What this blog is about

Bicycle commuting, bicycle touring, bicycle racing; bicycle ADVENTURING.
To the grocery store, up a mountain, across the country or to the finish line--
it's all an adventure.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

RJ's Walla Walla Bicycle Map

The City of Walla Walla, with input from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, makes a fairly fantastic bicycle map both of in-town bike routes for commuters and also longer excursions for recreational cyclists. This map is available at our local bicycle shops, Allegro Cyclery and Bicycle Barn, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and other locations.

The map appropriately folds out to 18 by 24 inches and it is rumored that the next generation map will be even larger. The map highlights a lot of useful information for a cyclist, including bike lanes, routes, trails and more. If you are new to the area or just new to bicycling, this map is a very helpful resource.

However-- I found that as a local, I wanted:
  • A smaller map, that's easier to pull out quickly and read.
  • Less information that I don't really need.
  • More information about the ride-ability of roads to quickly scan for an ideal route.
Also, when I give out a bike map, I usually suggest highlighting more roads that are especially good for cycling. So finally, I just decided to..

MAKE MY OWN WALLA WALLA BIKE MAP!

I highlighted roads according to my personal opinion (and no scientific study!) of each street's ride-ability. It is possible and to be expected that my idea of ride-able roads may vary from another person's idea of ride-able roads. However, this map is always a work in progress! If you think that I inappropriately marked a road or intersection, please leave a comment on this post and let me know!

These maps are intended to be printed out on a regular 8 1/2" by 11" paper. You will likely have to make an adjustment on your Printer Preferences to make sure it fits the paper.

Click to enlarge.
This map includes a larger area than the close-up below.

The streets are labeled:
  • BLUE, for bike lane
  • GREEN, for great for bikes, very light traffic, highly residential
  • YELLOW, for good for bikes, light traffic, wide shoulders, sometimes residential
  • ORANGE, for ok for bikes, steady traffic, few shoulders, speed limit over 30, sometimes more than one lane in direction of travel
  • Orange DOTS, frequent congestion
  • Red DOTS, exercise extra caution in this intersection

Click to enlarge.
This map is a close-up of the map above.


Frequent Congestion and Extra Caution Intersections are labeled as such because they may:
  • Experience increased traffic when the school day starts or ends.
  • Have poor visibility.
  • Require a confident and experienced cyclist to maneuver through safely.
Related Posts with Thumbnails