Best Route from Barbur to Hawthorne Bridge?

[turbodog]

My commute home takes me down Barbur Blvd and eventually over the Hawthorne Bridge. Riding down Barbur itself is pretty sketchy, but I think the worst part is getting from Barbur proper, onto Naito and into Waterfront Park, right around here.

Barbur --> Naito is very direct, but I seem to get squeezed by cars on both my right and left where Naito goes from 2 to 1 lane, then merges with Kelly on the right.

Any suggestions on a better way to get home (but preferably not by continuing on to SW 4th and the downtown traffic)? Is there a way to get from Barbur to Moody, which, presumably, would put me into Waterfront Park?

[GelFreak]

you take the same route I do. On the way home where traffic backs up to get onto 405 I believe...when your heading south out of downtown on Natio I believe. Well if you are on the southbound lane side of the road you can follow the turn off right before the 405 entrance it takes you too a side road right next to 405 that has a 7-11 on the corner. Well you can ride about 3 blocks into that neighborhood and make a left at the side street where they have all the blocks up for the new OHSU tram...that lets you ride right along natio/barbur with out actually being on that busy road. Then you follow the sidewalk up about a 200ft LARGE incline that dumps you back onto the bike path of Natio/Barbur. I know thats kind of confusing so if you don't understand email me at Gelfreak91@lycos.com and I'll try and get you a detailed map or something.

[GelFreak]

I looked at the map you provided ... 1st street runs you right along front without having to put up with the traffic. Hope that helped.

[turbodog]

Thanks for the reply GelFreak. The route you describe is pretty much what I do on the way *out*. However, I'm looking for a better route coming back, i.e. northbound on Barbur toward the Hawthorne Bridge.

One day I will try taking SW 1st as far N as I can, but I really want to find out if there's a good way to get from Barbur to the SoWa area east of I-5.

[brock]

I know you asked for a non-downtown route, but compared to what you described I'd take that as the better option. I used to take Barbur to 4th, then a right onto Madison to cross the Hawthorne, but the Barbur/Naito intersection is scary and I never want to wait at the crosswalk. Now I just take Terwilliger to avoid all of that. Not as direct and a little hilly, but nice since there's a bike lane and the speed limit is 25. Then through downtown on 6th, right onto Madison. Good luck!

[shhambo]

ride on what is it 6th that goes into town? then hang right on the street that takes you accross the Hawthorne bridge. There is a little trick where traffic merges from I-5. But it beats dealing w/Naito Prwkay.

[jami]

i'd second brock on giving terwilliger a try. it is hilly, but it's a ride so pleasant people do it for fun. just stay on it until it ends, take a right and stay on that until you're headed downtown on sixth. but going through the highway mess at sixth and arthur really isn't that great either -- it's where i've had my only serious accident, the red light lasts forever, and you end up with a bike lane dead-ending and dumping you in traffic downtown. it still sounds safer than your route, but my impression is that you're willing to trade some security for speed.

[thomschoenborn]

Going down 4th from Barbur isn't too bad, really. You have a similar merge like at Naito, but unlike that merge, there's a stoplight at the one on 4th. Plus, in the morning, that traffic goes pretty slow because of all the lights. From there, it's easy to merge right and take a right on, what? Madison? To hit the Hawthorne. I do it every day, and it's a lot better than waiting for that light at 1st by the 7-11. Ugh. That's the longest light ever.