Ask most people if they've ever ridden a bike outside their neighborhood, and the answer tends to be very positive. Ask people, even avid cyclists, if they've ever ridden across the I-5 Bridge, and most often you're met with raised eyebrows. Metro's new "Crossing the I-5 Bridge" video will help remove any doubt that you can safely cross, and even have fun on your way.
The City of Vancouver estimates some 200 cyclists ride across the bridge daily. What they know, and what Metro wants to show others, is that you can bike across the bridge safely and without getting lost as long as you know what to expect and where to go.
Metro and the Drive Less/Save More Campaign are producing a how-to video for crossing the I-5 Bridge on bike whether for commuting, running errands or recreation. Based on route information from the new edition of Metro's Bike There! map and the City of Vancouver's I-5 Bridge Map, the video will show people the best way to get across the bridge and what they'll encounter as they ride.
Watch the video
Avid cyclist and Metro employee, Kathryn Sofich, serves as the host for the video. Although this wasn't her first time crossing the bridge on a bike, Sofich did gain new insight riding back and forth across the bridge several times on the day of production.
In the video, Sofich shares her experience, such as just how loud the traffic roaring by really is and how close the cars and trucks seem despite the metal supports that separate the bike and pedestrian path from the vehicle lane.
While biking across the bridge and through the Hayden Island interchange did pose a few difficulties, Sofich found her biggest challenge wasn't the riding.
"Creating the video was both one of the most fun as well as hardest experiences I've had here at Metro," said Sofich. "I'm used to talking bike routes with my friends and coworkers, but talking about the I-5 Bridge route to the camera was a totally new and challenging experience."
The video will take cyclists along with Sofich so they feel like they are in the driver's seat, or better yet, the rider's seat. It will explain the routes and highlight critical areas, such as where to use crosswalks at traffic signals on Hayden Island and how to avoid accidentally merging on to the ramp to Interstate 5.
"I ride this bridge about once a month," said Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder. "For me, its a fun ride, a chance to see a new part of the region, to visit historic Vancouver, go to the Farmers Market. What most people don't realize is that Vancouver and Jantzen Beach are only a short bike ride apart and an easy commute or shopping trip. This video is a way to dispel the myth that it is too far, too hard or too dangerous to cross the Columbia by bicycle."
The video will be released next week. Visitors to both the Metro and Drive Less/Save More websites will be able to watch it and get a feel for riding across the bridge before even leaving home. While biking the bridge isn't for everyone, especially those who have a child in tow, the video may encourage other cyclists to give it a try.
"Doing the video helped me realize how easy it is to get across once you do it a time or two," said Sofich. "It will be a piece of cake now!"