On a good trip, it takes me about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive from Hunt Valley to DC. Oddly, about 25-35 minutes of that time is just getting from my apartment to downtown Baltimore! Driving through downtown Baltimore is usually the very worst of the haul. (Hunt Valley is in Northern Baltimore County, maybe 5-7 miles north yet of the Recher Theatre.) I have to allow 2 hours if I'm going to Iota.
I've learned a very long time ago that those estimated times are almost always the absolute minimum with you being the only car on the road and no red lights, train stops, cops, etc, to impede your journey. I think it's more of a marketing ploy than anything.
Generally, I take 295 if I'm going into DC proper. When I go to Bethesda, which is where I sometimes work a part-time job, I take 95 to 495 because it vears a little to the west and shortens the trip a little as opposed to my regular 295 jaunt.
Would love to have the option to take reasonable public transportation to and from DC sometimes but not only is it not reasonable, it just doesn't exist for the events and times that I need!
Chimbley, if you are MARCing it up to Baltimore and partying it up until 5:30AM, than you must either be attending house parties or boozing it up with some of the homeless locals on the streets because Baltimore has a 2:00AM closing time.
Lastly, requiring drivers to pay to park while Metroing it, only discourages one from using public transportation, especially if you happen to not have anyone to share expenses with! Carpooling is another one of those things that is great when possible but impossible if there is no one else going your way and somewhat within your time frame. And then there are sometimes situations where people must have some flexibility to come and go and lug tons of shit, all of which is not carpool friendly. (Different subject brewing here.)
