The Chainlink

Another car crashes after veering off LSD and through the bike path

Cars flying off LSD to/past the bike path happens with enough frequency there should be a protective barrier. I hope the people using the path are ok. 

One person was critically injured after a car left the roadway on Lake Shore Drive and crashed near the bike path on the North Side Monday morning.


The Chicago Fire Department said one person was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in very critical condition. It is not known if there are any other injuries.

The crash occurred near Fullerton Avenue. The two right lanes of northbound Lake Shore Drive are closed as authorities investigate the crash.

https://abc7chicago.com/1-critically-injured-after-car-crashes-on-b...

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The news footage shows that this happened just south of the Diversey bridge. Checking with CPD for more details. 

Tribune is reporting that the driver was the person who was injured. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-accident-lake-s...

This is the same section where a car hit a lightpole in April; the Armco barriers had not been repaired since.

I think we should be asking CDOT if the barrier in that area was compromised or weakened; and why it had not been repaired or replaced (especially in a section so close to a heavily trafficked pedestrian and bicycle route).

The entire section of the Trail north of the Diversey bridge has no guardrails of any kind, which seems dangerous, given that drivers usually far exceed the MPH speed limit, and given that the new separated bike lanes are even closer to LSD. LSD is an IDOT-jurisdiction street. 

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Totally agree and I continue to be surprised that IDOT doesn't install a barrier along the entire length of NLSD.  I'm also surprised that there are not more barriers to prevent motorists from driving cars onto the trail (either accidentally or intentionally). 

Here are a few excerpts from the NLSD project study "purpose and need" statement that back up your assessment that motorists speed and crash their cars with alarming regularity on Lake Shore Drive:

"Based on 2007‐2011 crash data, in excess of 5,800 vehicular crashes have occurred along the entire length of the Outer Drive and at its junction intersections over the five‐year study period which included 1,005 injury and 17 fatal crashes. NLSD averages 3 crashes per day."

"Within its state‐wide peer group of urban multi‐lane divided highways, NLSD accounted
for six out of the top 10 high crash sections within the entire state"

"Vehicle speed studies conducted at twelve locations along the length of NLSD for a 48‐hour weekday period showed non‐compliance rates with the posted speed limit (40 mph at the time of the study) of 78% in the southbound direction and 95% in the northbound direction, with most compliance occurring only during periods of heavy congestion. Within the highest speed section of NLSD, nearly 9% of the 48‐hour traffic volume exceeded the posted speed limit by 30 mph or more."

http://www.northlakeshoredrive.org/pdf/2014-12-19_PurposeAndNeed_Po...

Yes, thanks, Philip. The current design of LSD is more like an expressway, and not like the boulevard that this street was determined to be and continues to be designated as to this day. IDOT's preliminary drawings for the re-design have several beneficial aspects, but they still sorely lack in design changes that would slow down driving speeds. In fact, many of the proposed elements would make drivers speed even more, including straightening the S-curve at Oak Street and leaving the car travel lanes at their current highway-like width. 

I don't know how Pritzker and Lightfoot feel about the North Lake Shore Drive design proposals, but I would like to see them get behind the idea of removing at least two lanes. Add better barrier protection from autos and expand the trail even more.

I saw it this morning. The car almost ended up in the waterway to Diversey Harbor. And it's next to a little shrine that went up a few weeks ago after a crash took out one of the art deco bridge markers.

A taller, more robust barrier along the drive is definitely needed. The armco along there is pretty low and probably too old as well. It's designed to take an oblique blow but cars seem to either be going through or over it..

Here's the NBC5 coverage.  I was fortunate to ride through 20 minutes before this happened.  Also came upon the interview in progress on my way home.  That's me at 1:17!

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