Got Seattle's I-5 express lanes to myself on a bicycle. (Off-Topic)

by Claude Errera , Monday, April 04, 2016, 22:11 (3161 days ago) @ uberfoop

One of the events to celebrate the opening of the new 520 bridge was the Emerald City Bike Ride. In addition to renting the bridge, they also rented out the I-5 express lanes from the U District through downtown, including the Ship Canal Bridge. As all of these roads (and bridges) are normally both full of cars and off-limits to bicycles, this was a cool opportunity and all 7000 slots sold out in advance.

I got there early and was standing very close to the start line, so I wasn't far from the front when we took off at 7:00. By the time we got to the bridge I'd squeezed ahead of most of the slower crowd, and not being with anyone, felt like picking up the pace and doing the 520 pretty fast.

Turns out I was one of the first people off the 520 Bridge. As I went toward the express lanes, I saw the police escort motorcycle about a block ahead, trailed by a few cyclists. As I got onto the Ship Canal Bridge, those guys ahead were peeling off into the distance, and there was nobody behind me for a great distance either. Besides one dude who blew past me on an e-bike, that's how it was for the entire stretch.

So I dialed in a strong cruising pace and cruised it.

Going through the underground portion where the express lanes and main southbound lanes can see each other, I wonder if the cars also thought it looked weird, driving along their busy lanes while a lone cyclist moves down the middle of an adjacent piece of the freeway with nothing else in view.

It was surreal, perhaps a bit eerie.

The rest stop may have been just as weird. Organizers milling about still setting things up, food trays untouched, only one other cyclist there. All the pictures I've seen of it post-ride have had it packed.

Interesting day.

Very cool! We didn't get to Husky Stadium until 6:45, and there were some issues with meeting up with folks, so by the time we were actually moving, it was as crowded as you saw online. Even so, it was a gorgeous day, and a really fun ride.

On the bridge:

That first rest stop, around 8:25 am: