VCU Commuting 101
August 28th, 2009
VCU Commuting 101
By Trevor Dickerson | For Richmond.com
Published: August 26, 2009
I’m part of that group, which Virginia Commonwealth University officially calls the “Mobile Majority.”
The commute from my house, just north of Short Pump, is right around 18 miles. Ideally, that trip takes just under 30 minutes. Not too bad, right? Well, don’t forget that you’re not the only one trying to break a land speed record getting downtown. Everyone and his brother are usually riding right along side you. Factor in weather and accidents and you could be looking at an hour in the car on a bad day.
Going into my third year of being a commuter student, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks. Maybe you’ll find a few of them useful, too.
I-95, 64 and 295. And if you’re anywhere near I-295, your best bet is to take it. It won’t get you all the way to the city, but there seems to be some sort of incident every single morning on 64. I-295 is typically free and clear, and takes you to I-95. Though 95 has its own share of backups, they’re usually not as bad as 64. If traffic is moving along at a good clip, there’s usually a handful of State Troopers waiting to write tickets. This section of 95 is a “Highway Safety Corridor” too, so additional hefty fines are tacked on for moving violations.
The Bryan Park Interchange, or what I like to call the Bryan Park Bottleneck, gets kind of sticky sometimes. You have two major highways converging on one another and backups start around 8:15 every morning. That seems to be the magic time. If I can get through before then, I’m usually golden. If there’s even the smallest fender bender, though, the delay is often unavoidable. Richmonders sure do love to rubberneck.
Of course, there are other options besides the highways. You could always take Broad Street. That is, if you enjoy sitting through dozens of traffic lights. Pick your poison.
Parking. My dad, who went to VCU in the ‘80s, always jokes about how he practically minored in parallel parking. Back then, there were few if any parking decks. Now, there are plenty of options. Sure, you can still try your luck at finding a space around campus, but give yourself plenty of time and prepare to be frustrated. I’ve found it’s so much easier to just pony up between $150 and $175 per semester for a deck parking pass. Plus, those little checkered scooters driving around town don’t belong to Shriners who lost their way from a local parade. They’re eagerly waiting to leave a neon green envelope on your windshield with a big, fat bill inside.
Many mornings driving into school seem like something out of a video game you’ve played a lot: you know the obstacles and what to avoid, plus you have an ever-increasing strategy to “win” the game. Plus, making all the green lights on Belvidere is like getting bonus points.
In that case, let the games begin and have a great commute this semester.
That’s the take on the Short Pump commute; do you have another perspective to add? Leave it in the comments below.
