Biking Out Of Airports
When you fly somewhere, do you ever wish you could just ride from the airport to your destination? Forget Uber (or rental car/public transit/hotel shuttle). Hop on your bike and go!
In the last year I’ve ridden in or out of Houston Hobby, LaGuardia, Washington Reagan, LAX and Boise. My colleague Gary Cziko met me last November at LAX and recorded a sweet video of our trip from there.
Oh, and last week I rode out of SeaTac. I won’t do that again. But before I tell you why, I want to tell you about the best airport ride I’ve had this year.
On the day I arrived last June in Boise, brilliant blue skies framed the mountains that cradle Idaho’s capital city, aptly named “Treasure Valley.” Big-city airports typically take “forever” to roll out of. But Boise’s airport is small enough that I was soon on “dreaded” Vista Avenue, the main drag leading into town.
My friend Lisa Brady, who runs Boise’s Safe Routes To Schools program, warned me to be careful on Vista. I’d be likely to encounter fast and uncivil drivers, she said.
Hmm. Even Google Maps advised me to avoid Vista.
Oh boy. A challenge! While still in St. Louis I carefully studied satellite views. I was puzzled over the admonitions. Vista seemed like a fairly normal arterial road. Two travel lanes in each direction, with a two-way center-turn lane between.
I’d never been to Boise, though. Especially when bicycling in a new place, it’s always good to have a Plan B. If I felt endangered or even the slightest bit uncomfortable, I’d hop on public transit for the rest of my trip to Downtown Boise.
As I set off from the airport I constantly monitored my helmet’s rearview mirror. How were other drivers reacting to my presence on the road?
Ah-h-h! I relaxed almost immediately. Savvy cycling works here, too.
The “dance” is the same everywhere I’ve been in the United States. I’m on a bicycle. No motorist wants to be behind me. On Vista, the sight lines are good and other drivers saw me from so far back they didn’t even take their feet off the gas to change lanes to pass.
Confident that I’d merely have to be mindful and not vigilant, I started taking in the local streetscape. What a delight to discover connections to my beloved St. Louis! One major intersection was at Targee. Thomas Targee saved St. Louis from the Great Fire of 1849. (My sister and I host an airbnb apartment named after Targee, but that’s another story.)
The next major intersection was Overland. Too weird! Overland is a lovely older St. Louis suburb. Years ago my husband and I considered buying our first home in Overland. As I waited at the light and mulled the serendipity, I was yelled at.
“Girl! You need to get out of the middle of the street!”
This unsolicited advice came from a grizzled guy who appeared to be about my age. He was riding his bike on the sidewalk, and waiting at the light with a young fellow who appeared to be a college student — also riding his bike on the sidewalk, and wisely ignoring us both.
“Grizzly” startled me, but I was in a jovial mood. I smiled at him.
“Don’t you know it’s rude to yell at strangers?” I responded.
The traffic light was long so I decided to play with him.
“By the way, did you know the sidewalk is the most dangerous place to ride?”
He sneered as the light turned green. At the next signalized intersection he and I crossed paths. I rode onto the sidewalk because I saw the spire of Boise’s magnificent historic train station. I wanted to study Google Maps to figure out how to get to it.
To my astonishment — and then horror — I watched as “Grizzly” rolled onto Vista Avenue and away down the hill. I wanted to shout after him:
“Dude! Get back on the sidewalk! You’ll be safer.”
You see, he rode his bike on the right edge of the right travel lane. If you’re going to ride on a high-speed arterial road, own your space! Control your travel lane. Make it clear to other drivers that they need to change lanes to pass.
By riding on the right edge, it would take only one motorist on high-speed Vista Avenue to make a mistake and think there was room enough to “share” the lane.
I shuddered and said a prayer for his safety. I fervently hoped the dictum would hold true: Even when done poorly, bicycling is very safe.
As far as I know, he was fine — and I sure was! Lisa met me at my hotel. She regaled me with a ride to remember. What a wonderful city she calls home! We had a splendid time.
I found it totally easy to be car-free in Boise. I can’t wait to go back and explore some more.
And Seattle? I doubt that I’ll ride again to or from SeaTac, but not because of the airport. Like all airports, it was super easy to navigate using savvy cycling principles.
It’s just Seattle. I had to ride 18 miles that afternoon. I was hauling a bunch of stuff to teach CyclingSavvy. Our hosts warned us that Seattle was hilly, but I thought I could handle it. Wrong. The distance combined with the terrain defeated me. I grew weary of pushing my bike and loaded trailer up steep hills. I hopped on Sound Transit.
Savvy cyclists always have a “Plan B.” ;)