bugly64

I really liked the idea of a tunnel for bikes.

Arcanum

Yep, it's not a bad idea for road crossings in certain situations. Not very good for areas with a dense road network, though, unless you're willing to accept riding in what amounts to a drainage ditch or a continuous underground tunnel.

Speaking of which, Rochester has an old subway network, as well as an old aqueduct. I wonder if either or both could be converted to a downtown cycle network. Hmmm....

no1mad 

No tunnels around here. The MUPs just go under the bridges the roads use. Some of them you have to pay attention or risk hitting your head as the trail dips below the road.

LesMcLuffAlot

There is a tunnel at 7:25 in and a bridge underpass at 13:23 in.

HardyWeinberg

The people who live in mine don't like photography.

tsl

Nope.

In 1956, I-490 and I-590 through the southeast side of the city were laid in the old subway bed, which before that, was the original path of the Erie Canal before it was moved south of the city in 1918. On the west side, it's been partly filled-in to remove bridges and reduce crime. See the Rochester Wiki's Subway page. There's a 1928 subway map and a fantasy future version of the subway on a map at RochesterSubway.com.

As for the aquaduct, that's now Broad Street. They're kicking around plans to strip off the pavement and refill it with water. I'm not sure what it would accomplish other than shifting all the traffic to Main Street.

Well beyond bike tunnels, the forward-thinking folks at RochesterGreenway.org have been smoking something green that makes them think enclosed glass tubes should replace the MUPs on the southeast side. They'll install fans so the encased cyclists will have a tailwind both ways. No word yet on how they'll deal with the dog poop in July.

Arcanum

I was thinking in terms mostly of getting around inside the inner loop, but it looks like the layout never would've been very useful for that. The canal idea is sort of interesting. Not much benefit to cyclists, other than maybe making it easier to continue north along the river there without fooling with the busier roads.

Yeah, I've seen that before. It's quite possibly the most wasteful and ill-conceived cycling-related project I've ever heard off. Too hell with dog poop; what are they going to do when it turns into a greenhouse? Where's the power and maintenance costs for the climate control systems going to come from? Where's the money for the construction going to come from, and how is this more useful than completing and/or paving more trail segments?

nwmtnbkr

Elevated bike tubes were first proposed in the 80s, but no city picked up on the idea. Given the state of the economy, I don't think you need to worry too much. Most cities and states are so hard-pressed for cash that I don't see many of them undertaking expensive new bike initiatives.

striegel 

Narrow tunnel, part of Bermuda Railway Trail.jpg
This is part of the Bermuda Railway Trail, an old narrow-gauge railroad line that was converted to a biking and walking path.

Wish this was my commute! I rode there for 2 days on vacation.

cyclokitty 

The tunnel on the Don River Trail in Toronto, Ontario. It's a short tunnel but it turns sharply to the right and up a bit and I can never see if there is someone riding or walking from the other direction.

CCrew

https://www.wmwestsub.com/connellsvil...vagetunnel.htm

We do this one a couple times a year.

Arcanum

I suppose I should post my own tunnel pictures. Click on the thumbnails for big views and the rest of the set.

This is not technically a bicycle trail tunnel, because it's not technically part of the trail. It's just a highway overpass in the middle of a defunct golf course that happens to, after a bit, lead to the next segment of the trail.


This, on the other hand, is part of the trail, not too far beyond the first picture.

woodway

Snoqulamie Tunnel, just east of Seattle. It's 2.3 miles long. Bring a light.

bugly64

^^^Winner^^^
Two miles long!

chephy

Bike tunnels may work wonderfully in some circumstances. But I've seen some really bad ones too. There can be lots of problems with them: poor sightlines; all sorts of moisture-related issues for below-grade tunnels, like flooding and the resulting slippery slime even as it dries out; various unsavoury characters hanging out there and resulting potential for crime to get worse.

And ugh, I think I'd be a little wary of the idea of biking through a 2-mile long bike tunnel. I'd wonder what's lurking in there...

Bekologist

Tunnel is now officially CLOSED! But here's video from a couple of years before the closure.




All snowed in now, but in the summer You might still be able to squeeze thru nto the tunnel if you throw your bike over some gates....

K'Tesh

Ok. Here's a couple of the one that's on my commute route, one during bad weather, the other after.


The Fanno Creek Trail during the flood of '09


The Fanno Creek Trail after a minor flood in '10

You can see in the distance of the "after" image, someone from the Tigard Public Works Dept. is shoveling the muck out.

This trail floods just about any time we get a good rain.

K'Tesh

Here's the Olowalu Tunnel on the Honoapiilani Hwy.(Maui)... IMHO it's a tight squeeze for cyclists.

wheel

Pedestrian bike tunnel video
AZ SR51 @ Maryland Ave.

The freeway is that wall.
https://www.youtube.com/bodybait#p/u/123/9A2mtfudUU8

I guess any tunnel could be a bike tunnel

Queen Creek Tunnel turn sound off.
Watch me getting ***** going into the tunnel with frap and the Five and Pull over. Brakes didn't work so well for the trip.
https://www.youtube.com/bodybait#p/u/108/guSDgFGIOAE

jputnam

I-90 Bicycle Tunnel, Seattle -- west end:



east end:




Video riding through the tunnel at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jputnam...7604840223489/

daredevil

Vv

AdamDZ

The Westchester-Putnam trailway, a.k.a. North County Trailway in upstate NY has several short bike tunnels that cross under highways, although I don't have any pictures. I like ringing my bell when riding through them

Adam

closetbiker

I was going to mention the same thing, and not just for your tunnel.

There are more than a few cycling paths that have blind corners and it's pretty common for riders (or the peds that use it too) to cut the corner, and end up on the "wrong side of the road" inevitably leading to a collision. If I remember right, this was the cause of a cyclists death here in Vancouver a couple of years ago.

I've tried out a couple of cycle paths in my area and found I'd rather ride on the near-by busy road where I'd have less chance of collision than riding into a blind corner with some bozo flying along cutting a corner.

hairyman

It looks to be about 30 feet wide. How is that a tight squeeze for a cyclist?

teamontherun

I believe when you have 3 feet of riding space surrounded by a huge wall and speeding cars, Its a tight squeeze.