dcrowell

Most airports are not very accessible by bicycle. I had to run an errand to the Louisville airport (SDF) early this morning (4:00am).

The only "roads" in and out are much like freeway ramps, and connect to the freeway. They're not freeway ramps, so riding there is legal, but it just felt wrong. Luckily, traffic is light at that time of morning.

Once I arrived I was a little surprised to see a bike rack near the arrivals section. Now if there were only a better way in and out. I'd hate to make that trip during the day.

wahoonc

Denver airport is similar, it is fed by high speed multilane highways. Seems most major airports are. My local one is fairly accessible by bike, it just costs more to fly out of there. Never noticed bike racks at mine though.

Aaron

Roody

Yeah, Detroit Metro is similar. Like Aaron's, my regional airport is very accessible by bike or bus. People should also think about taxis for that "last mile" problem.

qmsdc15

I used to carry a letter from the Airport Administrator that granted me permission to operate my vehicle on the premises of National Airport in conjunction with my delivery business under the condition that I obey all applicable traffic regulations while doing so. At that time bicycles were prohibited from the airport without special permission but that was a long time ago. Of course, I never got stopped by a policeman for riding on airport premises after I obtained the written permission.

ro-monster

San Francisco International is easy to access by bike or on foot, as there are a number of small roads going into it in addition to the main ramps from the freeway. You can even take your bike onto the the BART train that lets you out inside the international terminal.

Smallwheels

There is a weird way taxis operate in New Orleans. If you take a cab to the airport they tack on an extra $13 or some such fee. It is the same if you catch one from the airport too. To get around this ridiculous fee I would call a cab and have them take me to the restaurant across the street. Then I would walk across the street and save the extra money. If I had just one bag I could do it without too much work. When I returned home I would take my bag across the street and get a cab from there.

There were no accessible sidewalks from the terminal to the main road until past the upstairs on-ramp or the downstairs baggage area. Even then there was just one sidewalk to the four lane highway and no crosswalk. I doubt it's changed. There were no bicycle parking racks anywhere.

Roody

I'm sorry, I'm not getting the relevance of this post. Unless maybe your vehicle was a bicycle?

qmsdc15

Yes my vehicle is a bicycle. This is the car free forum. Pay attention.

Roody

I'm sorry, guess I dodn't read closely enough.

cyclist5

It does feel wrong but remember the speed limit for those lanes is 25mph

zephyr

John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Irvine-Santa Ana, CA is easily accessible by bicycle. Like almost everywhere in Irvine, there are several surface streets with good shoulders or bike lanes that approach the airport covered parking lot entrance. I pedaled by the west end of the airport today on Campus Drive (just 1.5 miles from University of CA Irvine) but I've never parked my bike there to take a plane trip. I have seen a small number of bicycles parked in the covered parking garage in the "motorcycle parking area" where there are a bunch of steel posts to lock up to. I am guessing most of the parked bicycles belong to people who work inside the terminal buildings.

Dahon.Steve

I have a similar situation with Newark Airport in New Jersey. There are ramps everywhere and high speed freeways leading in and out of the terminal. It's a total ripoff how much NJ Transit charges to take you there plus you have to buy an additional ticket for the monorail!! Cabs and buses all charge more than 20 dollars to take you there.

What angers me is the fact that streets of Newark are only 100 feet from the station. But you're not allowed to cross since the NJ Transit wants you pay for their service so they fenced off any entrance. Incredible.

gerv 

Whenever I go to the airport, I'm usually leaving town. Since I'm carrying bags and since I'm planning to leave for up to two weeks, I don't plan to park either a car or a bike.Taxis seem to be the answer.

dcrowell

The speed limit is 35 on the far side away from the terminal, but slows to (15?) at the terminal. Sadly, the average speed of cars there is much faster.

I've since discovered getting to the airport would be easier on Martha Maloney Dr, but leaving still requires Terminal Dr, unless I want to violate traffic laws.

dcrowell

If I were flying out I would probably take a cab, but it was a quick errand. I DO have a car, so if I couldn't have ridden the bike, I probably would have driven. It would have been cheaper than a cab.

I just think it's strange that the airport has bike parking (rack near the terminal entrance, and another in the parking garage), but no good way in and out. A simple path from a side street (Martha Maloney Dr) would make it SO much simper.

myrridin

There appears to be a connection from Crittendon Drive to Martha Maloney to Airport Drive and use that to the terminals... without the need to use the main entrance points from I264. There also appears to be access to the airports peripheral road (from which you can reach the terminal) from several side streets on the east and south sides; Grade Ln, Tuberosa Ave, Farm Valley Road.

dcrowell

Part of Martha Maloney is one-way, therefore can't legally leave that way.

The roads to the east don't actually connect. You can see that for yourself in satellite view. Parts of those roads are also not open to the public.

myrridin

They looked like they connected on google maps when I looked at them. It is unusual that they don't, most airports have some kind of peripheral road to facilitate internal trips without impacting surrounding road network--though given its proximity to the runway I can understand why they may have closed it to the public.

Roody

That's good planning, trying to find the right bike route--which is usually very different from the right car route. Until they plan better infrastructure, it's up to us riders to find ways around the asinine road systems that infest most of the country.

Roody

I'm usually a vehicular cyclist. But I would have no qualms about going the wrong way on a one-way street for a short distance, provided it was safe for me and other road users. I would also have no problem with using a sidewalk, if there was one, along the offending street. If they want us to ride legally, they need to plan roads that are usable by cyclists. Also, freedom is part of the appeal of riding. My motto is "think outside the cage." That means thinking like a cyclist, not like a motorist.

dcrowell

Sensible.

Looking again, it may be possible to cut through the rental car parking lots (assuming no fences in the way) over to airfreight road. It might mean riding/walking through some grass too.

cyclist5

Talk to the airport personel there. A lot of people work at the airport, and if they have a bike rack maybe they have a route designated for employees to ride in on? Maybe take Airfreight drive from Critendon and cut through the parking lots? I see where crossing Terminal Drive as 4 lanes of traffic merge and cris-cross would be an ordeal. On a side-note, do you have to pay a toll when you leave?

dcrowell

My wife works at the airport, but is not an airport employee. She has no idea about a bike route, but maybe she could ask someone (she won't ride to work).

The tolls are for the parking garage. I didn't park there. I would imagine that bicycles are exempt from paying for the parking, but I could be mistaken.

Roody

One of my favorite shortcuts (though not involving an airport) involved hopping a curb, riding across a vacant lot, a RR track and a body shop parking lot, then going the wrong way on a one-way for about 50 yards. I did this almost every day before I moved. It only saved a quarter-mile, but it made me feel SPECIAL.

(BTW, I have to dismount to cross train tracks, but a good technical rider can do it in the saddle.)

wahoonc

I am working on getting a small folding bike that will be able to travel as luggage, so the potential for riding to the airport greatly increases. However I usually stay at hotels that have van service so I have that angle covered as long as I fly out of my local airport.

Aaron