hamandcheese

i moved to seattle a month or so ago. i got spoiled living in portland and being able to have an easy commute to work by bike. now i live in north seattle and work in bellevue. whats worse is that i used to work weekends and non rush-hour hours, now its 9-5 mon-fri. and an hour to and from work in a car. ive never felt so much like a member of the rat race as i do now. (and i don't think im winning)
needless to say, im searching for a way to bike to work that wont take a rediculously long amount of time. (although an hour on a bike at 18mph is 1000 times better than an hour in a car at 18mph.) i see bikes passing me on the I-90 bridge while im coming home so i know there is a way to do it.
my question is, how do i get onto this trail from downtown. and where does it put me in bellvue. i work close to the bellvue community college (148th se) ive found some stuff on the I-90 bike path online, but nothing telling me how to get on and off of it. any help would be greatly appreciated.
by the way... i plan to take the express bus downtown to cut the time. i just need the on ramp to this trail.

ps this is the view of the I-90 id like to have. notice the completely clear bike lane to the right.

pmseattle

Your best bet is to get copies of the "Seattle Bicycling Guide Map" and "Bicycling in Bellevue" map, obtainable for free in just about any bike shop in the Seattle area. To get on the trail on the Seattle side, go east on S. Jackson Street from downtown/Pioneer Square area, up the hill through Chinatown. Turn right on 12th Ave ( going south ), and cross the Rizal Bridge. Just across the Rizal Bridge, turn left on S. Charles St. and follow it down a hill and around a curve where the street becomes Sturgus Ave. S. As you go down this street, you will notice a very wide sidewalk on the other side of the street. That is the beginning of the I-90 trail to Bellevue. The trail is a little hard to follow while you are on Mercer Island since it is basically just part of the sidewalk system. Once you get across the lake to Bellevue, stop at Enatai Beach Park - there is a pavillion there where they have a stack of the Bellevue bicycle maps if you haven't already obtained one. It's about 6 miles from Chinatown to Enatai Beach, then 1.5 - 2 miles more to BCC. From Enatai Beach the route is next to I-90 most of the way, but crosses back and forth via underpasses and overpasses - you really need the map. The last mile is not terribly bicycle friendly, but doable. Probably a little less hectic if you stay on the S. side of I-405 until you hit 142 Pl. SE. where you turn left to get to BCC.

Kodama

There is a wealth of serious Seattle commuters with considerable route expertise at the Cascade Cycling Club Forum I believe that a I-90 trail to Bellevue route thread is active right now in the commuting forum.

hamandcheese

thanks for the info. ill try it next week. and about the cascade webpage... i posted on this board last night and not 15 minutes later my girlfriend tells me she posted the same question on the cascade board. so between those two boards, i might figure it out.

vrkelley

Kodama I believe you rode behind me down the 520 trail in the rain. Didn't realize who you were till you turned off on Sammamish trail. Nice talking to you (if that was you).

Kodama

Hmm, I don't think that was me. Though I have been on the 520 trail in the rain in the last few weeks the only people I talked to on the trail was a couple on a tandem and we just exchanged pleasantries.