A Capitol Adventure

I went on a ride with my road bike yesterday. Down Canal Street, along the Lake and to our Church by UWM. Thought I'd offer my help if they were doing any maintenance, which they weren't. They were having a rummage sale. Had a commercial establishment on Capitol Drive to visit. Down Oakland and on to Capitol Drive where I decided to ride on the sidewalk since traffic was heavy and all lanes full with insufficient space for a bicycle.

After awhile I noticed I was keeping pace with the #62 bus. Slowing for pedestrians (most waiting for or getting off the bus) on the sidewalk, coming to a crawl or even stopping, I still seemed to keep pace. Until 35th Street where it would get ahead of me and I would catch it after it would continually get stopped behind a red light after letting people on and off. Even with students starting to crowd the streets at places and having to maneuver around cars at curb cuts, I still kept pace. I lost it at 76th Street when, from a dead stop, it shot through a red light at 2:39pm west bound.

You might be surprised that on such a major commercial thoroughfare how much of the sidewalk was actually empty.

The traffic had let up and the streets were in somewhat better shape so I got back on the street and dug in to see if I could catch it. Slowing at one intersection for a red light (I always stop for red lights) I made my way across drifting towards the crosswalk after it turned green. Lucky for me as a car, most likely speeding, had ducked into the lane to bypass slower traffic and missed clipping me by inches. Yeah, I got back on the sidewalk and never saw the bus again since it had few to no pick ups or drop offs after 76th Street.

I did ride the streets on the way back where it is safe to ride the streets. Neighborhood roads I am familiar with and along our wonderful parkway system. I personally believe those bike advocates who are animate about keeping bicycles off the sidewalks restrict the number of people who might take up bicycling as a transportation option. It was a twenty mile trip total that averaged about 10mph.

If only we had trains.