A backdoor into College Park? Who knew?
Jim Struder of Edgewood isn't one of those folks who finds a new route to a difficult destination and then keeps it to himself. He found a way to bypass the Interstate 95 madness last Wednesday and is sharing.
Last Wed I had to drive from Harford County to College Park and back to bring home my son for Thanksgiving. His last class did not end until 4:00 PM, so even though southbound I-95 was a fairly easy drive, I knew we were doomed on the return trip.
After considering the traffic, I decided to try an alternate return route. I hopped on Rte 201 (Kenilworth Ave) up to the capital beltway and headed towards Andrews AFB, getting off at Rte 50 and taking it over to Rte 3, then I-97, then the beltway over the Key Bridge. Finally I finished by going up Rte 7 versus I-95. It worked like a charm. The trip took maybe 10 more minutes then the usual route up I-95 normally takes during heavy traffic hours.
I think there were two keys. The first is that holiday traffic passing through the area would have no clue that this alternate route exists, and the second is that – surprisingly – motorists on both Rte 50 and I-97 did not exhibit the “electronic sign phenomenon” I’ve witnessed repeatedly on I-95. The traffic barely slowed for the signs as opposed to the brake jamming which (during peak hours) results in a stop and go situation for several miles before each electronic sign on I-95.
Just thought I’d pass this on. Take care.
Jim, you're a great dad. But one of these years, take it easy and let the kid find his way back to Edgewood on the MARC train annd light rail. That'll cut down on the amount of laundry coming home. And let's face it, you've done your share of schlepping over the years.
Comments
Yikes, Dresser. Jim MUST be a good dad to make the schlep, but I think the MTA schedules justify his decision to do the driving instead of letting his kid venture up on transit. They've probably run the scenarios a few times in the process, but let's review, because this is potentially a looong trip (as in "you could drive a few hundred miles in less time").
Son finishes class at 4 pm. That's not "boards campus bus to College Park MARC station at 4", that's leaving the classroom at 4, likely back to the dorm to snatch up his personal effects and *perhaps* grab a quick snack on the way.
So, let's say Son is efficient enough to march across campus to his dorm and pick up his stuff, and maybe grab a soda and a bag of chips, and make it over to Stamp Student Union in time for the 5:04 PM shuttle bus over to the College Park metro and MARC station (arrives 5:18). The next MARC train (train 850) has a scheduled departure from College Park at 5:29 (not a bad wait for the train, for sure, but good luck getting a seat and/or stowing your bag(s)).
Train 850 makes a scheduled arrival at Camden Station at 6:33 PM. The next light rail train to Penn Station departs Camden Station at 6:48 PM. Not too terrible a wait, but maybe I'd hope for something quicker as night is upon us.
That light rail train then arrives at Penn Station at 7:04 PM. To catch the Penn Line, you have to race up the stairs then back down to the platform with the train. In this case, he'd better sprint because the next MARC train heading north of Baltimore to Edgewood departs Penn Station at 7:05 (Train 538).
More than likely, Jim's son misses that train even when there are no delays in the transit system (and MTA has a remarkable knack for applying the on-time label to anything that's 5 minutes late or less).
If Jim's son misses the 7:05 departure from Penn Station, he has to wait almost 3 hours(!!!) for the next and final northbound MARC departure from Baltimore (Train 544) at 9:57 PM. That train arrives at Edgewood at 10:18 PM. That's an ordeal of more than 5 hours!
Jim's son *could* have taken Metro to Union Station for a MARC Penn Line train and potentially a spot on Train 538, but that route involves some tricks of its own. He *could* have taken an Amtrak train leaving Penn Station at 7:55 and arriving at Aberdeen (not a tough drive from Edgewood) at 8:17 PM, but that'd have been a pricey ride on a holiday fare. Last Tuesday afternoon, someone paid almost $70 (coach class)for just such a ticket.
Althoguh I sensed the light-hearted tone in your remarks, I think Jim did exactly the right thing in picking his son up instead. I'd have advised Jim's plan 95 times out of 100.
Posted by: Pete | December 1, 2009 12:53 PM
I spent two years at UMCP earlier this decade, and I'll throw some support behind the suggestion to take the MARC.
I used to do that every couple weeks (yes, with a full load of laundry and books), and it was much easier than making my parents fight through 95 and Capitol Beltway traffic (and Route 1, which was always terrible). Sometimes, instead of them driving me back Sunday evening, I would take the MARC back down Monday morning (if I didn't have an early class).
Having grown up in the Baltimore suburbs with very limited exposure to mass transit, those rides, along with some trips on the DC Metro, gave me an appreciation for using trains instead of motor vehicles to get places.
Posted by: DJ | December 1, 2009 3:50 PM