There were two short sections where google suggested deviating from Washington St but laziness was king and I didn't feel like creating a cheat sheet to help me navigate the back streets in those short instances.... so I opted for the straight forward and stayed on the main road route.
For the most part the route was bike friendly with either a designated bike lane or street signage to share the lane.... so that is cool. Before I get out of Boston there is a nice big ass bike/bus shared lane... it's beautiful!!
Then of course there is the traditional bike lane which is a pleasure. Throwing in some street side parking always keeps you on your toes, watching for those ready to throw their car door open into you. So far so good (fingers crossed).
And thrown into the mix is this guy
Not entirely sure as to the "rules" of this signage... but at least it gives me a sense that bike commuting is accepted and expected, so hopefully drivers will act accordingly.
There is one section along the route that is a divided road with two lanes in each direction, throw in cars parked on the side of the road and it gets a little hairy. But at each light there are those helpful signs telling bikes where to line up to get the light to turn... so I guess it must be (or city planners hope it will be) used as a commuting route.
So, when will I get a ride to work in?? Not exactly sure, but I'm hoping that this Friday will be my first run. After that, who knows... I guess I can start with the goal of at least once a week?? Ultimate goal would be to work at a school that I could ride to everyday down in Charlotte.... and with the weather down there that could be a yearly commute - exciting times!!
I started riding to work just last month. It was a little intimidating in the beginning, but I've scouted a route now, and funnily, it's not actually along the bike lane the whole way. I've found that sometimes the bike lanes are on busier roads, and if you just stick to the side streets there's less traffic to worry about.
ReplyDelete