Chicago Route Request

David The Nationals Fan said:

Any ideas on how to get from Roscoe and Western to Cumblerland and Higgins.
So far all of the routes have been fraught with difficulties.

I would:

1. Go down Roscoe west, maybe cut through the DeVry Parking lot to
Rockwell.
2. Take Rockwell north to Addison
3. Turn left/west and take Addison to:

a. California, turn right/north to Grace, turn left/west to Elston
b. Stay on Addison to Elston

4. Take Elston right/north to Lawrence (bike lane on Elston)
5. Turn left/west on Lawrence to Higgins (bike lane part way on
Lawrence)

6. At Lawrence/Giddings there a short right-left jog to get onto
Higgins.
7. Stay on Higgins to Cumberland. Higgins really isn't the best route,
but it isn't bad; I've ridden it a couple of times going generally to
Bryn Mawr and Cumberland.

--
Bob Kastigar; [email hidden]
Home: http://www.neiu.edu/~rkastiga Work: http://www.wgntv.com
School: http://www.neiu.edu Play: http://www.neiu.edu/~stagectr
Union: http://www.ibew1220.org (Chicago, IL USA)

"Sweet Old Bob" (or just the initials)

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Quoted message said:

4. Take Elston right/north to Lawrence (bike lane on Elston)

I tried that yesterday heading back. Elston's pavement was very very bad.
The bike lane was almost unusable with patches and the like.

Quoted message said:

5. Turn left/west on Lawrence to Higgins (bike lane part way on
Lawrence)

That seemed to be okay. I prefer one way streets with less traffic...

Quoted message said:

6. At Lawrence/Giddings there a short right-left jog to get onto
Higgins.

yes.

Quoted message said:

7. Stay on Higgins to Cumberland. Higgins really isn't the best route,
but it isn't bad;

East Bound was okay. Except for the PO'd drivers that I was able to go so
much faster than them.

Quoted message said:

I've ridden it a couple of times going generally to
Bryn Mawr and Cumberland.

Actually I popped off Higgins at Harlem and got onto Bryn Mawr. It was a
straight shot and quite pleasant. It carried me all the way to a light at
Cumberland.

David The Nationals Fan said:

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Quoted message said:

4. Take Elston right/north to Lawrence (bike lane on Elston)

I tried that yesterday heading back. Elston's pavement was very very bad.
The bike lane was almost unusable with patches and the like.

I was trying for the shortest/safest route. You could try Milwaukee to
Elston; no bike lane and further south the pavement is much worse that
what you say on Elston.

Here's a scenic alternate:

1. At Rockwell and Addison go straight ahead, into the alley west of
McDonalds.
2. Continue to the rear of the building, see a walk-thru gate that's
always open.
3. Thru the gate, through the WGN parking lot, to Bradley Place.
4. Turn right/east to the corner, but make a left/north taking the
sidewalk north; there's no street
5. When you get to the tennis courts, enter the park
6. Through the park to the light at Irving Park Road.
7. Cross at the light, turn left and follow the sidewalk right/west to
the path through the next park.
8. Go through the park to Montrose
9. At Montrose, go left/west to Manor
10. Take Manor to Lawrence.
11. At Lawrence, to left/west. No bike lane but it starts up again at
Central Park and continues.

Follow Lawrence.

Quoted message said:

Actually I popped off Higgins at Harlem and got onto Bryn Mawr. It was a
straight shot and quite pleasant. It carried me all the way to a light at
Cumberland.

A good choice, except now you need to take Cumberland north to Higgins,
and that's kindofa busy complex area with the Expressway ramps, etc.

--
Bob Kastigar; [email hidden]
Home: http://www.neiu.edu/~rkastiga Work: http://www.wgntv.com
School: http://www.neiu.edu Play: http://www.neiu.edu/~stagectr
Union: http://www.ibew1220.org (Chicago, IL USA)

"Sweet Old Bob" (or just the initials)

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was trying for the shortest/safest route. You could try Milwaukee to
Elston; no bike lane and further south the pavement is much worse that
what you say on Elston.

Hard to believe that it could be much worse. I tried going all the way up
to Wilson. It was rather nice. Not to crowded, pretty straight...

Quoted message said:

Here's a scenic alternate:

1. At Rockwell and Addison go straight ahead, into the alley west of
McDonalds.
2. Continue to the rear of the building, see a walk-thru gate that's
always open.
3. Thru the gate, through the WGN parking lot, to Bradley Place.
4. Turn right/east to the corner, but make a left/north taking the
sidewalk north; there's no street
5. When you get to the tennis courts, enter the park
6. Through the park to the light at Irving Park Road.
7. Cross at the light, turn left and follow the sidewalk right/west to
the path through the next park.
8. Go through the park to Montrose

Doesn't sound too bad. But I ride a "real" bicycle (that is to say a late
1970's road bike with 1 inch tires) How is the pavement?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Actually I popped off Higgins at Harlem and got onto Bryn Mawr. It was a
straight shot and quite pleasant. It carried me all the way to a light
at
Cumberland.

A good choice, except now you need to take Cumberland north to Higgins,
and that's kindofa busy complex area with the Expressway ramps, etc.

I took Bryn Mawr a bit further and it took me to East River Road. That went
across the expressway just fine.

Good thoughts though. I will try to comply what is the best route (from my
perspective).

My own preference. One way side streets. Yes, you have some speed hump and
stop sign issues, but the lack of traffic means that the pavement is
generally in good shape and the traffic is quite light. Its also easier to
spot the people going to their cars and opening doors. No driveways (for
the most part) in Chicago also helps. I admit to "breaking the law" in
that I generally slow, but do not stop at 4 way (or three way) stops when no
cars coming on the cross streets.... but then since I am in Illinois, I am
technically not a proper user of the non-bikelane designated streets in any
event. (Thanks a lot Illinois Supreme Court in Springfield... hope someone
gives you a big bundle of poison ivy for the Fourth of July)