avocadoaddict

Anyone know the best way to get to George Mason University via the various bike trails? I live on route 50. I could take 50 down to Little River Turnpike (rt 236, i think) and go straight down until i hit Roberts rd. However, i'm not sure if Little River has a bikable shoulder the whole way, and i'm scared of getting squeezed by the numerous trucks that use the road. Can anyone suggest a safer (i don't mind if it's further) route?

xylog

Check out this website, it has lotsa of invaluable resources for biking in NOVA:

https://www.waba.org

The even has online trail maps: https://www.waba.org/new/help/cap.php

I am assuming you are going to GMU's Fairfax campus, but where are you starting from? I would use the WO&D trail if at all possible. 50 is rideable but its spotty in places.

avocadoaddict

I'm near the intersection of route 50 and Annandale rd.

The online map doesn't work. I get the msg: "Server returned:com.esri.core.NoSuchServerException: waba"

ks1g

W&OD isn't going to help - way too far to the north. I wouldn't ride on Rt 50 unless there was a service road - and I know the westbound one near Annandale Rd ends just before the Beltway. You might be better off taking Annandale Rd and Hummer Rd to Little River Tpk, although Little River Tpk is just a slower version of 50 from a traffic perspective. I'd get ahold of the ADC Fairfax County Map and spend a weekend plotting routes through the subdivisions.

A better option may be to take a MetroBus to Fairfax, then bike to campus from there. ALL metrobuses have a 2-bike rack and unlike Metro Rail, bikes are allowed at all times. www.wmata.com. Looking at the online route map pdf, there are a number of routes down 50 and Little River Tpk that may do the job.

ArtM

Try this site:

https://www.fhiplan.com/novabike/

It has maps of existing trails in NoVa. Your challenge will be to successfully cross the beltway on a safe route. I would consider riding into Falls Church, taking the W&OD outbound, use neighborhood roads through Vienna to the connector trail into Fairfax City. This way you avoid the major arteries of 50, 29, 236, etc.

tulip

Just remember that the challenge, and the pleasure, of commuting by bike is that you DON'T go the same routes as cars. Try a few different routes and I bet you'll come up with several from which to choose, depending on your mood.

Good luck.