Getting Around
City Layout:
Washington, DC is divided into four quadrants, which meet at the Capitol in the middle of the city. Lettered streets run East-West, and numbered streets run North-South. Both increase sequentially as you get farther from the Capitol. Avenues named after states run diagonally across the grid, often meeting up at our famous traffic circles and squares.
If you're going to an address in DC, make sure to check the quadrant -- addresses can be identical except for the NW, NE, SW, or SE at the end.
Parking in DC
The DC government gets a disproportionate amount of its revenue from parking tickets. Stay away from fire hydrants, read all signs carefully, and make sure to put enough money in the meter.
Driving around DC, Virginia and Maryland
Signage is notoriously awful in DC and Virginia. Get detailed directions from your host, and carry a good map. Use as handsfree device on your mobile phone when you drive in the city. It's illegal and you might end up with a ticket or a bicyclist on your hood.
The Beltway
I-495 is four-lane loop around the city. I-95 shares the same route for half the circle. The Inner Loop runs clockwise and the Outer Loop runs counter-clockwise. Think carefully about where on the circle you are when you get on, because "I-495 North" means the Outer Loop in some places and the Inner Loop in others.
HOV Lanes
If you drive during rush hour, pay attention to High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) signs on highways. You can get a ticket if you don't have enough people in your car. HOV-2 requires two people; HOV-3 requires three. Note than on I-66, the entire road is HOV in the direction of rush hour.
Using the METRO
We're lucky to have a nice train system. Trains run every 15-20 minutes during the week and every 20-30 on the weekends. Fares range from $1.35 to $3.90 depending on time of day and the length of your ride. Buy a farecard before you get on, and don't lose it. Bonus "look like a local" points for putting enough money on your card for the return trip! On escalators, stand on the right, walk on the left.
Taxis
Maryland and Virginia taxis charge by the mile, and you generally can find them outside hotels and Metro stations. DC taxis use a convoluted zone system and charge according to how many zones you cross. A zone map should be displayed in every taxi, and feel free to ask the driver what the fare will be before you get going. If a DC cab with no meter takes you into Maryland or Virginia, the driver will do math based on the odometer reading. Unnerving, but normal.
