Getting Around

Washington is one of the easiest U.S. cities to navigate, thanks to its comprehensive public transportation system of trains and buses. Ours is the second largest rail transit network and the fifth largest bus network in the country. But because Washington is of manageable size and marvelous beauty, you may find yourself shunning transportation and choosing to walk.

By Metrorail

If you travel Metrorail during rush hour (Mon-Fri 5-9:30am and 3-7pm), you may not be so smitten with the system, since delays can be frequent, lines at farecard machines long, trains overcrowded, and Washingtonians at their rudest. An increasing ridership is overloading the system, maintenance problems are cropping up, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, tel. 202/637-7000; www.wmata.com) is struggling just to keep pace, much less prevent future crises. Among the solutions are the addition of new trains and the installation of passenger information display boxes on station platforms reporting the number of minutes before the arrival of the next train and any delays or irregularities.

Though it's true that service has deteriorated, Washingtonians were spoiled to begin with. Stations are cool, clean, and attractive. Rides are quiet, and cars are air-conditioned and fitted with comfortable upholstered seats. You can expect to get a seat during off-peak hours (basically weekdays 10am-3pm, weeknights after 7pm, and all day weekends).

Metrorail's system of 86 stations and 106 miles of track includes locations at or near almost every sightseeing attraction; it also extends to suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. There are five lines in operation -- Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Green. The lines connect at several points, making transfers easy. All but Yellow and Green Line trains stop at Metro Center; all except Red Line trains stop at L'Enfant Plaza; all but Blue and Orange Line trains stop at Gallery Place/Chinatown. See the color map inside the back cover of this book.

Metro stations are indicated by discreet brown columns bearing the station's name and topped by the letter M. Below the M is a colored stripe or stripes indicating the line or lines that stop there. When entering a Metro station for the first time, go to the kiosk and ask the station manager for a free Metro System Pocket Guide. It contains a map of the system, explains how it works, and lists the closest Metro stops to points of interest. The station manager can also answer questions about routing or purchase of farecards. You can download a copy of the pocket guide and loads of information, including schedules, from Metro's website (www.wmata.com). The pocket guide is available in 11 languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese.

To enter or exit a Metro station, you need a computerized farecard, available at vending machines near the entrance. The machines take nickels, dimes, quarters, and bills from $1 to $20; they can return up to $4.95 in change (coins only). The vending machines labeled PASSES/FARECARDS accept both cash and credit cards. At this time, the minimum fare to enter the system is $1.35, which pays for rides to and from any point within 7 miles of boarding during nonpeak hours; during peak hours (Mon-Fri 5-9:30am and 3-7pm), $1.35 takes you only 3 miles. The maximum you will pay to the farthest destination is $3.90. Metro Authority is always contemplating a fare hike, though.

Once you're on the platform, you'll figure out your correct side of the track by finding your desired station stop on the list of upcoming stops posted on the brown pylon for trains headed in your direction. A display board overhead flashes the number of minutes anticipated before the next train pulls into the station. Lights embedded in the platform floor pulsate to alert you to the train's impending arrival. The only tricky part of traveling on Metro concerns transferring to a different line. Metro has eight transfer hubs, and probably the busiest hub is at Metro Center, where tracks crisscross on upper and lower levels and passengers can switch to a red, blue, or orange line train; read and follow the signs carefully, or ask someone for help, to make sure you get to the right track.

If you plan to take several Metrorail trips during your stay, put more value on the farecard to avoid having to purchase a new card each time you ride. For stays of more than a few days, your best value would be the 7-Day Fast Pass, for $33 per person, which allows you unlimited travel; 1-Day Rail Passes are available for $6.50 per person, allowing you unlimited passage for the day after 9:30am weekdays, or all day on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. You can buy these passes online or at the Passes/Farecards machines in the stations. You can also purchase them at WMATA headquarters (weekdays only), 600 5th St. NW (tel. 202/637-7000; www.wmata.com), its sales office at Metro Center (weekdays only), 12th and F streets NW, or one of the retail stores, like Giant or Safeway grocery stores, where farecards are sold.

Other passes are available -- check out the website or call the main number for further information. Up to two children ages 4 and under can ride free with a paying passenger. Seniors (65 and older) and people with disabilities (with valid proof) ride Metrorail and Metrobus for a reduced fare.

When you insert your card in the entrance gate, the time and location are recorded on its magnetic tape, and your card is returned. Don't forget to snatch it up and keep it handy; you have to reinsert your farecard in the exit gate at your destination, where the fare will automatically be deducted. The card will be returned if there's any value left on it. If you arrive at a destination and your farecard doesn't have enough value, add what's necessary at the Exitfare machines near the exit gate.

Metrorail opens at 5am weekdays and 7am Saturday and Sunday, operating until midnight Sunday through Thursday, and until 3am Friday and Saturday. Call tel. 202/637-7000, or visit www.wmata.com, for holiday hours and for information on Metro routes.

Metro Etiquette 101 -- To avoid risking the ire of commuters, be sure to follow these guidelines: Stand to the right on the escalator so that people in a hurry can get past you on the left. And when you reach the train level, don't puddle at the bottom of the escalator, blocking the path of those coming behind you; move down the platform. Eating, drinking, and smoking are strictly prohibited on the Metro and in stations.

Getting to Georgetown -- Metrorail doesn't go to Georgetown, but a special shuttle bus, called the Georgetown Metro Connection, links three Metro stations (Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom, and Dupont Circle) to Georgetown. When you exit the Metro station, look for a posted blue sign with the words GEORGETOWN METRO CONNECTION stamped on it. The shuttle travels between the three stations and Georgetown, stopping at designated points along the way every 10 minutes from 7am to midnight Monday through Thursday, 7am to 2am Friday, 8am to 2am Saturday, and 8am to midnight Sunday. One-way fares cost $1.50, or 35¢ with a Metrorail transfer. See www.georgetowndc.com/shuttle.php for more information.

By Bus

The Metrobus system encompasses 12,301 stops on its 335 routes (it operates on all major D.C. arteries as well as in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs). You'll know the stops by their red, white, and blue signs. However, the signs tell you only what buses pull into a given stop, not where they go. Furthermore, don't rely on the bus schedules posted at bus stops, which are sometimes out-of-date. Instead, for routing information, call tel. 202/637-7000. Calls are taken Monday through Thursday from 6am to 10:30pm, Friday 6am to 11:30pm, Saturday 7am to 11:30pm, and Sunday 7am to 10:30pm. Call this same number to request a free map and time schedule, and information about parking in Metrobus fringe lots, as well as for locations and hours of the places where you can purchase bus tokens.

Base fare in the District is $1.25; bus transfers are free and valid for 2 hours from boarding. There may be additional charges for travel into the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Bus drivers are not equipped to make change, so be sure to carry exact change or tokens. If you'll be in Washington for a while and plan to use the buses a lot, consider buying a 1-week pass ($11), available online and also at the Metro Center station and other outlets. Buy tokens at the Metro Center Sales Office located at 12th and F streets. (Use the 12th St. entrance.)

Most buses operate daily almost around the clock. Service is quite frequent on weekdays, especially during peak hours. On weekends and late at night, service is less frequent.

Up to two children 4 and under ride free with a paying passenger on Metrobus, and there are reduced fares for seniors (tel. 202/637-7000) and people with disabilities (tel. 202/962-1245 or 202/962-1100). If you leave something on a bus, on a train, or in a station, call Lost and Found at tel. 202/962-1195.

Transit Tip -- If you're on the subway and plan to continue your travel via Metrobus, pick up a free transfer at the station when you enter the system (not your destination station). Transfer machines are on the mezzanine levels of most stations. With the transfer, you pay a reduced fare, usually 35¢, when you board a bus upon exiting your Metrorail station. There are no bus-to-subway transfers.

D.C. Circulator -- In addition to the Georgetown Metro Connection shuttle bus, D.C. offers a second supplemental bus system that is efficient, inexpensive, and convenient. The D.C. Circulator's fleet of air-conditioned red-and-gray buses travel three circumscribed routes in the city: the north-south route between the D.C. Convention Center and the waterfront, the east-west route between upper Georgetown and Union Station, and the seasonal (late Mar to Oct) Smithsonian/National Gallery route, which simply loops around the Mall, from 4th Street to Independence Avenue, to 17th Street, to Constitution Avenue, and back around. Buses stop at designated points on their routes (look for the distinctive red and gold sign, often topping a regular Metro bus-stop sign) every 5 to 10 minutes, and operate daily between 7am and 9pm, except for the Smithsonian/National Gallery route, which operates from 10am to 4pm. In Spring 2007, the system added 9pm to midnight service Sunday to Thursday, 9pm to 2am Friday and Saturday service between upper Georgetown and the intersection of 17th and I streets NW, to provide transportation to nightlifers. The fare is $1 (35¢ with the use of a Metrorail transfer) and you can pay with exact change, use a SmarTrip Metro card, or use a D.C. Circulator bus ticket purchased at a street meter near the bus stop. For easy and fast transportation in the busiest parts of town, you can't beat it. Call tel. 202/962-1423 or go to www.dccirculator.com.

By Car

More than half of all visitors to the District arrive by car; but when you get here, my advice is to park your car and use your own feet, Metrorail, the Georgetown Shuttle, and the D.C. Circulator to get around. If you must drive, be aware that traffic is always thick during the week, parking spaces are often hard to find, and parking lots are ruinously expensive.

Watch out for traffic circles. The law states that traffic already in the circle has the right of way. No one pays any attention to this rule, however, which can be frightening (cars zoom into the circle without a glance at the cars already there). The other thing you'll notice is that while some circles are easy to figure out (Dupont Circle, for example), others are nerve-wrackingly confusing (Thomas Circle, where 14th St. NW, Vermont Ave. NW, and Massachusetts Ave. NW come together, is to be avoided at all costs).

Sections of certain streets in Washington become one-way during rush hour: Rock Creek Parkway, Canal Road, and 17th Street NW are three examples. Other streets change the direction of some of their traffic lanes during rush hour: Connecticut Avenue NW is the main one. In the morning, traffic in four of its six lanes travels south to downtown, and in late afternoon/early evening, downtown traffic in four of its six lanes heads north; between the hours of 9am and 3:30pm, traffic in both directions keeps to the normally correct side of the yellow line. Lit-up traffic signs alert you to what's going on, but pay attention. Unless a sign is posted prohibiting it, a right-on-red law is in effect.

To keep up with street closings and construction information, go online to the Washington Post's home page, at www.washingtonpost.com, and click on "Traffic," to learn about current traffic and routing problems in the District and suburban Maryland and Virginia. Another helpful source is a page on the D.C. government's website, http://dc.gov/closures, which identifies major street closures, traffic alerts, and construction in the city, though this info is not always current.

Car Rentals -- Residents and tourists alike seem to be turning to car rental clubs that allow you more flexible car-use arrangements, whether you need a car for an hour or for a month, with parking and other services included. Two such companies operate in Washington: Zipcars (tel. 866/494-7227; www.zipcar.com), which has a downtown office at 717 D St. NW, entrance on 8th Street (tel. 202/737-4900); and Flexcars, with an office at 140 Q St. NE (tel. 202/580-7050; www.flexcar.com). They both work basically the same way: You apply and pay a membership fee or application fee ahead of time online, order the car online or by phone using a credit card, and establish exactly when and where you need a car. You receive a special card in the mail, which you use to activate the specific car you've reserved at the specific location, time, and day you've pre-arranged. Instructions differ slightly for Zipcar and Flexcar, but the idea is that this special card unlocks the reserved car and you climb inside to retrieve the keys, following instructions you're given ahead of time. Zipcar's rates start at $7.65 an hour, Flexcar's rates start at $8 an hour, and these fees cover gas, insurance, and parking.

All the major car-rental companies are represented in D.C., including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. All but Hertz have car rental locations within downtown D.C.: Avis, 1722 M St. NW (tel. 202/467-6585) and 4400 Connecticut Ave. NW (tel. 202/686-5149); Budget, Union Station (tel. 202/289-5374); Enterprise, 22nd Street and M Street NW (tel. 202/338-0015); Alamo and National, Union Station (tel. 202/842-7454); and Thrifty, inside the Verizon Center, at 7th and G streets NW (tel. 202/371-0485). Note: Avis and Budget rental policies require a minimum age of 25; Alamo, National, Enterprise, Hertz, and Thrifty rental policies require a minimum age of 21; Enterprise charges an additional $15 for renters 21 to 24, and Thrifty, Hertz, Alamo, and National tack on an additional $25. None of the agencies stipulates a maximum age requirement.

Car-rental rates can vary even more than airfares. Taking the time to shop around and asking a few key questions could save you hundreds of dollars:

How many free miles are included in the price? Free mileage is often negotiable, depending on the length of your rental.

Some companies offer "refueling packages," in which you pay for an entire tank of gas up front. The price is usually fairly competitive with local gas prices, but you don't get credit for any gas remaining in the tank. If a stop at a gas station on the way to the airport will make you miss your plane, then by all means take advantage of the fuel purchase option. Otherwise, skip it.

For information on insurance, review your own car insurance policy and contact the American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel. 800/763-9900) for advice and helpful information.

By Taxi

District cabs continue to operate on a zone system instead of using meters, and the cabbies hope to keep it that way. By law, basic rates are posted in each cab. If you take a trip from one point to another within the same zone, the base rate is $6.50 (during non-rush hours) regardless of the distance traveled. That rate applies whether you travel a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol to the National Museum of American History, or from the Capitol all the way to Dupont Circle. Both trips traverse Zone 1, where most tourist attractions are located: the White House, most of the Smithsonian, the Washington Monument, the National Archives, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Old Post Office, and Ford's Theatre. If your trip takes you into a second zone, the price goes to $8.80, $11 for a third zone, $13 for a fourth, and so on. Note: Taxis sometimes charge a $1 surcharge on top of the zone fare, to cover the high price of gasoline -- check the cab's fare chart. In addition, the rates quoted above are based on the assumption that you are hailing a cab. If you telephone for a cab, you will be charged an additional $2. During rush hour -- between 7 and 9:30am and 4 and 6:30pm weekdays -- you pay a surcharge of $1 per trip, plus a second surcharge of $1 when you telephone for a cab, which brings the total surcharge you pay for telephoning for a cab during rush hour to $4.

Other charges might apply, as well: There's a $1.50 charge for each additional passenger after the first, so a $6.50 Zone 1 fare can become $11 for a family of four, though one child under 5 can ride free. Surcharges are also added for luggage (from 50¢ to $2 per piece, depending on size). Try Diamond Cab Company (tel. 202/387-6200) or Yellow Cab (tel. 202/544-1212).

The zone system is not used when your destination is an out-of-District address (such as an airport); in that case, the fare is based on mileage -- $3.25 for the first half-mile or part thereof and 90¢ for each additional half-mile or part. You can call tel. 202/331-1671 to find out the rate between any point in D.C. and an address in Virginia or Maryland. Call tel. 202/645-6018 to inquire about fares within the District. For more information about D.C. taxicabs than you could ever even guess was available, check out the D.C. Taxicab Commission's website, www.dctaxi.dc.gov.

It's generally easy to hail a taxi. Unique to the city is the practice of allowing drivers to pick up as many passengers as they can comfortably fit, so expect to share (unrelated parties pay the same as they would if they were not sharing). To register a complaint, note the cab driver's name and cab number and file a written complaint by either fax (tel. 202/889-3604) or mail (Commendations/Complaints, District of Columbia Taxicab Commission, 2041 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Room 204, Washington, DC 20020).

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2008 Author: Elise Hartman Ford Pub Date: October 22, 2007 Price: $16.99				Related Titles: Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Washington, D.C., 6th Edition Frommer's Portable Washington, D.C., 6th Edition Frommer's Portable Washington, D.C., 7th Edition