Thread: Commuting in Waco

I assume you're talking about the VA offices, I could be wrong.

I live around the baylor area and don't mind taking Clay as far as it goes. It's kinda dirty on the "shoulders" and you get weird looks from the locals, but it hasn't given me any problems yet.

Here's a potential route. I'll let you figure the route from your house to bagby, aka old temple road: linky

Thanks for the route- I checked out a few days ago (in the car). You had some very good ideas, especially how to get across HWY 6 and Valley Mills- unfortunately, Beverly Dr. by the VA hospital is narrow, concrete, and lined with 18-wheelers (industrial area), so I am going to try some other possibilities. this is not a bike or pedestrian friendly town. Maybe when gas gets to $12 a gallon folks will wake up. Thanks for the help.

P.S. Too bad can't use RR tracks, Southern Pacific route would be a straight shot, and a lot less dangerous than the streets Hmmm

I've been lucky not to hit any semis or much traffic on that stretch of Beverly, but I know exactly what you mean. There is some serious industry there, and the road could be less... pot-holy ()??

That railroad is indeed the optimal route through waco to almost anywhere that you'd ever need to go. Too bad that's very much a "live" rail, so there's no hope for a rails to trails program there.

There are a lot of places in Waco that are heavily congested and I wouldn't mind riding sidewalks.... if there were sidewalks. This town is not only bike-unfriendly, but even pedestrian unfriendly. However, I dont think that will ever change, even if gas prices do get to $12/gal. Scooters, mopeds, motorcyles possibly (I absolutely love riding my 1984 suzuki scooter), but America is all about making hard things easy and comfortable, and riding a bike 10 miles in 100 degree heat on your way home doesn't quite fit that mentality. Physical exertion is just something America doesn't like, and that's why we buy a riding lawn mower for our 1/16 acre front yard instead of that puny push mower that was 1/20th the cost...


# umount -f soapbox

Agree with you totally. Seems to be some sort of conspiracy to keep us in cars. I am in Phoenix right now on vacation. Phoenix was SUV heaven when I moved away from here 8 years ago. Now, I am seeing a lot more scooters, bikes, and tiny cars. It would still be an incredibly dangerous place to bike, except for Tempe, where the city leaders had some foresight and created bike paths all over. Bought a newspaper today, and the used SUV ads take up almost an entire page. I think things will change, Waco and smaller cities in the heartland will resist as long as they can.

I've started commuting, by bke, to work this week and hope to do it at least two or three times a week. I'm getting a little flack from my wife about getting home late every night , so I have to limit it. The shortest route I feel relatively safe on is 23 miles one way. I live in North Bosque Estates, just past Baylor Camp rd, on HWY 6 and work on LaSalle near the Circle. I leave the house at 6:00 and am at work at about 7:30 leaving me enough time to get cleaned up. The route I take is through Baylor Camp rd to China Spring Hwy, China Spring Hwy to Steinbeck Bend/Lake Brazos Dr, cross the river, down University Parks to LaSalle. The mornings have been really pleasant. Cool, with light traffic. On the way home, I take a slightly different route, Rock Creek rd through Bosquiville and more back roads. I've enjoyed it, so far. I've calculated that if I do this 3 times/week it would save me about $100 a month with near $4.00 gas.

Originally Posted by Crawfordkid60

The route I take is through Baylor Camp rd to China Spring Hwy.

Perhaps I will see you one morning. I typically take Flat Rock to yankee, to 185, when I head home. What time do you typically go by Flat Rock? Perhaps if I have nothing going one morning I'll ride to work with you and then head home. The ride home this morning was absolutely brutal!

Kevin

Maybe y'all should consider forwarding suggestion to Larry Groth at the City Manager's Office. I had good luck getting some crosswalks and more signage at the kiddo's school, and it was fast -- about a week from my initial e-mail. Of course, sidewalks and bike lanes are going to take a bit longer.

If I thought the locations where I'd like improvement would be used by anyone other than myself, then that would be a great idea. However, I'm the only other person I've ever seen on those bridges.

If that railroad was ever decommissioned , I would be all over getting it paved! Is it illegal to ride next to the rails?

Originally Posted by joraff

If I thought the locations where I'd like improvement would be used by anyone other than myself, then that would be a great idea. However, I'm the only other person I've ever seen on those bridges.

If that railroad was ever decommissioned , I would be all over getting it paved! Is it illegal to ride next to the rails?

The reason no one rides them is they are scary to get to. I do my road riding mostly north of Waco because there really isn't a good(easy) way across the tracks.

Originally Posted by joraff

<snip>

If that railroad was ever decommissioned , I would be all over getting it paved! Is it illegal to ride next to the rails?

I don't know who owns it, but BNSF here will hand you your hat for being on their property.

Originally Posted by loco

BNSF here will hand you your ha

How kind of them! It's been so windy here lately that I'm sure if I wore a hat it would blow off all the time.

Joraff, how to cross Valley Mills from Beverly? or any other good places to cross? I did not understand the map at that point about crossing through parking lot of Katie's.

I did try this route in the middle of the day last week, but crossed Valley Mills at Memorial/Dutton, which was a little frightening. Otherwise is a great route, and I made 13.6 miles in just over an hour riding at a relaxed pace. That is about the same time as my old commute in Phoenix, driving 21 miles!

It is good to know I could actually ride to work if I had to. Too hot right now unless they put in showers at the office.

Memorial/Dutton is scary because the light is so short. I had to push my out-of-gas moped back to that Valero one night ... If you feel compelled to avoid traffic you could trot down to the railroad bridge at the bottom of the hill and make your way under that on foot - I don't think you have to go on the railroad's property there, but I could be wrong.

The way I described it on the map was to (coming from the south) cut over left (west) into the neighborhoods just before you get to valley mills, on something like Columbia. That takes you to the road that backs up to the railroad (Sherry/Industrial) which comes out on valley mills directly across from Katie's. There's a cutout in the median there - just BEFORE the light/turn lane at Clay - that gives you a straight shot at Katie's and a little curb protection from traffic since no one really turns there that I've seen. Make a little more sense?

I'm in Temple right now, and am paying close attention to all this new construction they're doing... so far there are sidewalks with ramps on about 80% of it, including the new bridges over I35. However, that 80% that doesnt have sidewalks already has new grass planted right up to the curb with a sprinkler system. Soo close...

Originally Posted by newtothis

Joraff, how to cross Valley Mills from Beverly? or any other good places to cross? I did not understand the map at that point about crossing through parking lot of Katie's.

I did try this route in the middle of the day last week, but crossed Valley Mills at Memorial/Dutton, which was a little frightening. Otherwise is a great route, and I made 13.6 miles in just over an hour riding at a relaxed pace. That is about the same time as my old commute in Phoenix, driving 21 miles!

It is good to know I could actually ride to work if I had to. Too hot right now unless they put in showers at the office.

What about the pedestrian bridge on Bagby by University High School? Or Speight?

Originally Posted by joraff

sidewalks with ramps...

Not sure if Waco is going to continue, but they did go thru a little sidewalk building spree a few years ago...they added sidewalks all the way around the Coliseum and some other areas...A long way to go...like down Valley Mills/New Road/Waco Drive area.