Comments on: Commuting By Bike on Austin’s Tollways

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:54:36 +0000

Speed limit is usually 65, but most cars on the tollway are going faster than 70

By: Mike Myers

Mike Myers — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:57:27 +0000

I don’t know. Even though he has a nice wide shoulder, that still seems pretty scary. How fast are cars going there, 70mph?

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:36:41 +0000

I live near the tollway described in the article…I don’t know Chuck, but frankly, he’s a genius – although the traffic on that road is fast, it’s still probably the safest route for him in this part of town. The east-west surface roads he would have to use to get to the same destination don’t have shoulders at all. I’d definitely consider joining him if my route took me in that direction.

I’ll keep an eye out for Chuck and let him know you’re looking for him…

By: James

James — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:53:14 +0000

I ride 3.5 miles of the limited access freeway (no bicycles, farm equip etc) on OH Route2 over the Sandusky Bay when I head west. Crossing the Sandusky Bay bridge is the easiest and shortest way to stay along the lakeshore heading west toward Toledo and Michigan. It has a wide shoulder up to the high level arch. At that point it narrows to a curb as wide as a sidewalk. Enough to ride or walk on. It’s not my commuting route but it is a ride I take when visiting friends at the Lake Erie islands, Catawba or Marblehead. Alternatives are only riding 35 miles around the bay through Freemont, risk walking a 1.5 miles train tressle over the bay with my bike, or hitching a ride on a local’s powerboat. I normally follow road rules and I do explore the boat option first if I can meet my friends on shore but I conciously make the decision to take the risk of citation if I have no other alternative.

By: doug

doug — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:02:41 +0000

i ride on the US-101 in humboldt county in california to work every day, as well as to other points in the county.

my commute takes me on the “safety corridor” bewteen the towns of arcata and eureka. there is a very wide shoulder, about eight feet, and the traffic is only going 50-60 usually. feels pretty safe, and caltrans just installed “SHARE THE ROAD” signs which is nice.

the noise isn’t terrible, but when it’s raining i get a little freaked because the water makes the cars way, way louder. there’s a lot of junk on the road, too. i found my trusty hunting-orange beanie on the road, as well as a full bag of fun-sized snickers bars.

as far as safety, i feel okay most of the time. once, my rear light fell off and broke, forcing me to ride home with only a tiny flashing LED in the rear. freaky. also, a local geology professor got smashed on the same road i ride by a drunk driver at 2:00 pm several months ago. he survived but was in a coma for a few weeks. nasty.

By: Fritz

Fritz — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:08:49 +0000

The noise is really the only issue – I’ve never been worried about getting rear ended or been blown over by the wind of passing semis. The traffic noise, though, really rattles your teeth.

You also have to be on your toes at onramps and offramps.

By: Jim Carson

Jim Carson — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:15:15 +0000

Washington permits riding on the shoulder of the interstates with some limits. (For example, I've ridden I-90 from Issaquah up to Snoqualmie Pass. The Rapsody ride follows along a couple of miles of Interstate 5. It's not the most pleasant option, but it works.

By: Robert Sorenon

Robert Sorenon — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:51:40 +0000

That is cool. Man the noise must be nasty. I live in Wisconsin and it is illegal to ride the interstate. The signs are actually posted at the on ramps. There are times I wish I could take the interstate for the ease and straight shot to work. On the other hand traffic in Green Baay is not too bad so I will stay on the city roads.