[zeytin]

...if there is a tunnel between you and your job? My new job is only about 15 miles from my house but I have to use a major expressway and a tunnel to get there. I wanna commute. I think I'll start looking for either a new house or a new job next year. I want to start bike commuting again.
**sigh** Has anyone else moved or changed jobs so they could commute by bike?

S

 

[DrRoebuck]

there's absolutely no way around it? even if it takes you off course for a couple miles?

 

[bigbill]

Do the busses have bike racks? Do you have busses? Tunnels are tough, when I was stationed in Norfolk, I based my duty preference on having a tunnel free commute. We frequently ride in the mountain pass tunnels here in Oahu, but only downhill. The return trip is the long way around.

 

[zeytin]

there's absolutely no way around it? even if it takes you off course for a couple miles?

Unfortunately it would be more than a few. There is a major river (Patapsco) between myself and my job. My job is due south through the tunnel, to go around I would have to go way west to an old bridge downtown that would get me across the river. The other problem with that is that there is a nasty section between myself and downtown and another on the south side of the city. My HS starts really early; another benefit of moving to a new school next year would be to find one that starts a little later to offer me the opportunity. I currently leave the house at 6am to drive to work.

 

[KendleFox]

?

I plead ignorance.

Does anyone have apicture of one of these tunnels?

 

[nate]

**sigh** Has anyone else moved or changed jobs so they could commute by bike?

S

Plenty of people change jobs because of their commute. I will eventually. It will not be the only reason but it will be a big part.

 

[zeytin]

I plead ignorance.

Does anyone have apicture of one of these tunnels?

Just the usual expressway tunnel. It hasn't changed much since the first photo was taken.

 

[KendleFox]

Oh thats not pretty

Thank you for posting the picture. Has anyone just said to hell with it and takin the tunnel? That kinda sucks if you have to make a big detour to get around the tunnel....

 

[MarkS]

Paddle Boat

You need to get one of the paddle boats that tourists use in the Inner Harbor. Then you could ride from home to your boat, paddle across the harbor (with your bike on the back) and then ride the rest of the way to school. Of course, finding places to dock the paddle boat will not be easy and paddling a little dinky boat across the shipping channel in Baltimore Harbor may not be the smartest idea in the world. But, you asked for suggestions.

I know generally where you live and if you are taking the Harbor Tunnel, you must be going to Anne Arundel County. There is no way to avoid the Tunnel without your going through Downtown and neighborhoods that are a lot worse than my usual commuting places. I also don't think that there is any bus link that would get you and your bike through the Harbor Tunnel -- all of the mass transit connections between the northern parts of Baltimore and Anne Arundel County go through Downtown. You could take your bike with you in the car and ride from the southern end of the tunnel to school, but the riding in Northern Anne Arundel County sucks. If I were you, I would just get out of school as early as I could in the afternoon, get home and then jump on the bike and ride near your house, which is a lot letter place.

 

[MarkS]

Or, just ride through it

Remember the Holland Tunnel video? http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=24909&highlight=tunnel

 

[Chris H]

Wow, that is crazy. I'm glad we don't have anything like that here in Fort Worth. I wouldn't even want to drive through that...

How long is that tunnel? I'm guessing there are no sidewalks through it either? I have to plead ignorance as well. I've never experienced anything like that.

 

[Kram]

That's just plain NUTZ. I remember 1 time I rode home at 1130pm across one of our bridges here in Harrisburg after a baseball game on the island (1/2 way across the river) and traffic was at a standstill as I rod in between cars. Didn't make too many friends that night but I got home much quicker than they did

 

[bigrider]

Last week, I went to a funeral in Vienna, Va. I had two other passengers in the car and we were coming through the Ft. McHenry Tunnel. They had one side of the tunnel closed and halfway through the tunnel I heard a thump, thump thump. Yep, every Baltimorean's nightmare. A flat in the tunnel. Traffic backed up and they put the red X on the board for me. We decided to jump out and change it because the traffic was so slow getting around us. It was horror.

 

[SC_clydesdale]

Possible two step problem

Bear with me here.

1. Width of river?

2. Local docks on each side with stowing?

Suggestion is to use canoe or similar to cross river, lashing bike on gunwhales of canoe.

Leave at dock during evening/work hours on relevant river side. Think of it as parking.

Or ride quickly through tough area of town. Think of it as incentive.....

I have a Saturday AM ride through a tough area (go back different way) and the gangsta's typically aren't up early where I am. Ride home can be through safer area.

Good Luck!!

 

[jh_on_the_cape]

i may face a similar situation but with a bridge.

go for a partial bike commute.

Can you drive through the tunnel, and then park and ride your bike? only worth it if there is some reasonable distance from tunnel to work, otherwise might as well stay in the car.

another alternative is to carpool, and bike to the other person's house who will drive you to work, leaving your bike there for afterwork. if you are in a cycling club, you might find someone who drives through the tunnel everyday and has a bike rack. that way even if they dont go to your workplace, you can get off and ride on the other side. try a local email list.

the only toughy I see is that your work starts so early. at that hour people wont wait a minute to give someone a lift.

i would not ride through that tunnel. unsafe for cycling and the pollution would take its toll on you in the longterm.

 

[MarkS]

i would not ride through that tunnel. unsafe for cycling and the pollution would take its toll on you in the longterm.

Besides the obvious hazards in the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, it is illegal to ride a bike in it and I would not be surprised if Baltimore's finest would throw a cyclist in jail. The Baltimore Pretrial Detention Center is a notorious hole. It was built in the 1990s to "improve" the previous system where arrestees were held a police station houses until they made bail or were otherwise released. Under the old system, someone who was arrested for a minor crime could be released in a few hours. Now, it takes a day or two to process a release and a lot can happen while you are waiting.