The Chainlink

Businesses that habitually block bike lanes

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for dealing with the problem of businesses that habitually leave signs, cones, and other garbage blocking bike lanes. The biggest offenders seem to be valet parking attendants and car washes. I know that valet parking requires a permit from the city, has anyone ever tried complaining to the city about a valet? Is this an effective approach or just an exercise in frustration? I’ve tried talking to valet attendants which unsurprisingly did nothing. Is going inside the restaurant contracting with the valet and complaining to a manager worthwhile, or just another way to waste time?

 

Two places that I routinely have problems with are The Fifty/50 (2047 W Division) and Via Carducci La Sorella (1928 W Division). Both contract with Third Coast Valet for parking.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on March 28, 2011 at 8:12am
Didn't get by there on Friday, but they were not obstructing the bike lane on Saturday.

Kevin Conway said:

I will:

 

1.

2. Kevin Conway

 

Is there anyone who passes that way frequently who can report back as to whether it's any better this weekend?

Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on March 28, 2011 at 6:47pm

Hey Chainlinkers,

 

After some internal research, we've come full circle...the best ways to solve this (as Howard brought up) is to call the businesses and local alderman.

 

311 doesn't have a tracking system for these types of calls because it requires immediate enforcement (unlike calling in a pothole or sidewalk that isn't shoveled), so you would be transferred to 911.

 

Which is a third option if the business and alderman do not respond. Calling 911 (which we also recommend doing if a motorist recklessly endangers you as a bicyclist) is definitely within your rights.

 

Hopefully, working with the business and alderman would solve these issues before anyone would call 911. Also, if the public (e.g. all of us on Chainlink) wasn't getting response from businesses AND alderman, Active Trans could potentially get involved by making a call or writing a letter.

 

Keep up the power, people!

 

Ethan, with Active Trans

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on March 28, 2011 at 7:02pm
I'm less concerned with a cone,sign or a car blocking the bike lane but the Valet drivers acting like  "Indy 500 pit stop resume the race driving" without looking in the mirrors or caring if they did  needs to be addressed.
Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on March 28, 2011 at 8:17pm

Another business to add to the list:

Actually a group of businesses - all of the companies and valet operators that have parking lots for visitors to the Congress Theater for events. They put their sandwich boards in the bike lanes. It's not clear who operates them - rarely do the signs mention the parking lot operator. 

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on March 28, 2011 at 11:39pm
How would you go about addressing that, Mike?

Mike Zumwalt said:
I'm less concerned with a cone,sign or a car blocking the bike lane but the Valet drivers acting like  "Indy 500 pit stop resume the race driving" without looking in the mirrors or caring if they did  needs to be addressed.
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on March 28, 2011 at 11:42pm
The clunky forum interface makes it hard to follow a thread here, but actually the intent is not to "build a list"-- it's to solve these problems.  Can you find out which ward that is (guessing you already know without even thinking about it) and call the alderman?  Or considering your considerable insight into how the city works, suggest a better avenue?

Steven Vance said:

Another business to add to the list:

Actually a group of businesses - all of the companies and valet operators that have parking lots for visitors to the Congress Theater for events. They put their sandwich boards in the bike lanes. It's not clear who operates them - rarely do the signs mention the parking lot operator. 

Permalink Reply by Joel on April 5, 2011 at 3:58pm
The British School at Chicago (Halsted, just south of North) seems to encourage the parents to park in the bike lane while waiting to pick up kids.  Every one of them is on a cell phone and doors are a flying when kids pile in.  They really don't care, and if the sense of entitlement is anywhere near the size or cost of the cars they are driving, things won't change without a major motivator.
Permalink Reply by Liz on April 6, 2011 at 7:38pm

The parents dropping kids off at Roberto Clemente annoy me a lot.  There's a drop off lane that starts about 200 ft east of western, instead many parents simply stop in the bike lane imediately past Western.  It causes a lot of problems with that intersection in the morning.

 

Its still better than riding down Augusta, since Augusta has 4 schools on my way to work, and therefore 4 drop off zones with parents stopping wherever they please. 

 

Many of the most confrontational drivers I have met on my morning commute are parents with young children on their way to school.

 

Its a city wide problem that effects both public and private schools.

Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on April 6, 2011 at 7:46pm
Going past schools in the morning on my way to work is very frustrating.  I have two choices.  I can take Agusta and deal with the mess in front of St. Helens. Or I can take Division, and deal with the same mess, but on a slightly wider street, in front of Roberto Clemente.  I take Division as it is slightly, but only slightly, better than Agusta where it goes past a school.
Permalink Reply by Ash L. on April 6, 2011 at 8:04pm
Have either of you ever ridden Iowa (about a block south of Augusta)? I ride it from California to Oakley every morning to avoid the mess at LaFayette and St. Helens. Nothing helps me to avoid the BS that goes on next door to my apartment at St Sylvester school on Palmer. Parent triple park there, pull out from parked without looking at all and run the red light at Humboldt daily. You'd think parents would be more cautious considering there are children walking to school right there.

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