geocities.com/omaryak: The D.C. Commute

The D.C. Commute

There are plenty of alternatives to driving alone to work in the D.C. area. As well as a less-stressful commute, leaving the driving to someone else can have its own benefits. Sharing the ride can mean a faster commute, more time to yourself, and if you bike or walk part of the way, a healthier lifestyle! Check out these resources:

Commuter Connections
Use their ridematching service to find carpool and vanpool partners, get free rides home, and more!

The Commuter Page
Use their Commuter Direct service to purchase transit and commuter rail passes and fares online.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Use their RideGuide software to plan a trip using transit, and find out how Metrochek can save on your commuting costs.

Carpool/Vanpool | Bus/Rail | Bike/Walk

Clear the Air

Ozone Action Days

During the hot summer months, sharing the ride also means better air quality through reduced ground-level ozone, which forms when the sun's light and heat interact with noxious fumes. Don't wait for a Code Red Bad Air Day to take action! Find out now what you can do to keep our air healthy, and what the codes mean.

Commuter Rail Services

In Maryland

MARC
Serves Maryland and West Virginia from Martinsburg, Frederick, and Perryville via Baltimore
System Map, Schedules

In Virginia

VRE
The Virginia Railway Express serves Northern Virginia from Manassas and Fredericksburg
System Map, Schedules

Both services terminate in downtown D.C. at Union Station with connections to Metro services.

Commuter Bus Services

In Virginia

Service from Fredericksburg, Front Royal and points west (new)

Service from Loudoun County

Service from Prince William County

In Maryland

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA Maryland)

No commuter bus service where you're going? Try a vanpool instead!

Commuter bus service differs from local transit in that it uses larger vehicles and travels longer distances. For more information about the differences between commuter and transit services, click here.

Local Transit Services

In Virginia

Arlington County:
ART: Arlington Transit

City of Alexandria:
DASH: Alexandria Transit Co.

Fairfax County:
CUE, Fairfax Connector

City of Falls Church:
Falls Church GEORGE

Loudoun County:
Mass Transportation

Prince William County:
OmniLink

In Maryland

Charles County:
VanGo

Frederick County:
TransIT Services of Frederick

Howard County:
Howard Transit

Montgomery County:
RideOn

Prince George's County:
The Bus

Other Resources

Metrobus system maps
from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. are now available online in .pdf format, gratis. The print version is available at Metro regional sales offices for $1.50 apiece, and both versions include route information for local transit providers where Metrobus service may not be available.

The VDOT HOV Calculator
can help you figure out exactly just how much time you'll save by carpooling, vanpooling, or taking transit or commuter bus service to work along a Northern Virginia HOV corridor. Find HOV lanes, Northern Virginia park-and-ride lots, and other Virginia-specific transportation- and commuting-related information. Click here.

Commuter Direct,
an online service of The Commuter Page, can help you find and purchase transit, commuter bus, and commuter rail fares and passes for public transporation services in the Washington Metropolitan Area. You can also set up an account with them to exchange your Metrochek fares by mail. Check it out.

Think regionally, act locally. Explore what's available near you by the places where you live and/or work from the local perspective. Transit services will get you around town, and ridesharing agencies will help you find carpooling/vanpooling partners through Commuter Connections and even more commuting information:

Hey, look! Free money! No kidding: sharing the ride to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion is so important to our elected leaders that they'll give you free benefits just for choosing to share the ride to work--or even just considering it! Check out the free benefit programs and other facilities offered by regional transportation agencies below:

Guaranteed Ride Home A "commuter insurance" program, Guaranteed Ride Home means never having to be let down by your ridesharing arrangement in the event of a personal emergency or unscheduled overtime. For up to four times per year, you can get a free Guaranteed Ride Home using any combination of transit, taxi and/or rental car, depending on how far you live from work and how immediate your emergency. Bicyclers, walkers, carpoolers, vanpoolers, commuter bus and rail users, and even transit users can all benefit from this peace of mind. Best of all, registration is free! For more information on Guaranteed Ride Home, click here or pick up the phone and call 1-800-745-RIDE (7433).	Metrochek Administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and provided by participating employers, Metrochek pays for up to $100 a month of your transit fare expenses, which includes most commuter bus and rail services, local transit, and commuter vanpools. Either provided as a benefit or incentive, or offered as a pre-tax salary deduction, it's up to $1200 a year in commuting expenses that you don't have to pay taxes on. Add saved mileage and depreciation from leaving your car at home, and ridesharing becomes a pretty sweet financial deal. Click here for more information on Metrochek, a list of participating transit providers, and what it all means for you and your employer.
HOV Facilities Get special treatment just for carpooling, vanpooling, or taking transit to work! Along key corridors in Maryland and Virginia, sharing the ride gives you exclusive access to special lanes called High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, which can significantly speed your commute versus driving alone. More people fit in fewer cars, so traffic moves. Check out the Carpool/Vanpool section of this page to find an HOV lane near you.	Ridematching Want to start or join a carpool or vanpool but don't know where to start? Try signing up for Commuter Connections' ridematching service, and get a matchlist of people who live and work near you at similar times. You'll also receive information about nearby park-and-ride lots and transit services, absolutely free. Call 1-800-745-RIDE (7433) or click here to get started.
Bike & Jogging Trails For you bicyclers and walkers, several jogging trails exist to get you where you're going, including access to bridges across the Potomac. For more info, see the Bike/Walk section of this page.	Telecommuting/Telework Does your company have a telecommuting program? Telecommuting even one day a week can play a large part in solving traffic congestion problems in the region by taking cars off the road. Tell your employer about telecommuting incentive programs in Maryland and Virginia.
Park and Ride Lots are a great way to use your car to get to a place where you can take transit when it may not be near where you live, and they serve as natural meeting spots for carpools and vanpools. To find one, you can sign up for Commuter Connections' ridematching service to receive information in the U.S. mail, or use their online software. The Commuter Page also maintains an online directory, and the Virginia Department of Transportation's HOV Calculator offers a listing for the Northern Virginia area, all of them free.	Local transit subsidies in addition to Metrochek exist on a county-by-county, city-by-city basis. Check with your employer to see if they participate after checking with Commuter Connections' regional listing to see if you work in a qualified area. Local vanpool subsidies are also available for residents of selected counties. Commuter Connections offers a listing of these subsidies as well, and contact information to get you started and on your way.
Know of another commuting benefit that should be listed here? E-mail me at omaryak@aol.com.