Bike plow for protected bike lanes?

Does the city actually have the bike lane plow that was donated?  Or are they still waiting on it?  I'm trying to figure out why it's not being used.

I'm very new to this whole winter biking thing but the most dangerous part of my commute is the protected bike lane on Kinzie.  I've emailed the city twice about it (after both times that we had just a small amount of accumulation on the ground), but haven't heard anything.

I somehow made it home last night but watched another cyclist get caught in the snow and end up sliding into a parked car.  I really want to continue biking year-round, but not if I feel unsafe.  Seems like this will only become a bigger problem as more protected bike lanes are built that regular snow plows can't get into.

Also, for anyone that normally rides on Milwaukee between downtown and Wicker Park...is it normal for all of the bike lane here to be covered in the snow they've plowed from the regular lanes of traffic?  Last night I couldn't see where the bike lane was at all until I was past Chicago.  I'm thinking a plow had just gone through recently dumping everything into the bike lane, but just curious if this is how this stretch of Milwaukee normally is in the winter when there's snow on the ground?

 

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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on January 13, 2012 at 12:51pm

I chatted over email with Commissioner Klein this morning. He sent me a couple of the photos that are now on the CDOT Facebook page and that Erik linked to on Grid Chicago. 

 

The snow plow that was donated by Advil (see story) is too wide for much of Kinzie Street* so CDOT is using a SW-4S tracked vehicle. The new "fatty" bike lane on 18th Street is as wide as the non-bike lane it overtook, as is the short portion of Jackson Boulevard that is "protected" near Malcolm X college. 

Someone commented on Grid Chicago 30 minutes ago that they purposefully cycled on Kinzie Street thinking it would be plowed, about 4 PM, and found that it wasn't but did see people dumping snow from the sidewalk into the bike lane. I responded with a possible explanation for why. 

 

*If you recall, Kinzie changes width, has a narrow bridge plate section, and the bollards at Kingsbury and Franklin make the bike lane too narrow for a truck. Photo by CDOT, taken at 5 AM on Friday morning. 

Permalink Reply by blair on January 13, 2012 at 4:37pm

Oh I have no problem taking the lane when needed.  I've been biking for a while, just haven't tried winter biking yet.  Unfortunately, I'm usually commuting right in the middle of rush hour - bad traffic doesn't always allow it and surprise...a cabbie even clipped me as I rode on the line between the "car" and bike lanes.  No idea how I stayed on my bike.

Shirlee Berman said:

Great questions.  I'm curious as to what other people have to say about this, but in my experience, the plows do end up dumping the snow in the bike lanes or where a biker would typically ride (closer to the right side of the right lane).  What this means is that in the winter, you have to be more comfortable riding in the center of the lane, or "taking the lane".  (Just do it.  The cars will respect you on this since they can plainly see there is no other place for you to ride.)  Since the protected bike lanes are out of the way of the street plows, once the city figures out how to maintain the new protected bike lanes more consistently, I think more protected bike lanes will equal safer and more enjoyable winter cycling.

Permalink Reply by blair on January 13, 2012 at 4:38pm

Another thought - I understand if they have to use other means to clear a bike lane like Kinzie that changes widths.  What I don't understand is why it took until 5am today to clean up after a snowstorm that started early the day before.

Permalink Reply by Nick Butterfield on January 15, 2012 at 8:34pm

did your stomach leap up into your throat as you gripped your bars entirely too tight and sort of wiggled your way out of it? i find that usually works. also, yelling seems to help.

Blair Fabian said:

a cabbie even clipped me as I rode on the line between the "car" and bike lanes.  No idea how I stayed on my bike.

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