joebiker1

Does anyone know a good route for commuting from Arlington, VA (Ballston area) to Fair Lakes, VA? I am looking to maximize use of off-street routes (e.g., Custis trail) and avoid major roads such as I-66, Rt 50, etc.

Also, approximate mileage and one-way trip time would help.

ken cummings

www.waba.org also google ARLINGTON VA BIKE ROUTE MAPS lots of on and off road stuff

joebiker1

Thanks

cc_rider

From Ballston go to the Custis Trail, west to the W&OD and keep going.

The LONG way would be W&OD to the Fairfax County Parkway in Reston and take the Parkway sidepath to Fair Lakes.
Mileage - about 16 to Reston, 9 or 10 down the Parkway.

More direct but more complicated.
Take W&OD to Vienna Community Center, around milepost 11.5
Go across the front of the Community Center to Cherry st.
At the T at Center St go right and then left on Locust St.
At the T turn left on Courthouse Rd.
Stay on Courthouse past Nutley St to the traffic light at Sutton Rd.
Left on Sutton to the T at Blake Lane, than left on Blake.
(There is also a pretty short cut thru Nottaway Park. I can post that info too)
(this map has some of the Fairfax connection https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cct/cct6.htm )
Right at Lee Highway (wave at the building behind the IHOP )
Thru Fairfax Circle to Old Lee Highway.
(This area is built up and busy. I use some side routes that avoid most traffic if you're interested.)
Old Lee Highway has a side path, stay on it until North St in downtown Fairfax City.
Right on North for one block and left on University.
Stay on University until just past George Mason University.
Left on Chain Bridge Rd / route 123.
Right on Braddock Rd. Cross to the sidepath on the south side.
At the Fairfax County Parkway, take the sidepath north to Fair Lakes.
(Note: I've ridden all of this route except the last part to Fair Lakes. I think the path connects across I-66 but I don't know for sure.)

Mileage - 9 Ballston to Vienna, 6 to downtown Fairfax, 6 or 7 to the FC Parkway, 3 up to Fair Lakes.

The east-west roads mid-county are not very good for bikes. Lee Highway is crazy, Waples Mill and Vale are suicide. I've got cue sheet for routes in this area, but most of them are club rides that are round-about and go looking for extra hills. If you can get to West Ox, Rugby Rd near the hospital will get you to Fair Lakes from the north.

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edit added mileage
Adding the mileage up, I guess the routes are not too different.

joebiker1

Thank you so much! This is exactly what I was looking for. I will try this next weekend.

yotman

You just described my commute exactly. FF County Parkway trail runs through my backyard, and I work in Ballston. 23.5 miles -- usually about 90 minutes.