I don't put my bike on the bus all that often, but the times I have the bike has been fine. One of my fenders lost the battle once though... the wind ripped 1/2 of it right off.

As far as crossing I-90 goes it can be unpleasant in the wind, but it is seldom truly hair raising. I can say this from experience. I crossed it in a storm with gusts to 35 once.... that was no fun, but I survived it without blowing away.

I live near Martin Luther King way - I actually prefer to avoid it... it has a seriously dangerous bike lane and if you choose to not use it, you get a lot of abuse from drivers. Unfortunately most of the alternatives are to use neighborhood streets, which for me, since I live up here is fine. By the time I get this close I'm generally not in any kind of hurry, but if you are really trying to get somewhere back streets are not so great.

An alternate route that may be more pleasant would be up Jackson, left onto 12th. Right onto E. Union, Left onto 19th - straight into Interlaken Park. At the bottom of the hill there is a choice - there is very steep hill (down in this direction) or you can go onto a MUP - it is unlit and a little isolated, but it is a short distance, I've never heard of any problems there and I've commuted through there for 2 dark winters without feeling unsafe. It does however require a good light, since back there it will be all you have to see with. The MUP ends on E Interlake Blvd. From there left onto 23rd, almost immediate right onto Boyer Ave E, almost immediate left onto 25th Ave E - the route across Montlake is the same as the one you've already mapped out. The direction you would be going is actually ideal though - in the morning it should be light by the time you are there, unless you are going out very, very early and in the evening you can just go down the hill and avoid the dark trail all together.

If you choose to go down the hill you can turn right onto Boyer, or you can go straight, then it gets a bit funky - the street dead ends, there's a church on the left, go through their parking lot (you can get through even if the gate is closed) and you will come out onto E Lynn Street - keep left on the arterial and it will change names to 19th Ave E, W. Montlake Place E, then E Roanoak St, but all you have to do is go straight.... it is much less confusing than it sounds, that will come out onto Montlake Blvd - you can take the back route, but I usually choose to just cross the bridge over the highway with the rest of traffic then merge onto the sidewalk before the metal decking of the Montlake bridge.

To avoid most of the BG - get off the Burke at 25th Ave NE, follow 25th nearly all of the way to Lake City Way NE (it will turn into Ravenna Ave NE), just before Lake City Way stay to the right which will still be Ravenna Ave NE, keep going straight - there's a little cut through the center barrier at 98th to allow bikes through - turn right at the High School (I think it is NE 110th st, but it could be 105th..), turn left onto 35th Ave NE, stay on 35th (stay right at the Y) until it comes to a T intersection, turn left onto NE 145th, almost immediately turn right onto Lake City Way NE/Bothell Way NE, at the bottom of the hill pick the BG trail back up just before Logboom Park, for a short distance to Waynita.

If this all way too confusing, I only work Monday and Wednesday. I'd be happy to meet you and show you some of the local tricks and shortcuts on most any Tuesday or Thursday (but not this one - my Dad's birthday) I volunteer 1/2 day on Fridays, afternoons (after 1pm) are open for me.