Commute from stafford to DC!! Help! (Woodbridge, Washington: houses, disposal, babysitting)

[Brittwv]

We are thinking about moving from alexandria to stafford. My husband works in DC for the fed. government. We have one car and I will keep it since we have a 15month old son. We want to be near the VRE or commuter lot. I would prefer walking distance in alexandria we have buses that run all the time but I know in stafford it is not like that. How long is the commute (VRE) from stafford to DC? Also how long would the commute be on a bus? I work for a nanny agency on call..would it be possible for me to find some work in stafford(even just weekend babysitting would do) what area do I want to look in to be closest to the VRE or commuter lots. Also, I only found 1 commuter lot in stafford.... I would love to know where some more are located if they are any. Thanks for the help.

[CaliTerp07]

The VRE schedule is online, so you can see exactly how long it would take from various stations:

General Schedule Information - VRE

Looks like it will take an hour to an hour 20 minutes on the train, depending where in DC he gets off. Add any time to grab the metro or bus from that point on.

[Ben 'n Jen]

My opinion, the best option for commuting from Stafford is slugging. Did it for 2 yrs. As long as the HOV is moving, it took me 1 hr to get to the Pentagon. VRE is fine too, but I hated the waiting for the train, changing over to the metro, etc.

[ellie0340]

just stumbled upon this page today looking for the exact information b/c I am debating whether or not to take an interview on Thursday for a job on G Street in DC.

My husband is active duty army and was recently stationed to AP Hill, VA. I am a government employee and have been searching for a position in the area and received only one call so far for an interview.. unfortunately it's in DC.

This is making me feel like I should now turn down the interview. Over an hour commute... doesn't leave much room in the morning and night for figuring out what to do with our 4.5 yr old child. If I was single or with no child, I wouldn't mind the commute so much.

[Brittwv]

I feel guilty that my husband would have long of a commute but we really need a bigger place now that we have a child... and stafford seems affordable. I'm from a small town in WV so stafford is more my style i really liked it out there.

[EuroExpat]

Originally Posted by Ben 'n Jen

My opinion, the best option for commuting from Stafford is slugging.

This. Several of the people in my office (that have since found work closer to home) slugged in from Stafford. Good luck!

[ellie0340]

this may be silly to ask.. but what exactly is slugging?

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by ellie0340

this may be silly to ask.. but what exactly is slugging?

Slugging is a term used to describe a unique form of commuting found in the Washington, DC area sometimes referred to as "Instant Carpooling" or "Casual Carpooling". It's unique because people commuting into the city stop to pickup other passengers even though they are total strangers! However, slugging is a very organized system with its own set of rules, proper etiquette, and specific pickup and drop-off locations. It has thousands of vehicles at its disposal, moves thousands of commuters daily, and the best part, it’s FREE! Not only is it free, but it gets people to and from work faster than the typical bus, metro, or train. I think you'll find that it is the most efficient, cost-effective form of commuting in the nation.
Source:About Slugging

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by Brittwv

I feel guilty that my husband would have long of a commute but we really need a bigger place now that we have a child... and stafford seems affordable. I'm from a small town in WV so stafford is more my style i really liked it out there.

You may be able to get ideas of other places to look with better commute options if you post what you're looking for.

[ChristineVA]

There is nothing wrong with Stafford but, as I warn everyone, think this out CAREFULLY before you make this commitment. Stafford is pretty far out and, as you can see by the VRE commute times, you are looking at least an hour and 20 minute ride. More if you add the before-and-after-VRE transporation required (be that walking, the Metro, or another bus).

Yes, bigger houses are nice but I think you might miss your husband and he's going to be not-so-fun after all that commuting. I will say, though, that there are people who do not mind it.

I agree with others in that slugging is your best/fastest option. A lot of how sucessful that is depends on where your husband's final destination is. You want to be around a place that has some good pickups back down to Stafford.

While Woodbridge isn't as rural and peaceful as Stafford, that's about as far south as I would go for sanity if working in DC and even Woodbridge is really pushing it but the commute options are much better than and it's at least a 20-30 minute shave off traffic.