Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 8, 2014 at 2:54am

Go ride Western and get back to me on how scary Milwaukee is...

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Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on August 8, 2014 at 3:11am

I vote for Elston! :) I gave up on Milwaukee Ave about a year and a half ago. It's too congested for my liking, and Elston only added 1/2mi to my total route.

I did end up riding Milwaukee this week on a Divvy (only because it's exhausting to pedal those tanks and I needed to drop it back off). My <10mph pace was sufficient to spot the crazy - especially around the construction and random parked cars that were blocking the street.

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Permalink Reply by Gopher Biker on August 8, 2014 at 3:32am

I ride Elston and don't understand why more people don't use it. But, go ahead stay on Milwaukee - more room on Elston for those of us who do prefer it.  :-)

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on August 8, 2014 at 3:33am

The bad part is really only Wabansia to Paulina.  It is possible--although a little longer and probably a little slower--to ride around that by taking Wabansia east to Paulina and Paulina south to Milwaukee.

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Permalink Reply by David Altenburg on August 8, 2014 at 3:34am

"At a certain point when bikes outnumber cars - why do we then have to hug to the parked cars and cower in fear"

Damn straight. Most of the near-misses I have on this stretch are due to jackholes looking for parking. "There's a space! Grab it! No time to look or use my turn signal!". 

But the city has made it clear: giving subsidized storage to a few people too lazy to walk a block or two over is more important than the well-being of the thousands who ride this street every day. 

Elston's great, when it goes where you want to go. 

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Permalink Reply by Walter Dworak on August 8, 2014 at 5:41am

I usually take Addison east to Milwaukee, I'm going to the Loop,and a few days ago decided to take the extra distance to Elston and man is it way better. Between the construction on Milwaukee, the drivers who can't handle it, the few people on mopeds that think they can use the bike lane to "cut" through traffic, and the other bikers (of the bag of dicks variety) it just became too much and I'm way happier. The road conditions may not be great (pretty good for Chicago IMO) and damn does it need to be repainted, but drastic reduction in heart attack causing moments is worth it.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 9, 2014 at 5:48am

It's an obstacle course but not really dangerous IMO, the traffic basically sits while you ride by but do an early morning Sunday ride or late night Monday it's empty. People pushing the light and those crazy fixie riders doing the weave through 6 corners make it dangerous but ride defensively and I don't see any problems.

Ride North ave. from Halsted to Ashland NOW that's scary!

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Permalink Reply by Nancy L. Fagin on August 9, 2014 at 8:55am

Dear Jason,

I have made a proposal, that Milwaukee Avenue between Ashland and Damen be a complete slow zone - as if the entire distance is cross-hatched in yellow.  That way poeple can walk across at any point (i.e. from The Ark to Jewel/Osco) and that cars, trucks and bicyclists all go, lets say 15 miles per hour.  That would eliminate a bike-share (bike-kill) lane, drivers could still park (darn).  Millwaukee is heavily used but quite narrow, unless something like a parking lane gives...then the merchants would complain.  The strip is relatively slow anyhow, so there could be no complaints that it is too slow (for cars) or slower than it already is.   

Nancy

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