#1 Cars / Gas / Energy » Every town's got 'em » 2008-09-29 12:35:11

bikelane
Replies: 0

Well, again, I'm not sure where this fits best, but I suppose this is about as good a place as any.  Moderator should feel free to move this to another forum (if possible) if more appropriate there.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_135904.asp

ED.: How about giving readers (and mods) a clue what posts are about, rather than making them open the link to find out?

#2 Re: Commuting/Routes » North Lamar Transit Center Accessibility » 2008-09-25 13:17:30

The bike facility on Great Northern (the two-way lanes on the west side of the road) is, in my opinion, abysmal.  That kind of facility is contra-indicated in pretty much every situation.  In my experience, riding north on Great Northern is the worst, since you either are faced with riding between lanes of on-coming traffic, or taking the north-bound traffic lane.  Unfortunately, local residents make matters worse by exhibiting open hostility and aggression toward cyclists on G.N.  And, of course, the "bike lanes" are frequently populated by joggers, walkers, dogs, kids, etc.  Not that I necessarily begrudge any of them their use of the lanes, but it does make for a more difficult situation.

I typically train on Great Northern, but I only ride south-bound (using SCB to loop back to the north end), and I'm frequently riding fast enough that I can take the south-bound lane for most of the way and not impede traffic, dodging into the "bike lane" when I need to.

Shoal Creek Blvd., while cars parked in the parking lanes make things slightly more challenging/dangerous, is generally a pretty straight-forward commute, regardless of which direction you go.

Hope this helps.

#3 Re: Commuting/Routes » North Lamar Transit Center Accessibility » 2008-09-24 09:23:21

I think this is how I'd try it ...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2288246

Once you get to Lamar, I think there are sidewalks that will take you all the way to the park-n-ride.  I don't normally recommend sidewalk riding, but this might be one of those occasions where it makes little sense, but more sense than the alternatives.  You might gauge the right lane of Lamar for the short stretch to the 183 feeder and see if it's reasonably OK (maybe during a break in traffic ... ?).

The problem with the sidewalk will be worse when heading home.  Have to be really careful watching for folks turning across it into parking lots, etc.  You might consider taking the sidewalk all the way north up the feeder to Jamestown.

Give it a whirl.  I suspect it's not as bad as you're probably thinking.  The first 3/4ths of that commute is really nice.

-Lane

#4 Justice Issues / Collisions » Article in Houston Chronicle: stay away from Pattison! » 2008-08-28 15:58:51

bikelane
Replies: 0

Ok, so I'm trying to comply, but it's not real clear which forum/topic thingy this should go in, so I'm throwing it in here, although it's only tangentially related to justice issues.  Really, it's more about idiots.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo … 70960.html

-Lane, who thinks migrating all discussion away from email may not be such a great idea...

#5 Re: Commuting/Routes » Route from MayField Ranch/Vista Oaks to Research Blvd North. » 2008-08-18 15:31:30

Not sure about the first bit, but I'm currently working on Technology Blvd.  I would recommend NOT to use McNeil unless you are a very competent and experienced rider who is used to brushes with high-speed impatient drivers.  I'm not saying it can't be done, but I think a lot of folks would feel pretty uncomfortable there.  Sure, there are bike lanes on some stretches, but there are also some rather nasty bits.

Here's a route that you might consider (starting on Parmer)...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2183529

It might add about a mile, but it might be worth it.  One caveat: I normally do this route only on Sunday mornings, so I'm not sure what traffic is like on on Riata  Trace Pkwy.  I doubt it's all that bad, though. 

Also, you can easily cut through the big empty parking lot of the new office building on Research Park at 183.  And, finally, I use the bank parking lot to cut between the 183 access road (sidewalk) and Technology.

Hope this is helpful.

-Lane

#6 Re: Commuting/Routes » Buda to North Austin - Drive, Park, then Ride? » 2008-08-18 15:19:15

Ok, here's an off-hand route suggestion, based on my experiences commuting north/south through central Austin.  But, I'm not real familiar with the routes up around Parmer, and I don't know exactly where Dell is up there.  The exact location in complex situations like Parmer/I-35 intersection can have major impact on your selection of approach.  Still, this info might be helpful.

This will keep you inside of 10 miles each way, which is a good, if slightly ambitious initial commute.  I'd guess itll probably take you 45 minutes to an hour each way, depending on conditions, and how fast you like to push it.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2183451

Note that it starts at the culdesac on Hilwin Circle.  This is a quiet neighborhood street, and I think you could easily park there without much concern.  You could drive there via MoPac (I-35 from Buda, Ben White over to MoPac, exit 45th st.) 

Once you get comfortable with that commute, you could try other options that allow you to park in other places, and even gradually extend the route southward to cut your time driving in rush-hour traffic.  (I'm not sure how much time you spend in traffic daily, but I wouldn't be too surprised to learn that, by biking even part of the way, you actually reduce your total commute time.  Even if that's not the case, it's still a great way to get 90-120 minutes of daily workout for the cost of an additional 20-30 minutes spent en route, which, in my opinion, is a really worthwhile trade-off.)

My advice: pre-ride the route on a weekend day to familiarize yourself with it and make any necessary corrections.  Try driving the route to your parking point one work day to see what that's like.  Then, once you're commuting, follow the rules of the road, bike defensively, don't ride in the door zone, etc.  Personally, I think the Road 1 course is a superb way to learn how to get around safely and effectively.  John Forrester's "Effective Cycling" is also a good resource.

-Lane

#7 Re: Commuting/Routes » Buda to North Austin - Drive, Park, then Ride? » 2008-08-18 10:21:42

Hi Shawn.  Can you be more specific about your destination?  Also, are you an experienced rider?  How many miles (one-way) would suit you?

Be sure to check out both Michael Bluejay's BicycleAustin.info site, and Joel Sumner's Austin Bike Routes (http://www.austinbikeroutes.com/) sites.

I think the idea of parking at Bicycle Sports Shop is particularly good, since (depending on hours) you have easy access to parts and service at one end of your ride.  Also, consider checking with Eileen at Mellow Johnny's; she might have some ideas for parking, etc.

Give us a few more details, and I bet you'll have several good route options in no time.

-Lane

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