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I am currently in SOCAL and considering job/move to New Brunswick. I google mapped Westfield to New Brunswick (goal was nice town with good schools within 25-30 miles). I routinely ride to work and 25 miles takes me 1:15 to 1:30 minutes depending on if I hit all green or red lights.
Google maps has the 16-17 mile route taking 90 minutes--is it super hilly there? Do roads have decent shoulders or bike lanes? I do realize there may be winter days I can't ride (but I road in DC into the low teens as far as temps)
thanks!
jim
No, even Google admits it's 240 feet up and 280 feet down, that's not super hilly on that side of the state. You're averaging about 16 miles an hour, they're estimating about 11 or so.
I cannot say that NJ has the best shoulders for biking and bike lanes are truly a foreign concept. I was once stopped by the police for obeying the traffic laws trying to take a left at a light. They informed me I should use the sidewalk instead. It was a very weird hour-long discussion with the police chief and my eventual solution was to just go straight through that light and spend less time in that town.
You should google map your current route and see how long they think it should take. They might be of the opinion you should be taking over two hours to do your current commute...
I laughed out loud when I saw the thread title, but major props to you if you already do something like this.
I just looked to see what ways it would take you and the shortest route does take you through the heart of Plainfield which is not going to be very pleasant.
The best of the routes* Google Maps is suggesting (I just put in Westfield, NJ so from downtown) is probably the 17.1 mile one that goes down South Ave (28) through Fanwood/Plainfield and then cuts past Cedar Brooke Park and through S. Plainfield.
*Major caveat is I have no idea what biking this would be like, but avoiding downtown Plainfield and S. Washington Ave seems preferable. The good news is there are a million streets to choose from so you could probably find a decent route eventually, especially if you don't mind if it becomes a little longer.
The one other thing I'd say is driving from Westfield/Scotch Plains to NB is not fun. From Westfield I would almost certainly go Parkway > Turnpike, which is probably almost 10 miles longer, but still faster. There are A LOT of lights in South Plainfield and Piscataway. I temporarily worked on Stelton Road in South Plainfield and my under 10 mile drive from near downtown Scotch Plains took about 30 minutes. If I remember correctly there were 18 lights, which is obscene.
I am currently in SOCAL and considering job/move to New Brunswick. I google mapped Westfield to New Brunswick (goal was nice town with good schools within 25-30 miles). I routinely ride to work and 25 miles takes me 1:15 to 1:30 minutes depending on if I hit all green or red lights.
Google maps has the 16-17 mile route taking 90 minutes--is it super hilly there? Do roads have decent shoulders or bike lanes? I do realize there may be winter days I can't ride (but I road in DC into the low teens as far as temps)
thanks!
jim
You want to ride your bike to work? In the densest state in the country with crazy aggressive drivers and traffic, and a state that has four seasons and can see snowstorms dumping anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet at once? On top of the "polar vortex" which comes at least once a winter for about a week or so and drops temps into the teens with wind chills below 0? Summer may sound like a breeze except we have something here called humidity and you'll probably be drenched by the time you get to work. The only truly nice season would probably be the fall, but be careful you don't slip out on wet leaves. I would say the spring is nice, too, but have fun out in the open for 17 miles riding through the wind when pollen is everywhere and you're sneezing with itchy eyes.
Seriously though, I think it's cool you want to/do bike to work but in my experience it's not something that's super common here. And if you're going to do it, avoid Plainfield. I think biking to work should be reserved for truly nice days in the nicest seasons, but IMO it would be pretty hard to be a yearly, every day or mostly every day thing, mostly because we have winter. But definitely if you would want to go for it on nice days, I say that's awesome.
You want to ride your bike to work? In the densest state in the country with crazy aggressive drivers and traffic, and a state that has four seasons and can see snowstorms dumping anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet at once? On top of the "polar vortex" which comes at least once a winter for about a week or so and drops temps into the teens with wind chills below 0? Summer may sound like a breeze except we have something here called humidity and you'll probably be drenched by the time you get to work. The only truly nice season would probably be the fall, but be careful you don't slip out on wet leaves. I would say the spring is nice, too, but have fun out in the open for 17 miles riding through the wind when pollen is everywhere and you're sneezing with itchy eyes.
Seriously though, I think it's cool you want to/do bike to work but in my experience it's not something that's super common here. And if you're going to do it, avoid Plainfield. I think biking to work should be reserved for truly nice days in the nicest seasons, but IMO it would be pretty hard to be a yearly, every day or mostly every day thing, mostly because we have winter. But definitely if you would want to go for it on nice days, I say that's awesome.
Actually Plainfield would probably be the safest part of your commute. You have a good chance of getting mugged in Plainfield that would end your trip prematurely but it would also keep you from getting hit by one of the thousands of "crazed NJ commuters" all seeking to get there first.
Seriously, forget about bicycling from Westfield to New Brunswick.
Here is a better idea if you don't want to drive. Take the RVL to Newark and then the NE corridor line to New Brunswick. Drops you right at JJ Plaza. Won't be cheap but probably faster then biking.
Actually Plainfield would probably be the safest part of your commute. You have a good chance of getting mugged in Plainfield that would end your trip prematurely but it would also keep you from getting hit by one of the thousands of "crazed NJ commuters" all seeking to get there first.
Seriously, forget about bicycling from Westfield to New Brunswick.
+1
The almost total absence of dedicated bike lanes and the reality of no road shoulders for much of the length of Rt. 27, coupled with extremely high traffic density, and the presence of many distracted drivers make this extended bike excursion very unsafe. I can't imagine biking along Route 27 during commuting hours for more than a few days before the inevitable happened, and the biker was hit by one of the distracted drivers with whom he had to share the right lane.
Depending on the hours you work, it could be dark/twilight for both your trips from Nov 1 to Feb 1. Most drivers will not expect to see a person riding a bicycle at rush hour on the roads you will be using making your trip even more dangerous.
What is the point of living in Westfield with a job in New Brunswick? Why not just live right in New Brunswick or somewhere like Highland Park where biking or even walking to work would be much more manageable.
As a side note, I know a guy that used to bike from the southern part of Montclair to the northern part of Wayne. I don't recall how many miles he said it was, but it's a ridiculous bike ride. One day he flipped head first over the bike and broke his arm. Let's just say that's the end of his biking commute.
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You want to ride your bike to work? In the densest state in the country with crazy aggressive drivers and traffic, and a state that has four seasons and can see snowstorms dumping anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet at once? On top of the "polar vortex" which comes at least once a winter for about a week or so and drops temps into the teens with wind chills below 0? Summer may sound like a breeze except we have something here called humidity and you'll probably be drenched by the time you get to work. The only truly nice season would probably be the fall, but be careful you don't slip out on wet leaves. I would say the spring is nice, too, but have fun out in the open for 17 miles riding through the wind when pollen is everywhere and you're sneezing with itchy eyes. 
