flynnibus
03-19-2005, 07:27 PM
So after someone's thread awhile back trying to quantify the cost savings by avoiding the greenway.. and getting nearly all the numbers wrong anyways.. I thought this week I'd take some other routes.
End of previous week and begining of this week has been absymal on the Greenway. At 8:15-8:20 its been taking 45+ minutes to get to Reston. So one day I went the Waxpool way.
First the numbers.. Using my car's trip computer and some estimates. I figure its 7 miles from my house in Ashburn, out waxpool to Rt 28, south to the Toll Road. I don't think the distance variation going the Greenway vs Waxpool is worth mentioning. Once may be longer, but both would be very close (1-2 miles diff top). That kind of difference isn't even worth mentioning.
Some Observations:
-That day, it took me 23 minutes to get to Rt 28/Rt 606 interchange. That was absymal. The backup on Waxpool went further west into Ashburn as far as I could see. Why *anyone* would go this way unless they have to get to Church St or North of that on Rt 28.. I have no idea.
-The people that flat out drive up to the traffic light to turn right to stay on waxpool, and do so from the middle lane. If I had my way.. I'd get out of my car and slash your tires right there. That is not only inconsiderate, its illegal and unsafe. In the almost 7 minutes it took me to get through that traffic light, I saw no less then 6 cars drive up to the light and turn right from the middle lane. If anyone tried to do that while I was at the front, I'd certainly turn wide and force them into the island. People like that don't desire to drive on the roads.
-The traffic at Waxpool's light is nearly the same as the Traffic at Loudon County Parkway. So I don't see much gain from trying to get to LCP over Waxpool except the short segment of Waxpool you save driving on. Tho if I had to drive this way.. driving down shellhorn, and getting on LCP there would probably be the only modification to this route.
-Driving down Moran/etc to get to the post office to by-pass Rt28 is a complete waste. Once you get past Pacific, the traffic opens up and Rt28 is actually wide open south. I actually did 70 on cruise control and never got off cruise control until I hit Rt 606. I don't think their is any benefit to trying to cut down there.. which would introduce more distance, driving on slower roads, more stop signs, and then having to sit on the lights on Rt 606. At least once you are up to that light on Waxpool where you'd turn, you are almost done. Stay on waxpool.
So summing up the Waxpool route.. I think the best way would probably be to go down shellhorn, across that 'road' to get to LCP, and then take Waxpool to Rt 28 south to the tollroad. However, I can't see why you'd do that considering the CONSISTANT traffic on Waxpool. On the bad days, the Greenway is as slow, but thats comparing the worst days. Waxpool is completely out of the question as far as I'm concerned.
Really the best way for me is Greenway to Rt 606 through Herdon as an alt route if the Greenway/toll road is backed up. But recently the backups have been starting further and further back on the Greenway.
And the Greenway's plans to add the 3rd lane the rest of the way out to Leesburg is only going to make it worse :(
-Steve
End of previous week and begining of this week has been absymal on the Greenway. At 8:15-8:20 its been taking 45+ minutes to get to Reston. So one day I went the Waxpool way.
First the numbers.. Using my car's trip computer and some estimates. I figure its 7 miles from my house in Ashburn, out waxpool to Rt 28, south to the Toll Road. I don't think the distance variation going the Greenway vs Waxpool is worth mentioning. Once may be longer, but both would be very close (1-2 miles diff top). That kind of difference isn't even worth mentioning.
Some Observations:
-That day, it took me 23 minutes to get to Rt 28/Rt 606 interchange. That was absymal. The backup on Waxpool went further west into Ashburn as far as I could see. Why *anyone* would go this way unless they have to get to Church St or North of that on Rt 28.. I have no idea.
-The people that flat out drive up to the traffic light to turn right to stay on waxpool, and do so from the middle lane. If I had my way.. I'd get out of my car and slash your tires right there. That is not only inconsiderate, its illegal and unsafe. In the almost 7 minutes it took me to get through that traffic light, I saw no less then 6 cars drive up to the light and turn right from the middle lane. If anyone tried to do that while I was at the front, I'd certainly turn wide and force them into the island. People like that don't desire to drive on the roads.
-The traffic at Waxpool's light is nearly the same as the Traffic at Loudon County Parkway. So I don't see much gain from trying to get to LCP over Waxpool except the short segment of Waxpool you save driving on. Tho if I had to drive this way.. driving down shellhorn, and getting on LCP there would probably be the only modification to this route.
-Driving down Moran/etc to get to the post office to by-pass Rt28 is a complete waste. Once you get past Pacific, the traffic opens up and Rt28 is actually wide open south. I actually did 70 on cruise control and never got off cruise control until I hit Rt 606. I don't think their is any benefit to trying to cut down there.. which would introduce more distance, driving on slower roads, more stop signs, and then having to sit on the lights on Rt 606. At least once you are up to that light on Waxpool where you'd turn, you are almost done. Stay on waxpool.
So summing up the Waxpool route.. I think the best way would probably be to go down shellhorn, across that 'road' to get to LCP, and then take Waxpool to Rt 28 south to the tollroad. However, I can't see why you'd do that considering the CONSISTANT traffic on Waxpool. On the bad days, the Greenway is as slow, but thats comparing the worst days. Waxpool is completely out of the question as far as I'm concerned.
Really the best way for me is Greenway to Rt 606 through Herdon as an alt route if the Greenway/toll road is backed up. But recently the backups have been starting further and further back on the Greenway.
And the Greenway's plans to add the 3rd lane the rest of the way out to Leesburg is only going to make it worse :(
-Steve