Cycling to Marion

 

Uptown is a coffee shop by day, a bar by night,
and never disappoints

In a couple years, cycling from Cedar Rapids to Marion will be as easy as floating on the breeze, because construction of the CeMar Trail will have been finished, creating a loop between the two towns. Even waiting one year will get you completion of the missing link on the Grant Wood Trail between the Nature Trail and Council Street.

But I was ready last week, and noting the summer fast ebbing away, I rode the Cedar Valley Nature Trail as far north as 51st Street, then straight east--mostly on the Grant Wood Trail--to Marion. Not to be morbid, but the impending start of the school year and the ensuing change of seasons meant the diem needed to be carped. The trip took me about 35 or 40 minutes each way. Actual mileage may vary. On a humid day, I was grateful for the air conditioning at both ends of the trip.

Uptown Marion is emerging as one of the metro's most attractive commercial districts, and while I live and work near two others, variety has been proven to be the spice of life. So off I went. My reward for all that exertion was Uptown Snug, a key Uptown bar for years, which recently opened a coffee shop in the front. Uptown Coffee checks all the coffee boxes, whether you enjoy your brew in the calmly lit bar area, or outdoors on the Art Alley.

Uptown shares frontage on the Art Alley with
a number of other fine establishments

I'd done outside all the way up, so sat in the bar, next to a table where some high school English teachers were talking pedagogy and the upcoming school year. Just overhearing their thoughtful conversation measurably improved my frame of mind. Bring it on, I now say. A good third place with good coffee will have that effect on a person.

Marion also offers the opportunity for celeb-spotting. Is that Brooke Prouty ducking into Shorts for lunch? Could be! Let's give her some space, though, and not trouble her for an autograph.

The trail route to Marion does have some pressure points. Some are temporary:

• Cedar Lake. As construction around the lake proceeds, the trail is closed. A sign seems to direct cyclists up Shaver Road, which is do-able, though it takes you out of your way and requires reconnecting to the trail via J Avenue (narrow and curvy). The better route is crossing the tracks to a temporary bike lane on 10th Street, which is how I got back, but I found the interface between 10th, H, and Shaver confusing, and I may have unwittingly executed a dangerous move to get across the streets and back to the trail.
• 51st Street. The gap between the two trails is bridged on this wide east-west street, but first you have to get across Center Point Road (traffic count 13500). There is a crossing button going east across the street, but not on the opposite side for those going west. I didn't have any difficulty either way, but this is a junction that gets a lot of complaints from regular trail riders,. Getting the eventual connection right when the Grant Wood Trail is completed remains under discussion. 
• Council Street. For now, until the final link is added, the Grant Wood Trail starts/ends at this frenetic stroad (traffic count 11100). On the way up I crossed Council at 51st Street, and got to the trail by cutting across the movie theater parking lot (not a problem in the morning, not sure I'd try it in the evening). On the way back I crept along the sidewalks on Council Street while hoping for a break in traffic, which eventually happened.

These issues will all be fixed, or at least addressed, within a few months when the Grant Wood Trail is connected to the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. There remain several busy street crossings on the route that use rider-activated crossing lights to warn drivers: 1st Avenue on the CVNT, and Rockwell and Lindale Drives on the Grant Wood Trail. 

Different part of town (Boyson Road NE),
but an example of rider-activated lights

Even with crossing lights, I prefer to hang back and wait for traffic to clear, rather than pushing the buttons. That morning I got amazingly lucky and caught two breaks in traffic on 1st Avenue (which crossing has definitely been improved a lot anyhow). The only street I had difficulty crossing was Rockwell, which sent cars in unending driblets of two and three, so that I resolved to use the button on the way back. And I did use the button, but one car ran through anyway, reminding me why I prefer to hang back and wait for a break.

That leaves two pressure points on the route riders should expect:

• 42nd Street. This section of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail runs along I-380, and crosses the exit ramp as well as 42nd. This has been engineered about as well as could be imagined, with the sight lines for both exiting vehicles and cyclists very good. I still prefer to walk my bike through this intersection. Maybe some day I-380 will be rerouted around the city instead of through it.
• C Avenue and Blairs Ferry Road NE. These are two of the city's busiest streets, and their intersection has all the characteristics of danger. The Grant Wood Trail, which runs along the north edge of the Collins Aerospace campus, tunnels underneath Blairs Ferry (yay) but then takes you on a wide sidewalk directly to the intersection with C Avenue (boo). With many turning cars and one grocery-toting pedestrian present, I dismounted and walked across C. From there, trail users go up a wide sidewalk by a gas station on C to an access road that runs between Amoco and Walgreen's (not great either). 

After that, though, it's duck soup all the way into Marion. The trail goes just south of the 6th/7th Avenue roundabout at 7th Street, then follows a wide sidewalk on the south side of 6th Avenue (eventually separating at 31st Street). Along the way I rode for the first time across the delightful rebuilt railroad bridge over Marion Boulevard. When I arrived in Uptown I found coffee, air conditioning, and doughnuts. Summer was made for exactly this!

Or do you somehow prefer the beach??