"Four reporters tackle the morning commute to the nation’s capital"

Are all commutes created equal?

That was the basic idea behind The Great Race of 2011, an intense morning of nerves, laughter and plenty of (off-camera) cursing.

Four reporters, four separate routes from Frederick to Washington, four different perspectives on the best way to travel daily to our nation's capital.

One relaxed on the MARC train; one drove to the Shady Grove Metro station and hopped on the subway; and two rode the rush-hour wave on I-270.

So what's the verdict?

Well, we're not sure there really is one. We'll leave that to you to decide.

Each trip had its ups and downs: whether you make it to your destination first but have to wake up 45 minutes earlier, or have a smooth highway drive but can't find city parking.

The intent of our experiment was to arrive at the given port of call -- the U.S. Capitol building -- by 8:30 a.m., assuming a normal workday begins before 9 a.m.

In 2003, three reporters at The Frederick News-Post embarked on a similar quest. Those stories inspired this project eight years later.

In the original assignment, three reporters participated in an actual race from Frederick to Washington All three guinea pigs left from the same location (the Frederick MARC station), at the same time (7:15 a.m.), competing to arrive in the city before their opponents. Eight years ago, the Metro rider prevailed.

It was a different story for the 2011 race.

It turns out our MARC rider would be the only one not fired from her job for being late.

The goal this time was not necessarily to win "The Race," but simply make it to the office on time and to investigate not only speed, but also quality and convenience as factors.

Each of us plotted our plan: the route, the individual start time that would land each of us at the Capitol on time, and the best place to stop for breakfast. (There are varying opinions on that, too.)

Only once we passed the "Welcome to Washington, D.C." signs did any of us run into any real problems: arriving at the wrong side of the Capitol building, getting lost on the city's one-way streets, not being able to find public parking -- issues mostly associated with first-time visitors, not daily commuters.

Our experiment tested patience, but also the most common forms of daily travel to work. There are always other options, like the Frederick County TransIT Services, MegaBus, bicycling, hailing a taxi or telecommuting from home.

OK, so that last one might be considered cheating. But maybe next year we can investigate new routes -- dibs on flying a blimp.

Highway commute (I-270, High Occupancy Vehicle lane)

Congratulations, you have elected to take the most-traveled form of commuting. Please enter the queue behind the more than 90 percent of Frederick County workers 16 years and older who drive to their job.

According to the Census Bureau's 2005-2009 American Community Survey, of those commuters, almost 45 percent travel between 6 and 8 a.m., precisely during our Great Race timeline.

Two reporters traveled side by side on I-270, until one sped off in the HOV lane, testing the concept that carpooling is not only a greener option but also faster by about 15 minutes.

Maryland Transit Administration MARC train

Though a trip on the MARC commuter train may be the most relaxing of our chosen travel options, it is likely the most difficult to manage.

Brunswick Line schedules begin at 5 a.m. and run at varying intervals through 9:12 a.m., when the last trip is slated to pull into Washington's Union Station.

The downtown Frederick station offers only three train departures, a tough sell when you have to ensure your arrival at work by 8:30 a.m.

While MARC trains are well-known for being on time, or even a couple of minutes early, as our rider reported on the day of the Great Race, June 8, they are subject to a number of possible delays.

Mother Nature often wreaks havoc, blowing trees and debris onto the tracks or building up summer heat, causing the rails to expand and slow trains. By 1 p.m. on that Wednesday, the Brunswick and Camden lines had heat orders issued, reducing train speeds 20 mph slower than the normally authorized maximum speed -- about 70 to 75 mph -- but not below 40 mph.

Heat restrictions generally delay trains about five to 10 minutes, according to MARC spokesman Terry Owens. Other delays can be caused by freight train congestion, mechanical problems and passenger-related issues, such as loading a passenger in a wheelchair.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro subway)

Ding, ding. "Doors closing. Please step back."

If you don't mind the occasional incoherent computerized voice and an average 750,000 commuters crowding onto the Metro each day, plugged into their iPods and lost in their e-reader screens, the Metro is a viable option.

With trains running every six minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight or later, it's hard to be late to work when riding the Metro.

There is less to schedule than the MARC and no highway commuter traffic to contend with underground.

Track maintenance and delays are not uncommon on the subway, as well as heat restrictions and sick customers (yes, that really happens, according to a Metro spokesman). In most circumstances, a train will be removed from service, or set on a single-track schedule, Metro's Steven Taubenkibel said.

Lessons learned

Through the laughter, mockery and occasional rage, we learned an important lesson: Avoid driving in Washington at all costs.

Actually, while the experiment didn't run as smoothly as planned, the group uncovered some previously unforeseen commuting factors.

Sure, the MARC rider beat us all to the finish line, but she also set out on her journey about 45 minutes earlier than everyone else.

And we may have had trouble finding city parking, but an everyday commuter would have no problem swiping their government badge and pulling into their usual garage.

The intent of our project is not to say one form of commuting is much better than the other; we simply set out to compare and contrast the most common options.

Each reporter had a different story of ups and downs, which we'll let them tell you for themselves ...