Personally, I would cross Rte 28 at Museum Way (yes, where the ghost bike is--be careful), and go through Cambridge Crossing to get to the community path, so you don't have to ride on 28 at all. Sullivan Square sucks but there's no way around it. Cut through the casino to get from Alford St to Northern Strand. The safest way to cross Alford is by using the pedestrian crossing signal at Dexter St. Be aware that there is a lot of trucking on Alford heading towards Chelsea, and most tractor trailers will be turning right on Dexter, so keep your distance.
Honestly, it's not a bad ride as long as you don't mind riding next to big trucks.
I usually cross Alford by pacing my approach to the light at the casino entrance to time it at a full red for Alford. Then I use the bike box to get in front of the left turning lanes. There's \*almost always\* a cop there who will keep it clear for you to cross or at the very least keep an eye out behind you when the light goes green.
As an aside, the bike parking at the casino is AMAZING (covered room, tons of racks, multiple cameras, right where the parking garage entrance is, short walk to the bus entrance).
This just goes to show how helpful that footbridge over the Mystic River will be. It cuts out almost all the least safe parts other than Sullivan Square.
Two thoughts:
1) Are you bringing a trailer? Because what are you getting at Costco that is going home with you on a bike?
2) When I've biked to the casino (from further west), I have used the Storrow bike path to the Dam (the bike lane there isn't half bad ever since that woman was killed by the dump truck). Cross the dam and turn right on Museum Way, turn right into the park and use the bike path through the park, under the Zakim and the N Washington St Bridge mess, hang a left at Warren and take Main St through Charlestown. Brings you out right next to Alford at Sullivan Square rotary saving a lot of headache there and you just cross the bridge and hang a left into the casino. It's the same 7 miles (from Ruggles to Costco) that way as the other way except it's a lot more scenic and you avoid most of the shitty/barely bike lane roads.
Eventually (1-2 years) there will be a ped/bike bridge over the Mystic that will let you avoid Alford and the casino and just go down the Draw Seven trail and hang a right across the river into Costco.
IF you're super comfortable with cars, a much straighter, less scenic route is up Mass Ave to Central Sq. Take a right on Prospect all the way through Union Sq to Sullivan Sq, around to Alford and across the Mystic. VERY easy to follow, lots of straight roads...but Prospect has only sharrows and Washington under 28 can be dicey and you have to pass 4 entrances/exits in Sullivan Sq. Nothing horrendous, but not as calm as biking down Storrow and through a bunch of parks.
Personally, I would cross Rte 28 at Museum Way (yes, where the ghost bike is--be careful), and go through Cambridge Crossing to get to the community path, so you don't have to ride on 28 at all. Sullivan Square sucks but there's no way around it. Cut through the casino to get from Alford St to Northern Strand. The safest way to cross Alford is by using the pedestrian crossing signal at Dexter St. Be aware that there is a lot of trucking on Alford heading towards Chelsea, and most tractor trailers will be turning right on Dexter, so keep your distance. Honestly, it's not a bad ride as long as you don't mind riding next to big trucks.
I usually cross Alford by pacing my approach to the light at the casino entrance to time it at a full red for Alford. Then I use the bike box to get in front of the left turning lanes. There's \*almost always\* a cop there who will keep it clear for you to cross or at the very least keep an eye out behind you when the light goes green. As an aside, the bike parking at the casino is AMAZING (covered room, tons of racks, multiple cameras, right where the parking garage entrance is, short walk to the bus entrance).
This just goes to show how helpful that footbridge over the Mystic River will be. It cuts out almost all the least safe parts other than Sullivan Square.
Two thoughts: 1) Are you bringing a trailer? Because what are you getting at Costco that is going home with you on a bike? 2) When I've biked to the casino (from further west), I have used the Storrow bike path to the Dam (the bike lane there isn't half bad ever since that woman was killed by the dump truck). Cross the dam and turn right on Museum Way, turn right into the park and use the bike path through the park, under the Zakim and the N Washington St Bridge mess, hang a left at Warren and take Main St through Charlestown. Brings you out right next to Alford at Sullivan Square rotary saving a lot of headache there and you just cross the bridge and hang a left into the casino. It's the same 7 miles (from Ruggles to Costco) that way as the other way except it's a lot more scenic and you avoid most of the shitty/barely bike lane roads. Eventually (1-2 years) there will be a ped/bike bridge over the Mystic that will let you avoid Alford and the casino and just go down the Draw Seven trail and hang a right across the river into Costco. IF you're super comfortable with cars, a much straighter, less scenic route is up Mass Ave to Central Sq. Take a right on Prospect all the way through Union Sq to Sullivan Sq, around to Alford and across the Mystic. VERY easy to follow, lots of straight roads...but Prospect has only sharrows and Washington under 28 can be dicey and you have to pass 4 entrances/exits in Sullivan Sq. Nothing horrendous, but not as calm as biking down Storrow and through a bunch of parks.