I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Permalink Reply by EssFresh on February 14, 2014 at 2:44am
Seeing more and more cyclists on my commute. They look so happy to be out again. :)
Permalink Reply by Kathleen on February 14, 2014 at 2:46am

Yesterday was my first time doing my commute by bike in a while. It felt fantastic! It's been so long that I almost forgot to get my bike out of the "bike room" (loading dock with racks) before the very strict 6 PM close. 

In addition to the cyclists and runners on the LFT yesterday evening, there was at least one car--not authorized to be on the LFT. I extracted the clip from my helmet cam footage; you can't see much after the start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAF3KTNzp1A The car entered at Wilson and exited at Lawrence.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on February 14, 2014 at 2:48am

Kathleen, is it your office or home bike room has a strict 6PM close? I've never heard of that, but I don't have much experience with bike rooms.

Kathleen said:

Yesterday was my first time doing my commute by bike in a while. It felt fantastic! It's been so long that I almost forgot to get my bike out of the "bike room" (loading dock with racks) before the very strict 6 PM close. 

In addition to the cyclists and runners on the LFT yesterday evening, there was at least one car--not authorized to be on the LFT. I extracted the clip from my helmet cam footage; you can't see much after the start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAF3KTNzp1A The car entered at Wilson and exited at Lawrence.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 14, 2014 at 3:00am

Sorry to hear; glad you're okay.

Hubbard is like the Moon right now; CDOT may have its work cut out for it this spring.

David Altenburg said:

Ugh, one of the dozens of potholes on Armitage finally caught me, and I fell right in the middle of the intersection at California. Fortunately, no major damage to myself or my bike. I think I'm going to avoid Armitage until CDOT can get around to it. 

Permalink Reply by Kathleen on February 14, 2014 at 3:05am

Office building. I'm guessing it's because they have less security staff at night and you access the room from an external door; there is normally one security person in the loading dock area during the day, but probably none after 6 when they aren't getting deliveries.

If you miss 6 (or, say, get there at 5:58, as I did once) and the entrance is locked, the main security guy reprimands you by phone the next day, and I heard from someone else that they also contact your employer about it.

It's nice added motivation to wrap everything up by 6 PM, though :-)

Julie Hochstadter said:

Kathleen, is it your office or home bike room has a strict 6PM close? I've never heard of that, but I don't have much experience with bike rooms.

Kathleen said:

Yesterday was my first time doing my commute by bike in a while. It felt fantastic! It's been so long that I almost forgot to get my bike out of the "bike room" (loading dock with racks) before the very strict 6 PM close. 

In addition to the cyclists and runners on the LFT yesterday evening, there was at least one car--not authorized to be on the LFT. I extracted the clip from my helmet cam footage; you can't see much after the start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAF3KTNzp1A The car entered at Wilson and exited at Lawrence.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on February 14, 2014 at 3:15am
Kathleen: That guy looked like he was driving too fast to be a Chicago Park District employee. There were people running on the trail that he could have hit! Incredibly unsafe and selfish behavior. This problem could be soled with posts in the middle of each access point.

Julie: My building's loading dock also closes at six or seven (can't remember which). I assume because the dock employees go home, and can't trust others with the keys.
Permalink Reply by Ryan Stahlman on February 14, 2014 at 3:22am

In addition to the added company of more cyclists and joggers on the LFP, I was graced with the presence of a coyote on my evening commute yesterday. What is the South Side coming to these days?

Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on February 14, 2014 at 3:53am

After a (I thought) very pleasant 15-degree ride this morning, I was riding up the elevator in my office building with a bunch of car/transit/walk commuters (I'm assuming). They got into a very energetic conversation about how tired of the weather they were. I have to admit, I was rolling my eyes a little.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on February 14, 2014 at 3:59am



Kathleen said:

In addition to the cyclists and runners on the LFT yesterday evening, there was at least one car--not authorized to be on the LFT....The car entered at Wilson and exited at Lawrence.

Over and above the safety aspects, LFT wasn't constructed to carry the weight of full size cars. If you ride it today, you'll see the edges starting to break down in many places, at least on the stretch I ride. I realize that the Park District probably needs to go through with a full-size pickup truck when plowing snow, but it would be helpful if there was a way to keep other people off the path. Perhaps a removable, locking bollard?

http://www.trafficguard.net/applications/bikepaths/

Permalink Reply by Robert Underwood on February 14, 2014 at 4:05am

Cool... a coyote.  I wish there were some running with me this morning.  Silly old car... yes, those heavy duty metal posts (some that fold down) at entry points of LFT, like in park trails and forest preserves, that'd keep em out.  I saw seven cyclists on my way to Ev on Clrk.  I remember some details of some of them: first guy had sweet big basket in front, second girl had pink bar tape and hipster sun glasses, girl in front of me that I passed had cool Chrome boots and a single chain ring in front/commuter style gearing vintage Schwinn, dude had red green and yellow msgr bag, the rest were just blurs too far away to see details. Man Im glad I haven't landed in a pot hole yet, tis the season.

Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on February 14, 2014 at 4:14am

Yeah, the stretch that goes by Soldier Field has rapidly become hazardous this winter, I suspect because of all the vehicular activity that I see going on there (not just plows). When you combine the buckling pavement with the rough, packed, and icy snow that somebody insists on tracking all over the trail there, it requires a lot more care than just about anywhere else on the southside LFT right now. If it gets much worse I just might get into the habit of taking Museum Campus Dr to and from the top of the Shedd ramp.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:



Kathleen said:

In addition to the cyclists and runners on the LFT yesterday evening, there was at least one car--not authorized to be on the LFT....The car entered at Wilson and exited at Lawrence.

Over and above the safety aspects, LFT wasn't constructed to carry the weight of full size cars. If you ride it today, you'll see the edges starting to break down in many places, at least on the stretch I ride. I realize that the Park District probably needs to go through with a full-size pickup truck when plowing snow, but it would be helpful if there was a way to keep other people off the path. Perhaps a removable, locking bollard?

http://www.trafficguard.net/applications/bikepaths/

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on February 14, 2014 at 5:36am

Every trailhead I've seen in Lake County, Illinois has one of these – it folds down to allow forest preserve employees driving access.

I've also seen Park District employees driving trucks marked "security". Not sure a huge pickup truck is required for that.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

Perhaps a removable, locking bollard?

http://www.trafficguard.net/applications/bikepaths/

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