Riding from New Paltz to Manhattan

Well, not really!

I live down Route 32N in New Paltz. The bus depot for Adirondack Trailways is just 3 miles from home, a ride that takes about 19 minutes, including 7 minutes spent taking the unpaved and undulating private road from my house to 32N. The rest of the ride, while smooth, is a bit harrowing due to the fact that for most of the ride, cars are permitted to drive 55 mph right beside me as I keep my balance along a thin bicycling lane. Actually, it's not a bike lane at all -- just a narrow bit of tarmac that passes for one.

I take the Trailways coach to Manhattan's Port Authority terminal at 41st Street and 8th Avenue. From there, my mom's place is within spitting distance (an apt description of my riding conditions this afternoon) -- a mere 2.5 miles north of the Big Apple's big depot. That ride takes less than 20 minutes. In all, I get a total of 11 miles of riding each day, which ends up being a bit more than I rode last year. I liked the ride more last year, tho, since much of it was alongside Prospect Park.

I'm not looking forward to riding on a snowy day -- 32N is dangerous enough without slick conditions -- but there is good news. I found out today that I can request a stop along the route of the Trailways coach, and the driver will honor any request. Happily for me, this means that I can get depot-to-driveway service on my way back to New Paltz. I'll still have to negotiate my crazy private road, but that's not so bad; I can always walk if the dark, slick, bumpy, uphill conditions don't permit uni'ing.