Am I being a sissy?

[obie]

You know, my husband does a "park and ride" and I can tell you he's not a "sissy"! I think it's the wave of the future, in some ways. I can also tell you that even without the full commute, he reaps the benefits - 100 fewer miles in the car, exercise, fresh air, closure on the day, well-being. So I'd march up to that church and ask about parking. Imagine if they liked the idea and recommended it to their members. What a revolution you'd start!

Ohiobiker, I used to have a commute that went through some notorious crime areas. I was okay riding in the dark in the cold, but not in the warmth of summer. There's a lot of hanging around in the summer and not much in the winter. I didn't know the actual statistics of stranger-crime in that area, but that's what worked for my personal comfort level.

My no-go commute: in that same job, I discovered that the driving in downtown on sunny summer Friday afternoons was so crazy and horrendous - I switched to public transit on those days even though the weather was perfect!

[mci021]

The thing that's of ultimate importance is your comfort level. If you're nervous and distracted, you're more likely to make a mistake and cause a problem for yourself than if you're comfortable and you feel secure. In the end, you'll be doing the drivers and yourself a favor by doing what makes you feel best.

If driving until you get off of Death Lane then biking the rest of the way makes you more comfortable go for it.

As for parking, that might be an issue. I know here in Chicago, in some places, if you leave your car in a lot for more than what the business owner feels is an appropriate amount of time, they're very likely to call the police and have them ticket and tow your car away at your expense. That's why I'd avoid the strip mall lots. Since churches aren't typically very busy durting the work day, you might get away with parking there.You might even call the church and ask them if it would be okay for you to park in their lot. I doubt they'd say no.

I'm sure there are other cyclists in your area who've also been scared out of their wits on that road. Maybe you could get together and find out what it would take to put a bike trail in on that stretch of road. It might be more do-able than you think.

Good luck and safe journeys.

[Raederlae]

I agree with the posters who encourage you to go with your gut. If you feel unsafe, definitely try the park and ride option. I am lucky enough to live 9 miles from work, with very bike friendly roads. However, I know that if I moved* (we are looking to buy instead of rent), I would find a place to park and ride - even if it was a bit out of my way - since I enjoy the bike commute so much. *We are looking in an area with roads just like those you described - curvy, no bike lane, fast cars.

The poster who suggested asking the church if you could use their lot had a great idea!