The Chainlink

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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Michelle, thanks for that link. I had not seen it. Mr. Klein mentions some interesting statistics.

What is absolutely astounding to me is the number of cyclists on Milwaukee: 48% of traffic was bicycles on a recent rush hour count. Not quite Groningen, but it is getting there ;)

Michelle said:

OK, sorry about the multiple posts. Catching up on news over lunch. I wasn't able to go to the 11:00 Kinzie track ribbon-cutting due to work commitments, but those of you who did probably already heard this announcement from CDOT that the next stretch of protected lane is on Jackson from Damen to Halsted.

 

Klein also announced the location of the city’s next protected bike lane:  Jackson Boulevard from Damen Avenue to Halsted Street.

Hmmm . . . several attacks on cyclists at Adams and Damen last year:

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/attacked-sunday-at-845pm

I'm glad the Kinzie thing is working and hope it can be spread to Stony. Becasue my wife and i rode around Stony yesterday. We saw lots of riders out there on the side streets avoiding Stony becasue of the speed of the drivers. They may not have been riding $5k bikes but the population is there.

 

At first I was hurt to see that the next street will be Jackson but on second thought maybe its best to use these streets as an experiments to see what I need to look out for when the design comes into my neighboorhood. Since I ride year-round I can adjust to the traffic, weather and politics of riding no matter where I live. However, I WANT A BIKE LANE ON STONY ISLAND! :)

 

Riding Over Adversity...

Michelle said:

Very short Trib article about the Kinzie cycle track just posted here. The headline is “City’s First Protected Bike Lane In Use.” That’s “breaking news”??

 

It has already received 65 comments in less than an hour. As always, do not read them.

 

Perhaps this part is the breaking news - I thought the Stony Island thing was a no-go:

 

CDOT earlier said it also plans to install a cycle track on Stony Island Avenue on the South Side between 69th and 77th streets. CDOT received a $3.2 million federal grant to build and test the track.

Stony will take a little while longer because it's using IDOT money, so it has to go through the state's process.  The small projects using only city, Aldermanic, and private funds can be designed by CDOT staff and on-call consultants and installed relatively quickly like Kinzie.
man, I could use that route on my commute, but I'm not crazy about that neighborhood. Also, it kind of sucks they are doing in on a one way street. Doing it on a two way would give us twice the effective bike track.

h333 said:

Klein also announced the location of the city’s next protected bike lane:  Jackson Boulevard from Damen Avenue to Halsted Street.

Hmmm . . . several attacks on cyclists at Adams and Damen last year:

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/attacked-sunday-at-845pm

They could make it a two-way bike path even though it's one-way for motorized traffic, like this one on Kent in NY.  Too bad we get no details, just crumbs of info... 

 

Photo credit: NYCDOT, taken from Streetsblog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason W said:

man, I could use that route on my commute, but I'm not crazy about that neighborhood. Also, it kind of sucks they are doing in on a one way street. Doing it on a two way would give us twice the effective bike track.

h333 said:

Klein also announced the location of the city’s next protected bike lane:  Jackson Boulevard from Damen Avenue to Halsted Street.

Hmmm . . . several attacks on cyclists at Adams and Damen last year:

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/attacked-sunday-at-845pm

Think we'll ever get something IN the loop?

 

How about Roosevelt crossing the river?  That is effin' HORRIBLE right now due to the Congress construction, cars are maniacs using the alleged shared bike/bus lane...
Yes

in it to win it said:

Think we'll ever get something IN the loop?

 

I'm not immediately expecting any protected lanes in the loop during the Wacker drive and Congress construction, but I like it if after completion attention will turn to providing a protected route through the loop.
I used Roosevelt Road once to get from Halsted over to the Lake Front Path.  The bike maps show a nice bike lane.  It was a freakin death wish.  Scared the crap out of me.  Never again.

Carter O'Brien said:
How about Roosevelt crossing the river?  That is effin' HORRIBLE right now due to the Congress construction, cars are maniacs using the alleged shared bike/bus lane...

I was told by CDOT folks a few years ago that Taylor was supposed to be the new bike corridor and there was money and plans to build out east of Canal and cross the river.

Would have rocked my world-- not sure what happened it that.

Cameron Puetz said:

If anything is done with Roosevelt I hope it stretches all the way through the Lake Shore Drive intersection and connects to the Lake Front Path.

Carter O'Brien said:
How about Roosevelt crossing the river?  That is effin' HORRIBLE right now due to the Congress construction, cars are maniacs using the alleged shared bike/bus lane...

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