options. Recommendations?
And does that recommendation change if I want to meet up with somebody for some happy hour drinks so would be heading back at more lke 6:00/6:30 instead of 5?
Re: DC Commuters come in? Metro/MARC questions.
You can get on @ Savage too - that @ 32 a mile east of 95; thats' the Camden line, which can be unreliable.
I would recommend going a little farther down 32 and get on @ Odenton on the Penn line which is faster and has more options (so you can leave later). Take the exit for 175 (south, I think) and its like 1 mile down the road. Depending on when you get there, you will probably need to park in the overflow lot (which is on the left of 175). Do you need to be in the office by 8? If so, I would take the Penn line train @ 6:53, which gets you in to DC @ 7:25 - so you have time to get through Union Station and buy a metro pass and go the 3 stops to Metro Center. I would aim to be at Odenton about 10 minutes before departure so you have time to buy a ticket at the station. If you buy a ticket on the train, I think its $8 one way; at the station its $5.
I usually drive to Grosvenor and get on the red line there. However, 495 at rush hour sucks.
What about driving to the greenbelt station and getting on the metro there? You would have to switch lines, but I think it would only be 20ish minutes to Greenbelt and another 20 on the metro?
Thanks, that's exactly the kind of stuff I needed to know!
My Goodness...another food blog. Featuring: Macarons from a old post with a photo taken by my mom for a break from my crappy food photos!
I do this sometimes - from my house in Columbia to Greenbelt - its at least 30 minutes and then factor in another 5-10 minutes for parking/walking to the station. And, then another 30 minutes to get to Metro Center. If you time it EXACTLY right, it maybe be 20, but its normally more like 30-35 minutes. When all is said and done - Columbia to Farragut North for me, is inevitably at least 1:15 for me, and normally its closer to 1:30 b/c of issues on 95/495.
Yeah, comparing the two it looks like if I leave myself enough time to be comfortable with the chance of traffic on I-95 (I really can't be late...it's a two day training class that only happens like once a year) I'm going to have to get up really early - definitely less of an issue if I MARC it, especially since I know my way around the Odenton station and won't be wandering blindly like I will at Greenbelt.
Not that there can't be a delay on the Penn Line anyway...but Kathryn, you said that the Penn Line tends to be more reliable than the Camden?
I freakin' hate DC. I'm pretty confident in my ability to navigate public transport, and If I did this every day it woudln't be a problem, but I really don't like having to be somewhere on time and not knowing if I can trust the trains/metro/traffic. Well...I know I can't trust the traffic. So I guess it's just the other two that I don't know anything about.
My Goodness...another food blog. Featuring: Macarons from a old post with a photo taken by my mom for a break from my crappy food photos!
IME Penn line is much more reliable, there are delays, but more likely in the evening leaving DC and slight hiccups of 10 minutes delays in the mornings. Even if you miss the train @ 6:53, the next one will probabably get you to your meeting on time anyway, just with no time to spare or 5 minutes late. And traffic on 32 is totally manageable and not bad at all.
I like the Camden line b/c its less frantic/crowded. It tends to get delayed while traveling b/c of being stuck behind freight trains. Plus, if you miss your train, your are stuck waiting ~ an hour for the next one.
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15
The merger of 95 & 495 can be very bad, it can also be good and not a big deal. Going MARC plus Metro vs. drive to Metro can be a wash; but if you get delayed on 95 south of 32 and/or at the 495 merge (which can back up to 212 or 198 some mornings) you can be totally screwed and it can add 20-30 minutes. You also pay for parking, 4.25 a day vs. free parking @ MARC and less mileage.
Eh, with an 8 am start time, I think she'd be fine. I was also thinking that with her location, 295 would be an option. The parking would be expensive but I'd think Metro parking + Metro fare to and from a more outlying station would roughly equal MARC fare to and from + Metro fare to and from Union Station. The tipping point for me would be having two longer legs (driving plus Metro) versus 3 shorter legs (driving + MARC + Metro.
Probably, either one could save you time depending on traffic and whether you show up just as the train is pulling away or just as the train is pulling in.
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15
I work at Metro Center and took the MARC from Laurel last week and from Union Station it is just a few minutes on the red line to Metro Center. I also drove in from Laurel to Metro Center the week before. Both took me approx 1 hour 15 minutes total. I took the express train in.
Parking in DC is a pain and expensive and traffic is slow heading to Metro Center. I guess if I were you and I hated driving in DC, I'd take the MARC/Metro combo. It's free parking at the MARC station and the fare is $5 each way, plus Metro fare. If you drive directly to the Metro, you have to pay to park and some lots get full, and you have to deal with traffic. So, the price and time spent will probably be the same or more.