Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia > Northern Virginia
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 03-29-2012, 07:46 AM
 
3 posts, read 4,067 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

I am moving to the NOVA area soon. I am looking at the Fair Oaks area and I will commute to Falls Church. Can anyone tell me what the commute would look like. Any suggestions on routes.

Thanks!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-29-2012, 08:10 AM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,320,071 times
Reputation: 1504
Not bad, relative to other commutes in this area. You wouldn't want to take 66 because past 495 its HOV only, and 66 sucks.

Take 50 to 29, this stretch has some annoying lights in part of it, but it moves pretty well because most people are heading towards 66. Ride 29 (FFX Blvd/Lee Highway/it keeps changing names) until it comes to an intersection with itself (route 29). This is the only bad intersection in your route, it takes about 5 minutes to get through it. Take the left, head down 29 until you get just past 495 and turn left on Shreve, and this will take you into the heart of Falls Church.

Total travel time should be about 20-30 minutes depending on time you leave and number of lights you hit.

If you plan on leaving before HOV restrictions or if your job is later in the day, disregard everything I said and use 66.

HOV hours
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 09:31 AM
 
144 posts, read 333,789 times
Reputation: 92
I dunno I live right behind route 50 and 29 (right near the exit for 66 on route 50) and 50 and 29 are usually a parking lot during rush hour. Just to get from the 66 exit on route 50 to the 29 intersection during rush hour can take 20 minutes.

I agree though it probably wouldn't be awful if it was during like off peak work times... like if you go in early and leave early its probably not bad. But otherwise I would think it would take more than 20-30 minutes.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 09:38 AM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,320,071 times
Reputation: 1504
The key to 50 and 29 is you can get around a lot of the mess with side roads like Jermantown road etc if you find yourself in a pickle.

Its about 10 miles, so all you gotta average is 20 mph (including the lights ) to get there in 30 minutes. You can definitely do it, the problems are at the bad lights at 50 and 29, which takes an extra 5 minutes.

Its a lot better than 66 during rush hour though.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 10:21 AM
 
144 posts, read 333,789 times
Reputation: 92
True... but Jermantown is usually a parking lot too. I used to go from where I am now to the Vienna metro every day... if I went during off peak times it would take me 15 minutes. But if say I worked late and didn't hit Jermantown till around 5 or 5:30.... it would take me 45 minutes to an hour to get up Jermantown and route 50. I also tried taking 29 down to Blake Lane and going to the Metro that way... big mistake...took me like an hour to get there leaving at 7:30 AM.

Conversely, if my husband and I go to the Super H mart that is down off of 29 (after the nasty intersection you mentioned) during rush hour... it can take upwards of 20 minutes to get there and its like a couple miles down the road.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 10:35 AM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,320,071 times
Reputation: 1504
Yowza, ok I retract then. I guess lesson here is Route 50 sucks. Dunno what to say, take 66 and find an hov friend?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 11:00 AM
 
144 posts, read 333,789 times
Reputation: 92
Or just see if you can work like 7-3 or something I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer or anything but just giving my experience... which unfortunately hasn't been great. I hate the traffic in the Oakton/Fairfax/Chantilly areas... its not pretty.

Luckily I work in Springfield now and strangely the Fairfax County Parkway is totally wide open going from Fair Oaks to there. Takes me 20-30 minutes for this commute.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 11:05 AM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,320,071 times
Reputation: 1504
I think instead of widening Route 50, Old town Fairfax to Falls Church could really use a light rail trolley system. So many people live and work in both areas that it would make huge amounts of sense... then again people from South Riding want to be able to zoom zoom zoom down route 50, at a cost of 200 million dollars.... so I guess thats what we get.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 12:39 PM
 
3 posts, read 4,067 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks "tysonengineer" and "AmmyinNOVA" for your responses. So, I assume from your posts that if you leave around 7 am or a little before that is an "ok" time to leave and you can make to Falls Church in appx. 30 mins. However the preference would be before then? And, if you leave Falls Church after 5 pm it will be a parking lot on both 50 and 66 so be prepared for an hour commute? Unfortunately I don't have the type of job that one could work from 7-3. I will be working the standard 8-5. Also, I have to drop my little one off at daycare so that is why I wanted to better understand the commute. I need to pick the little one up on time. I really like the Fair Oaks area. Everything is in such close proximity. Are there any other communities similar to Fair Oaks that would have a good commute to Falls Church? Thanks again, for taking the time to respond!!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-29-2012, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,320,071 times
Reputation: 1504
Quote:
Originally Posted by from1place2thenext View Post
Thanks "tysonengineer" and "AmmyinNOVA" for your responses. So, I assume from your posts that if you leave around 7 am or a little before that is an "ok" time to leave and you can make to Falls Church in appx. 30 mins. However the preference would be before then? And, if you leave Falls Church after 5 pm it will be a parking lot on both 50 and 66 so be prepared for an hour commute? Unfortunately I don't have the type of job that one could work from 7-3. I will be working the standard 8-5. Also, I have to drop my little one off at daycare so that is why I wanted to better understand the commute. I need to pick the little one up on time. I really like the Fair Oaks area. Everything is in such close proximity. Are there any other communities similar to Fair Oaks that would have a good commute to Falls Church? Thanks again, for taking the time to respond!!
Merrifield is quickly becoming like Fair Oaks. Its a bit of a construction zone now (though its at its final stages in many parts and will be done in about 6 months for the most part).

From Merrifield to Falls Church you have a breeze, 6 different ways to go, and none of them run east and west. You still are in good school areas, and Merrifield is just as safe as other parts of the county. Lots of nice Townhome/2br options are popping up there for sure.

Nice thing about Merrifield too is that you can metro if wanted either by Bus to Falls Church or directly on Metro between Dunn Loring and West Falls Church. Very quick.

Streetview

A Video about the new Merrifield
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2022 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia > Northern Virginia

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top