Archive for the ‘commute’ Category.
May 16, 2008, 2:56 pm
Today is Bike to Work Day in Seattle. However I didn’t bike to work. I did my normal commute: bike about 3 miles to a bus stop, bus about 10 miles to a transit center, then bike another 1/2 mile or so to my office. I will be biking home over I90, about 22 miles. Yesterday I did the same commute in the morning, but rode 10 miles in the evening, then hopped on my employers Bike Shuttle to get across the 520 bridge (that bridge is what makes my bike commute a minimum of 22 miles instead of the 12 mile route that cars can drive).
The emphasis on Bike to Work Day is to get individuals excited about bicycle commuting. Mixed bike/transit commutes are probably the best way to do that because they allow you to phase in bike use. Start with a short bike and a longer busride and slowly replace more of your bus ride with more bike. Many commuters will probably find some hybrid (as I have) that has the right balance of bike and bus. A friend at work has been using this successfully during the last two weeks and has gone from biking 3 miles a couple of weeks ago to riding 25 miles into work this morning. It’ll be his longest bike ride in many years.
The bus also allows me to keep my commute varied and interesting. There are about 10 different bike/bus routes that I use on a regular basis depending on my mood, the weather, and how quickly I need to get home. I rarely do the same route twice in one week.
The bus doesn’t have to be the only option. Biking to a friends house and then carpooling can be an effective way to carpool with a friend who doesn’t live next door. Using the train or ferry as part of your commute is a multi-modal option. If you live on top of a steep hill it might make sense to drive to the bottom with your bike and then ride in from there.
March 20, 2008, 3:01 pm
I’ve lived in the same neighborhood for almost 10 years and have been working on the same campus for 12 years.I thought I had explored all of the good options for my bike commute home.
On Tuesday I was heading towards the intersection of 140th and 40th where I always turn right and thought “let’s see if the dead end street ahead is really a dead end”. I climbed a short but steep hill and saw a sign telling me that there were no options forward but three driveways. I kept going and found a little side path between two houses and out to 134th.
It was a nice way home for a muddy day when my favorite route is a bit slick. I won’t ride it every day, but I’ll probably ride it a couple of times a month.
Having lots of options keeps my daily commute fresh. My mixed-modal commute gives me lots of options, from taking the bus the whole way to a 25 mile ride over I90 or the Burke Gilman Trail. This new route is another variation on my favorite — roughly7 miles of riding followed by a 10 minute bus ride and another 3 miles of riding. I tried to count my commute routes yesterday, but realized that there are dozens or hundreds of variations that I take depending on my mood, the weather, traffic, and the season. Lots of bus, no bus, or some bus. Lots of dirt, no dirt, or just a short dirt cut through like this one. Going home via shopping to pick up groceries for dinner or riding home through old residential neighborhoods and enjoying the well landscaped yards. Every day is new.
How do you keep your commute fresh?
February 20, 2008, 3:57 am
I know the calendar says spring starts in about a month, but it feels like spring has already sprung in Seattle.
A young sunset on tonight’s ride home (the long way of course, we don’t get many warm sunny days in Feb in Seattle!):
The views from Queen Anne looking towards Magnolia and the Olympic Mountains on Sunday morning:
The photos don’t tell you how warm it is, but it’s been in the upper 50s. The mountains look inviting for some early season cycling or late season xc skiing.