Metro Area Commuting

Care to share your morning or afternoon commute experiences? How do you feel about the Washington, D.C., area's public transportation system?

Washington Post staff writer Steven Ginsberg was online Thursday, April 27, at 11 a.m. ET to examine getting from point A to point B in and around the nation's capital and any local transportation issues on your mind.

From The Post:

Community Guides

The transcript follows.

____________________

Steven Ginsberg: Good morning commuters! We're doing a special Thursday edition today and we want to hear all your thoughts about gas prices, traffic, HOT lanes, the ICC, the Purple Line, rail to Dulles, rail to BWI, inaction in Virginia on a transportation plan (talk about gridlock) and any other transportation issue that's eating away at you. And if you have any special thoughts or insights into why so many Virginians have personalized license plates, send them to ginsbergs@washpost.com for an article I'm working on. Favorite plates are welcome too. And with that, let's get going...

_______________________

Upper Marlboro, Md.: I'm starting a job in Alexandria, VA, soon, and I would like to know the best way to get to work. Everyone says the Woodrow Wilson bridge is bad to drive across.

Steven Ginsberg: We love helping fellow commuters get to and from work. The Wilson Bridge is really bad to get across from Maryland. The other option of going through the city isn't that great either, though. Anyone have a suggestion for this route?

_______________________

Kensington, Md.: I commute to Vienna and back to Kensington every day. Before leaving work in the afternoon, I check out the video cameras that are available on this website. The past few weeks the "Maryland SHA" camera links for the 495-270 split, just after the Legion Bridge and 495 just past the split all show the same camera view coming over the bridge. Anything the Post.com can do to fix this? These cameras help tremendously in mapping out my trip. Thanks

Steven Ginsberg: I'll post it here to see if we can get some action on this. I'm glad the cameras are a help. I find them immensely useful as well, though am occassionally frustrated when many seem to be out at once. I also wish all of the cameras would say which way they are facing. With bad traffic going in every direction these days it's often hard to tell.

_______________________

Forever Sitting on Telegraph, Rd.: Good Morning! I live in the Jefferson Mannor area of Alexandria, just about 3/4 of a mile off od Telegraph Road. Every evening I sit in in 45 minutes of traffic, just trying to get from Duke St. to my house. Do you know how long it may be like this? I should bring a portabe DVD player into the car for those waits. Thanks!

Steven Ginsberg: You may, in fact, be forever sitting on Telegraph Road. I don't know of any solution that will ease your pain, other than a whole bunch of people moving.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: On my trip home on the yellow line last night I noticed that the carpet in the car I was riding in was disgustingly FILTHY. Stains covered at least 80 percent of the floor space. It can't cost that much to CLEAN THE CARS and it's the least Metro could do out of respect to their customers. This was car number 4098 on a yellow line train that arrived at Braddock Road at 6:35 p.m. Perhaps the Metro lurkers could explain why this simple task is not being performed.

Steven Ginsberg: Perhaps they can. Metro lurkers?

And the filth we see on cars is the start of what we hope isn't a trend toward downgrading our Metro system. Washington's system was built to be first class--comfort, not just transportation. But with high costs in recent years there is a measure of talk about whether all the niceties are really necessary. It'd be a shame, in my view, if Metro turns into a dirty, old subway system like in most other cities, not to mention that outcome would probably chase away many riders.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: What is with all the traffic on Duke Street in Old Town these days? You can't get in or out of town during the evening rush. Is it all due to the influx of office workers in the new buildings, or is it that traffic is backing up because of the construction on the beltway, which causes the entrance ramps to jam up? It's total gridlock. Please tell me it's from the construction, because that would mean it's only temporary, albeit a long temporary.

Steven Ginsberg: I've been told it's mostly from construction--and maybe that provides some hope to our previous chatter sitting on Telegraph Road. That's the good news, I reckon. The bad news is that the construction won't be done for another 5 years, though the jams it causes may change.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: What is the deal with eating on metro. Everywhere I turn there is someone stuffing their face. DC metro could fast become like Boston's T, which looks much like concert grounds post-show after the morning commute.

Steven Ginsberg: This seems to be a constant complaint of late and I wonder if it's because a lot of tourists are starting to come back into town. It's not like Metro doesn't enforce the eating rule. If anything, they've been criticized for over-enforcing it, what with arresting someone for chomping on the last bite of a candy bar and all. But there aren't many signs in stations, are there? Maybe more signs and some polite reminders from riders would help.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: During evening Rush Hour, the American Legion Bridge always seems to have horrible traffic. Do you know of any better ways of getting from Virginia to Montgomery County? Would going throught the city be any better?

Steven Ginsberg: There's really not much of a choice on that one. Going into the city isn't any better, at least no way I know of. This is why some leaders want another Potomac crossing, but that idea is going nowhere these days.

_______________________

former district dweller: Does Montgomery County really believe that it makes sense to keep large swaths of the county "rural"? I've driven out there - if you consider multi-million dollar estates with huge yards that are treated with tons of pesticides to look picture-perfect as rural, then yes, they have achieved their purpose. If they are trying to force people to live further and further away, without improving access to the urbanized areas, then yes, once again they have achieved their purpose. But seriously - how do the so-called leaders of the county believe that keeping the Agriculture Reserve is a solution to any sort of problem? It IS the problem!! Let rural land be farmed - and let close in land be used for urban purposes. Isn't that the way to decrease sprawl?

Steven Ginsberg: You make a lot of very good points. Montgomery's rural designation was made years ago, well before Frederick became overrun with Washington area commuters so there is that to consider. But it also speaks to the fact that part of the problem in this region is that there are all these local governments with their own priorities and needs. MoCo leaders think it makes sense for them to have a rural area to achieve their goals. And it probably does. But is it good for the whole region? That's a tougher question. What each county does has a ripple effect across the region. For instance, every county wants big business to balance their tax base. But while that makes sense for each county, it creates a bunch of business centers all over the place that are extremely hard to get to, putting pressure on the transpo system.

_______________________

Stafford, Va.: Is it me, or has the congestion in DC gotten worse this year? I take a commuter bus from/to Stafford, and it's delayed horribly in the afternoons by downtown gridlock resulting from DC road clogs related to every darn festival/event/march. It started with the cherry trees and has extended to immigration events, China/Falun Gong events, and a whole road closure for the Emancipation Day events and the usual endless delays caused by motorcades. There seem to be few afternoons not affected by something this spring. Doesn't anyone in DC care about commuters/workers who are forced to rely on the streets to get out of town? Why aren't some of these things planned for weekends instead?

Steven Ginsberg: It does seem that way to me too, though I bet if we looked it up there are as many events this year as any other. I think it's more likely that there are just so many people in this region now that noticeable differences show up really fast. Add to that a bunch of nothing in regards to new capacity on highways and Metro and it's bound to make things worse.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Regarding eating on the Metro, I was recently on an Orange line train on a week end evening, when a rider came on with a Wendy's bag and frosty, and proceeded to eat the contents right in front of two transit police officers. The officers were apparently busy chatting up the young ladies seated next to them as the officers' attention was focused on them rather than the violator. That doesn't make me too confident in Metro's cleanliness record or give me much of a sense of safety from these two officers who clearly were not doing their job.

Steven Ginsberg: But did they get the phone numbers from the ladies??? That's what we really need to know. Forget the cleanliness of the system, the safety of the riders and doing their jobs. We want to know if transit police officers get dates!

_______________________

Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: What exactly is the Purple Line?

Steven Ginsberg: It's nothing but an idea to add another Metro line in Montgomery County between Silver Spring and Bethesda. It had a little momentum until Gov. Ehrlich took office. It's been more or less dead since.

_______________________

Herndon, Va.: Hi Steven,

I'm going to interview for a job in the Tyson's corner area. I've worked in Reston for 8 years now and I know how bad the traffic on the toll road can be when I'm trying to get from Herndon to Reston and I'm concerned about the traffic to Tysons. Is there a way that won't have me in too much traffic? Or have the days of taking the back roads to save time gone the way of the Betamax?

Steven Ginsberg: If you know of a back way to get anywhere in the Tysons area I want to hear it. Traffic there is bad and probably getting worse.

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: Why can't the VA general assembly come up with a deal? I don't understand the House's complete opposition to taxes. It's not like they're going to cut from somewhere else to fund transportation, so raise the money to fix things! VA transportation is awful, whether it's hear in DC, in VA beach, or even on I-81.

Why does no one care to do anything about it?

Steven Ginsberg: Well everyone claims to care deeply about doing something about it, at least everyone in the state's increasingly large urban corridor. But with each day that goes by with next to nothing done, you start to wonder if the commitment is real or simply a response to voters. At this point, it seems like the priority for many is appearing to want to do something, rather than actually doing something. This is not an endorsement of the tax more side of the debate. It's about making changes and finding a way to do them, whether that means more taxes or not.

_______________________

John, Fairfax, Va.: What is the best/fastest way to from the Fair Oaks area into D.C. during rush hour? Assume I'm driving alone (no H.O.V.)

Steven Ginsberg: I really go back and forth on this one. I-66 is no fun at all, but it is generally reliable in that you can be pretty sure to get to Arlington without too much traffic and then sit for about 20-30 minutes before getting going again. Or you could try to take 123 to the GW Parkway (or across Chain Bridge) and get into the city that way. I think this is longer and sometimes you really get caught. But sometimes it's much better, if only because you don't sit as much. I wish I could be more definitive, but basically that drive sucks.

_______________________

More Eating on Metro:: It's not the tourists, it's us. If Metro operators would make a curt annoucement "It's illegal to eat on Metro" every once in a while, that would help those of us sitting next to the eater to say politely "Oh, did you hear that?" or something. More practical than the "suspicious package" annoucement, which Metro employees don't seem to care about that, either.

As to the transit officers. I've also seen Metro employees walk past eaters on platforms and in trains and do nothing.

Perhaps our new friend Dan T. could remind the staff that it is illegal and that would help the cleanliness issue.

Steven Ginsberg: Or maybe Metro could come up with some more of those neat-o keen words like sumpinspicious or dorker. Nothing solves a chronic problem like a dippy new word.

_______________________

Work where you live: I know this is easier said than done, but maybe "gas shock" will force people to think differently about what is 'local'. To these questioners trying to get from MD to VA and back: Maybe they should look into moving to the community they work in?

Alternatively, do what the exurbians at my DC office do - come in at 6am and leave at 3pm.

Steven Ginsberg: I think it will make some people consider that. But, as I've said many times before, it's very hard to live next to where you work unless a) you're the only worker in your household and b) you don't ever change jobs. Maybe that MD to VA commuter has a spouse who works next door to their house, or maybe they used to have a job in MD and were transferred to VA. Should they move every time their job changes?

_______________________

Back way from Reston to Tysons: I avoid the Toll Road like the black plague whenever I can and take Sunrise Valley out of Reston. It becomes Hunter Mill, which ends at 123 in Oakton. Route 123 generally does not get too bad until you get to the heart of Vienna, and by then you're so close to Tysons that there's no place nearby that traffic will be any good.

Steven Ginsberg: Here's one option--that is sure to be a little more crowded tomorrow.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: Forget "comfort and first class" amenities for Metro. Those design ideas were fine 25 years ago but they are wholly unsuited to a mass transit system carrying over 650,000 people a day. Metro is a mass transit system now, not a train line like Amtrak. When is Metro going to redesign its cars, put the seats flat against the wall, and move the poles to the middle of the car instead of bunching them by the door?

Steven Ginsberg: They're in the process of testing these changes. And those seem totally reasonable. You can make some changes and still maintain a certain quality level. What many of us fear is dirt, soot, trash and all the other junk that seems to be the staple of subways in other cities.

_______________________

Burke, Va.: As I have communicated to my Senators and Representatives in Richmond, I want something done about transportation funding this year - but that something does not include Northern VA sending more tax money to Richmond that never seems to all find it's way back to this region. I'll support raising taxes when the Gov. guarantees that every penny paid by Fairfax County gets spent here!

Steven Ginsberg: Okay, so what is it that your reps should do?

_______________________

Fair Oaks to D.C.: I would use Route 50. Lots of lights, but in general you're moving.

Steven Ginsberg: Route 50 isn't a bad idea. The lights are pretty well timed and you do get to move some. But getting through Fairfax is a nightmare.

_______________________

Stafford, Va. - early commutes DONT WORK: "Alternatively, do what the exurbians at my DC office do - come in at 6am and leave at 3pm."

Has this person actually ever been on the roads at this time? I'm guessing not since even though it sounds ridiculous unless you've don tit - this would absolutely qualify as rush hour on the regions major arteries.

And as a contractor, what am I supposed to do, move every time my firm gives me a new client (every 12-18 months). Idealistic maybe, realistic - not at all.

Steven Ginsberg: That's true. The 6 am commute isn't what it used to be. The most recent study showed that the early morning ride is getting worse and fast. Pretty soon you'll be able to go at 8:30 with no trouble.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I have a wonderful 15 minute commute on Metro because I thought about my commute when I picked my housing. I'm sick to death of listening to people complain about the long commutes they endure when they CHOSE to move so far from work.

Steven Ginsberg: All I'm saying is not everyone has the "choice" you have. There are numerous factors to consider, like cost, family, dual workers, etc. My feeling has always been that people have such bad commutes because transportation is the one area where they're willing to compromise. People don't want to compromise on schools, they can't really compromise on money and they want a certain lifestyle. So where can you bend a little? On the commute.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: Interview for a job in the Tyson's corner area

Depending on the start and end locations, you might look at the Fairfax Connector bus service. The Herndon/Reston - Tyson's Corner lines might do the trick. I use the WFC Metro to Wiehle Avenue line to get to work and recommend it highly.

Steven Ginsberg: another suggestion...

_______________________

Rosslyn, Va.: I just want to make a quick comment. I take metro every single day. Since Dan Tangherlini has taken over, I can see some improvements in the way Metro is running. Some seemingly minor changes: fare listings for all stations on fare machines, more Smartrip machines at some stations, etc..have made a difference. It's not perfect but it's obvious that Mr. Tangherlini listens to the riders and his employees. I hope he loses the "interim" in his title and stays on. Thanks for letting me comment.

Steven Ginsberg: posting without comment...

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: How many more people can be squeezed onto the Orange Line? People are getting irritated and annoyed. I've seen yelling, shoving, and open hostility when trying to fit "one more person" onto the Orange Line trains during rush hour. Stop running 4 car trains and stop with the 8-10 minute wait between trains. It's misearable.

Steven Ginsberg: Getting a lot of comments about how crowded the Orange and Green lines are. Metro is trying different things to try to make it better, but it seems like the only hope is the new cars that are on (seemingly forever) on their way.

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: I recently quit my job in Upper Northwest DC and took a job in Manassas. I still live in Vienna and my commute, which isn't any shorter now, might actually cost me slightly more in gas money. With all the construction in Manassas and the Rt. 28 corridor, it seems like employers are bringing more and more jobs to the poor poor people who are commuting in the opposite direction of me. Maybe 15 years ago, you would expect to take a slight pay cut for a similar job in Manassas compared to downtown DC, but not these days (or I wouldn't have left). However I do see this as a bad sign with respect to our regions sprawl and increasing congestion. I wasn't surprised at all about the guy from Page County who commutes to Fairfax each day.

Steven Ginsberg: No commute surprises me anymore. People have shown an amazing ability to endure unbelievable commutes.

And I have much sympathy for your trek into Manassas. I did that one for a couple years and hated driving down Route 28. Would you believe that I got every green light all the way from 66 to Old Town one day? Oh man, it was a dream.

_______________________

Red Line Commuter: Regarding eating on Metro, it seems like it's all one way or the other. When the public rightfully criticizes Metro for being overly zealous regarding the last bite of a Payday, Metro counters by doing nothing. I've been riding Metro for six years and what I'm seeing now isn't seasonal--this is getting worse by the month. A guy this morning got on at Union Station and continued to eat his english muffin...AND he was blocking the door!

Steven Ginsberg: Tons of comments about eating on Metro. From the sounds of it, it's time for Metro to do something about it. Let's hope they're tuning in.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: Are there any other hurdles to getting rail to Dulles started? Hoping it's just a matter of firing up the 'dozers and not giving NIMBYs any more chances to screw up a project that should've been done 20 years ago.

Steven Ginsberg: hahahahahaha

The only thing that seems to be for sure on the rail to Dulles project is all the hurdles. I wouldn't even know where to start listing them. But, we're still told that it'll be done in 2015, so we maintain hope.

_______________________

Washington: I know it is not the cause of our traffic problems, but I think some trouble could be averted if drivers were more courteous. Double-parking on busy commuter routes drives me crazy, as does people who block intersections or wait to the last minute to merge into a crowded lane.

Steven Ginsberg: Amen to that. And not just courteous, but aware of the rules of the road. You don't go 55 in the left hand lane, for instance. I don't care what the speed limit is.

_______________________

Springfield, Va.: I have one of those long commutes from Springfield, VA to DC (Children's Hospital). Driving takes about an hour and Metro takes about an hour and a half. I alternate depending on my schedule and mood; slugging is also an option for me. My husband works in Alexandria and his commute is 20 minutes. I live in Springfield because I moved into his house when we got married (he's had the house for 6 years). I guess I could have CHOSEN a different husband, but not all of us have the luxury of living close to work with dual-income families and the cost of housing these days.

Steven Ginsberg: Another commuter heard from. It's really amazing (and true) that it takes an hour to go from Springfield to D.C. It's like a 10-mile trip. That means that any time you're heading south out of town, the first hour of your trip gets you all the way to Springfield.

_______________________

Stafford, VA - early commutes FOLLOW UP: "I'm sick to death of listening to people complain about the long commutes they endure when they CHOSE to move so far from work."

Three years ago I got a client in Stafford and moved my family here. My next assignment was in downtown DC. Am I supposed to take my kids out of school and move everytime my client location changes? I think maybe some folks, like fulltime government employees, have the luxury of knowing exactly where they will be working for the next 20 years and can do what they want about commuting. In the real world, peoples situations can and do change on an annual basis and you arent going to uproot your family because of it.

You are right, commute is one thing we can compromise on. I wont take my kids out of a good school every few years because my job site changes.

Steven Ginsberg: and yet another commuter heard from.

_______________________

Move where you work...: Not very easy to do especially considering a lot of people here are contracters that constantly are changing their jobs every year or so. I would hate to have to find a new place every few years especially with prices and demand

Steven Ginsberg: the contractor point is a good one. those jobs move all the time and can change according to changes in policy in Washington.

_______________________

Virginia: Steve, THANK YOU for stating that it's not always an easy "I'll live near where I work" solution to this area's traffic woes. I am so tired of people insisting that if everyone simply worked near their jobs, traffic problems would decline dramatically. Well, sure, but as you stated, most households are not single people who stay in the same job for life. Let's do less complaining and more creative thinking. (I'll get off my stump now.)

Steven Ginsberg: I allow a little stumping every now and then, especially when people agree with me!

_______________________

In Regards to the Upper Marlboro question: As someone who used to do the same commute for over a year, the best option sadly is to drive over the Wilson Bridge. The metro ride is actually very long and completely out of the way. I would also recommend that you wake up a little earlier.

Steven Ginsberg: this seems to be the consensus on this commute. sorry there's no magic route for you.

_______________________

Eating on Metro: I agree it is really frustrating that Metro doesn't enforce the no eating policy. But the thing is when they do enforce it -- their enforcement is usually met w/outrage a la the candy bar incident. Seems to me no eating means no eating (not even the last bite of candy)- and if we jump on Metro for "overenforcing" then we can't blame them for every instance in which they don't. The other thing is there ARE signs on many of the cars that say "eating, playing music w/o headphones, etc. is prohibited." I have actually seen (on more than one occastion) a person mention the policy to an eater on Metro - both times the only response was a nasty look & continuing to eat-I think its just that people don't care more than they don't know.

Steven Ginsberg: I think there's a suitable reaction somewhere between doing nothing and arresting someone for downing the last bite of a candy bar. Fines would seem to do the trick on this one.

_______________________

Ft. Washington, Md.: "I wasn't surprised at all about the guy from Page County who commutes to Fairfax each day"

Where is Page county?

Steven Ginsberg: It's in the Shenandoah Valley. One of the people in the story got up at 2:30 a.m. to start his commute. We don't envy him at all.

_______________________

Moving closer to your job...: If you're a government contractor, your "job" is wherever the contract of the moment is. I worked for 1 company for 15 years, but we had contracts everywhere from NIH to IRS to the Pentagon.

Steven Ginsberg: more from the contractors.

_______________________

Steven Ginsberg: Thanks everyone for a great chat. I'm sorry I couldn't get to all the questions, but we'll pick up on these themes and others at our regular time Monday at 11 a.m. Until then, happy commuting.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.