Bicycle Plan for the East Lakeview Neighborhood

Hey all

I am a bicyclist, advocate for mass transit and an urban planner/designer whose in the process of creating a transit plan that seeks to restructure the roadways, specifically the major arterials, in the East Lakeview neighborhood.

I am going to include in my plan separate grade bike plans on these major roads like Belmont, Clark and Halsted, where the bike lane will be situated next to the sidewalk and the limited parking that remains will be next to the moving car traffic. Essentially, a reversal of where the bike lanes are today in Chicago. Similar to Copenhagen.

Other ideas I have are limited parking, a bike share program within the neighborhood, an extension of the lake shore drive bike path inward, and eventually an on street tram or light rail network throughout the neighborhood (eventually is the key word).

I've chosen East Lakeview for many reasons but above all for its high density, major transit links, access to the lakefront and its bike trail and above all its major traffic congestion. I think if it were to happen anywhere in the city it would be here.
Why not create this neighborhood as a test/model area?

My project is practical yet somewhat idealistic as many technological items and features will be put in place that I doubt we would ever see in a city like chicago. At least in the near future.

Saying all that,
Does anyone have any ideas or comments about what they would like to see in an ideal bicycle plan for this neighborhood or any others? Any thoughts/comments/questions about the plan?

This plan is going to be spread around the East Lakeview neighborhood once completed including the various community groups and associations. It is mainly being created to generate thought into the neighborhood and make people want to take back their streets.

Any advice or ideas would be awesome and useful.

Thanks a ton

Greg

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on February 26, 2011 at 12:05am

As I recall the parking meters started disappearing in (very) late 2008. At the time this was posted there were definitely some places where people suddenly found it hard to lock a bike, but the city bike agencies/orgs had not quite awoken to what was happening.

Glad you bounced this-- Gregory, if you're out there, I'd be interested in an update.

Eric Roach said:

I just noticed this thread started in 2009, I guess parking meters weren't a concern then. I was wondering why nobody mentioned it.

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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on February 26, 2011 at 12:52pm

I live in Lakeview and commute daily to work in the Loop by bicycle. I don't find Lakeview that oppressing for cycling. PLUS, being so close to the LFP, I don't know how much support gerrymandering all of the streets for more bike lanes, much less cycletracks, you will get.

I often wonder (especially since Navy Pier Flyover was approved) what it would take to get LFP South of Fullerton seriously reworked and the curve close to Oak Street Beach protected from Winter icing. I would LOVE to see what ideas people could come up with there!

I'm certainly interested in seeing what you'll come up with; just not betting on a substantial community buy-in for realistic implementation . . .