Get me outta the suburbs

[gotgears]

So I work out by Walker and 158th I want a decent route into the city that won't have me looking over my shoulder for cars going 60+

[djasonpenney]

I live by Murray and Butner, so I have a lot to say about this.

The route I'm going to share with you is not hard, but it's weird enough that you should try it some day when you have some time.

First of all, find your way to the Terpenning THPRD center. That's the SW corner of Walker & 158th. If you noodle around, you'll find there is a MUP exit at the east end onto Pioneer Road.

• Follow Pioneer east to Meadow, then turn right (south)
• Go up the hill on Meadow, turn left (east) on Downing.
• Pass Meadow Park Middle School (on the right), make oblique left onto Butner Road.
• Follow Butner Road. Continue past Murray (the light). Butner makes a sharp left, then at the stop sign make a right. You're still on Butner. Pass the bridge, then make a the next right (Huntington)
• Swoop down the hill and up, make a left at the second(?) stop sign onto Bowmont.
• Left at the T onto Park Way.
• Follow Park Way past the light (Cedar Hills Boulevard), up the hill (past Cedar Park Middle School on the right), to the stop sign.
• Right at the stop sign (Marlowe), then next left (behind Cedar Hills Shopping Center) onto Wilshire.

The above seems complicated, but it's really not bad after you've done it a few times. The trick now is to get you onto the US-26 bike path. You'll cross SR-217 (overpass), and then make a left onto SW 96th. Turn right at the T. If you look on Google maps it looks like one would be forced back to Wilshire vi SW Knollcrest. Not true! The US-26 bike path starts right where Park Way ends.

• Follow the path up the hill
• When it dumps you out on the street, make an immediate left onto Pointer. Note: gear down early; you have about one block of 8% grade.
• At the stop sign, make a left on Camelot Court.
• Immediately after the bridge over US-26, make a right back onto the bike path. The bike path continues up to the Sylvan interchange.

You didn't say where you wanted to go in downtown. If I was planning to go into central westside area, I'd probably continue through the zoo:

• Cross the pedestrian light over Skyline Boulevard, stay on the sidewalk.
• Continue on Canyon Court down to the zoo exit.
• Proceed with an annoying uphill grind through the zoo (Canyon Road) and then turn right on Kingston Drive.
• Follow Kingston Drive down to the Rose Garden.
• Make a left. You're technically still on Kingston Drive.
• Bear right at the end of Kingston (Tichner Drive). Tichner loops back around and turns into Marconi Avenue.
• Make a left onto SW Park Place, which turns into SW Washington Way. Past the reservoir, continue right on SW Lewis and Clark Circle.
• Turn right on SW Park Place.

Congratulations, you are now in SW Portland!

Another simpler but more nervy route from the Sylvan interchange is to just hop on US-26 eastbound at the zoo exit and jump off immediately at SW Jefferson Avenue.

If you're planning to go points south of town, you could cross over US-26 at the Sylvan interchange and then follow Hewett Boulevard up to Broadway or Dosch or what you prefer.

Back at Sylvan, if you're going to get on Hewett Boulevard, you can use the left turn signal for the US-26 eastbound onramp to cross over to a sidewalk:



(In case the image doesn't show up, here's the link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e....0036&t=h&z=18)

However, beware that about 25% of the northbound traffic on Scholls Ferry Road will disregard their red light and try to make a hood ornament of you when you go to the sidewalk. Be careful!

[lynnef]

If you were wanting to be north of Burnside at the end of all this, when you get to Lewis and Clark Circle, (or whatever it is), carefully go the wrong way down the 1-way for a teeny bit, and hop onto Stearns Way, a former street that switchbacks down to Burnside. You cross at NW 24th, and you are in NW Portland...

Note: descending Park and or Salmon through the west side of downtown is.... interesting. The road is steep, and not in the best of condition. Once you get to Lincoln HS the grade eases and it is a more-relaxing ride.

Returning to the west side - the best way I've found is to follow SW Jefferson until it makes the big bend left (past the Vista Bridge) - hop onto the path on the right. Switchback up. Take a left turn on the path when it is offered. It puts you at the entrance to Washington Park.

Alternative routes are climbing Vista or Montgomery (pretty, but steep).

[Psyfalcon]

I calculated Pointer to be even steeper for a short distance. Use your gears.

I think it might be faster to make a right at the tennis courts on to Sherwood. You do have speed bumps then, but I've found big bike tires are pretty good at rolling over them. Going NW, the stop sign on Park is Vista, which becomes 23rd, so that should be good access too.

Park to Salmon is only if you have good brakes. I won't ride it on my steel rimmed bike if there is wet roads or the threat of rain. That bike wont make the stop sign on Park, or the bottom of Salmon! Watch the buses parked down the road from the school. They force you to take the lane since they block the shoulder.

[djasonpenney]

Salmon-colored Kool-Stops are the best! When was the last time you checked your brake pads?

But seriously, whichever way you come out of the zoo I think you'll face about a block of serious steepness. Another reason to try this route some day when you have time.

Originally Posted by Psyfalcon

Park to Salmon is only if you have good brakes. I won't ride it on my steel rimmed bike if there is wet roads or the threat of rain. That bike wont make the stop sign on Park, or the bottom of Salmon! Watch the buses parked down the road from the school. They force you to take the lane since they block the shoulder.

[lynnef]

let's not forget the bit of serious steepness just above the Rose Garden. Sharp hairpin turn, really awful pavement, a stop sign and very steep. Good brakes are very reassuring.

[Simple Nature]

If you can get to SW Parkway [just east of Murrey and Walker] you have a pretty straight shot all the way into town via the bike path and through Washington Park. If you want to end up at NW 25th and Burnside, there is a hidden little switchback ajacent to the reservour [SW Sterns Way] which is a beautiful alternative to exiting down SW Park Place.

[darn... I have the GPS file but loading somewhere seems a real pain!]

[bikejunkie]

Thanks a lot for this awesome connection. This makes the Virtual Tour for Tanasbourne to Portland much better.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...Portland138699
I welcome your comments before I update the website
http://www.yourbodypower.org/transpo...anasbourne.htm

Aaron