My 60 year old dad is wanting to start biking to work! Can you help?

[coyote4130]

Surprisingly, my 60 year old dad is wanting to start biking to work! The thing stopping him isn't the 50 mile round trip, but the possibility that there isn't a feasible route. He takes the I-205 from Powell to exit 289, out in Tualatin. I know the 205 bike path is open from clackamas town center on down, but I'm not sure how far it keeps going (though I am aware that it cuts of at 82nd drive and stars again at clackamas hwy). He said if he was going to ride his bike he would just take the hwy, but believes it would be illegal to ride his bike on this section of freeway, and I'm not sure. Does anyone know of a possible route?

[K'Tesh]

Originally Posted by coyote4130

He <snip> believes it would be illegal to ride his bike on this section of freeway, and I'm not sure.

Here's the OAR that pertains to that section of I205.

12. SELECTED OREGON ADMINISTRATIVE RULES (OAR) THAT PERTAIN TO BICYCLISTS & PEDESTRIANS:

Prohibition of Non-Motorized Vehicles on Freeways 734-20-0045

(1) Non-motorized vehicles are prohibited upon the following segments of freeways within the State of Oregon:

(a) Portland area:

(A)The Columbia River Highway No. 2 (Banfield/I-84) from its intersection with I-5, MP 0.00, to 122nd Avenue, MP 10.25, east bound, and to Sandy Boulevard, MP 15.14, west bound;

(B) The Sunset Highway No. 47 easterly of the Jefferson Street Interchange, MP 73.35;

(C) Interstate 5 (Hwy. No. 1) from the Beaverton-Tigard Highway Interchange, MP 292.20, to the Delta Park Interchange, MP 306.70;

(D) Interstate 205 (Hwy No. 64) northerly of the Overcrossing of the Oswego Highway No. 3, MP 8.82;

(E) Interstate 405 (Hwy. No. 81) in its entirety; and

(F) Lower Columbia Highway No. 2W from its intersection with I-405, MPE0.00, to 23rd Street, MP 1.99.

(b) Medford area: Interstate 5 (Pacific Highway No. 1) from the Barnet Road Interchange, MP 27.58, to the Crater Lake Highway Interchange, MP 30.29 (in Medford).

(2) The closure of the above sections to nonmotorized vehicles shall become effective following the erection of adequate signing.

Please note that paragraph (2) provides that "adequate signing" is necessary in order to give non-motorized users notice of the closure. This means that the signs warning us off of the road must actually be in place before we are required to use an alternative route. No sign, no ticket.

Riders familiar with the prohibited sections of roadway will probably agree, however, that no one would want to be on these sections of highway without thick sheetmetal surrounding their vulnerable bodies. One of my worst riding experiences involved trying to go eastbound from the top of Sylvan hill in Portland down to the Jefferson Street off ramp on the Sunset Highway, Highway 26. This section of road is supposed to be open for non-motorized users until the Jefferson Street off ramp (see the rules above, OAR 734- 20-045(1)(a)(B). However, the area is narrow with little room for vehicles outside the main traffic lanes. This is an area where drivers simultaneously attempt to slow down and maneuver into the correct lane before they enter the Sunset tunnel. As I rocketed down the steep hill trying to keep my aching hands from cramping while I held tightly onto my brakes I remember saying to myself: "So this is what it feels like to get caught in a stampeding herd of cattle!" It was an unpleasant scary experience.

If anyone is hassled about riding on lawful roadways, cite the "offending officer" to the OAR; knowledge is power.

Hope this helps...

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

Source: Swanson, Thomas and Coon

[kenl666]

You may want to consider other paths. I commute from SE Stark & 111th (not too far from Powell & I-205) to the Barbur Blvd. transit center, then a bus out to Wilsonville. The best route for me wound up being just blasting down Division, cross over the Hawthorne bridge, then up Barbur Blvd. If he's open to multi-modal transit, then that might be a winner.

Another possibility would be the Springwater Corridor, across the Sellwood bridge, then somehow over to Tualatin.

I'm not saying my route is best, just suggesting to consider other routes. It took me the longest time to realize that just because I drive a certain route, doesn't mean I need to ride that same route. Once I had that epiphany I took another look at the map and started riding my bike (most of the way) to work taking a path that was basically perpendicular to my driving route.

[Haven_kd7yct]

Going off Kenl's suggestion about the Sellwood-- if you can get up over Terwilliger, you can easily get to Tualatin by going down Barbur/Hwy99 to Hall, left, then straight down to left on Durham Rd, right on Upper Boones, and straight into Tualatin.

Or, straight down 99W through King City, left on 124th, then left on Tualatin Rd, and there you are, Tualatin.

What side of Tualatin does he need to be on? I'd be wary of riding on the back roads like Stafford and 65th, there are no shoulders or bike lanes and the speeds the cars go at can tend to be high-- it may be posted 45, but the locals know they can get up to at least 55 on certain stretches... and there are enough blind corners that it makes me nervous!