The Chainlink

Kinzie. It's what's next.

Hopefully you've heard by now that CDOT will begin construction this week on the city's first protected bike lane: Kinzie Street from Milwaukee Avenue/Desplaines Street to Wells Street. 

 

Full story on Steven Can Plan. 

 

I want to know what you think about this.

  • What do you feel will need special attention?
  • Is this the right or wrong location for such a facility? Why?
  • Are you going to thank/congratulate Rahm, Gabe, and the CDOT Bicycle Program?
  • Will you use it?

 

Cycle track and protected bike lane naysayers, this isn't the post for you. But if you've ridden in protected bike lanes before, then I welcome your constructive comments and criticism based on your actual experiences. 

Big intersection

The new beginning. Looking southeast at the intersection of Kinzie/Milwaukee/Desplaines. 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duppie on June 16, 2011 at 2:55pm
But these are "special order steel plates", so they must be good

James Baum said:
Great, slippery steel plates to slip and slide on when it gets cooler and the moist air condenses on it (and then maybe freezes) just because people want to run skinny race tires on their bikes and can't handle the grates....
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 16, 2011 at 2:59pm
They aren't so bad for the bicyclists since they are light -but they are sudden death for a n00b motorcyclist who don't know enough to look out for them..
Permalink Reply by vxla on June 16, 2011 at 2:59pm

Something like this, but modified to fit the situation. On the approach to the bridge would be good coming from the east, although hanging from the actual bridge would be better (although the preservationists won't like that idea).

 


Steven Vance said:

What existing or not-yet-existing sign or message do you think should go here?

vxla said:

Yes, I realize I'm not obligated to ride in the cycle track. However, if the point is to make it safer for new cyclists to feel safer, then basic traffic movements should actually be addressed by CDOT, instead of them just painting some lines and putting up plastic bollards. Signs describing traffic flow should be easily visible to traffic, motorized and non.

 

Permalink Reply by vxla on June 16, 2011 at 3:01pm
The grates are a real bitch to fall on. I'd much rather fall on a plate with my skinny tires.

James Baum said:
Great, slippery steel plates to slip and slide on when it gets cooler and the moist air condenses on it (and then maybe freezes) just because people want to run skinny race tires on their bikes and can't handle the grates....
Permalink Reply by ad on June 16, 2011 at 3:33pm

I ride 700 x 32 tires (are those wide enough for you??) and I still slip and slide on the Kinzie bridge in heavy rain.  It's one of the worse grated bridges in the City IMHO.  I'll admit that even on skinny 700 x 23 tires you're unlikely to go down if you handle the bike right and ride it out, but that doesn't make it any less freaky to cross. 

 

As a daily year-round rider for at least 5 years I can say I've never slipped on the textured steel plates installed on the Wells or Cortland bridges, even when running "skinny" 700 x 23 or 25 tires on my road bike.  I would prefer they filled in the grate with concrete like they did on the Randolph bridge, but I'll take the plates over nothing. 

 

To the extent you're raising motorcycles as a concern, they shouldn't be in the bike lanes anyway

James Baum said:

Great, slippery steel plates to slip and slide on when it gets cooler and the moist air condenses on it (and then maybe freezes) just because people want to run skinny race tires on their bikes and can't handle the grates....
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 16, 2011 at 3:42pm

It's not so bad for light bikes -but for n00b motorcylists they are deadly.  

 

I guess some bicyclists don't care about the safety of other road users. As a year-round motorcyclist who was car-free well into his 20's I've learned to stay away from steel plates on bridges.  The grates are nothing -but the plates are deadly serious killers. 

Permalink Reply by ad on June 16, 2011 at 4:01pm

I've heard multiple accounts of bicyclists being injured--some quite severely, including a person who posted a thread on here recently--on grated bridges that have not been adapted in some way to protect cyclists.  I've not heard a single account of a motorcyclist being injured by the plates installed on marked bike lanes (which is what were talking about here by the way) on the Wells and Cortland bridges to protect cyclists, which is not to say it's never happened I'm just not personally aware of it.  So, my question back to you is are you aware of a motorcyclist that has been injured by a Kathy plate installed in a marked bike lane within the city of Chicago?? 

 

Also, I find it a bit ironic that you're calling me out for allegedly not caring about motorcyclists--who would be negligently and illegally riding in the lanes were talking about by the way--while in previous comments you basically suggest anyone riding over the grates with "skinny" tires is just asking for it. 

Permalink Reply by Rhea Butcher on June 20, 2011 at 3:47pm
Has anyone seen cars getting tickets for parking in the new "non parking" part of Milwaukee heading Southbound toward Kinzie/Desplaines? I was super excited to see that part of Milwaukee getting some attention as well and seeing the cars still blatantly parking in it was a bit of a bummer. I am still hopeful though!
Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on June 20, 2011 at 5:37pm
On Sunday, I saw my first delivery vehicle with its flashers on, parked in the westbound bike lane.
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on June 20, 2011 at 6:42pm

I like the bridge part but with parking on the left side of the lane it creates a visual barrier between the bikes and cars so...watch those right turns at every entry point as they can see you even LESS now as they turn right.

Are we supposed to yield at the entries of parking lots, side streets?

I don't like the "boxed in" feeling while having to look way over my left shoulder to have to see or guess if any one of those cars planning a turn.

Permalink Reply by Matt Grosspietsch on June 21, 2011 at 3:26pm

Hi Steven, do you have any intel on how snow will be cleared from the new Kinzie protected bike lane? It is obviously too narrow for a standard Streets and Sanitation snowplow to fit through.

 

As I pedalled through the lane last Friday for the first time, this was the first thought that came to me.

 

thanks,

 

Matt 

Permalink Reply by Erik Swedlund on June 21, 2011 at 3:28pm

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