Best way from Reston (Town Center W&OD Access) to Downtown DC

[runnergirl92]

I am thinking of parking at the RTC park and ride and taking the W&OD trail into DC tomorrow. I need to be able to take the bus home (JIC due to a T-ball game), but want to know if it's better to take the Custis Trail (bordering 66) or the Four Mile Run to MVT in to DC.

Which might be easier for a commute?

Thanks!!!

[jabberwocky]

Where in DC? For most locations downtown, the Custis is the most direct route (taking memorial bridge over into downtown). 4 Mile Run might be a bit quicker if your destination is at the southern end of DC.

[runnergirl92]

I'm going to Freedom Plaza (Penn / E Street and 13th Street).

[DismalScientist]

Custis then over the Roosevelt Bridge. Follow the sidewalk/street across Virginia Ave and make a right on H.

[RESTONTODC]

Custis Trail is 4 miles shorter but will be congested. I will be on trail around 6:10 AM from Sunrise Valley if you need a riding partner.

[DismalScientist]

An alternative to the Custis is to take the streets at the Ballston Connector:
Fairfax Drive to Clarendon down to Rosslyn. I personally find this way safer, but your mileage may vary.

[brendan]

An alternative to the Custis is to take the streets at the Ballston Connector:
Fairfax Drive to Clarendon down to Rosslyn. I personally find this way safer, but your mileage may vary.

If you're not a fan of hills (and/or congestion on hills): for future rides, you can continue past the Custis Trail left turn and go another mile or so to the Bluemont Junction trail left turn off of the W&OD (just past the train car and ball field on the left after the Wilson Blvd. underpass). It takes a gentle rise up to the Wilson/George Mason Blvds. intersection, where you can either turn right into Ballston and follow Wilson all the way down to Rosslyn or continue diagonally across that intersection one more trail block and get dumped onto Fairfax Blvd. which has a nice bike lane the whole way up to Wilson Blvd. where you an turn left and head into Rosslyn. The merge onto the bike lane on Fairfax west of Glebe, which is situated between the right hand turn lane and the continuing forward lane, can be difficult to merge into safely due to highway traffic exiting off of I-66 onto Fairfax (some folks stay on the sidewalk until crossing glebe).

I take the latter route back home into Clarendon after long rides out west, unless goaded into one last set of hill attacks by my girlfriend.

Brendan

[Veik]

What is the best way to get from NW DC back to W&OD avoiding Curtis Trail arlington hills?
Via Wilson Blvd? (Rosslyn-Clarendon-Balston route)

[brendan]

What is the best way to get from NW DC back to W&OD avoiding Curtis Trail arlington hills?
Via Wilson Blvd? (Rosslyn-Clarendon-Balston route)

You still need to go up the rosslyn hill, but you an avoid the rest of them. I usually get up the hill and as soon as I cross I-66, I continue straight up past bergman's cleaners to the intersection of Lee Hwy and Veitch street (the custis trail turns right on the far side of the bridge over I-66, but I don't). From there you have an additional short uphill. I usually turn left at Adams and make my way over to Wilson. From there you can take the bike lane on wilson to fairfax, turn right on fairfax and then head over to ballston. In order to safely get onto the bluemont, you need to be on the sidwalk on the south side of Fairfax when crossing Glebe, just continue in front of the hotel on the left, then the hwy barrier wall on the right and make a left onto the bluemont.

Something like this (google maps gave west/south glebe crossing, that works too), just don't take the final turn that heads to the tennis courts and, instead, continue heading west on the W&OD.

http://g.co/maps/dqpsm

Brendan

[RESTONTODC]

What is the best way to get from NW DC back to W&OD avoiding Curtis Trail arlington hills?
Via Wilson Blvd? (Rosslyn-Clarendon-Balston route)

MVT to W&OD but it will add 4 miles to your commute.