Chicago's most dangerous streets for cycling?

  Hello Chainlinkers, I recently moved here to Chicago from a large east coast city between Philly and Boston with ample bike lanes and pedestrian plazas galore. This unnamed metropolis is known for it's aggressive driving, however most streets can accommodate bicycle traffic. Its seems here in Chicago traffic moves faster down narrower roadways and cars normally drive very close to the curb, leaving no room for a bike.

  My question for the fellow forum members is what streets should be avoided? It seems like the diagonals are pretty good for biking, Clybourne Milwaukee, Elston ect. But most of the main North-South or East to West streets are just too fast and don't have enough of a shoulder. Drivers squeeze past you way too close. Not sure if they are actively trying to kill me or just unable to move over a bit and pass at a safe distance. I try not to ride in the door zone. On a separate note cabbies generally do give me enough room when they pass. Any comments or insight?

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 24, 2014 at 5:23pm

Regarding Sheridan rd, i ride it most mornings from just below Northwestern's campus through Evanston and down to Loyola and back in the afternoon. i agree that below Devon Sheridan's a no-go, but Broadway isn't too terrible if you keep your wits about you.

 

i would add Devon to my no-go list. i used to use it regularly but the absolute worst drivers in Chicago are to be found on Devon from Broadway to McCormack, and west of Lincoln to the Edens it's pretty narrow. Worse still is the stretch through the forest preserve from Lehigh to Milwaukee where it's a wild west show.

 

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:



Crazy David 84 Furlongs said:

Sheridan Road from Hollywood through the Valley of Death up to the Evanston line.   That might be more dangerous than Irving Park, Ashland and Western thrown together....

Despite lack of shoulders and obvious danger to any cyclist who dares ride on Sheridan, there are explicit "do not ride on the sidewalk" signs at various places. I'm pretty sure there is still on up at Ardmore, where LFT dumps out.

Permalink Reply by El Dorado on January 24, 2014 at 5:53pm

Another diagonal that can be dangerous to ride is Archer. Especially between Cicero & Pulaski. Drivers typical speed because they use it as an alternative to the rush hour nightmare of the I-55/Stevenson.

Permalink Reply by J.P. on January 24, 2014 at 6:31pm

North Shore Channel is very icy under the underpasses. Otherwise it's fine, but not as well kept as the lake front trail.

I try to avoid any major streets if possible. Depending where you are I like Campbell/Artesian as an alternative to Western on the far north side, Paulina as an alternative to Ashland, Wrightwood rather than Diversey/Fullerton etc. On those types of streets you are usually faster than cars, and most people don't take them for more than a block or two. That means you can ride smack in the middle of those smaller streets without motorists getting to frustrated with you.  Also, I will take the lake shore trail even if it adds mileage - you have stronger winds, that's a potential downside.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

Jimmy>  It seems like the diagonals are pretty good for biking, Clybourne Milwaukee, Elston ect.

Note that those intersections are more complex, often involving three streets converging at the same light.

John> Chicago's cabbies are, as a general rule, horrible. Take care around them.

"Watch out for the yellow ones. They don't stop." -- Buddy the Elf

Lisa> There is a Chicago Bike Map ...

Also, Google Maps will highlight streets with bike lanes (solid green) and the best alternate bike routes (dotted green) if you click the little bicycle icon.

This time of year, if you can manage it, the Lakefront Trail and the North Channel Trail (both N/S routes) should be pretty free of foot traffic. I don't know how well the NCT is cleared, but Chicago Park District seems to do an aggressive snow removal job on LFT. They even do a smiling, five-finger wave when you pass them.

Permalink Reply by Sol on January 24, 2014 at 11:21pm


I ride Broadway all the time and have never had any issue. There are more and more cyclists riding Broadway and the cars are becoming aware of our presence. I avoid Western at all costs. I ride Ashland once in a while, just not in rush hour or late at night when the drunk drivers are out. California, Damen, Kedzie, Kimball and Pulaski are also decent North-South routes.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

> 

Along with the other Chicago streets people mentioned as bad, I avoid Broadway whenever possible. At least in the Edgewater neighborhood, most drivers seem to treat it like an extension of Lakeshore Drive, and move along pretty quickly.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on January 25, 2014 at 7:55am

Repeat: Western, Ashland, North ave. (other than Wicker Park) the north parts of Sheridan/Broadway.

Grand ave. even though traffic wise it's not bad it's surface condition is horrible!

In the Loop area Michigan ave. Columbus, Congress pkwy. Learn the lowers for getting around downtown it's keeps you drier slightly warmer and much less traffic.

Permalink Reply by Ben Gray on January 25, 2014 at 9:45am

Congress! Good call.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Repeat: Western, Ashland, North ave. (other than Wicker Park) the north parts of Sheridan/Broadway.

Grand ave. even though traffic wise it's not bad it's surface condition is horrible!

In the Loop area Michigan ave. Columbus, Congress pkwy. Learn the lowers for getting around downtown it's keeps you drier slightly warmer and much less traffic.

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on January 25, 2014 at 1:37pm

Parallel to Sheridan Road, from Ardmore to Devon you can, and should, take either Kenmore, if you're headed northbound or Winthrop, if you're headed southbound. Those streets have bike lanes, specifically for bikers who want to get to/from the LFT.

Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

Crazy David 84 Furlongs said:

Sheridan Road from Hollywood through the Valley of Death up to the Evanston line.   That might be more dangerous than Irving Park, Ashland and Western thrown together....

Despite lack of shoulders and obvious danger to any cyclist who dares ride on Sheridan, there are explicit "do not ride on the sidewalk" signs at various places. I'm pretty sure there is still on up at Ardmore, where LFT dumps out.

Permalink Reply by Jimmy Baham on January 25, 2014 at 1:50pm

   Thanks for the responses! I do realize my question was kind of vague but I appreciate all the various comments. My past experience has been biking in NYC and in Boston, so you'd think Chicago wouldn't be much different, but it has been a real adjustment to ride here. It's good to hear where the particularly dangerous stretches are.

    There is not a single street in Manhattan that I would be afraid to ride, frustrating yes but not out right scary. Here cycling is less frustrating; ie fewer cars in the bike lanes, no salmoning cyclist and no pedestrians getting in your way. But it's tricky for the newcomer to realize that, hey half of the streets here are too fast and too narrow to bike on.

    Another vague question, if most of these main roads can't and won't accommodate bikes, what does the bike friendly future look like for this city? Isn't it inherently limited? Should it be more about strengthening the existing bike routes and directing the flow of bike traffic to them or redesigning these fast busy streets and creating space for bikes?  

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on January 25, 2014 at 2:39pm

Really? It's so dark down there I would be terrified. Maybe I haven't been down there recently enough.

I think plenty of streets in the Loop are more or less okay.

Mike Zumwalt said:


In the Loop area Michigan ave. Columbus, Congress pkwy. Learn the lowers for getting around downtown it's keeps you drier slightly warmer and much less traffic.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on January 25, 2014 at 3:34pm


Actually, the number of streets that have been named is not really big.  With our grid system, there is almost always an equally direct route to whatever the destination as the streets that are too busy/narrow to ride on.  Except, as Jeff says, in a couple of locations.  


Jimmy Baham said:

  <snip>

    Another vague question, if most of these main roads can't and won't accommodate bikes, what does the bike friendly future look like for this city? Isn't it inherently limited? Should it be more about strengthening the existing bike routes and directing the flow of bike traffic to them or redesigning these fast busy streets and creating space for bikes?  

Permalink Reply by Michael A on January 25, 2014 at 8:27pm

the 4 most dangerous streets in chicago all end with  ST  AVE  BLVD or CT

Permalink Reply by Homebuilt on January 26, 2014 at 4:53pm

I have all sorts of favored routes depending on what I'm doing. I ride with kids sometimes and ride much tamer streets then. But some of the alternatives for some stretches: Paulina (that's a long "i" BTW) is a block west of Ashland and has long good stretches, Damen is frequently fine where Ashland isn't. Leavitt is between Western and Damen and is quite wide and residential for long stretches. I avoid Irving Park if I can for the same reasons as Western and Ashland, but Berteau to the north and Montrose a little further north can be fine. Grand west of the river is bad, but Hubbard, just to the south can be a very peaceful street.

I avoid Elston at all costs unless I have to go to Elston. I find that cars just drive in the bike lanes there and at a high rate of speed. I'd rather go south to Milwaukee or east to Lincoln.

Grace from the river to at least Ashland is fine, Ravenswood is a nice route as long as it's not during rush hour when drivers use it as an alternative to other main streets and race along it.

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