bike to work spokane

[bleckb]

I'm part of the Bike to Work Spokane organizing committee and want to get the word out to folks in the area. Check out our site at http://biketoworkspokane.org for information. We already have a few events set up for bike to work week (May 12-16) and hope to get a few more set up for the rest of the month, along with a few pre-ride events, such as clinics to get your bike in shape. Plus, we've got schwag!

[Rancid]

well, even though work is a five minute walk from campus...I do love schwag and bike events-let me know if you need any help with anything!

[bleckb]

You can always ride to the Riverfront Park gathering at 8 a.m. on the 12th or to the Steamplant Grill on the 16th about 5:30 p.m. Since you don't say which campus you're near, that might be easy if it's GU, not so easy if it's any of the other campuses in town. There will be schwag at both places, with the big prizes at the Steamplant.

[brettinwa]

Good luck! I think this town is about as biker unfriendly as they come. How about a bike lane or two? How about not throwing your frappuccino at me while riding at 25mph. This town needs some awareness training in a big way. Until then you'll see me riding in the north county.

[Mtn Mike]

Good luck! I think this town is about as biker unfriendly as they come. How about a bike lane or two? How about not throwing your frappuccino at me while riding at 25mph. This town needs some awareness training in a big way. Until then you'll see me riding in the north county.

obvious flame bate, but I'll take it. Have you ever actually ridden a bike in Spokane county?

[bleckb]

I don't get to ride everyday, but I've only had sporadic "run ins" with drivers, nothing sustained. This year, so far just once. A woman wasn't happy with my ability to accelerate through downtown so she honked at me ( I know an unfriendly honk when I hear one--that and the glare were a dead give away) and zoomed high around me and I was right behind her at the next light. This was on Second, heading through downtown, a bike route with signs but little else to indicate bikes belong. I'd like to see sharrows or something on the roadway so drivers realize I have every right to be there. Although there are green "bike route"s signs, they aren't as visible as I'd like, but we will be getting more bike lanes, racks and the like in the years ahead. It's a long, slow process. And we'll take all the help we can get, with bike to work and the advisory board.

[dminor]

Good luck! I think this town is about as biker unfriendly as they come. How about a bike lane or two? How about not throwing your frappuccino at me while riding at 25mph. This town needs some awareness training in a big way. Until then you'll see me riding in the north county.If I didn't live 30 miles from work, I would definitely commute by bike; but I have to say, it would be with a great deal of trepidation. Last year, the city restriped SE Boulevard with nice new bike lanes (discounting what they wiped out up near 29th) and drivers slop over them mercilessly at every corner. I think it's more a matter of 'when' than 'if' before a cyclist is seriously injured or killed by a car on SE Blvd. The car is still king here; Spokane as a whole is 20 years behind a lot of the country in consciousness of cyclist and pedestrians.

BTW, I will participate - - I think I'll park up around Five Mile and ride across town to work. Will that count? :)

[bleckb]

We're going to try to arrange some rides to the festivities at Riverfront Park on Monday the 12th from the various park and ride lots, so, yeah, that will work.

As for SE Blvd, I don't think the crossing of lanes is particular to that area. I ride Government Way and now that the snow has cleared, but not the sand, it's pretty easy to see where the "natural" flow of traffic takes cares on the curves, which is to the edge and along the shoulder. Bike lanes are certainly not a cure all, and they may even engender a false sense of security. But they also work in keeping (maybe I assume too much) aware that there could be a cyclist just around the next bend, that this is a road where cyclists should be expected. How much they do that is anybody's guess, or a great graduate thesis for some urban planning student.

[dminor]

. . . But they also work in keeping (maybe I assume too much) aware that there could be a cyclist just around the next bend, that this is a road where cyclists should be expected. How much they do that is anybody's guess, or a great graduate thesis for some urban planning student.Key operative word is should, for sure. I cringe at what might happen when a cyclist actually is on one of those curves.

On another note, I get off the nuttiness of NW Boulevard and go along Downriver just for the change of pace each morning. The speed limit is 25; I feel a bit guilty edging toward 28-30 sometimes. And this is a road where frequently in the morning there are commuting or training cyclist and runners - - yet I have been PASSED (over the double-yellow) by impatient jerks who try to use that narrow, meandering byway as a 'shortcut.' They should know that there are too many rercreational users of that stretch of road to drive that way but they do anyway.

[Mtn Mike]

Hmm. Honestly I find Spokane to be a very bikable city. Dumb rednecks, and SUV driving, text messaging too-young mom's aside, I find that most cars (and I mean 95%) are actually very courteous to bicycle traffic (provided you're on good streets, and provided they see you).

I've lived all over the country in a variety of smaller and larger towns. Spokane is actually better than most other cities I've seen. We have some of the most open streets, with the lightest traffic, if you know where to look. Now granted, if you live beyond the sprawling McMansion communties, on some country road with more McMansions, I wouldn't expect you to ride your bike into town every morning amoung the crazed soccer mom's trying to get there kids to St George school (yes, a little biased here).

Those that live in city limits actually have it pretty easy when it comes to bike commuting. The challenge with bicycle commuting in Spokane is finding a good route that avoids the trouble spots. The BAB and the BAC seems to have programs like "bike buddy" or whatever, to help newer commuters find good ways to commute safely. Seasoned city riders know the good routes. If you're afraid of riding through town, try hooking up with someone who knows the routes.

Unfortunately there is a perception that Spokane is not bike friendly. This keeps many would be cyclists off the streets. Hopefully the work of the Bicycle Advisory Board and http://biketoworkspokane.org/ will continue to improve things as time goes on. It's all about power in numbers. The SUV's cant run us all over, and eventually they get used to us.