Getting Around the City
Navigating Washington DC can be a bit tricky for anyone used to the traditional perpendicular grid found in most of urban Columbus. The DC grid is intersected regularly by diagonal thoroughfares that can create some messy intersections for both pedestrians and drivers. Those diagonals also converge into circular roundabouts where eight to ten roads all meet up. These provide great pocket parks adorned with public artwork and statues, but again can be disorienting when trying to navigate unfamiliar areas.
On the flip side, we wholeheartedly wouldn’t recommend driving a car in urban DC. Traffic was frantic at best and gridlocked at worst. DC often tops the national charts when it comes to cities with the worst congestion, which is quite a departure from our middle-of-the-pack traffic averages in Columbus.
Thankfully, non-auto options abound. The Washington Metro is a robust five-line subway system that can quickly and cheaply shuttle you around to just about anywhere you want to go (but be warned that service ends at midnight on weekdays if you’re a night owl). Multi-day passes can be purchased, though we found it easier to pre-load standard fare cards to use as needed during our stay in the city. The trains and stations are all relatively clean for a slightly older system, and we experienced few delays with timetables. The system is widely used, which provided a very safe environment for travel. We never felt uncomfortable or alone while utilizing the Metro.
The Washington Metrobus system is a complex regional system providing transit service to all points far and wide. Taking a peek at the system map can seem overwhelming and confusing, especially if your destination is easily reachable by the far less complex Metro subway system. Less confusing is the DC Circulator bus service that provides quicker and shorter loop rides for only a $1 fare.
Another easy option is the Capital Bikeshare system, which operates in a manner that will be very similar to the system coming to Columbus this summer. You can sign up for single-day access ($7) or three-day access ($15) which allows you to utilize any of the red bikes docked at stations located all over town near points of interest. If you can keep your usage to 30 minutes at a time (re-dock the bike at a destination station to stop the clock) then your ride is free. If you ride the bike longer, you’re billed in increments based on your usage. Just be careful of navigating the busy streets, and stick to riding on the sidewalk when you can, as its allowed in most of DC.
And of course, there’s always walking. The best way to get around is the oldest way to get around. Just make sure to pack an extremely comfortable pair of shoes as its easy to get carried away when you’re at your own leisure. We managed to trek over 10 miles on some days of our trip, and by the fifth day our feet were begging us to stop.