Travel to College Park

March 2001

The University is located in College Park, Maryland, four miles northeast of Washington, D.C. The meeting will be held in the Mathematics Building, mainly on the 3rd floor in the department lounge (Room 3201) and colloquium room (Room 3206). Lodging will be about be about 2/3 of a mile to the south of the Mathematics Building, at:

Quality Inn
7200 Baltimore Ave. (U.S. Route 1)
College Park, MD 20742
(301)864-5820

We describe below some of the many routes you can take to the University and to the Quality Inn by car, train, or air. At the end there are directions to the Mathematics Building, including information about parking and a campus map. NOTE: specific fares and times mentioned below have not been updated for at least a year and may be out of date! More travel information can be found at the following web sites:

http://www.umd.edu/visitors/

http://www.inform.umd.edu/CampusInfo/Departments/guest/visitorcenter/directions


By Car

From the North:

Take I-95 south to Exit 27 and follow the signs to U.S. Route 1 south, College Park. The procedure is well marked but somewhat complicated. As you approach the Capital Beltway (I-495), keep to the right of center as the freeway splits at Exit 27. Soon after the split, you will need to exit to the left, followed by a right exit. You will rejoin I-95/I-495 south briefly; keep right. Then take Exit 25B, U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Ave.) south to College Park.

Proceed south on U.S. Route 1 for 2 miles. The University will be on your right. The Quality Inn is on the right about 3 blocks past campus at 7200 Baltimore Ave.

From the South:

Take I-95 north, joining the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Virginia. Cross into Maryland on I-95/I-495 and continue to Exit 25, College Park. Turn left at the stoplight onto U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Ave.) south and proceed as above.

From the West:

Take I-66 east to I-495 north (it later curves to the east after you enter Maryland), or I-270 south to I-495 east. Continue past Silver Spring to Exit 25B, U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Ave.), College Park, and proceed as above.

From Washington, DC:

Take Rhode Island Ave. northeast out of the city. Rhode Island Ave. turns into Baltimore Ave., U.S. Route 1. Continue north and the University will be on your left. The Quality Inn, at 7200 Baltimore Ave., will be on your left just after the stoplight at Guilford Rd., one mile north of the intersection with Md. Route 410 (East-West Hwy.), and before you reach campus.


By Train

From all directions you can reach Union Station in Washington, DC. Coming from the north, Amtrak also stops closer to the University at New Carrollton in Maryland near the Capital Beltway.

From Union Station:

You can take Metrorail to the College Park station. Plan on around 30 minutes and a fare of around $2 for this leg of your journey; see the directions below.

Taxi fare from Union Station is perhaps $30. You are better off taking a taxi from New Carrollton if possible.

From New Carrollton:

You can take a taxi to campus or to the Quality Inn for around $15. Bus service is also available but may not be convenient. Using Metrorail from New Carrollton to College Park is not recommended because the route is circuitous; use Union Station instead to connect to Metrorail.


Via Metrorail

Metrorail operates from 5:30am-midnight on weekdays and 8am-midnight on weekends. The following directions have been changed to reflect the completion in 1999 of a new section of the Green Line, which serves College Park.

From Union Station:

Take the Red Line north toward Silver Spring and Glenmont. Exit the train at the Fort Totten station and transfer to the Green Line toward Greenbelt. Then exit at the College Park station, and see the directions below.

From Reagan National Airport:

Take the Yellow Line north to the Mt. Vernon Sq./Convention Center station, and transfer there to the Green Line toward Greenbelt. Then exit at the College Park station, and see the directions below.

From the College Park Metrorail Station:

If your destination is the Quality Inn, you can walk about 1/2 mile or take a taxi. To walk, exit the station on the west side. (This is the direction that requires you to cross under some MARC train tracks next to the station, and it is the direction in which one would walk to "downtown" College Park or U.S. Route 1.) Walk west from the station on Calvert Road (the main road, toward the south end and moving directly away from the station) for 1/2 mile to U.S. Route 1. The Quality Inn is directly across the street.

You can catch a taxi to either the University or the Quality Inn at the main taxi stand for the station; this is on the east (busy) side of the station (do not cross under the MARC tracks). Taxi fare should be around $3-5.

For people arriving on or before Friday March 16, there is also a free shuttle bus (Shuttle-UM) to campus that leaves from the east side of the station every 15 minutes from approximately 7am to 8pm and then every 30 minutes until around midnight. (The shuttle will not run March 17-20 because it's our spring break.) It takes 10-15 minutes to reach campus. About 200 yards after crossing U.S. Route 1 and entering the main gate of the University, you will see on your right a four story building with a grey slate dome. That is the Mathematics Building. There is a shuttle stop just ahead near the traffic circle. For more information, see:

http://www.inform.umd.edu/shuttle/collegep.htm (Schedule)

http://www.inform.umd.edu/shuttle/cpmap.htm (Map)


By Air

There are three airports serving the Washington area, listed below with instructions for ground connections.

NOTE: Much of the information here on ground connections was quoted in March 1998 and some information may be out-of-date. Please check with the provider in advance to confirm the service they now offer.

Super Shuttle provides door-to-door service to College Park from each of the 3 airports (and vice versa). Call 1-800-BLUEVAN for details. From the airport you do not need a reservation, just proceed to the ground transportation area when you arrive.

From Reagan National Airport:

The Metrorail station is directly across the street from the new terminal. From the old terminal, you can walk or take a free shuttle that runs very frequently. Plan on taking an hour and a fare of around $3 to reach the College Park station; see the Metrorail directions above.

Super Shuttle (1-800-BLUEVAN) fare is $21 for the 1st passenger, $8 for additional passengers, and travel time is 60-75 minutes.

You can also take a taxi from the airport for around $40. Driving time is about 30 minutes during non-rush hours.

From BWI (Baltimore-Washington International Airport):

Here are several options. For more complete information you can call Ground Transportation at 410-859-7545.

Super Shuttle (1-800-BLUEVAN) fare is $19 for the 1st passenger, $5 for additional passengers, and travel time is about 45 minutes.

Private Car Limousine Service costs around $45 to and from College Park, for up to 4 people. The fee does not include driver's gratuity. The driver will meet you at the airport gate and assist at baggage claim. You have to call in advance to make a reservation, 410-519-0000.

Ground Transportation Professionals, Inc. provides taxi service to College Park for around $40. For information, call 410-859-1100. Be aware that they do not provide service from College Park back to the airport; you will have to contact a taxi company in College Park for that.

Driving time from BWI is around 30 minutes.

From Dulles Airport:

You can take the Washington Flyer Express Bus to the West Falls Church Metrorail station for $8 (cash only). Shuttles leave the airport every 20-30 minutes, from 6am to 10:30pm weekdays, from 7:30am to 10:30pm Sundays and holidays. Then take Metrorail to College Park for an additional $3 or so (take the Orange Line toward New Carrollton, exit at L'Enfant Plaza, transfer to the Green Line toward Greenbelt and follow the Metrorail directions above). Total time from the airport to College Park may be 90 minutes or more.

Super Shuttle (1-800-BLUEVAN) fare is $25 for the 1st passenger, $10 for additional passengers, and travel time is 60-90 minutes.

Alternatively, taxi service to College Park will cost around $55 and take around an hour (more during rush hour).

For more information, call Travelers Aid at 703-661-8638.


How to get to the Mathematics Building

The Quality Inn is within easy walking distance of the conference, which will be held primarily on the third floor of the Mathematics Building on the University of Maryland campus, in the department lounge (Room 3201) and colloquium room (Room 3206). Walk south (left as you leave the hotel) along U.S. Route 1. After a few blocks, cross the street at one of the traffic lights and continue south until the road crosses over a creek. At this point the University will be on your right; turn right at the main gate and walk along Campus Drive toward a traffic circle with a large "M" in the center. The Mathematics Building will be on your right before you reach the traffic circle, a four story building with a grey slate dome. Below the dome and above the main entrance the building is labeled "Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology".

If you are arriving by car, follow the directions above to reach College Park via U.S. Route 1. Enter campus by turning west onto Campus Drive at the main (north) gate. This is a major intersection with a stoplight. If you are driving south, this will be about 2 miles from the Beltway (I-95/I-495), and will be your first opportunity to turn right onto campus, as the road widens just past a small bridge. Driving north on U.S. Route 1, look for the campus on your left and, after a couple minor stoplights, turn left at the big intersection with 2 left turn lanes.

If you continue straight on Campus Drive for about 0.2 miles, you will be in front of the Mathematics Building, which has four stories and supports a grey slate dome. However, follow the instructions below to park.

Parking from Saturday-Tuesday, March 17-20:

After turning onto Campus Drive, keep right and take the first right turn onto Paint Branch Drive. Then take your first right again, into a parking area. Beyond the signs for Lot G there are signs for Lot 11; because it is our spring break, it is safe to park in Lot 11 throughout the conference. More general parking rules follow. On Saturday and Sunday, be careful to park in an area that explicitly says that visitors are welcome to park outside of the posted hours; some but not all lots have this property. On Monday and Tuesday, the campus is officially closed for spring break but all parking rules will be enforced with the following exceptions: any vehicle may park in Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 16 or Stadium Drive Garage.

Parking on Friday March 16:

After turning onto Campus Drive, keep right and take the first right turn onto Paint Branch Drive. Proceed about 3 blocks to the pay lot on your left. For more information on campus parking, see:

http://www.inform.umd.edu/CampusInfo/Departments/DCP/index.html

Campus Map:

For a map of the area surrounding the Mathematics Building, see:

http://www.inform.umd.edu/CampusInfo/About_UMCP/Maps/northeast.html