Bike Commuting Route Selection

Adapted from the BICYCLE COMMUTER’S HANDBOOK, prepared for the North Texas Clean Air Coalition by Bowman-Melton Associates, Inc., available for download from: http://www.nctcog.org/trans/sustdev/bikeped/safetyed/   

What is a reasonable distance to commute by bicycle?  
Many people consider three to five miles an optimum distance for bicycle commuting, although some experienced cyclists commute fifteen miles or more each way! With an efficient bicycle in good working order, you don’t have to be an athlete to ride 3 or more miles. Base your decision upon your own experience and abilities. Since most urban bicyclists travel a little faster than 10 miles per hour, you should be able to ride 3 miles in less than 20 minutes, or 5 miles in 30 minutes. If you live more than five miles from work and feel it’s too far to cycle the entire distance, consider bicycling to a TARC bus stop. TARC now has bicycle racks on all of its buses. These racks allow you to take your bike on the bus for a long commute to save yourself time and effort or to avoid a busy road.  

What routes should I take to bicycle to work?  
Plan your commute route thoroughly. Your objective is to find the most pleasant routes to your work site. Practice on a weekend or holiday when traffic volumes are low to determine the best route and to figure out how long your commute will take. Consider the following points when planning your bicycle commute route:  

  • Look for streets with low traffic volumes and few trucks and buses.
  • Wide travel lanes and paved shoulders provide a more comfortable place to ride.
  • Pay attention to drainage grates, railroad crossings and other potential hazards.
  • Fewer stop signs will allow you to keep up your speed.
  • Flat terrain requires less effort, but with multi-geared bikes, hills can be relatively easy.
  • Look for good pavement condition. Contact MetroCall (311) Online to report pavement that needs repair or cleaning of accumulated debris.

Louisville Metro has maps of bicycle lanes, routes, and trails available through Metro Planning and Design Services. This map may be a good starting place to identify potential routes to work. The maps can be found online on the Bike Louisville homepage. It should become even easier to commute by bicycle as our region implements improvements to make bicycling more convenient and pleasant.