Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Another “Big but…” San Jose, like many US cities has a grid system. I’ll bet that there is some kind of parallel road to those “busy commercial roads” that has less traffic and/or easier left turns. Maybe the routes aren’t the most direct but that’s part of the fun. I don’t commute anymore…retired…but for 40 years I would tell people that I knew 433 routes between my house and my work. Yes, that’s a silly boast (and 433 is a prime number) but only by a little. I rode between 9 and 11 miles most of the time (depending on route) and crossed 4 major arterials. There is an arterial just to the south of my house that I could have used but if I rode 3 blocks further south, I could follow a quiet neighborhood road for much of my ride.
Quit looking at roads with car eyes.
On the contrary, I always look at roads with cyclist eyes. My excuse isn't much of an excuse, just enough to make me not want to commute. I've been a bike commuter for almost 15 years in various cities, so I am familiar with route making. Within the past 6 years or so (coincides with when I moved to my current place of residence), the benefits of commuting no longer outweighed the simplicity of driving. This is a function of an eroded enthusiasm for bike commuting overall, a lessened tolerance for suboptimal bike commuting conditions, and just an easier car commute.
My current commute really isn't bad on a bike, and while there are a number of different ways I can take to make the trip, the one referenced in my earlier post would be my preferred route if I were to bike. Lots of other comments have already made the point (infrastructure, design, safety, etc) but I blame the city zoning and the segregating impact of our highways. I live in a residential area that not too long ago was predominately commercial. I work in an office park that is purely commercial. The bird flies across two highways and two rail road tracks to get to one from the other. The nicest bike route among the various options is the one I complained about. And really it's not that bad it's just I don't want to get a flat tire, get hit by a car, and routinely deal with left turn lights that aren't optimized for bikes on my way to work.
It's really hard going against the design intent, when most of the city I live in is designed for cars. They've put in more bike lanes and safety features in the downtown core, but the design (which zoning is related to) is lacking for a lifestyle cyclist. Every year we get these surveys "tell us where you want bike lanes" they really should be asking "what amenities and services do you want to have within a 5 mile radius of your home".