Commuting - Suburban Commuting Heck...how do y'all do it?

Well, I am spending some time with my folks over in Aurora , CO. After a day of driving ( battling ) around with my mom around the town, it hit me that this had to be one of the worst..uh challenging commuting environments out there. 6 lane roads are the norm, drivers are mostly inattentive, and speeds are high. Coming from Seattle, I am not sure if I have much to complain about...So how do you folks do it?

One gets used to it. If the way most motorists complain about the environment in which I commute every day is any indication, I would argue that cycling is considerably safer than driving anyway. I'm sure the death and injury statistics will support me on that one.

. I ride through the city of Allentown, PA on my commute and running errands. I have been an avid city rider for almost 40 years and ride very defensively, always looking at motorists for an idea of what they are going to do. I use a strobe light and bright colored clothing. I think the best policy is to always expect the motorist to do the unexpected and the cyclist should obey the traffic laws.

Yes I have had a few close calls but I always say the risk of not exercising is greater than being a careful cyclist and staying in shape

I consider myself very lucky to live 9 miles from work in an old mid-size city. By working an early schedule and riding a little extra distance here and there I avoid most traffic, and many of the old boulevards have extra space.

Originally posted by tivoli_mike
6 lane roads are the norm, drivers are mostly inattentive, and speeds are high. Coming from Seattle, I am not sure if I have much to complain about...So how do you folks do it?

Mostly by avoiding such roads. It's rare for the optimal car route to also be the optimal bike route, but cagers rarely even see the optimal bike routes, because they're small back roads with 25mph speed limits.

Cagers are scared of getting lost and hate to go slow (that's why they spend so much time sitting in traffic jams on main arteries:)), but exploration is soul food for any cyclist.

I'm not saying it's always true, but some time with a detailed street map and a few days of poking around can frequently reveal excellent commuting routes that mostly avoid busy highways.

RichC

Originally posted by Rich Clark


Mostly by avoiding such roads.
RichC

Got that right. I've tried to scout out as many possible routes home as I can.

Also, I try to keep in mind which surface streets the 'burban car commuters will try to use when there's a big jam or accident on the freeway. Those drivers scare me: they're pissed off that they can't drive 60 and it doesn't occur to them to look for cyclists or pedestrians.

Originally posted by tivoli_mike
Coming from Seattle, I am not sure if I have much to complain about...So how do you folks do it?

You mean it worse than here nah no way it can't be! Of course then again it could be the high speed factor seeing that it is rare during commute than you can top 20 on I-5 going either direction of the day.

How do we do it? I can only speak for myself, and I can't claim to be an authority. Who knows, I may not be around tomorrow to
illustrate my claims!

But here's my view:

While city streets, with their lower speed limits and grid-like street patterns, can be great for cycling, sometimes their congestion and lack of visibility is a hazard, especially around shopping areas where drivers are entering and exiting the road.
Even though higher-speed arteries that often connect suburban
cities may seem less inviting, they can have their advantages.
If they are wider, drivers can pass me with plenty of room to spare. Also, if they are designed for high visibility, drivers can see me far down the road.

When Commuting between the north suburbs of Seattle to downtown Everett I opt to take the very busy hwy 99 the speed limits for cars ranges from between 35mph to 50mph but there is a heck of a lot more room for me on my bike than on the side streets. It can be hairy on somedays but some of those side roads up there are just 2 lanes and no shoulder I have had my share of close calls on those roads.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
Cagers are scared of getting lost and hate to go slow (that's why they spend so much time sitting in traffic jams on main arteries:)), but exploration is soul food for any cyclist.

I'm not saying it's always true, but some time with a detailed street map and a few days of poking around can frequently reveal excellent commuting routes that mostly avoid busy highways.

RichC
Yes, I agree with this. Drivers crowd around certain well-known
routes because they are just passing through.

A fellow commuter from another part of town was talking with me about his route, and when I mentioned a familiar street name, he said, "You seem to know your way around." Well, that's the benefit of scouting out the backroads with a map!

(My motto is, "Why breathe more exhaust?")

;)

My goal is to ride to and from work next spring when the weather warms up some. There are only two routes between the two towns that I will be riding in and one is a bussy 4 lane 70mph limit,most drivers doing 75+ and the other is a two lane road. I feel more at home on the 2 lane and havent had too much problems there.
I may become one of the hard core commuters in the future. Wish me luck.

I do the same thing as most people. I avoid the main roads and find more rural routes, even if it means going out of the way a little.

I just moved out here to the St. Louis area. Boy, lots of cars. The easiest way I learned to get around is to get on my bike and start riding. I get a real good feel of where I would like to ride and not ride.

For me, the most rural route to work is the most direct.

i bike before or after the traffic jams. If i can't avoid them, I go either around, or safest route possible on them. Sometimes this means the sidewalk, but thats like 2% of the time. Just go out and look for alternative routes on the weekends..


:D

Originally posted by danr
I do the same thing as most people. I avoid the main roads and find more rural routes, even if it means going out of the way a little.

But in terms of time the rural/lesser known route usually isn't out of the way at all. My commute is 3-4km longer because I use alternative routes rather than the Gold Coast Highway. However, when one considers that my alternative route has considerably fewer traffic lights, I really think it's faster than the Highway anyway.

Having said that, I have no problems using highways when necessary. I think the extra space they provide means they are much safer than most people think.

I can see a definite challenge in those suburban areas, such as in Aurora, CO, where you have large blocks of suburban development, through which there are no straight paths ( curvilinear streets/cul de sacs ), bounded by these massive boulevards...

Originally posted by tivoli_mike
I can see a definite challenge in those suburban areas, such as in Aurora, CO, where you have large blocks of suburban development, through which there are no straight paths ( curvilinear streets/cul de sacs ), bounded by these massive boulevards...

Not really. There are areas of the Gold Coast like this (i.e. Robina, where my old job was). It's not really a problem because the major roads generally have good shoulders on them, making them the safest routes of all.

Ya know, if transportation authorities took cyclists seriously (which means mounting a bike, for most of them,) we wouldn't be having these discussions.

"Which route is best?" etc., etc. ;)

I know we need to cover this ground, but for motorists, let's face it: they don't even think about such issues. They just hop in and go. Big Brother has already covered their needs.

My first advice to any commuter wannabe is this: buy a street map of the area and take a good look at it. Often, the best route is not the main road. In addition, if you have some extra time once you begin, do some scouting... sometimes the best route isn't even on the map.
I commuted 10 miles each way every day for years, and part of my route was on a path that ran through a stand of trees and connected two otherwise unconnected roads. Very pleasant, and no cars. I had an alternate route that utilized a small trail from the back of a strip mall to a suburban cul-se-sac.
You can also work out a number of alternate routes using a map. When starting a new commute, I always carry a street map for the first few weeks. I've also found a few cool, out of the way places using this method.

absolutly scout out the route when i started really riding every where i rode ON THE SIDE WALK along busy roads! Not the best way at all as a cyclist we have a duty to be seen by motorists as part of traffic not holding up traffic. I live in a mid sized town so traffic is not much of an issue, but i still tend to avoid places motorists will frequent such as the main streets in town. in fact i find i am safest ae\round schools in the morning and after noon. this i believe is because of increased law enforcement presence for one and parents watching for kids for another. i like to take one of several route home so it never gets boring. a map is the way to start yeah it helps a lot, but i have lived here long enough to know about where i am at most of the time.

Here's my story, cause it's all I got.
A few months ago I went carless, I loved it. I loved the freedom, the inexpense of biking, and the variety of routes I could take home.
Just before thanksgiving a friend offered me an old cage, for 50 bucks. WTF I thought, it's going to snow, and last year I got laid up with a bruised tail bone from a fall, so I bought it, and have driven. Last week the car went down, and I was thrust back on the bike, and I don't know why I left, my attitude when I drive sucks by the time I get to work, or home, on the bike it's great, I'm jazzed, I'm high, I've been out in the elements, and conquered them. I'm caught now between the two, drive or ride. This week I need to drive, I am working both jobs in the same day and will need to get from one to the other expediciously. Not saying I can't on a bike, or that either job would object to my being late. It's the druther factor.
In Minneapolis and St Paul there are a great number of bike paths out to the suburbs, and across town, some of them are the suicide bike lane, some are shared with pedestrians, and the like, over all though it's a managible feat. You give yourself time, and just do it. And when you look at the benefits over the time saved, by driving a cage, well, how can you not do it?
Seriously, I would really like to see a greater push for the bike to work day, and start lobbying my state senate, and congress for tax ensentives for bike riders. This is a real progressive Liberal state, I'm sure with the way they've ramrodded the light rail, we could get something out of the whacked state budget for bike riding.

Originally posted by Chris L


Not really. the major roads generally have good shoulders on them, making them the safest routes of all.
this can be true, you can also "surf" the side wash of the passing traffic, especialy trucks, if you get 3or4 in a row you can pick up fair speed.:thumbup:

I would also love to see more people riding there is just myself and a couple other people who cycle on a regular basis in salina that i know of. The one older gentleman that i see every morning and night has been car free for i think he said 4 years or so now. Kinda embarrasing he can just ride off and leave me every time.:o

heres to ya buddy we need more like you!:beer: