Swap car lanes for bike lanes along Chicago Avenue in West Town?

A proposal to put a stretch of Chicago Avenue in West Town on a “road diet” to accommodate bike lanes on both sides of the street will be on the Chicago Department of Transportation’s exploratory docket in 2018.

The idea to reduce the number of traffic lanes from four to two and install a center turn lane was a recommendation in a taxpayer-funded “We Are West Town” Master Plan completed last spring.

For the full article go here: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/west-town-chicago-avenue-bike-lanes/

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on January 10, 2018 at 4:46am

That's going to be a tough sell. Augusta and Grand are already two lanes. There's really no where for the traffic to go. The 66 bus is already slow, and would grind to a halt. Augusta has dedicated bike lanes, so I could see opposition to adding them to Chicago.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on January 10, 2018 at 7:01am

I would've said Grand is four lanes?

Either way, I'm sympathetic to the argument that bus lanes are more needed on Chicago than bike lanes.

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on January 10, 2018 at 10:47am

From Halsted to Damon there's parking on both sides, which effectively reduces the street to a single lane of traffic in each direction. 

Permalink Reply by Mark on January 10, 2018 at 11:34am

Chicago Avenue is currently striped for two travel lanes in each direction plus parking on both sides west of Ogden to the City limits.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on January 10, 2018 at 11:50am

Yes, this is what I thought. I agree it is narrow, though.

Permalink Reply by Mark on January 10, 2018 at 9:18am

My recommendation would be to convert the existing right traffic lane into a shared Bus and Bike only lane, like southbound Clark has through Lincoln Park.  Also, eliminate a few parking spaces near intersections to allow left turn lanes.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on January 10, 2018 at 11:51am

Do the southbound drivers respect this lane you describe on Clark Street? I had no idea it existed.

Permalink Reply by Mark on January 11, 2018 at 9:57am

The bus/bike lane is actually striped and marked in the parking lane, and parking is banned during morning rush. I've never seen any moving cars in the lane, but of course there is always one car in each block that is parked in the lane.  Despite this, I think it works very well.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on January 12, 2018 at 5:18am

That's cool. I need to find an excuse to be up there during the morning rush hour. I'd like to see it in action.

Permalink Reply by Mark on January 12, 2018 at 5:37am

The lane is on Clark between Diversey and Dickens.

Permalink Reply by Allan on January 16, 2018 at 12:53pm

I'll have to bike on that part of Clark, to take a look at that sometime. I also do wonder how well that shared bus/bike lane works.

Permalink Reply by Jason on January 12, 2018 at 4:14am

I dont see how that would work.  

Just taking away that right turn when youre heading north on Damen & Milwaukee has backed up traffic there.  

Chicago avenue would be a disaster.

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