Northern Johnson City is not super bicycle friendly. There are lots of roads with wide lanes, heavy traffic, and few speeding deterrents. That does not mean it is impossible to safely traverse towards the downtown area, it is just a little bit more complicated. NOTE: If you are ever crossing a busy road, do so at a stoplight with protected turns.
State of Franklin Linear Trail
If you are near Med Tech Parkway (Franklin Woods Hospital area), you can take the State if Franklin Linear Trail. This trail keeps you separated from automobile traffic and provides a calm environment for you to enjoy your ride. You’ve probably driven right past it before and never noticed.
The SoF Linear Trail starts at the corner of People Street and Greenline Road, next to Great Clips and the Vitamin Shoppe. It follows alongside State of Franklin Road, as the name might suggest.
There are a few areas where you have to cross the street, such as Med Tech Parkway and Sunset Drive, but most if not all have lights and signs to allow bikes and pedestrians a chance to cross. Keep alert, though, as some cars may ignore these signs.
Contrary to the linear part of the SoF Linear Trail, there are some area that are broken up by various roads or parts where you will switch to a road for a short time. Be sure to use this guide or have a gps in front of you to help you get back onto the trail after breaks in it.
The biggest break in the trail is between McKinley/W Walnut (near Kroger) and Mountain Home Drive (behind the First Horizon bank).
The trail continues parallel to W State of Franklin towards downtown. There is some construction currently behind the ETSU Millennium Center, but the trail should be reconnected later in September. While I do not love that the trail has disconnected pieces and requires interaction with State of Franklin from Kroger until the ETSU parking garage, it is a much better option to get from northern Johnson City to the downtown area than riding alongside busy roads the entire time.
N Roan Area
If you are near N Roan Street (close to Target), there is a great, low traffic route to get to the downtown area. Start by taking E Mountcastle Drive past Fairmont Elementary and onto Melrse Avenue then Iris Avenue.
From Iris, turn right onto Shady Lane and continue onto Lester Harris Road. You can then get onto Hillrise Boulevard. Hillrise connects to Baxter Street which connects to Railroad Street. From there, it is easy to access downtown.
Get on E Millard Street once Railroad ends at Oak Street. You can cross under the interstate, avoiding the highspeed traffic, this way. Turn left onto Elm Street and take the next right onto East King Street. This will get you all the way to Kings Commons Park.
If you are traveling from any of the areas more northeast than what I have described here, I recommend sticking to low traffic, residential roads. Avoid places like East Unaka Avenue, which with wide lanes, and straight roadways, is designed in a way that encourages cars to speed. Instead, take one of the less busy roads that runs parallel to E Unaka.