Bicycle Austin forum

Pedal Pusher

Member

Registered: 2008-06-02

Posts: 23

To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

I am trying to  map a route from North Loop and Guadalupe to the arboretum.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle/down … map_07.pdf

I notice that North Loop becomes Hancock which crosses Mopac (green - which means it should be an okay crossing) or I could continue north on Shoal Creek (green), but then I don't see a good way to cross mopac.  Need to get to Barnes and Noble at the arboretum this weekend.

Has anyone who has biked to the arboretum from anywhere near Guadalupe have any route recommendations.

RonB

Member

Registered: 2008-05-28

Posts: 20

Re: To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

Just take the Shoal Creek North route, there is a way to get to Far West via a hike/bike bridge (near the Grey + on the map).  Then you can take Far West / Mesa etc through.

I included a map.  The bridge is red dots on your map.

* For less traffic around Far West, take Wood Hollow, to Greystone and take that West, parallel to Far West, up to Mesa.

Last edited by RonB (2008-06-06 17:15:27)

Jesse

Member

Registered: 2008-06-06

Posts: 1

Re: To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

I'd be interested in hearing how this commute turns out.  I just returned from driving the neighborhoods on both sides of Mopac and 183 to find an acceptably safe way to cross the barrier that is the 360/183/Mopac interchange.  The route RonB describes is likely the most compelling in terms of safety.  You could continue north on Shoal Creek as far as Steck and head west to Mesa at that point.  Continuing north all the way on Shoal Creek Blvd will dump you out on the 183 East/South access road and doesn't provide an opportunity to cross under until Burnet Road.

Last edited by Jesse (2008-06-06 22:01:24)

Kelly Oden

Member

Registered: 2008-06-06

Posts: 3

Re: To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

I would take shoal creek north to Steck.  Left on steck, climb the hill, right on mesa, left on old Jollyville.  When you get to the end of old jollyville cut through the dirt lot and make your way towar the crosswalk.  cross 360 on the crosswalk and you will see that there is a trail to the parking lot of the investment banker or what ever that is right behind the big book store at the arboretum.  It's actually a pretty nice commute.  The only "bad" part is steck, but it's over quickly and the cars should be used to seeing cyclist at that intersection.   If that freaks you out you can climb up the far west foot bridge and climb up that hill.  Simply climb up to mesa and take a right.  When you get to old jollyville take a left and you will do the dirt lot crossing that will drop you into the arboretum.
Go Commuters!

chuckthomas

Member

From: North Austin (Rundberg)

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 80

Re: To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

I go
SCB to Steck go west on Steck
Cross Mopac
Get on the sidewalk next to the southbound frontage road
go north.  The sidewalk is wide, smooth, and empty
Take the sidewalk to Old Jollyville Road

Jason

Member

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-31

Posts: 48

Website

Re: To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

I would take shoal creek north to Steck.  Left on steck, climb the hill, right on mesa, left on old Jollyville.  When you get to the end of old jollyville cut through the dirt lot and make your way towar the crosswalk.  cross 360 on the crosswalk and you will see that there is a trail to the parking lot of the investment banker or what ever that is right behind the big book store at the arboretum.  It's actually a pretty nice commute.  The only "bad" part is steck, but it's over quickly and the cars should be used to seeing cyclist at that intersection.   If that freaks you out you can climb up the far west foot bridge and climb up that hill.  Simply climb up to mesa and take a right.  When you get to old jollyville take a left and you will do the dirt lot crossing that will drop you into the arboretum.
Go Commuters!

I live near Burnet and Ohlen, and that's the route I take when I'm going to the Arboretum. Nice ride besides that stretch of Steck and the 360 crossing, and I've never had any issues with cars harassing me.

Pedal Pusher

Member

Registered: 2008-06-02

Posts: 23

Re: To the Arboretum from Lamar and 183

I'd be interested in hearing how this commute turns out.  I just returned from driving the neighborhoods on both sides of Mopac and 183 to find an acceptably safe way to cross the barrier that is the 360/183/Mopac interchange.  The route RonB describes is likely the most compelling in terms of safety.  You could continue north on Shoal Creek as far as Steck and head west to Mesa at that point.  Continuing north all the way on Shoal Creek Blvd will dump you out on the 183 East/South access road and doesn't provide an opportunity to cross under until Burnet Road.

Jesse,

I ended up leaving from home area rather than work area so started at Guadalupe and North Loop.  I just posted the following message on the "other" e-mail list (I don't use my real name on this forum cuz it's so public and do use my real name on e-mail list).
---------------

Wow!  Thanks again for all the helpful route info.

This website rocks!  I honestly didn't think it was possible to bike all the way to the arboretum from college area without spending a lot of time in God awful scary traffic, but it was a nice ride.  I fell in love with Shoal Creek since I ended up taking

North Loop to Hancock
to Shoal Creek
to Steck to
Mesa to
old Jollyville Rd. 

Shoal Creek is nice and shady with wide bicycle lanes and low traffic (at least on Saturdays).  I walked the bike across at Steck since I would have been very tense crossing there riding.  The only other part I had to get off and become a pedestrian was at the end of Jollyville Road crossing 360.

It was great and the best part is when crossing 360 at the crosswalk as a pedestrian, I saw some of those tiny little gourds that grow WILD in the austin area on the side of the road.  This lady in my decorative art club brought some once to a meeting, and she told me they grow wild by the roadsides, but I never saw any before.  Saturday, I looked down while waiting at the light to cross and low and behold, there were two vines.  I just bent over and picked 4 of them.  The vine was flowering too so I'm thinking if I go back in a few weeks, I might be able to pick some more.

Got the book they were holding for me. Never did figure out how to use those weird bicycle stands at Barnes and Noble, but I think that's because I have fenders and all kinds of stuff mounted on the down tube of my bike  I could really relate to this yehuda moon cartoon.

http://yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-03-17

Thanks again!  The world is getting smaller and smaller as I find it easier and easier to get all around Austin on my bike.