Greetings, TransFORMers!

It’s almost here – the TransFORM conference planning team is looking forward to this weekend’s conference, and we hope you are, too.

We know that a lot of you all are flying in to the DC area and will be relying on mass transit to get around. The DC mass transit system is really good, but there’s some stuff you should know:

1) Buses: The buses in DC are quite good, regular and reliable. The buses out in the VA and Maryland suburbs … not so much. There is much less reliance on the bus in the ‘burbs, so the buses are less frequent and not necessarily on time. Bear in mind that weekend schedules are MUCH sparser than weekday schedules. My advice would be to cab it, but if you do decide to take the bus, NextBus is your best friend. This site http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/nextbus/arrivals.cfm gives real time arrivals for buses throughout the MetroBus system, and it is absolutely invaluable.

2) Metro: The nearest Metro to the conference hotel is Shady Grove, at the end of the Red Line (a full DC metrorail map can be found at http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm. In fact, there is a free shuttle from the conference hotel to the Shady Grove metro station. If you decide to drive yourself to the Shady Grove station and metro in, there is parking, but please be aware that you can only pay for parking with a SmartTrip card. You can buy these in the station (look for machines with the SmartTrip logo (http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartrip/).

3) Trains: The trains in DC are great … comparatively clean and quiet (most of the time), but service on the weekends is a lot sparser than weekdays. Travel on Friday shouldn’t be an issue, but is not at all unusual to be waiting for 20 minutes for a train on Saturday or Sunday. Again, Metro’s online real time arrival tools are invaluable … you can get real-time train arrivals online at http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/pids/real_time_arrivals.cfm. Be sure to factor in time for transfers if you are staying somewhere that is not on the Red Line.

4) How to get from the metro to Wesley campus: The nearest metro stop to Wesley is Tenleytown/AU. American University runs three shuttles (http://www.american.edu/finance/facilities/shuttle.cfm) with service every 10-15 minutes from the metro station. [Note: On Friday the shuttle will run from 7am – 3:30am(Sat) and on Sat 8am – 3:30am (Sun).] When you get to the top of the escalator, continue ahead to the first street corner. The shuttle stop is there, at the front of the queue of buses. Wesley has good directions for how to get to the Wesley campus from the AU campus here http://www.wesleyseminary.edu/admissions/id.228/default.asp#Main.

To walk from the Tenleytown/AU metro stop to Wesley campus: Cross Wisconsin Avenue and turn left to Nebraska Avenue. Turn right on Nebraska and walk until you come to the traffic circle. Turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue and walk down the hill, pass the Kogard Building. Wesley will be on the opposite side of the street at 4500 Massachusetts Avenue.

Walking map: http://www.mapquest.com/mq/1-VKx2sZZkkEHT__pz3Fym

5) Cab service: Cab service in DC is very good. Most DC cabs will NOT take a credit card, so be sure to carry cash with you. $20 should cover you for one way fare plus tip to Wesley from most destinations. If you’re staying in DC or Virginia, I can personally recommend Red Top Cab ( 703 522-3333 in Arlington, 202 544-1212 in DC 703 333-3333 in Fairfax). They offer very good service and they WILL take a credit card. You can also make a reservation with Red Top online at http://www.redtopcab.com.

6) Trip Planner: If you need to figure out how to get elsewhere via public transit while you’re in DC, the Trip Planner on the WMATA home page (http://www.wmata.com) is pretty awesome.

We can’t wait to meet you all!!

Amy Moffitt
for the TransFORM East Coast Gathering planning team

UPDATE 4/28/2010: Parking at/around Wesley Theological Seminary campus — For those who are driving, yes, you may park on campus — anyplace that’s legal (i.e., don’t block fire zones) and on the street at the bottom of the hill outside Wesley Seminary.

Additional parking can be found at the garage for the Katzen Center (center for the arts at American University) up Massachusetts Avenue, but that costs something and we’re not sure at this point what that fee is for daily parking. There may also be parking back in the neighborhood behind Wesley Seminary, as well, but you will have to read the signs closely to see where you can or can’t park.