I'm going to be moving to Ottawa in a few months. My job will be near the intersection of Baseline and Merivale, and I'm looking for some commuting advice to help me focus my house-hunting. So, within roughly a 15-20 km ride of Baseline at Merivale, what areas and routes do you recommend? What routes should be avoided? Is there a 'dream commute' in Ottawa? I'm looking at small older houses under $275,000, no condos. Why are houses in Hull so much less expensive?
Here are my preferences:
-My fantasy route would be a wide paved shoulder alongside a traffic jam (so that I can fly by all the suckers in their cars)... does that sound like I should take the 417?
Seriously, I probably would if I thought I could get away with it.
-Fantasy route #2 would be a paved, low pedestrian volume, virtually non-stop MUP with NO SPEED LIMIT (or at least one that isn't enforced much... what's the fine?). I'm nice to pedestrians, but I don't like slowing down every 500 ft, and I REALLY don't like tootling along when there's clearly nothing up ahead.
More realistically:
-I'm an assertive, fast, traffic-smart rider. I frequently take the lane, and ignore substandard bikelanes and MUPs. My average cruising speed is around 33 km/h in summer, but closer to 20-25 km/h in winter, depending on temperature and pavement conditions (i.e., if I'm using the MTB with studs).
-I can't handle the speed limit and crowds on the NCC trails in beautiful summer weather (is it 20 km/h or 25 km/h?... I tried it once when visiting my parents. Never again!). They might be a nice option to have sometimes in winter, though, if they get plowed, or in the 'off-season' if there are times of year when the speed limit isn't enforced.
-I want a direct, or at least relatively non-stop route (not a big fan of wending my way through suburban streets with all the stop signs).
-I prefer nice scenery and calm traffic to doing battle.
-I find taking the lane is less stressful on multi-lane roads, when it's easier for motorists to pass me.
Thanks for any suggestions you might have for me!