LFT Separation Ardmore to Montrose

The planned bike path route has many sharp turns and detours closer to the lake.  This doesn't seem very realistic.  If this is enforced, I may take streets south to Montrose and pick up the LFT there.  I don't think this is what the public had in mind for the trail separation project.

https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/sites/default/files/documents/l...

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Permalink Reply by Bruce on June 27, 2018 at 8:56am

I think it's pretty clear that both paths will continue to be used by both cycles and walkers/runners/in-line skaters.  I actually have little problem sharing the path with runners who understand and use good trail etiquette. I have much more issue with the people who ride their bikes out of control, weaving back and forth, looking at their cell-phones, or who ride abreast and take up more space than necessary and effectively block the lane without need.

By the way, what's wrong with running between the paths?? As long as they are not in your way, why does it bother you?  I run on the grass and avoid the paths quite often, but not always.

Permalink Reply by Dawn on June 28, 2018 at 3:36am

I've been taking the new route for a little over a week and I wanted to appreciate that it's closer to the lake and has the better view, but honestly when I'm commuting to work, I just want to get there and I don't care what I'm looking at. Maybe the view is nice for the leisurely pedalers who don't mind dodging people with coolers and kids who are setting up camp by the lake, but in terms of efficiency, the old path was hard to beat. Even though the new one only adds a half mile, the round-about way that it does it along with the sharp turns and multiple places to merge (or cross) with other traffic makes it seem infinitely longer. Hopefully I'll get used to it or, once everything is in place, it'll all work out, but based on other "completed" portions of the path near Fullerton that are so confusing no one seems to know WTF to do, I'm not too confident.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on July 8, 2018 at 4:47am

FYI, according to the park district Twitter, the trail from Ardmore to Berwyn (Foster beach) will be closed starting Monday July 9. 

https://twitter.com/chicagoparks/status/1015958828549115907?s=21

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on July 8, 2018 at 4:55am

It's vague about that. BOTH trails?? The one that's under construction AND the detour??

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on July 9, 2018 at 1:22am

Oh, duh...never mind - it's not split at that point...

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on July 10, 2018 at 2:17am

Knowing this, I took my alternate Clark Street route on my way to work yesterday...except my way to get onto Clark was blocked by construction too...so I improvised a route on the spot....this time it wasn't blocked by construction, but...I did have to stop about every five minutes due to construction vehicles having to cross....arhrhghh!!!!

On the way home I took the LFT with the intention of staying on it right up until it was closed. (Since I was coming home and had no deadline, I had time to deal with whatever surprises came up.) Thing is...NONE OF IT was closed. There were a couple of construction warning signs, but absolutely no closures at all between Berwyn and Ardmore -- I was able to take the LFT all the way to the end.

Heh...wonder what the "construction" will consist of...I'm thinking they're just going to re-paint it to make it look like they actually did some work, just like two years ago.

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on July 9, 2018 at 3:15am

Took a bunch of photos of the new configuration: https://chi.streetsblog.org/2018/07/07/eyes-on-the-street-lakefront...

Permalink Reply by Sean Newby on July 9, 2018 at 11:27am

short article about the construction from ardmore south, but more informative than what the park district put out there over the weekend:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/07/09/construction-starts-this-we...

Permalink Reply by Mark on July 10, 2018 at 3:32am

The best detour is to take Winthrop, Glenwood,  or Clark south to Balmoral, then go east to Sheridan.  At Sheridan, you can either go north for a quarter block, then east into the driveway and through the fence opening to the path.  The other option is to go south on Sheridan for one block and then east on Berwyn and the trail.  Either option gets you to the underpass north of Foster.  Most riders go south on Sheridan, but I don't like making that left at Berwyn.

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on July 10, 2018 at 3:34am

I avoid Sheridan. That's a dangerous road for cycling. Not a lot of room.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 25, 2018 at 4:30am

Currently there's no trail at all between Ardmore and Bryn Mawr so everyone's riding on the grass to get to the temporary trail along the lake down to Foster. The original trail south of Foster is paved and finished, so in the end the only real change will be the loop to get under Montrose.

Permalink Reply by Mark on July 25, 2018 at 8:17am

The "original" trail south of Foster is now technically painted as ped-only.  However, several cyclists, including myself, continue to ride it.  My prediction is that by next year, the painted markings will be worn off and all trail users will be using it just like before.  As with all of these "separated" trails, at the end of the day, trail users will use whatever trail is most direct and convenient for them.

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