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Bicyclist Killed on Southside - Any Details on Who this was?

A bicyclist was killed in a hit and run - does anyone know who this was?



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Permalink Reply by KatieP on January 18, 2011 at 9:56am
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 18, 2011 at 10:03am
Damn damn damn.  Left laying there like roadkill.   I am home sick and can call CPD external affairs later if there's no news update.
Permalink Reply by KatieP on January 18, 2011 at 10:05am
Thanks, H!

H3N3 said:
Damn damn damn.  Left laying there like roadkill.   I am home sick and can call CPD external affairs later if there's no news update.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 18, 2011 at 10:31am

I was told by CPD that they never release names of victims to anyone, ever, not even to the media.

Obviously completely FOS. I spoke to Jenny at the Sun Times City desk and she said there was nothing further at this point but watch for updates. She wasn't willing to explain how an update would happen (e.g. is someone at the Sun Times following up?) but said the police would typically release the name to them.

There doesn't seem to be much else to do.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 18, 2011 at 10:36am

Godspeed to this unfortunate individual who was struck down and left for dead.  The punishment for hit-and-run should be quartering -and I don't mean domiciled.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on January 18, 2011 at 11:06am

I just did a blog post on this on www.ILBicycleLaw.com. Hit the link to go to the post.

 

I've been concerned for a while that Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen is seeing a greater influx in number of riders (a good thing) than the current community is ready/equipped to deal with (not so good thing). People on the North Side tend to be used to bicyclists being around all the time, but the numbers of bicyclists on the near South Side is kind of a "surge". I remember riding to then new Comiskey Park in late 90's/early 00's and being the only bike I saw the whole way down there along Halsted from the West Loop. Now I see a lot of us everywhere.


James Baum said:

Godspeed to this unfortunate individual who was struck down and left for dead.  The punishment for hit-and-run should be quartering -and I don't mean domiciled.

 

 

Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on January 18, 2011 at 4:24pm


Mike Keating said:

I just did a blog post on this on www.ILBicycleLaw.com. Hit the link to go to the post.

 

I've been concerned for a while that Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen is seeing a greater influx in

 

I haven't looked up the data, but I have a hunch that there is a lower population density in Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen than on the north side. As far as I'm concerned this is a great thing, as there tends to be fewer cars on the road, fewer cabs double-parked in the bike lane, fewer drivers trying to door me, and less traffic chaos overall. On the north side, I've often encountered a palpable feeling of entitlement that I haven't found in south-side working class neighborhoods, either. Sure, drivers in B/C/P might still door you because they don't know to check their mirrors, but at least they'll apologize instead of yelling at you for dinging their Jetta and interrupting their iPhone conversation... aah, stereotypes :)

 

I take issue with the comment that the B/C/P areas are somehow ill-equipped for bike traffic, however. 26th, Archer, Canal, and Wabash make bike travel easy in Chinatown; Pilsen has 18th, 21st, Blue Island, Loomis, Damen, and Halsted specifically marked for cycling, not to mention hidden gems like Racine, 16th, and Canalport. Travel through and out of Bridgeport is facilitated with the Lyman/Loomis pass, Racine, Archer (for the brave), Halsted, 29th, and 33rd. The streets just east of Halsted (Emerald and Union) are great options for anyone squeamish about traffic on Halsted.

 

With a solid infrastructure in place, I can only assume you mean motorists are underinformed when you hint that the Bridgeport, Canaryville, and Pilsen communities are unprepared for cyclists. Sure, there are plenty of drivers who don't know how to safely share the road with cyclists, but I think it's obvious that this problem is not specific to the south side. Across the city (and state and country), improved education and enforcement would do wonders to improve the safety of vulnerable road users, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

The cyclist was found in Bronzeville, however, a neighborhood with even fewer cycling amenities than the near south side ones you mentioned. I try not to travel on Pershing; 43rd to the south is much calmer, and 33rd to the north has marked sharrows. The bike lanes on King Drive and Oakwood are nice, but they're the only ones in Bronzeville. I've encountered more than my share of ignorant drivers on both of these streets, too, including one fine gentleman who invited me to do something I won't reiterate in a public forum. In spite the IIT cycling team and easy access to the LFP, the Bronzeville zeitgeist doesn't seem to have a place for cyclists, and we should not ignore race or infrastructure when we ask why. And should we laugh or cry at the irony of being killed in Bronzeville on MLK day? It's almost as sad as Tyler Fabeck being hit and killed by a Prius on Earth Day.

 

Katie, I have no idea who it was, but I'll keep my ear to the ground in Bridgeport. I was initially horrified that it could have been my thesis advisor, who commutes between Bronzeville and Hyde Park, but I received an e-mail from him this morning.

 

This is terrible news indeed, and my thoughts are with the rider's loved ones.

Permalink Reply by Adam Torres on January 18, 2011 at 8:32pm
I don't know about Pershing Rd. in Bronzeville, but the part south of Brigeport gets a lot of heavy truck traffic due to the industrial park on the site of the Union Stockyards. I would never ride my bike down it. It's sad about this unfortunate accident, regardless.

I live in Bridgeport and always debate in my mind the negatives/positives of living down here. The only scares I've had riding down here is when approaching Archer on Halsted from the north. That intersection is so wide and the road dips below the train tracks incoming cars turning left never see me. That said I don't think I feel safer riding down here than the north side.

I dated a girl on the north side last year and I always enjoyed being around other commuters in the morning. Most days, I don't see one person riding from Bridgeport to the Loop and it's kind of lonely :(

Anyway, I hope justice is served in this tragic incident.

lauren sailor said:


Mike Keating said:

I just did a blog post on this on www.ILBicycleLaw.com. Hit the link to go to the post.

 

I've been concerned for a while that Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen is seeing a greater influx in

 

I haven't looked up the data, but I have a hunch that there is a lower population density in Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen than on the north side. As far as I'm concerned this is a great thing, as there tends to be fewer cars on the road, fewer cabs double-parked in the bike lane, fewer drivers trying to door me, and less traffic chaos overall. On the north side, I've often encountered a palpable feeling of entitlement that I haven't found in south-side working class neighborhoods, either. Sure, drivers in B/C/P might still door you because they don't know to check their mirrors, but at least they'll apologize instead of yelling at you for dinging their Jetta and interrupting their iPhone conversation... aah, stereotypes :)

 

I take issue with the comment that the B/C/P areas are somehow ill-equipped for bike traffic, however. 26th, Archer, Canal, and Wabash make bike travel easy in Chinatown; Pilsen has 18th, 21st, Blue Island, Loomis, Damen, and Halsted specifically marked for cycling, not to mention hidden gems like Racine, 16th, and Canalport. Travel through and out of Bridgeport is facilitated with the Lyman/Loomis pass, Racine, Archer (for the brave), Halsted, 29th, and 33rd. The streets just east of Halsted (Emerald and Union) are great options for anyone squeamish about traffic on Halsted.

 

With a solid infrastructure in place, I can only assume you mean motorists are underinformed when you hint that the Bridgeport, Canaryville, and Pilsen communities are unprepared for cyclists. Sure, there are plenty of drivers who don't know how to safely share the road with cyclists, but I think it's obvious that this problem is not specific to the south side. Across the city (and state and country), improved education and enforcement would do wonders to improve the safety of vulnerable road users, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

The cyclist was found in Bronzeville, however, a neighborhood with even fewer cycling amenities than the near south side ones you mentioned. I try not to travel on Pershing; 43rd to the south is much calmer, and 33rd to the north has marked sharrows. The bike lanes on King Drive and Oakwood are nice, but they're the only ones in Bronzeville. I've encountered more than my share of ignorant drivers on both of these streets, too, including one fine gentleman who invited me to do something I won't reiterate in a public forum. In spite the IIT cycling team and easy access to the LFP, the Bronzeville zeitgeist doesn't seem to have a place for cyclists, and we should not ignore race or infrastructure when we ask why. And should we laugh or cry at the irony of being killed in Bronzeville on MLK day? It's almost as sad as Tyler Fabeck being hit and killed by a Prius on Earth Day.

 

Katie, I have no idea who it was, but I'll keep my ear to the ground in Bridgeport. I was initially horrified that it could have been my thesis advisor, who commutes between Bronzeville and Hyde Park, but I received an e-mail from him this morning.

 

This is terrible news indeed, and my thoughts are with the rider's loved ones.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 18, 2011 at 4:50pm

Except for limited areas along the south side lakefront, population density on most of the south side is lower than on most of the north side.  This is a mixed bag.  Streets tend to be less crowded than on the north side, and we don't have all the drivers with a Lincoln Park/Gold Coast sense of entitlement. 

 

With less congestion, we can ride faster with a lower risk of dooring in many south side areas.  On the other hand, drivers in many south side neighborhoods aren't used to looking for cyclists, because there may be few in the areas where they usually travel. That's been my experience in the neighborhoods around and south of Midway in particular.  The city bike map and Active Trans Chicagoland bike map are helpful to find streets where you can ride and survive the experience.

 

Pershing tends to be scary-fast, and drivers there don't seem to expect cyclists.  That does not justify what happened to this poor guy.  I hope we can get more information about what happened in this incident, and I hope that police can identify and locate the culprit.



Mike Keating said:

...

I haven't looked up the data, but I have a hunch that there is a lower population density in Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen than on the north side. As far as I'm concerned this is a great thing, as there tends to be fewer cars on the road, fewer cabs double-parked in the bike lane, fewer drivers trying to door me, and less traffic chaos overall. On the north side, I've often encountered a palpable feeling of entitlement that I haven't found in south-side working class neighborhoods, either. Sure, drivers in B/C/P might still door you because they don't know to check their mirrors, but at least they'll apologize instead of yelling at you for dinging their Jetta and interrupting their iPhone conversation... aah, stereotypes :)

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 18, 2011 at 7:10pm

Not to pile on to Mike, as I think there are times when whether drivers are expecting to see bicycles does influence safety; but I also find it more peaceful, and feel safer riding in Pilsen/Bridgeport/Canaryville than I do on much of the North Side, and motorist entitlement and maybe "intensity" is my main feeling about what the difference is.  Particularly in Pilsen and Bridgeport (I don't spend as much time in Canaryville) I find drivers generally patient and tolerant (comparatively) and the high number of secondary and tertiary streets that go through for considerable distances without interruptions means I rarely have to share space with a vehicle traveling much over 30 MPH.

lauren sailor said:


Mike Keating said:

I just did a blog post on this on www.ILBicycleLaw.com. Hit the link to go to the post.

 

I've been concerned for a while that Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen is seeing a greater influx in

 

I haven't looked up the data, but I have a hunch that there is a lower population density in Bridgeport/Canaryville/Pilsen than on the north side. As far as I'm concerned this is a great thing, as there tends to be fewer cars on the road, fewer cabs double-parked in the bike lane, fewer drivers trying to door me, and less traffic chaos overall. On the north side, I've often encountered a palpable feeling of entitlement that I haven't found in south-side working class neighborhoods, either. Sure, drivers in B/C/P might still door you because they don't know to check their mirrors, but at least they'll apologize instead of yelling at you for dinging their Jetta and interrupting their iPhone conversation... aah, stereotypes :)

 

I take issue with the comment that the B/C/P areas are somehow ill-equipped for bike traffic, however. 26th, Archer, Canal, and Wabash make bike travel easy in Chinatown; Pilsen has 18th, 21st, Blue Island, Loomis, Damen, and Halsted specifically marked for cycling, not to mention hidden gems like Racine, 16th, and Canalport. Travel through and out of Bridgeport is facilitated with the Lyman/Loomis pass, Racine, Archer (for the brave), Halsted, 29th, and 33rd. The streets just east of Halsted (Emerald and Union) are great options for anyone squeamish about traffic on Halsted.

 

With a solid infrastructure in place, I can only assume you mean motorists are underinformed when you hint that the Bridgeport, Canaryville, and Pilsen communities are unprepared for cyclists. Sure, there are plenty of drivers who don't know how to safely share the road with cyclists, but I think it's obvious that this problem is not specific to the south side. Across the city (and state and country), improved education and enforcement would do wonders to improve the safety of vulnerable road users, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

The cyclist was found in Bronzeville, however, a neighborhood with even fewer cycling amenities than the near south side ones you mentioned. I try not to travel on Pershing; 43rd to the south is much calmer, and 33rd to the north has marked sharrows. The bike lanes on King Drive and Oakwood are nice, but they're the only ones in Bronzeville. I've encountered more than my share of ignorant drivers on both of these streets, too, including one fine gentleman who invited me to do something I won't reiterate in a public forum. In spite the IIT cycling team and easy access to the LFP, the Bronzeville zeitgeist doesn't seem to have a place for cyclists, and we should not ignore race or infrastructure when we ask why. And should we laugh or cry at the irony of being killed in Bronzeville on MLK day? It's almost as sad as Tyler Fabeck being hit and killed by a Prius on Earth Day.

 

Katie, I have no idea who it was, but I'll keep my ear to the ground in Bridgeport. I was initially horrified that it could have been my thesis advisor, who commutes between Bronzeville and Hyde Park, but I received an e-mail from him this morning.

 

This is terrible news indeed, and my thoughts are with the rider's loved ones.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 18, 2011 at 7:14pm
I've had similar experiences in Pilsen and Bridgeport - generally peaceful, pleasant riding.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on January 18, 2011 at 7:18pm

I just spoke to the officer quoted in this article:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/3363903-418/police-hit-medical-r...

He said the Sun Times gal was wrong, the police do not release a victim's name to the media- the media would get it from another source e.g. the Medical Examiner's office. He thought the victim had not been identified yet, but I don't think he knew for sure.

Not really sure how to get an update at this point.

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