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Hi
Christina!
Everyone seems to have a SmarTrip card but me. Where can I get one
and how do I put money on it?
Sabrina, Crystal City
Sabrina,
You’re in luck! SmarTrip
cards are electronic farecards that make passage through the fare
gates nearly effortless. Because of your convenient Crystal City
location, you can easily pop on over to the Crystal
City Commuter Store and purchase an “empty” SmarTrip
card for $5.00. Then to load money (value) onto the card, you can
use old farecards, cash, credit, and/or Metrocheks
at any of the shorter Fares/Passes Machines at Metrorail stations.
And an added perk of SmarTrip cards is that you can now use them
on all Metrobuses in the entire D.C. region!
TOP...
Dear Christina,
What exactly is Telework? I think I might be interested in trying
it, but I’d like a little more information.
Sonny, Frederick
Sonny,
Telework, or Telecommuting, is working outside the office, either
at home or in a satellite office or telework center one or more
days a week. If you have a phone and a computer at home, you may
be eligible to telework! For more information about teleworking
and some great points you can use to convince your boss to let you
telework, visit commuterpage.com/telework.htm.
TOP...
Dear Christina,
I get Metrocheks from my job, but I need bus tokens for the ART
bus. Where can I get them and use my Metrocheks to pay for them?
Frugal Rider, Ballston
Frugal,
Good question! There are several ways you can redeem your Metrocheks
for ART bus tokens. First, you can go to the Commuter Store in Ballston
(or any of the Arlington Commuter Stores or Mobile Commuter Store)
to redeem your Metrocheks for tokens. Another way you can redeem
your Metrocheks is by opening a CommuterDirect.com account. This
service allows you to send your Metrocheks in and redeem them for
tokens you order online.
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Hi Christina,
Help! I live on Columbia Pike and work in Bethesda. If I spend one
more day sitting in traffic, I may commit a crime. Is there a better
way for me to get where I’m going without sitting in all this
traffic?
Mark, Arlington
Mark,
Don’t do it! Put down the Uzi! Before you commit a crime of
traffic, remember there is a better way. How do a relaxing bus ride
and a relaxing train ride sound to you? Perhaps you can even pick
up a good book or listen to your Ipod during your trip. Depending
on your location on the Pike, you can take one of the Pike
Ride buses to either Pentagon
City or the Pentagon and from there, transfer to Metro,
which you can take to Bethesda. There’s also always the option
of carpooling,
if you don’t mind letting someone else do the driving and
sitting in the traffic. You can still read and listen to music while
you’re traveling, and even though you’re driving once
in a while, you also get a break from time to time, too. Not to
mention someone to talk (or vent) to about your traffic woes.
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Dear Christina,
What is this Best Workplaces for Commuters thing? My friend works
for a company that is one, but my company isn’t. How can I
get my office to be one? How much does it cost?
Simply the Best, Clarendon
Simply,
Best
Workplaces for Commuters is a free program sponsored
by the EPA to encourage employers to offer commuting benefits (Metrochek,
telework,
bike
racks and showers, etc.) to employees. It is the gold standard
for companies that provide these benefits. You can find out if your
company qualifies by visiting BWC.gov.
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Rides,
My girlfriend just moved out of Metro range and I want to go visit
her, but I don’t have a car. Is there some way I can get there
besides taking a taxi or buying a whole car for myself?
Carless Carl, Friendship Heights
Carl,
There is a solution for you! You can try carsharing.
Carsharing is a relatively new trend that allows you to rent a car
on an hourly basis, rather than the daily basis traditionally required
by car rental companies. There are two carsharing companies in the
DC region, Zipcar
and
Flexcar, both offering conveniently located cars. If you have
a drivers’ license and a credit card, you are good to go.
You can research carsharing, set up your account, and reserve your
cars all online. Good luck and enjoy the ride!
TOP...
Christina,
I’m sick of hunting for change for parking meters! How can
I get one of those parking credit card things for parking? Are they
expensive?
Mr. Bojangles, Shirlington
Bojangles,
The card you are talking about is a ParkSmart
Card. It is an easy-to-use, prepaid, debit card the size of
a credit card that can be used at 2800 specially marked parking
meters in Arlington County. You can get these cards in $20, $50,
and $100 denominations at any of the Commuter Stores, the Mobile
Commuter Store, online at CommuterDirect.com, or at the County Treasurer’s
Office. To read more about the ParkSmart card and get answers to
frequently asked questions,
arlingtonva.us.
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Hi Christina!
Have you read any good books lately, while commuting? I finish a
book a week sitting on the train and I’m always looking for
something good to read. Just thought you might have a recommendation
for me.
Susan, Silver Spring
Susan,
I read about a book a week, too. While I’m no literary critic,
I sometimes think I could earn my PhD riding the bus if I only I
would apply myself. Anyway, I just finished reading Even After
All This Time by Afschineh Latifi, which is a beautifully done
memoir. I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (One
for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, etc.),
and have successfully converted all of my officemates to fans as
well. Another good one I read was The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon, about an autistic boy trying
to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog. Hope this helps
. . . read well!
TOP...
Dear Christina,
How do I find out which ART bus to take and when? I work in Ballston
and live on Columbia Pike, and I want to take advantage of all the
transit Arlington offers me.
Gary, Arlington
Gary,
Thanks for asking! Arlington does offer a lot of great options for
you. Depending on where you live on Columbia Pike, you can one of
the many Pike
Ride Buses, which will connect you to Metrorail
stations. In Ballston you can spice up your lunch break by taking
advantage of the Ballston-Virginia
Square Lunch Loop. Check out the ART Web site at commuterpage.com/art
for complete information about all ART buses and routes.
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Hi!
How can I find out when an Ozone Action Day is? The other day it
was a “Code Red” day, is that the same thing? I heard
that the bus is free on those days, is this true? Help!
Head in the Clouds, Vienna
Cloudy,
Ozone
Action Days, Air Quality Action Days, and Air Quality Code Red Days
are all the same thing. Occurring from May to September, these days
are basically when the ground-level ozone reaches dangerous levels,
making the air harmful for people, pets and the environment. You
can always check out the front page of CommuterPage.com
for the air quality forecast for that day. Two other great sources
for information about Ozone Action Days are cleanairpartners.net
and mwcog.org,
both of which have information about Air Quality on their Web sites.
And that helps everyone breathe a little easier!
TOP...
Dear Rides & the City,
My roommate and I work near each other and we want to drive to work
together. Is there a way we can find a third (and maybe fourth)
person to ride along too?
Carpool Gal, Woodbridge
Gal,
Good for you and your roommate! Carpooling
is a great, low-stress way to get to and from work. There are a
couple of options for you to find a third and/or fourth rider. You
can check out NuRide,
which is a unique way of ridematching where carpoolers earn points
similar to frequent flier miles that translate into savings, coupons,
and cash! Another option is to visit Commuter
Connections Ridematching Service. You can fill out a quick online
form and you’ll be matched with a list of potential passengers.
Finally, with your Woodbridge location, you can try slugging, which
is my favorite form of public transportation (even though I’ve
never used it). See more below.
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Christina,
My coworker keeps saying he “slugged” to work. I have
no idea what he’s talking about and now I’m afraid to
ask in case I sound foolish. What’s the deal with slugging?
Stumped by Slugs, Dupont Circle
Stumped,
No need to feel foolish! Slugging
is my favorite form of public transportation, although I’ve
never had the opportunity to try it myself. It’s really quite
a unique culture of carpoolers. Slugs, or people looking for a ride
to or from work, assemble at common waiting areas. Drivers in need
of passengers so they can travel in the High
Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes pull up and call out a destination.
The required number of riders get in, and off they go. You can check
out
slug-lines.com for more information.
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Christina,
How can I get to Georgetown when there is no Metro station nearby?
And don’t suggest driving, either, because there is no place
to park in Georgetown!
Liza, Takoma Park
Liza,
Me, suggest driving? Never! Getting to Georgetown is easier than
ever! Simply take the Metro
to Dupont Circle and hop on the blue Georgetown
Connector bus. The bus starts on 19th street adjacent to the
Dupont Circle Station (south exit) and travels along M Street in
Georgetown, ending in Rosslyn, adjacent to that Metro station. There
is also a second route of the shuttle that runs down Wisconsin Avenue,
connecting to Foggy Bottom station. The best part—the shuttle
only costs $1.00! You can get an unlimited-ride monthly pass for
$20.00. For more information about the shuttle, visit georgetowndc.com/shuttle.php.
TOP...
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