(no subject)

[xbanditsx.livejournal.com]

I live on Commonwealth Ave (think Boston University). A friend of mine is going to be at Tufts this weekend and I wanted to bike out there. Does anyone have some simple (i.e. I won't need to carry a map) directions from B.U. to Davis Square? I would really appreciate it.

(I know I can take the T, but I'd rather not.)

Comments

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

Bike/Running path along river to Mass. Ave. Bridge.
Follow Mass. Ave. north to Porter Square.
Cut across Porter Square parking lot to Elm Street.
Left/North on Elm Street.
Continue to Davis Square.

There might be other ways, but that is probably the least number of turns.

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

You could also go down the bike path the other way, until you get to the JFK bridge. Go down JFK street until you can pick up Mass Ave and finish the above directions.

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

Agreed. That is actually the second half of my running loop (http://nowalmart.livejournal.com/59418.html)

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

What I typically do when biking to an unfamiliar place is write the directions on an index card and tape them to the middle of my handlebars. That means I'm OK if the directions aren't dead simple (I am no good at all for remembering directions).

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

my jaw dropped at the first comment--that pretty much doubles the length of the trip.

Your way's better, but I prefer to keep going along the memorial drive path past JFK St. and take the next right, which will lead you to Cambridge Common (where you can hook up with Mass Ave)--you can skip the whole harvard square mess that way.

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about that right. Granted, my favorite route doesn't involve going down Mass Ave at all and going into Davis through the North Cambridge side. That way is entirely too difficult to describe, though. I haven't done it in a few years so I am sure that I couldn't also do it accurately.

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

As the original responder, I take exception that it doubles the length of the trip. It depends on where on Comm. Ave. the original poster lives. At very worst my directions are about 1.5 times as long as the JFK directions (I just checked a map to make sure)

If the original poster lives closer to the BU East T-stop, though, the Mass. Ave. bridge is actually a little bit shorter of a trip. Remember, Mass. Ave. and Comm. Ave. intersect, and not too far from BU.

[ron_newman]

Go over the BU bridge, continue on Brookline Street to Putnam Avenue (first light).
Left on Putnam Avenue, to end.
Left onto Mass. Ave.
Right on Quincy Street, to end.
Left on Kirkland Street.
After one block, Kirkland turns sharply right and becomes Oxford Street.
Take Oxford Street all the way to the end,
Left on Somerville Avenue, then immediate right onto Mossland Street.
Left on Elm Street, take that into Davis Square.

At most 20 minutes if you don't get lost.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

"doubles" was exaggerating, but think of it this way: from BU to Davis you must go North and West. Your instructions are saying to start out by going Southeast. And when you do get to the Mass Ave bridge, it doesn't go very directly to Davis either. Crossing the BU Bridge and taking the bike path along the river heads in a perfectly straight line toward Davis.

I didn't mean any offense, though. I just think your directions are crazy :)

[ron_newman]

Also, I highly recommend Rubel BikeMaps, which you can get in any bike store, and sometimes at bookstores and convenience stores. In this case, you want the Boston Bikemap. But if you plan any longer trips outside 128, also get the Eastern Mass. map.

[siderea]

1) BU Bridge to Mem Drive.

2) "Left" (there's a fun traffic circle) on Mem Drive to JFK St.

3) On JFK proceed through the heart of Harvard Square to where it forks into MassAve. Continue proceeding "straight" up MassAve to Porter Sq.

4) At Porter Sq. cut across the parking lot to Elm St. Left on Elm into Davis.

That's the simplest, most direct road route, but I have no idea how a bicyclist keeps from getting crushed like a bug on Mem Drive or going through Harvard Sq.

[ron_newman]

Sounds like you don't bike much ;-) There's a bike path alongside the whole length of Memorial Drive. It can at times be narrow and crowded, so I often prefer Putnam Avenue, which parallels MemDrive a few blocks inland.

Also, you don't have to cut across that parking lot. Instead, turn right from Mass. Ave. onto Beech Street, then left onto Elm.

[dmaze]

Errm, Quincy Street is one way in the opposite direction from the way you propose. From Mass Ave and Putnam, you could cut across the intersection to Trowbridge Street, ride it to the end, turn left on Broadway, then right on Quincy to get to Oxford.

[ron_newman]

True, but Quincy Street has only light car and bus traffic, and many bicyclists use it in both directions. Same goes for Mossland Street.

I had to choose between making the directions easy to follow and understand, and making them follow all one-way streets in the right direction; I chose the former.

[siderea]

Sounds like you don't bike much ;-)

Correctamundo! But, dude(s), it sounds like you don't give directions much. :)

The poor fellow asked for directions which optimized for simplicity of memorization. Y'all failed to do that, and instead optimized for other things, like minimum turns, most direct, shortest, traffic safety, etc. *shrug* He asked for what he asked for; presumably he can figure out how to handle traffic on his own.

[yangelina.livejournal.com]

Whoa that's such a simple and smart idea. Thanks for sharing! And here I am always trying to be badass and memorizing streets and intersections...

[yangelina.livejournal.com]

The fun thing about going through Harvard Sq on a bike is that you actually go a bit faster than the cars. :) The scariest part is going west coming out of the square, merging onto Mass Ave. The right lane turns goes under an pesdestrian overpass toward Broadway (I think) that is super scary, and it's always a battle to try and merge left to continue on Mass Ave. But once you're used it, it's fine. Try it sometimes. :)