I rode Dearborn today...anyone else?

I just missed the press conference and just hung out at lunch to see how it would all work. It seemed easy enough, so I took Dearborn as my starting route home to Roscoe Village. Normally I hit Franklin to Orleans then north to Lincoln.

I have to say, it was pretty easy and relatively safe. The ambassadors were helpful with the the auto traffic. The walkers were easy enough to avoid. I had to chuckle at two riders riding side by side in the lane.

What I didn't see was any oncoming traffic; southbound riders. I am guessing that will come in time or at other times during the day.

Way to go Mayor RE! This is really making a statement.

Who else rode the new path?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by WillG on February 20, 2013 at 12:38pm

Off Topic, ignore if that irks you please.

Cam, I work at Monroe and Wabash too. What building are you in? I'm at 55 E Monroe.

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

I work at Monroe and Wabash. For all the reasons you've listed, plus that dangerous open grate bridge, I've stopped taking Dearborn. In the morning I alternate between Clark and Wabash. At night I take Franklin.

Jack Crowe said:

I work at Monroe and Dearborn. I had been taking the Dearborn bike lane every day for work since it opened. The last two days I took Clark from Kinzie to Monroe instead of Dearborn from Kinzie to Monroe.

I have a hard time getting up in the morning, I did this because I was running late AND I actually had a watch on.

- The light timing on Dearborn is frustrating on this stretch going south. I could try to hit the lights but I'd have to book it and I don't want to be going that fast and risk hitting an inattentive pedestrian who is also booking it and wearing headphones.

- There's always SOMETHING. (I don't mind riding behind slow riders, I like to check out their bikes and their gear because winter cyclists have the coolest stuff in my opinion.) Puddles, ice, snow shoveled off from the sidewalk, vans parked, left turners running reds, left turners not looking before they go into the alley, people standing, people using it as a second sidewalk by that weird stretch by the garage entrance.

- I have to pull a u-turn at Monroe if I'm riding Dearborn to get to the alley entrance. This is logistics.

My main point is, when the danger of the taxis that do very aggressive actions toward me on Clark seems equally frustrating with "it's always something" Dearborn, I have come to the conclusion that it's going to take a lot of encouragement to get your friends and enemies riding in the lane, to get more people riding in the lane year round, raise awareness, improve conditions. Tell them "the need of the many exceeds the needs of the one" and show off your Spock ("lobster claw") gloves.

Just some complaining that turned into pep talk? Or maybe I just like the sound my keyboard makes.

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Permalink Reply by Jenn_5.5 mi on February 20, 2013 at 12:43pm

Apparently 'our' building represents here on CL... Me too!

Will G - 10mi said:

Cam, I work at Monroe and Wabash too. What building are you in? I'm at 55 E Monroe.

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

[snip]

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Permalink Reply by spencewine on February 20, 2013 at 12:43pm

Dearborn PBL is the first PBL through a high pedestrian traffic area (that I'm aware of) and may be a bellweather for where future PBLs are installed or not installed.

The optimistic side of me is saying that if enough people use Dearborn, then the bike lane will be more visible to pedestrians and conflicts will not be much of an issue. Commuting this winter, I see maybe 2 other people on Dearborn on the way in & out of the loop each day, it's not like a superbikeway at this point.

The cynical side is that conflicts on Dearborn (whether it is a pedestrian or bicycle at fault) will get worse as the weather gets warmer and will lead to a pedestrian backlash in the press against bikers a la the great auto backlash of 12'. Ensuing complaints from both pedestrians & drivers will put protected bike lanes on ice.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on February 20, 2013 at 12:47pm

They don't need a bike lane for that. Their main aim is to grab that fare before another cab does or drop off the current fare so they can start the cycle all over. I don't think the presence of bikes, other cars, pedestrians, or even police matters all that much to them. I have slapped cabs' rear fenders when they've cut me off (close enough to force me to slam on my brakes). They don't like it, but as they just finished scaring the sh*t out of me, I figure turn about is fair play.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Cabbies are constantly jumping out in front of me ....

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on February 20, 2013 at 12:51pm

Yeah, I did that once. The cabbie proceeded to run me off the road, get out of his cab, and scream obscenities at me.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

I have slapped cabs' rear fenders when they've cut me off (close enough to force me to slam on my brakes). They don't like it, but as they just finished scaring the sh*t out of me, I figure turn about is fair play.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Cabbies are constantly jumping out in front of me ....

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Permalink Reply by WillG on February 20, 2013 at 1:02pm

That's when you take out your cell phone, snap a picture of the cab number, and then dial 911 and report the driver for trying to run you over. I mean, especially if he then tried to run you off the road.

Alerting a driver of your position as they begin to merge/turn/pull into you should never illicit a hostile response. In my opinion, a hostile response is indicative that they purposely intended to hit you.

In this case, it sounds like the driver could have been arrested and you could have pressed charges for attempted assault, etc.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Yeah, I did that once. The cabbie proceeded to run me off the road, get out of his cab, and scream obscenities at me.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:
I have slapped cabs' rear fenders when they've cut me off (close enough to force me to slam on my brakes). They don't like it, but as they just finished scaring the sh*t out of me, I figure turn about is fair play.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Cabbies are constantly jumping out in front of me ....

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on February 20, 2013 at 1:07pm

That is precisely what I did, but the Chicago Police Dept wouldn't have any of it. They claimed it was not assault if there was no verbal threat made. I tried to explain that ANY threat of violence, verbal or non-verbal is considered assault — especially maliciously trying to hit someone with an automobile. They flat out refused to file a police report.

Will G - 10mi said:

That's when you take out your cell phone, snap a picture of the cab number, and then dial 911 and report the driver for trying to run you over. I mean, especially if he then tried to run you off the road.

Alerting a driver of your position as they begin to merge/turn/pull into you should never illicit a hostile response. In my opinion, a hostile response is indicative that they purposely intended to hit you.

In this case, it sounds like the driver could have been arrested and you could have pressed charges for attempted assault, etc.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Yeah, I did that once. The cabbie proceeded to run me off the road, get out of his cab, and scream obscenities at me.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:
I have slapped cabs' rear fenders when they've cut me off (close enough to force me to slam on my brakes). They don't like it, but as they just finished scaring the sh*t out of me, I figure turn about is fair play.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Cabbies are constantly jumping out in front of me ....

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Permalink Reply by Anika on February 20, 2013 at 1:41pm

This is the same vehicle that was parked there about 2 weeks ago. And about 2 weeks before that. I have pictures of both of those incidents when I rode DPL. Clearly it is an issue that is not being addressed.

Tricolor said:

Wow, that's a pretty blatant parking job.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Maybe he was driving down the lane early this morning to see if the pavement was smooth and broke down. Or ran out of gas.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle S on February 20, 2013 at 4:04pm

I was in the area right at noon and the SUV was still in the same spot. There was a Fleet Management vehicle parked right behind it and a technician-type guy had just popped the hood of the SUV, so maybe it did break down today. It shouldn't be there in the first place, of course. As of 3:30ish when I rode on the Dearborn PBL, it was finally all clear of police vehicles.

Tricolor said:

Wow, that's a pretty blatant parking job.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Maybe he was driving down the lane early this morning to see if the pavement was smooth and broke down. Or ran out of gas.

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on February 20, 2013 at 4:07pm

Tow truck drivers sometimes dump wrecked cars around town if they aren't likely to get paid for moving them.

Or maybe it was stolen and no one missed it until a lot of complaints were made about it in the bike lane.

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Permalink Reply by Sue Clark on February 20, 2013 at 7:03pm

I saw the police SUV at about 8:40am; in the same spot as pictured. In the prior block was a guy in a big truck who decided to use the bike lane for passenger unloading for Daley Center.