The Chainlink

  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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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.

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.

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.


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.

We do pretty good when the OP posts at least a general start/end point.

You can get almost anywhere in this city my sticking mainly to secondary and residential streets-- it's just a matter of learning routes.



Alex Z said:

Great response. I agree.

Duppie said:

Jimmy,

Welcome to Chicago and the Chainlink.  As you may have figured out by now, asking a broad question like you did, does not give a lot of meaningful answers. Instead it becomes free-for-all complain fest. Reality is that Chicago is a big city, and most streets have good stretches and bad stretches.

What neighborhood do you live in? Where do you work? That kind of information can help you get better answers. Ask specific questions for routes and I can guarantee that members will respond with their experiences on what makes up a safe and comfortable route

Happy riding. Stay warm!

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.

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.

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.

   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?  

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.


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?  

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

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