Today I finally took the new touring bike someplace I haven’t ridden before, so the vibe is good. A decade ago, the State of Texas enabled new toll roads in HB3588, which has provisions for funding adjacent bike commuting pathways. I dislike some provisions of HB3588, which directs funds to bicycle trails but also facilitates conversion of existing state highways and commuter roads into toll roads.
Today’s ride from my home in Avery Ranch started as a little spin after a dog walking warmup. Up Parmer / Ronald Reagan Blvd. about a mile, I turned left into Breakaway Park to get away from the noise. Breakaway Park has a private runway with hangers and homes built for a small community of pilots, and has a nice quite residential road around the single runway surrounded by oaks and well – fed deer in many of the yards.
– Not many roses however.
After turns down Wildlife Run and Adventure Lane, I found myself back at Brushy Creek Blvd. and decided to ride over to the new 183A Toll Road and check out the new bike path. This pathway runs along the east side of 183A from Avery Rancy Blvd to FM1431 (known as Whitestone Blvd in Cedar Park).
It is a great way to cross town on a bicycle, with minimal intersections or traffic. Kudos to the State Legislature for this new bike path. The path is currently interrupted only by work being done to a small bridge over Brushy Creek at the Brushy Creek Regional Trail intersection. I asked a heavy equipment operator if I could cross the bridge, and he told me “one more week”. I thanked him with a thumbs-up and rode back to Brushy Creek Blvd to reach Parmer and ride to the house.
Avery Ranch residents can now ride from home to the Natural Grocer in Cedar Park and back with only a couple of intersections to cross, depending on where they access the trail. Now it’s time to get Cedar Park to paint bike lanes on Brushy Creek Blvd. and a number of other streets, or for a small grocer like Wheatsville or Natural Grocer to open up in Avery Ranch. That would be great for us!
Adventure Bikepacking and Touring 