I submit incidents to Bike Lane Uprising, but what do you think of this letter directly to the Alderman?  I'm of the mind that politicians respond to direct communication.

I write to bring your attention to an urgent matter in the Ward. 

Bike lanes are an integral part of transportation infrastructure.  They are a low-cost protection from interaction between vehicles and bicycles; interaction that often ends in serious injury or death to the bicyclist and only minor inconvenience to the motorist.  They have been duly constructed throughout the Ward with input from members of the community, members of City planning committees, and are a part of a total transportation plan as agreed upon by the City Council.

I urge you to support the current adoption of bike lanes throughout the Ward and increase the implementation of bike lanes where they do not currently exist.

I specifically urge you to turn your attention to the bike lane at 210 S DesPlaines.  While this lane is marked, it is often the recipient of scofflaw parking for hours at a time.  I believe the lack of traffic bollards, and lack of bicycle symbols or other lane markings contribute to motorist’s continual encroachment. 

I would ask that the installation of bollards be implemented as soon as possible.  Additionally, the presence of traffic enforcement personnel in this area of the Ward may be helpful to alleviate this issue.  Vehicles often spend hours parked in the bike lane without receiving a ticket.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and include examples from today below.