Commuting on public transit from DC to Baltimore?

Alexander Villas: I know a ton of people who do it, but they all say it gets old fast. My boss commutes from Columbia to Arlington via the Marc, and she's on the train 4 hours a day for her commute. The easiest thing to do would be to move to Columbia MD. It's about 1/2 way between Baltimore and DC. Baltimore public transportation is pretty awful, but you can take the marc from BWI into Baltimore, then I guess take a bus. This will add up though and it will be easier just to drive. The trip from DC to Baltimore is do-able, but I don't know of anyone who has lasted that commute for more than 3 years...and only then because they saw the light at the end of the tunnel......Show more

Phillip Modafferi: There are MARC trains that run from DC to Baltimore, with trains gong from Union Station to either Penn Station, or the Camden Station (near Oriole Park). You can take the DC metro to Union Station, and a MARC train to Baltimore. Depending on where you are going to school! , you may be able to catch the Light Rail, or the Baltimore subway to get to your final destinationThis link is to the MD department of transportation http://www.mtamaryland.com/This one is to the DC Metro system http://www.wmata.com/...Show more

Dana Russian: Well, the *real* trick is choosing the particular neighborhood, and even the block within that neighborhood, so the transit is convenient for you. You really have to look close at the transit lines and see how they mesh together. It's easy to make a misstep that makes the transit totally not work, and then you think "Well geez, transit never works for anyone". Not true. Here's a real world example. My friend's job moved to the Bay View neighborhood of San Francisco (Palou/Ingalls). She also had to move, so how do you plan that? She consulted this map http://transit.511.org/static/providers/maps/SF_71...She identified the 2 bus lines which come near her office (23 and 44). She considered every neighborhoo! d along those routes. One was a perfect fit to her lifestyle,! the Inner Sunset at 9th/Judah. Good eating and nightlife, one bus to work, easy access to the Haight and downtown. Worked really well. Because, she planned it! She could've been barely a mile away (Haight/Ashbury) and it wouldn't have worked. So, in your case. Figure out, how can you get to Baltimore and to your school on transit? It sounds like MARC/Amtrak to me. Next, ask "From where would that commute be easiest?" I would start my search around Northeast Corridor MARC stations. Be ruthless about this. Don't say "Oh, this other neighborhood is so nice, and yeah, it's not as convenient but..." I made that mistake once... it made for a year of painful commuting....Show more