We’re closer to bike-friendly than you might think.

I’ve heard it again and again–Norfolk is not bike-friendly. There are no bike paths in this city. It’s too dangerous out there. I don’t want to get killed!

Truth is, there are a lot of us that bike safely and successfully in Norfolk every day. We do it through a combination of defensive cycling techniques (riding confidently, making eye contact with drivers, obeying traffic laws), and knowing the right routes to avoid heavy, high speed car traffic.

If you’re looking to get around Norfolk on a bike, read on to find some great routes that can take you from downtown to Ocean View, or from ODU to the airport.
View Bikes Routes in Norfolk in a larger map

Harbor Park to Cogan’s

Let’s say you biked to a Tides game (I highly recommend this) and now you’re ready for pizza and beer. Biking downtown works best if you stick close to the water. There’s an awesome waterfront route that runs from Harbor Park (Tides Stadium) to Freemason. When you leave the stadium, turn left onto Park Street, and then veer right onto E Water Street. You’ll pass under the Berkeley Bridge. When you get to Dominion Tower, follow the ped/bike path to the left and stay on it past the ferry dock and Waterside, all the way through Town Point Park. On the other side of the park, go through the circle in front of Nuaticus and get on the wooden path that passes in front of the Wisconsin. Ride through the Chinese gate into the Pagoda garden. Stay to the right of the Pagoda and follow the path past the pond and through the gate on the north side of the park. You emerge onto Dunmore Street. Follow Dunmore until you get to York, then turn left and ride until you get to the light to cross Brambleton. When you cross, follow the footpath under the trees and over the ped/bike bridge that crosses the Hague. Turn left on Mowbray arch and ride along the Hague until you get to Colonial Ave, then turn left. Colonial will take you all the way to Cogans, where you should stop, lock up and sit down for a cold Sierra Nevada and a pizza with the spicy sauce.

Through the peaceful garden by the Pagoda

Of course, you can ride this route in reverse if you want the pizza (and less beer) before the game.

Downtown to ODU

One of the most common routes I take is from my house, which is near downtown, to ODU. If you were going to drive between these two points you’d take Brambleton and Hampton Boulevard, most likely, as these are the fastest and most direct route. But they are the last roads you’d want to use for cycling. Instead, I like bike up Llewellyn Ave, a nice wide shady street with little traffic, and then turn left on 27th St., a three lane street which is all one-way. I follow this across Colley and turn left right on Killam, which is a very quiet road that takes you right up to the back of University Village, by the Ted. I turn left at 43rd street, cross Hampton Blvd. and lock up at the bike rack outside of Batten Arts and Letters.

Downtown to Ocean View

I often hear people asking what route to take if you want to do a reasonably long ride, for exercise or training, but you don’t want to drive out to Pungo or up to Williamsburg (the Colonial Parkway is a great ride). I have two favorites, both of which happen to correspond with what I’ll call the key cycling routes in Norfolk.

The first of these is the North-South route. It runs from Town Point Park up Granby Street, all the way to the Ocean View pier. The only challenging part comes around Ward’s Corner. Traffic starts to pick up in that area, and it can get pretty dense. For that reason, this ride is best attempted during non-rush hours, such as mid-morning, or on a weekend. Then there is the challenge of passing underneath the I64 overpass which crosses over Granby between Ward’s Corner and Forest Lawn Cemetery. You can do it. Just ride quickly and confidently through this part, taking enough of the right lane so that cars aren’t tempted to try to push past you. Watch out for cars exiting the highway on the other side of the underpass. Once you get past this obstacle, the next part of Granby, from Forest Lawn to Ocean View, is a nice, flat ride with little traffic on a divided road. As you approach the waterfont, you’ll pass East Coast Bikes on your left. Turn left on A View Ave, just before Granby curves to the right, and then veer right onto Granby (same name, different road). Turn left on Ocean View Ave and ride about 1/2 mile further to get to the fishing pier, which is a nice scenic place to stop and rest before heading back home.

Ghent to the Airport

Another noteworthy Norfolk ride follows an East-West route. It begins at the Conte’s Bikes in Ghent, and goes to the airport and back. From Conte’s take Llewellyn Ave north and turn right on 26th Street. Follow 26th all the way over the Lafayette River, where it becomes Lafayette Blvd. Then stay on Lafayette Blvd. until you get to the traffic circle and follow it around to get on Chesapeake Blvd. headed north. Follow Chesapeake Blvd until you get to Robin Hood Road and turn right. Robin Hood is a great street for biking–wide with few stops and few cars. You stay on Robin Hood, going under the I64 overpass, and cross Military Highway. Right before the airport, turn right onto Miller Store Rd. Now you’re on the racetrack. Miller Store Rd. wraps around the airport with no stops or side streets for most of the route. You need to be watchful for cars here, but this road is a great route for cyclists who want to turn on the speed and push for a couple of miles. It’s a great place to practice pacelining skills, if you’re riding with a couple of others. When you get to the end of Miller Store, at Bayside Rd. you can rest and then power back home.

The bicycle highways of Norfolk

Other cities, such as Portland Oregon, and Copenhagen in Denmark, have designated “bicycle highways,” (in Copenhagen they are actually “bicycle superhighways.” Whoa.) or recommended routes to help cyclists move quickly and easy throughout the city. The four routes I described above suggest a couple of roads where Norfolk could start to build its own network of bicycle highways.

For going North-South in Norfolk, Granby Street is a convenient artery all the way from downtown to Ocean

Crossing the Hague

View. In general, cars move at safe speeds along Granby, and the road is wide enough to allow safe passing distance between cars and bikes. There is definitely a safety issue with getting through the underpass by Ward’s Corner, so if the city were to invest in any infrastructure beyond signage, that would be the place to do it.

The best East-West route through the city is definitely 26th and 27th Streets, which turn into Lafayette Ave. The city should post Share the Road signs along this route to help alert drivers that bikes are on the roads. The problem here comes on the part of the route that runs on Chesapeake Blvd., which tends to carry heavy traffic at higher speeds. A bike path to connect Lafayette Blvd. and Robin Hood Road would definitely help in this area. Robin Hood Road should also be posted with StR signs.

Norfolk is probably closer to being a bicycle-friendly city than most people think. There are already plenty of cyclists blazing the trails out there. A little help from the city to post signs that would remind drivers that the roads are for sharing would help, as will publicizing recommended routes for getting around. I’ve posted all the routes described in this article in a Google map called Bike Routes in Norfolk. Please check it out and add your comments, or recommend more routes.

For more information about safe cycling in Norfolk, join the growing community at Bikenorfolk.ning.com, and join the Bike Norfolk group on facebook. And when you’re riding, remember, as our friend Wes Cheney likes to say, “Stupid hurts, safety first.”

There is a Bike Norfolk advocacy meeting next Tuesday, June 29, at Azar’s in Ghent @ 5:30pm. Please come.