Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on August 21, 2014 at 12:52pm

I hesitate to post anything to discourage you (or anyone) but a good friend had her carefully locked bike stolen from there.   As it was a bike I had fixed up and given to her I was particularly sad to hear this.   The bike was nothing special, an old Specialized HardRock (Cruz version, if you happen to see it), but it had turned out very nicely as an urban bike.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by toax on August 21, 2014 at 2:28pm

I had a Specialized Hardrock stolen there too!

Would not recommend it as a safe spot, and would not use it myself. 

Mine was stolen about 6 years ago on a Friday sometime duirng regular business hours.  The CTA was not helpful in the slightest (they have cameras everywhere but saw nothing).

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on August 22, 2014 at 3:35am

The bike parking looks like this. The screens do seem to disguise any aisle activity further down the line. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on August 22, 2014 at 5:35am

What a poor design. No way you can trust this.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 22, 2014 at 5:50am

You need 3 locks for this. U-lock the front wheel to the frame. U-lock the back wheel to the frame. Lock bike frame to bike rack on 2nd level if you can reach it.

O'Hare has 2 bike racks near the turnstiles in the airport to the right?(heading in) of the escalators near a manned cta station, might be a better bet.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 22, 2014 at 5:54am

It was designed for shelter,looks and storage capacity. On that it's good. The Damen stop is inside the turnstiles but outside or inside it's still available and sheltered for a leisurely way for thieves to take your bike and get back on the Blue line or like Jeff park just put it on one of the bus racks and deal with the locks later.
Tom A.K. said:

What a poor design. No way you can trust this.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on August 22, 2014 at 6:06am

I live not to far from there, but right between the Jeff park and Harlem stops, if you'd like (depend on when you're leaving/returning) we have a spare room you could stick your bike in.  It just has my roadie and some kids toys and it is indoors with the only in/out is through my apartment.

But I am an awkward distance from either stop so it wouldn't be like you could leave your bike and then walk to the train without walking a distance.

Otherwise be careful where you lock up over there, there has been several thefts according to the 16th dist. station when I went in there a few months ago.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Renee Patten on August 25, 2014 at 4:57pm

I didn't end up using the parking; didn't get the reassuring comments I was hoping for, so thank for the heads up! 

Once other stations are like the Addison Blue Line (or better) I will feel comfortable leaving it there over a weekend, we can dream...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 26, 2014 at 1:55pm

Not related to parking but I locked mine up near Jeff park,got a flat en route, on the way home I missed the bus so I fixed it the rode down Foster and eventually caught up to and passed the bus!?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on August 27, 2014 at 5:22am

Maybe not but it was the only 92 bus heading out. The traffic was backed up from before California which is where I passed it. nothing else passed me nor did I pass.

I'm used to slow traffic on Clark, Damen... but I guess the East/West routes are slower.
 
h' 1.0 said:

There are a zillion buses on Foster because of the Kedzie garage.  Seems unlikely to me you passed the same one.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Not related to parking but I locked mine up near Jeff park,got a flat en route, on the way home I missed the bus so I fixed it the rode down Foster and eventually caught up to and passed the bus!?

• ▶ Reply