PHOTO BY R. KENNEDY FOR VISIT ALEXANDRIA
Officials from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County and other entities have been working hard to help commuters figure out alternative ways to commute between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
If sitting alone in your car stuck in traffic on I-395 sounds miserable, here are more options.
For more information on all of these and to plan your new commute, go to www.alexandriava.gov/GOAlex.
BUS and FREE SHUTTLES
WMATA, Alexandria City’s DASH Bus service and Fairfax County Connector bus service are providing additional options and routes for commuters this summer. This includes free shuttles to Metro rail stations (including Pentagon and Crystal City), more frequent service and additional express buses.
According to Alexandria's Transportation & Environmental Services:
"If you would have taken the Metrorail to reach your destination, still show up to the metro station. People will be there (in force the first 2 weeks and present throughout the entire shutdown) to direct people to which bus stop to use at the station.
The buses will be either a coach bus (think fancy touring bus) or a Dash bus (there are also 12 extra long articulated buses that will be running that each hold 120 people in addition to a ton of other buses). There will be buses for the 'yellow line' and the 'blue line' in each direction to simulate the rail. The goal is during rush to have a bus show up every 5 or so minutes and during non-rush every 10-12 minutes."
In Fairfax County, a similar situation will be in effect with a major increase in bus transit options from Huntington and Franconia-Springfield.
The following map is of free shuttle services available:
City of Alexandria
RIDESHARE, CARPOOL and LANDMARK PARKING
Uber, Lyft and other rideshare apps offer “carpool” options, which can lower the price if you use one of those services to get to and from work. In Alexandria, first-time Lyft users can save $5 with the promo code VISITALX19.
The new ride share service Via has also launched in Alexandria and is offering low-cost, app-based commuting.
Howard Hughes Corp. has released 200 parking spaces at Landmark Mall for carpoolers and a slugline is forming there. A permit is required. Permits will be handed out starting at 7 a.m. May 28. More information is available here.
Here's all you need to know about "slugging" (casual carpooling) from the Van Dorn and Franconia-Springfield stations and from Landmark Mall.
For additional carpool and other transportation options, check CommuterConnections.org.
WATER TAXI
The Potomac Riverboat Co. offers water taxi service between Alexandria and the Wharf in the District. Additional services are available to Georgetown, Nationals Park, National Harbor and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Season passes are available, which can lead to significant savings if you plan to use the water taxi a good amount this summer.
TRAIN
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will continue to operate out of Old Town Alexandria. It goes from the Alexandria Amtrak Station to L’Enfant Plaza and to Union Station in the District. Weekly and monthly passes are available to save money.
BIKE or E-BIKE
Alexandria is one of the most bike-friendly communities in the United States. For more on biking to work on a traditional or electric bike, see 'Shifting Gears For Your Commute'. In addition, the Alexandria Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee has started a mentorship program for new riders. Learn more here.
SCOOTER
The City of Alexandria is in the midst of a demonstration program with several electric scooter companies. The scooters can make it faster to get to a bus stop. Each scooter company has its own mobile app for riders to sign up and pay to unlock scooters for use. Scooters are not allowed on sidewalks in the City of Alexandria and all riders must obey traffic rules, such as stop signs and traffic lights. Please wear a helmet.
RUN
If you’re a runner, consider running to work. Like biking, this will require some preparation – figuring out your route, where to shower and change when you arrive, etc. Local running clubs including those hosted by Pacer’s or Potomac Runners will link you up with other local runners who can provide solid advice for your first run commute.
