Bike lanes at sidewalk grade?

Last night I went to the community input meeting for the proposed North Broadway Plan. One aspect of this plan is a bike lane on Broadway running north from Foster (where the already-approved bike lane, scheduled I believe to be built as soon as the weather allows, will end) to Thorndale. The proposed bike lane would not be in the street; it would run in the existing sidewalk right-of-way, at sidewalk grade. (In the renderings, it was shown as having no separation from the sidewalk, just a different surface treatment).

Are there currently any bike lanes in Chicago like this? My gut instinct is that this sounds like an awful idea from both a pedestrian and cyclist perspective. But I know these types of lanes are used in Europe (especially Germany?) and if there are any nearby I'd like to see one in person to see how they really work.

Apparently the reason for doing the bike lane this way is that this section of Broadway is administered by IDOT, not CDOT, and the planners didn't feel like they would be able to get IDOT to allow a bike lane in the street right-of-way.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle S on March 10, 2014 at 2:58pm

A bike lane at the level of the sidewalk has been proposed for a short segment of Roosevelt Road from State to Columbus, as detailed in this Streetsblog article from last September. I haven't heard anything further and this is one of many projects that I hope we get an update on from the CDOT people on Wednesday at the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on March 10, 2014 at 4:42pm

Photo by Steven Vance:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbondsv/8100869325/

Some of the western sections of Evanston's Church Street cycle track run on sidewalks.  This seems to work, as those areas are residential and not heavy with pedestrians.  The more downtown sections, on the eastern end of the track, are all in the street.

Permalink Reply by S on March 11, 2014 at 12:20am



Thunder Snow said:

Photo by Steven Vance:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbondsv/8100869325/

Some of the western sections of Evanston's Church Street cycle track run on sidewalks.  This seems to work, as those areas are residential and not heavy with pedestrians.  The more downtown sections, on the eastern end of the track, are all in the street.

It's funny how the picture contradicts the text.   I think the picture is a pretty accurate assessment of how things would turn out.  

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