The Chainlink

ok quick and dirty,tell me how to get from the north end of the lfp to downtown evanston

im thinking about doing a biggish ride next sat am which involves me riding to evanston from here in hammond. dont ask me why, cause it doesnt matter..

ive been plotting my course on bikely and i got to the end of the lfp, basically im seeing myself going against traffic on ardmore then heading north on kenmore into loyola, but then im stuck, should i basically shoot north on sheridan after that?

any quick simple help would be frikkin awesome.

and thanks in advance.

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Permalink Reply by Michael on June 16, 2009 at 7:23pm
Depends how much you like like riding in fast-moving automotive traffic. Chicago Avenue (that's Clark street north of Howard) becomes a speedway for the mile between Howard and Main in Evanston. This stretch of road is non-residential, straight, with no traffic signals, and no parking to buffer speeding automobiles. And as a former Evanston resident, I would avoid it like the plague that it is, especially when you have perfectly fine alternatives like the ones suggested by Howard.

Here's my recommendation:
LFP to Ardmore
Ardmore west (in the designated westbound bike lane) to Kenmore
Kenmore north to Thorndale
Thorndale west to Greenview
Greenview north to Estes (at Pratt, make a right-left combo to stay on Greenview)
Estes west to Wolcott
Wolcott north to Rogers
Rogers west (about 50 feet) to Winchester
Winchester north to Howard
Howard west (1 block) to Custer.

For the Howard Street-to-Downtown Evanston part, I'd recommend:
Custer N to Main
Main W to Sherman
Sherman N to Downtown Evanston (with a right-left combo at Lake street to stay on Sherman)
Sherman changes name to Orrington at Davis

I hope this helps.
Permalink Reply by Rachel on June 16, 2009 at 8:35pm
Yes on those simplifications: either Thorndale or Granville all the way to Greenview, then right on Greenview to go north.
Permalink Reply by koala on June 17, 2009 at 8:03am
True, but lately when I'm headed up Clark, I hop on Ashland when it splits off from Clark, I think at Devon (its at that hardware store with the clock with the wrenches for hands). Fewer car door openings, fewer squirrel-destrians stepping in front of you, and fewer stop lights.


Mia Barista said:
Agreed! I commuted to Evanston on Clark St. for an entire summer and it was delightful, fast, and dirty.

Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:
CLARK STREET NORTH! DONE!

Not sure if that's dirty enough for you, but it's quick.
Permalink Reply by Rachel on June 17, 2009 at 12:27pm
Yeah - amazingly, Ashland is quiet and tree-lined when you get up to R.P.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 17, 2009 at 1:50pm
I'm very familiar with all of these options, having lived in both Evanston and Rogers Park. Howard's route works well up to Lake St., where Custer ends (narrow here). From there, turn right, go 1/2 block, then turn left on Sherman to go north into downtown Evanston.

For a quicker, dirtier version, use Howard's route to Pratt/Clark, where you go north on Clark, which becomes Chicago Ave. and goes directly into downtown Evanston. This section of Clark is mostly commercial, with one lane of traffic in each direction and fairly frequent bus service, so it gets congested and slow for cars. Good place to be wary of doors. It gets wider and faster in Evanston. You can also use a combo - Clark NB to Howard WB to Custer NB, then see notes above.

Matt's route is a bit more peaceful and has some really nice sections. I suppose the choice really depends on your preference.

On Kenmore (or Winthrop on the return trip - these parallel streets are each one way), you have a bike lane, sometimes blocked by double parked cars. Watch for peds darting out between parked cars here. These two streets are all residential, mostly midsize apt/condo bldgs. Traffic there is not heavy or fast.

Matt M. said:
I prefer

Ardmore
Right on Kenmore
Left on Granville
Right on Glenwood
Left on Arthur
Immediate right on Greenview
Left on Pratt
Immediate right on Ashland
Right on Rogers Ave
Left at Sheridan Rd.
Stay right on Sheridan and get on sidewalk ASAP
Right at Sheridan Square
Get back on street
Follow the bend to Keeney St
Right at Sheridan RD
Pass Clark Square Park
Continue straight through gate on sidewalk to Edgemore Ct, bypassing the bend on Sheridan to Main St.
Continue north on Lake Shore Drive/Evanston Lake Front Path to Northwestern....
If that's where you're headed....

I'm not fond of Clark St. Quite unpleasant, IMHO.

o0_dan_0o said:
Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:
CLARK STREET NORTH! DONE!
Not sure if that's dirty enough for you, but it's quick.

it seems simple enough, but getting there from lfp involves me riding down devon no?
isnt that scary or something?

cars really dont phase me much when im riding anyway..

thanks howard, ive ridden that tack a few times, i just cant seem to remember it all..
Permalink Reply by Jeff Koss on June 17, 2009 at 4:17pm
I just take Sheridan, but there isn't much room in the right lane. I'm also never up there on weekdays so it's probably not that busy.
Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on June 17, 2009 at 6:37pm
I used to bike rush hour in D.C. on M street. That was definitely a thrill. But we've only got one life to live..... might as well take the tree lined street where you can bike right in the middle with no worries. Been down Sheridan more than once. Not as busy as M street but still not worth it.

Less broken limbs, cracked skulls, and dead cyclists means more people to support the cause of those of us who chose to take the safe route.

Jeff Koss said:
I just take Sheridan, but there isn't much room in the right lane. I'm also never up there on weekdays so it's probably not that busy.
Permalink Reply by Sue C. on June 17, 2009 at 8:02pm
follow the bike signs- from ardmore go north on kenmore to granville, go west on granville to greenview, take that north (it doglegs a bit east at pratt) until you hit howard, go west on howard til you hit clark(it turns into chicago ave north of howard) and then keep going til you hit evanston. this way avoids riding up sheridan or clark in the sections where you are likely to get doored or run off the road. it's quite pleasant.
Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on June 20, 2009 at 2:30pm
so i went so i went w ardmore>n kenmore>w granville> n broadway> n sheridan >followed around the cemetery and banked west> n hinman and stopped at that coffee place at hinman and main.

round trip= 75.03 miles

sheridan isnt so bad at 10 am on a saturday..
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on June 20, 2009 at 3:05pm
I'll take your word that Sheridan isn't that bad on a Saturday morning, but I still think you're a madman! :)

o0_dan_0o said:
so i went so i went w ardmore>n kenmore>w granville> n broadway> n sheridan >followed around the cemetery and banked west> n hinman and stopped at that coffee place at hinman and main.

round trip= 75.03 miles

sheridan isnt so bad at 10 am on a saturday..
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 20, 2009 at 7:50pm
Glad to hear that you had a good ride.
Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on June 21, 2009 at 9:08am
oh i forgot to mention that it took 4 hours 20 minutes, not counting the coffee stop...

***big thanks for all the replies!!***

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