HiYoSilver

Trying to encourage a 30yr old to consider commuting in the stoneham, ma area.

What's the commuting environment?
Are road normal and ok for commuting or are drivers weird and cycle-commuting is very dangerous?

Thanks for the advice.

HiYoSilver

Well if not Stoneham, can anyone tell me what commuting is like in general in MA?

Sloth

Stoneham to where?

I commute from Carlisle to Cambridge. It's easy and great fun. The roads can be a bit of a mess, especially early in the season but they are in pretty good shape now. I don't have any issues with the drivers, but YMMV.

LCI_Brian

I grew up in Wakefield, which is the next town over from Stoneham, so I am familiar with the area.

Route 28 (Main St.) is one of those roads with two lanes in each direction, 40 mph speed limit and no shoulder. Definitely the most trafficky road in the area, although it seems like nothing compared to what I see here in Southern California. All of the other roads in town are the typical MA suburban roads - one lane each way, 30 mph speed limit, sometimes parked cars on the side.

I've only done recreational rides heading north out of Wakefield away from Boston, so I can't really comment on how commuters are treated.

The Rubel Bike Maps for the area are a good source for recommended through routes: https://www.bikemaps.com/

HiYoSilver

thanks for the info. From Stoneham to burlington. Looks like a simple 7-8 mile commute.
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...o=nw&r=a&rmm=1
or on highways
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...o=nw&r=f&rmm=1

HiYoSilver

opps, forget highways. it includes interstates.

LCI_Brian

In a car going home, it's about a wash whether you go via the highways or the surface streets, as the traffic on 128 backs up around 93 during rush hour. Whether one is quicker than the other depends on time of day and where in Stoneham he lives. When my friend from Melrose (near the Wakefield and Stoneham town lines) worked in Burlington, he drove surface streets through Stoneham and Woburn to get there.

But I would consider this an ideal bike commute, as it would be short enough for me to want to do every day (weather permitting), it's long enough for me to get a decent workout, and it wouldn't take too much longer than driving. I am confortable enough in traffic that I would take the Mapquest surface street route. The Rubel Bike Map route recommends another route from Stoneham to Woburn, and then from Woburn to Burlington, presumably with less traffic, and it's not too much longer than the direct route.

The area near the Burlington Mall where your friend works is overdeveloped and has a lot of mall and business traffic compared to the surrounding area. Might be a sticking point for an inexperienced commuter. Is there someone your friend could ride with to work?

HiYoSilver

Great info. He's in great shape as he was playing volleyball and walking a lot in pittsburg.

I don't know about riding. We'll go visit after he gets moved in, settled, and has started work. I think during first visit, it'll just be a "wow I'll love to bike this commute". Maybe we can also spring a visit in late spring/early summer and rent a couple of bikes and show him how it can be fun. He's first reaction was "no way", so would rather warm up to the idea. He's got a lot of changes in life now, and adding cyclocommuting might be too much. But I definitely want to plant a good seed this year.