Center Square Journal-- cyclist hit in bike lane- Lawrence/Washtenaw (not fatal)

Picked up by my Google alert...

Good reporting.

http://www.centersquarejournal.com/news/bicyclist-hit-on-lawrence-ave

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Permalink Reply by Crazy David 84 Furlongs on September 12, 2012 at 2:09am
A bicycle hit in the bike lane on Lawrence. That's a little like snow falling in January in Chicago or days being hot in July. Those have to be the most dangerous bike lanes in the city. The bad drivers use them as passing or travel lanes and the cops do nothing. I have finally given up and use parallel side streets.
Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on September 12, 2012 at 2:16am

Took a ride with my wife last night and ended getting off the LFP at Lawrence.  Just brutal.  Horrible idea to put shared lanes on what amounts to a highway.  We left turned it on Damen and happily coasted to Lincoln Square down Leland.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 12, 2012 at 2:44am

Lawrence, IMHO, is pretty much only for the "Strong and Fearless" class of cyclist.  

The 4 types of Transportation Cyclist:

Even the "Enthused & Confident" folks will have a little trouble with many spots on the Lawrence bicycle "facilities."    Most folks, once they start riding on it will soon become "No Way No How" and GTFO to find another more-sane route. 

If you are flying along and keeping up with traffic it isn't so bad -just like any other busy road without any specific marked bike-friendly accommodations. 

Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on September 12, 2012 at 3:43am

They're starting the 'road diet' on that stretch of Western to Ravenswood soon, right?

I'm generally OK on Lawrence west of Western, but even a 'strong and fearless' rider like me is terrified of that stretch from western to ravenswood where it's two lanes. I pretty much avoid Lawrence if I have to and will stair-step or bob Winnemac/Winona/Ainslie if I'm just trying to get to the Square. 

Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on September 12, 2012 at 3:47am

Now that part of my commute is 4 miles down Lawrence I can guess what happened here.  At 5 pm you'll have backed up traffic, so the guy was riding through the car tunnel.  Cars open up space at intersections to allow cars to pass through the cross street, but its impossible for someone in the bike lane to see a car going through the intersection (or the car to see the biker) until its too late because you're in the tunnel.   Had a few close calls like that myself.  Obviously CDOT needs to put a a protected bike lane on Lawr...HAHA joking, the real solution is to adapt or die.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 12, 2012 at 4:07am

Road diet is the answer, methinks.   It probably won't happen -but neither will a protected lane.

If only the Bike Boulevards program was actually making decent progress to create actual routes that hook up to each other and don't consist of a ton of detours.

They need to get moving on that.  A new law that codifies/legalizes contra-flow bike traffic on any 1-way road that isn't multi-lane would help a LOT in getting folks to take back routes and get off of the main areterials.   James doesn't need laws to do what is smart.  He just contra-flows when necessary and finds his way through the maze of one-way residential and back streets to get from point A to point B on secondary streets without a GPS.  You shouldn't need to figure out in advance a route through the morass of one-ways that are designed to keep cars out of these neighborhood streets.  

Who has every street in the city memorized and a route from any point to any other point worked out well in advance?  Riding a bike should be natural and easy.  Just get on and pedal.  You shouldn't have to do a Google Maps search before taking off to find a way through all the 1-way streets that change every 2 blocks to go the other way.

Permalink Reply by Crazy David 84 Furlongs on September 12, 2012 at 4:16am

The Black Herron wrote:

If you are flying along and keeping up with traffic it isn't so bad -just like any other busy road without any specific marked bike-friendly accommodations.

My comment:

I guess we will have to disagree on this point.  I think that the Bike Lanes on Lawrence make it MORE dangerous than other busy roads.  When I don't bicycle on Lawrence, I often drive on Lawrence.   What one seems, on a regular basis, are the cars with overly aggressive drivers treating the bike lanes as their own special express lanes.  Driving up the bike lanes, passing in the bike lanes without looking and so forth.  This means that, unlike a busy road, on Lawerence the worst and most aggressive drivers are the ones in the area where one can expect Bicycles.  The good news is that, with VERY limited exceptions, Lawrence can be quickly and easily ignored by close by side streets.   Wilson is very good until it runs out.  Few Lights (two lights as I recall between Western and Pulaski -  Kimball and Kedzie), relatively few stop signs, slightly wider than most streets, but clearly one lane in each direction.   Good bridge over the river.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 12, 2012 at 4:38am

I agree that Wilson is an excellent choice until it gets to about Elston and points further West.  Then it is crap and doesn't cross both expressways.    I don't understand why the city doesn't make it a main bike route while Lawrence is.  About the only time I will go on Lawrence is if I am going to someplace ON Lawrence, hooking up with the S end of the Channel Trail and then only for  few blocks, or crossing the expressways -but that isn't a happy time/place either. 

Like I said, I don't have every nook and cranny of the city memorized.  Sometimes I'm just winging it trying to get from point A to point B and end up on less-than-ideal roads.  At that point one can either bail and walk the bike down the sidewalk or push on until it is possible to turn off onto another road that isn't so crappy. 

Permalink Reply by rb on September 12, 2012 at 4:48am

+1 that stretch from Western To Ravenshood is frightening- always feel the cars so close going so fast.



Jim S said:

They're starting the 'road diet' on that stretch of Western to Ravenswood soon, right?

I'm generally OK on Lawrence west of Western, but even a 'strong and fearless' rider like me is terrified of that stretch from western to ravenswood where it's two lanes. I pretty much avoid Lawrence if I have to and will stair-step or bob Winnemac/Winona/Ainslie if I'm just trying to get to the Square. 

Permalink Reply by Jared on September 12, 2012 at 4:49am

Wilson is a "recommended" bike route between Lincoln and Manor, west of Manor it isn't designated as anything.

Cameron Puetz said:

Lawrence is terrible. I can't imagine anyone except the whoever draws the Chicago bike map and people who depend on it for route planning would consider Lawrence a bike route. Wilson is a much better choice.

Permalink Reply by Crazy David 84 Furlongs on September 12, 2012 at 4:55am

West of Manor it isn't "recommended" (by the City) because the Bike Lane signs try to direct you over to "shudder" Lawrence.  In fact, from Manor all the way to Elston is quite good to superb.   Then a little jog through the neighborhood until you hit the street next to the Edens.  Then two blocks on Lawrence, then over to Ainslie.   Anslie over the Kennedy all the way up to Milwaukee.   And you have essentially by-passed the worst stretches of Western with very little time out of the way.  That's my normal route.  (At Elston/Ainslie I go up Higgins, not a great choice, but not nearly as bad as Western. Sort of like Elston before it got ruined by bike lanes...)

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 12, 2012 at 4:57am

I don't get the Google Maps bike-routing web-app jogging up from Wilson one block North to that alley-type road from Manor all the way to nearly Kedzie.   WTF?  What is wrong with Wilson here?   Is it because there is more parking allowed on that stretch?

Who wants to jog back and forth all the time wasting a block here and a block there backtracking North/South or East/West when trying to get anywhere in this city when riding the back ways?   Riding a bike is not just for recreation -some of us are actually GOING SOMEPLACE.  Stop treating us like kids on toys. 

Jared said:

Wilson is a "recommended" bike route between Lincoln and Manor, west of Manor it isn't designated as anything.

Cameron Puetz said:

Lawrence is terrible. I can't imagine anyone except the whoever draws the Chicago bike map and people who depend on it for route planning would consider Lawrence a bike route. Wilson is a much better choice.

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