Making Peace with Marq2

If you have been here before you will know that I am a little opinionated on the Marq2 Project. It's not the project, so much as the profound lack of planning that surrounds it. This project has the epicenter of downtown tied up in freaking knots right now, and it impacts my commute significantly, so it's become personal.

Surprisingly, this is not another rant; I am actually making peace with the Marq2. Sometimes it takes a large and powerful force to move us from our comfort zone.

Lately, I have been leaving the IDS Center in the customary fashion mid-block on Marquette Ave. between 8th and 7th Streets, but instead of going south to my tried-and-true bike lane on 10th Street (which no longer exists), I am now "going with the flow", as they say, and merging into the construction-delayed north-bound traffic on Marquette, riding bumper-to-bike-wheel up to 6th Street, two blocks north. I then turn right on 6th and head... east-ish, through the metroscape to Portland Ave and then gun it for home. The DT section is slow, narrow and bumpy, and has stretches of gravel. It's gritty, urban and loud. But I kinda like it; but yes, it does take some fortitude to get out wade out there into traffic.

So far, so good. I have not gotten into any dangerous situations, have not gotten any static from the cars, and it's been kind of.. thrilling to dance with the cars and buses. I may yet have a bike messenger career ahead of me if executive-level management does not pan out...