[load]

This route passes through a few distinct areas just west of downtown along Versailles Road, including industrial buildings along Trafton, stub neighborhoods along Halls and Devine, commercial space on Sparta and retail establishments along Versailles.

The key learning for me came from a short discussion I had with one of the denizens of the area while waiting for a light. I commented on the difficulty of riding along Versailles on a bicycle, as she was doing.  She was very matter-of-fact about it.  She shrugged and said “you get used to it.”  And this is true.  Really, this stretch of road isn’t much worse than some streets I walked along frequently not long ago. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t improvements that could and should be made here.  It does point out that, terrifying though they may seem, the perception of danger may be amplified by thinking too much about it.  It is at least possible to get around by walking along streets like Versailles.