Hello - I can chime in here about commuting on a tandem. We live over in Arlington and both work just off the Mall, so it's an easy ride, mostly on paths for us. The panniers are packed to the gills, however, so you'll need to take into consideration what you need to bring in with you and what you can already have at work, etc. We're on the street for just a couple blocks of Independence, which I'm not crazy about, but we manage that, and have a different route home to do a loop through Haines Point. I'm not a single biker at all, so the tandem was a good choice for us as I don't feel compelled to steer, brake, or change gears. And I hardly ever yell any more when we go to fast around corners or down a hill (which I *did* do when we first started...) I'd be happy to answer any more questions too - show you the bike loaded up, etc. Just let us know.