Oil Boom Makes Some San Angelo Cycling Routes More Dangerous

Back in February of 2013 I wrote a column about the potential impact the oil boom would have on area cycling (www.gosanangelo.com/news/2013/feb/01/oil-boom-not-such-a-good-thing-for-bicyclists/).

We’re now seeing that impact.

The economic upswing related to the petroleum industry is a good thing for our city, but — as predicted — the increased population growth and oil-related traffic have also made road cycling on some routes more dangerous.

Cyclists need to ride defensively at all times and be even more careful to choose routes and ride times that are, comparatively speaking, safe.

Some routes that should be avoided during the busy times of the week include U.S. Highway 67 south between San Angelo and Mertzon; U.S. Highway 277 between San Angelo and Christoval; and Knickerbocker southbound from Loop 306 to Lake Nasworthy.

If you do want to ride these stretches of road, reserve those routes for early mornings on the weekend.

Cyclists headed south from town might consider starting from the Mary E. Lee Park swim beach at Lake Nasworthy. From that location, you can ride south on Farm-to-Market Road 584 toward U.S. 277 or take Fisherman’s Road to Spring Creek Park, through the park to Spillway Road, and then Spillway back to FM 584.

Three of the most popular routes for San Angelo cyclists have traditionally been Knickerbocker Road from the equalization channel to the town of Knickerbocker; Arden Road (FM 853) headed west from town; and Burma Road between FM 853 and U.S. Highway 87.

The Knickerbocker Road route hasn’t experienced any significant increase in traffic volume, but it is a narrow two-lane road so cyclists should ride single file and keep to the right edge of the road.

Arden and Burma both have more truck traffic than in the past, but not enough to suggest a complete “ride ban” on these roads. Think about saving these two routes for early in the day on weekends, wear bright clothing for increased visibility and stay on the far right shoulder when riding.

There are some “roads less traveled” that area cyclists should also consider such as Jamison Road between U.S. 67 and Arden Road; Guinn Road just south of the town of Knickerbocker; and FM 2335 from the town of Knickerbocker to U.S. 77 and Susan Peak Road (FM 1223). On most days, you’ll see very few cars while riding these stretches.

Routes to the east and south of San Angelo are good bets for avoiding the increased traffic. These routes, all part of the Tuesday and Thursday “Loop Group” rides, include Fairview School Road, Mikulik Road, Robby Jones Road and Schwartz Road.

Loop 306 East from Pulliam Street to eastbound U.S. 87 is another route often overlooked by local cyclists. It has wide shoulders, a surprisingly low amount of traffic and can be easily linked up with rural roads that are east and southeast of town.

There are also some great in-town routes that avoid high-traffic areas and offer some nice scenery to boot. One of my favorite “townie” rides follows the river near downtown.

Start at Kid’s Kingdom, go upriver past Central High School past 14th Street, turn around and head back past Kid’s Kingdom to Irving Street through downtown on Concho Avenue, along the river on Rio Concho Drive to Bell Street, over the Bell Street bridge to South Concho Park Drive, over the Lone Wolf bridge, and back to Kid’s Kingdom via South Oakes, Avenue A and River Drive.

The take-home message is that the increased traffic in and around San Angelo means that we need to be more selective about which routes we ride and when we choose to ride them.

Remember — safe cycling may require taking the roads less traveled.


Upcoming Events

June 14: Tour de Burma, http://angelobike.org/tour-de-burma/
June 21: Stop, Drop and Roll, roadlizards.org
July 4: Christoval VFD 5K, roadlizards.org/events/christoval-vfd-5k/
July 12: Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org
July 26: Goodfellow Triathlon, roadlizards.org
Aug. 10: San Angelo Olympic and sprint distance triathlon, Spring Creek Park