Commutes Up To 3 Hours: Woodbridge Readers Share Traffic Woes, Solutions

WOODBRIDGE, VA — Commutes of one to as many as three hours one way, notorious bottlenecks and expensive tolls due to HOV-3 requirements are frustrations Woodbridge-area commuters experience to and from work, according to a Patch survey.

We surveyed Woodbridge Patch readers from Tuesday, April 15, to noon on Monday, April 21. Nearly 50 respondents shared their commuting experiences. Many of our respondents were from the 22191 Woodbridge, 22192 Lake Ridge/Occoquan and 22193 Dale City ZIP codes. Patch also heard from respondents in the 20112 Manassas, 20025 and 22026 Dumfries, 22172 Triangle, 22182 Vienna, 22551 Spotsylvania Courthouse, 22553 Snell and 22554 Stafford ZIP codes.

The majority of respondents — 87 percent — indicated they were commuting daily on work days. Another 6.5 percent commute at least once per week, and 2.2 percent each commute two or three times per week. The remaining 2.2 percent commute once per month at minimum.

Readers shared their commutes, ranging from less than an hour to two or more hours.

A 22192 ZIP code resident said it takes an average two hours — or anywhere from one to three hours — to commute to Bethesda, Maryland. The respondent identified congested areas as the areas of the Capital Beltway under construction in Tysons, the Maryland side of the Capital Beltway, the American Legion Bridge, the Springfield interchange and I-95 where lanes narrow in Woodbridge.

The reader called for "more public transit options that are both affordable and efficient, cheaper express lanes" and "written warnings on the express lanes when the express lanes are experiencing heavy traffic (the cost changing is not enough of an indicator)."

Another reader from the Dale City ZIP code said it takes one hour in the morning and two hours in the evening to commute to and from Rosslyn in Arlington County. Woodbridge, Lake Ridge and Dale City were identified as problem areas for congestion.

Asked what would make the commute better, the reader said, "Making the cost of utilizing HOV reasonable. More people would use it if it was more affordable."

The busy Interstate 95, especially the bottleneck around Route 123, is a common source of frustration for Woodbridge-area readers. The Virginia Department of Transportation is planning a project to make improvements at I-95 and Route 123 but has not announced the start of construction yet.

Like I-95, the parallel Route 1 is another major roadway where drivers encounter congestion. One Woodbridge commuter who drives 45 minutes to Alexandria said the Route 1 bridge between Prince William and Fairfax counties should be widened.

"The congested corridor is traveling north Route 1 from Opitz Blvd. up to the bridge that bottlenecks (crossing the Occoquan River) at the Fairfax county line," the reader shared.

Numerous respondents also identified Old Bridge Road as a congested corridor.

One reader who commutes one hour to Reston called for widening Old Bridge Road to make the commute better. Last year, Prince William County received funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to pursue widening part of Old Bridge Road from four to six lanes.

Commute times can be unpredictable for some. One reader from the 22191 ZIP code who doesn't commute daily said it could take anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes to arrive at Rosslyn by car. The reader experiences congestion on I-95 between Prince William Parkway and the Springfield interchange.

The reader called for "kinder drivers who respect speed limits and use turn signals" to make the drive better.

As for commuting by train, one reader in the 22191 ZIP code said it takes about 80 minutes using Virginia Railway Express to commute to D.C. The reader said "more VRE trains, including weekend and two-way service" would make the commute better.

A commuter from Stafford said it takes two hours to commute to the Crystal City area of Arlington by Virginia Railway Express. The reader said trains are typically running late.

"The train should be on time in this day & age. It's very unreliable," the reader shared.

Another 22193 reader called for more frequent express trains to and from D.C. and also noted ongoing concerns of the I-95 bottleneck.

"Even though I train in, the Occoquan mess on 95 is always a symbol of human suffering," the respondent shared.

Here are some more ways readers want to see improvements on the roads, trains and more methods of transportation:

• We need more lanes—ideally 5 to 6—on our highways to better support traffic flow. Additionally, there should be dedicated merge lanes for all on-ramps entering I-95, so incoming traffic doesn't have to immediately merge into fewer lanes. It should also be encouraged that drivers who are not exiting stay in the left lanes, while those planning to exit remain in the right lanes. This would help incoming traffic merge more smoothly onto I-95.
• Instead of constructing the two express lanes, and taking into account all the shoulder space on the express lanes and the regular lanes, I believe they should have constructed it so there were 6 - 7 lanes going each direction. This would help relieve a lot of the traffic.
• Advertising and detailed signage at all commuter lots for slugging. Increased transit options, must expand bus routes now and due to poor planning, expanded rail is not a near term option, but would be ideal to continue to expand rail for the future workforce.
• Increase the throughput and output at on/off ramps
• Telework, it will reduce the amount of travelers every day and reduce pollution
• Lower the EZ Pass HOV from 3 to 2 or offer a lower rate for riders with only 2 passengers on I95 EZ Pass (HOV-3 is needed to use Express Lanes toll-free with EZ Pass Flex)
• Making the cost of utilizing HOV reasonable. More people would use it if it was more affordable.
• More lanes; roads near intersections need to be striped better; some pavements need to be repaved, and there is an immense amount of litter on the roadsides, especially near the 158B exit at Woodbridge
• More tickets for speeding so people will finally slow down and cause less accidents
• More bus routes into DC as the federal workforce is no longer working remotely.
• Redesigned exits to 95 and some sort of overpass to Old Bridge rd both directions
• Improve 95 (express lanes both ways, expand regular lanes). Third/Fourth rail for expanded VRE/Amtrak/CSX service. Maybe extend the yellow/blue line into PWC.
• More transportation options, more roads coming from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania area
• Stop building massive apartment complexes. There are too many people shoved in a tiny area and it’s impossible to get to work let alone the grocery store on weekends. It can take 45 min to drive 3 miles. The traffic is ridiculous.

In the survey, we asked respondents to share their commuting methods, including if they used multiple modes of transportation. The survey found 84.8 percent of respondents use a car to commute. There were 10.9 percent each indicating they used Metrorail and Virginia Railway Express, 15.3 percent use a shared commuting service like carpool, vanpool or slug lines, and 8.7 percent ride the bus.

The most common commuting destination for respondents was Alexandria, followed by Arlington and D.C. Locations ranged from closer destinations like Stafford, Woodbridge, Lorton and Triangle to further places like Manassas, Fairfax, Falls Church and Tysons.