After studying the city map, I figured the best route would be to take Geneva down to Bayshore Blvd which turns into 3rd St. 3rd street is a straight shot all the way down to the AT&T park and the general area where I work. Seems easy enough.
I left later than usual that morning after dropping my kid off at the vet thereby missing the morning commute traffic. The ride to work was uneventful albeit a long 8m ride door to door. There's a designated bike path along parts of Geneva and Bayshore. But after that point, I had to ride with the cars down 3rd. There were narrow sections along 3rd where a couple vehicles came very close to me but otherwise, I stayed the course. Total commute time: ~45 min
Heading back home would be a little more dangerous. I couldn't follow my morning route back because there wasn't a bike path that crossed over the 101. I IMed my bike friends and they gave me different suggestions but the general consensus was to take Howard south, cut up 11th, cross Mission to Valencia. Take Valencia down to San Jose Ave, and from there get to Alemany.
I left work as usual and hopped on my bike on the sidewalk in front of my building. What I didn't see was a driver flying up 2nd St.
The driver had the green light and so did I but I would have lost that battle whether I had the right of way or not. I started crossing the intersection when the driver came up around the corner to make a right against me. He slammed on the breaks and stopped a foot from my leg. I managed to jump off my bike and got back on the sidewalk. I was in complete shock. People were asking if I was okay and I just kept saying "yeah, I'm okay" over and over. I was visibly shaken.
I had no choice but to get on my bike and ride home to pick up my kid from the vet before they closed shop. I managed to hustle my ass down Howard but missed the 11th St turn. Rather than cross another dangerous intersection at South Van Ness, I walked my bike down to Harrison and rode south until I reached Cesar Chavez, made a right up and managed to get onto San Jose which eventually got me to Alemany Blvd. A longer ride than I expected but I made it to the vet's all sweaty and still alive and in one piece.
Knowing me, I'll probably ride to work tomorrow but I'm taking Bart back home. As one friend said, "Riding your bike downtown is a death wish."
