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10 Minutes On Rockville Pike

By WTOP Staff

Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) says it takes between 10 and 15 minutes to drive from downtown Bethesda to the Beltway/I-270 junction during rush hour on northbound 355.

The 1.5-mile stretch has become one of the region’s most notorious chokeholds, with added traffic traveling to and from the now-merged Walter Reed National Military Medical Center using intersections that local transportation officials said were already failing.

With both Walter Reed and across-the-street neighbor NIH planning to add employees over the next two decades, the federal government has provided millions in funding to help the Maryland State Highway Administration and Montgomery County try to lighten the traffic load.

We took a trip up Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue starting at 4:30 p.m., on the early end of the after-work rush hour. Starting with the left turn onto Wisconsin Avenue from Woodmont Avenue on the edge of downtown Bethesda, it took ten minutes and four seconds to get to the ramp for I-270 north, a distance of 1.6 miles.

The video, with facts, figures and details of some of the intersection and improvement projects to come, is above. If you don’t feel like reliving that commute, all of the information in the video is supplied after the jump.

4:30 p.m.: Turn left onto northbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 heading toward I-270.

Pull up to red light at intersection of Jones Bridge Road and Wisconsin Avenue/355.

NIH and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center are the No. 1 and No. 2 largest single employers, respectively, in Montgomery County. The secure campuses sit across six lanes of Wisconsin Avenue/355.

The federal government is providing $90 million in funding for pedestrian upgrades and improvements to four major area intersections.

The Maryland State Highway Administration will add a left turn lane from southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 onto Jones Bridge Road, among other improvements. Completion of that project is expected this summer.

NIH plans to add 3,000 employees to its campus over the next 20 years. It is currently home to more than 20,000. County planners want NIH to meet the federal benchmark of one parking space for every three employees. The ratio is to encourage mass transit.

Green light, start moving north. Two minutes and 15 seconds have passed since turning onto Wisconsin Avenue/355.

Catch the green light at the intersection of South Drive and Rockville Pike/355.

The federal government is subsidizing a $68 million pedestrian tunnel project at the South Drive intersection. The tunnel will provide users of Metro’s Medical Center station with an uninterrupted crossing to the Military Medical Center campus. It will also include three high-speed elevators on the east side of 355 that will connect to the Metro platform 120 feet below.

Stopped in traffic, as the four-minute mark passes.

A Navy study estimated it takes 10 to 15 minutes to drive up the roughly 1.5-mile stretch in rush hour. Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) plans to add almost 1,000 workers to the base over the next decade. The Navy’s Environmental Impact Study says that could increase Rockville Pike/355 travel times by 15 seconds.

The six-minute mark passes stuck at a stop with a mile to go until the Beltway/I-270 junction.

Stopped at the red light at the intersection of North Wood Drive and Rockville Pike/355, where visitors and workers enter and exit through the Military Medical Center’s North Gate. The State Highway Administration increased the length of the left turn lane on southbound 355 that allows access to the gate.

Stopped at the red light at the intersection of Cedar Lane and Rockville Pike/355.

The State Highway Administration will begin widening Cedar Lane on both sides of 355 this fall, with periodic lane closures expected and complain in 2015. The final and last unfunded phase of the project involves adding a northbound right lane all the way to the Beltway, starting in summer of 2014.

The eight-minute mark passes.

Walter Reed’s move to Bethesda in 2011 is expected to help double the amount of visitors to the base to 1,000,000 per year. Transportation planners rated area intersections as “failing” before nearly 3,800 employees moved to the Bethesda base.

Eight minutes and 40 seconds since turning onto northbound 355, we cross Cedar Lane and head into much lighter traffic toward the Beltway/I-270 junction. The State Highway Administration will widen along the existing right-of-way to create a fourth lane extending to the Beltway.

We pass the ramps to the Beltway inner and outer loops and get to the ramp onto I-270 a little more than 10 minutes after turning onto northbound 355 from Woodmont Avenue.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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