Double parked in the bike lane.

I tried the search feature, and it isn't working.  I'm sure this is a common gripe. But why can't the city do anything about all the cars double parked in the bike lane.  ESPECIALLY UPS, FedEx, and USPS.  I could gather 4 or 5 pictures daily of these guys double parked in an obvious bike lane.

Maybe that is what I should do.  Start stopping and taking pictures with my cell. Then writing to the owners of companies.

"Forcing bikes to quickly merge with traffic is dangerous.  The city has created these wonderfully useful "Bike lanes"  however, we are unable to use them, because you keep parking your delivery trucks in them.  This is not a delivery lane. It is a bike lane.  Please instruct your drivers that this is unsafe, and Illegal."

Now if we could just get the CPD to do something about it.

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Permalink Reply by Len Krietz on September 18, 2013 at 1:36am

And the city should just as vigorously go after cyclists who;

      Shoot red lights

      roll through stop sign

      ride while texting

      etc

"he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone"  or something like that.

I never knew when I started (or restarted) cycling that I would be joining a group with such a persecuted, whinny, entitled mentality

Oh and there is debris in the bike lanes most times.

+1 to Dug

Mark said:

Hey Dug, Are you a Anarchist?  Don't believe in the law? 

Just asking, because the last time I looked, Chicago had laws against just this thing.  So why pass a law, and then say, "Weeeeeelllll, that doesn't really apply to them, because pulling over to the actual curb, well, that would just be to much to ask."  No. We want to promote corporate greed, by making that driver deliver more packages of junk to consumers, faster, so instead of him having to find a LEGAL parking spot, we will let him endanger cyclists in the bike lane, so we can keep the corporate bottom line going.  Yes, commerce must go on, the bottom line above all.  We will give lip service to safety, but honestly, we could care less...  All we care about is making more and more profit.

As long as people double park in the bike lane, and CPD does nothing about it, they will continue to do it. All it would take is a little enforcement. Problem solved.



notoriousDUG said:


I have terrible, terrible news for all of you; you are not an individual special snowflake whom the world was created for; there is a whole world going on out there beyond your world of one.  Commerce must carry on and sometimes that means you, or other people, will be inconvenienced by delivery trucks, cabs and all variety of things happening in and around the road.  Get over it, people have jobs to do because the world just keeps turning even though you ride a bike.

Seriosuly, it is really not that big a deal to check over your shoulder, signal and then pull out into the traffic lane to get around a parked truck; I mean the truck is parked there so you have TONS of time to figure out what to do.  

Share the road means everybody working together so things are easier for all of us, not just you.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 18, 2013 at 3:42am

I am not an anarchist, I just recognize that fact that most traffic laws are flexible things when it comes to the real world; look at just how few rules of the road most people follow.  

Do you come to a complete foot down stop at every light and stop sign?  Never ride on the sidewalk?  Never drive even a mile per hour over the speed limit when you drive?  Do you obey every traffic law when you ride or drive?  Unless the answer to all those questions is yes you have no place crying about the law in this case.  The vast majority of people on the road, in both bikes and cars, break a ton of traffic laws.

Serious question: are you really so scared of traffic that you feel that having to merge and go around a parked truck is a serious danger to you?  Do you ever ride on streets without dedicated bike lanes?


Mark said:

Hey Dug, Are you a Anarchist?  Don't believe in the law? 

Just asking, because the last time I looked, Chicago had laws against just this thing.  So why pass a law, and then say, "Weeeeeelllll, that doesn't really apply to them, because pulling over to the actual curb, well, that would just be to much to ask."  No. We want to promote corporate greed, by making that driver deliver more packages of junk to consumers, faster, so instead of him having to find a LEGAL parking spot, we will let him endanger cyclists in the bike lane, so we can keep the corporate bottom line going.  Yes, commerce must go on, the bottom line above all.  We will give lip service to safety, but honestly, we could care less...  All we care about is making more and more profit.

As long as people double park in the bike lane, and CPD does nothing about it, they will continue to do it. All it would take is a little enforcement. Problem solved.



notoriousDUG said:


I have terrible, terrible news for all of you; you are not an individual special snowflake whom the world was created for; there is a whole world going on out there beyond your world of one.  Commerce must carry on and sometimes that means you, or other people, will be inconvenienced by delivery trucks, cabs and all variety of things happening in and around the road.  Get over it, people have jobs to do because the world just keeps turning even though you ride a bike.

Seriosuly, it is really not that big a deal to check over your shoulder, signal and then pull out into the traffic lane to get around a parked truck; I mean the truck is parked there so you have TONS of time to figure out what to do.  

Share the road means everybody working together so things are easier for all of us, not just you.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 18, 2013 at 3:43am

And if there is no legal spot that fit a truck that size?

Where should a beer truck trying to deliver in Wicker Park park?

William Beck said:

In any LEGAL spot would be fine with me.



notoriousDUG said:

Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?

Permalink Reply by Craig S. on September 18, 2013 at 4:30am

I love these trivial whiny threads.  Thanks for the morning chuckles, Dug!

notoriousDUG said:

And if there is no legal spot that fit a truck that size?

Where should a beer truck trying to deliver in Wicker Park park?

William Beck said:

In any LEGAL spot would be fine with me.



notoriousDUG said:

Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 18, 2013 at 4:57am

There are TONS of places in the city where there should be designated short-term spots for loading and quick stops (15 minute limit).  The lack of such spots creates a lot of headaches for cyclists and drivers, and creates conflict.

Permalink Reply by MK on September 18, 2013 at 5:08am

I'm with DUG. It's really not big of a deal to go into traffic. And if it's too dangerous, just STOP. 

I think failure to yield results in a lot of unnecessary accidents. 

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 18, 2013 at 5:23am

The Chainlink, providing your daily dose of whiny entitlement since 2008.

Craig S. said:

I love these trivial whiny threads.  Thanks for the morning chuckles, Dug!

notoriousDUG said:

And if there is no legal spot that fit a truck that size?

Where should a beer truck trying to deliver in Wicker Park park?

William Beck said:

In any LEGAL spot would be fine with me.



notoriousDUG said:

Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?

Permalink Reply by djm on September 18, 2013 at 6:08am

Wouldnt the city then have to pay Chicago Parking Meters LLC to offset the lost revenue?

Anne Alt said:

There are TONS of places in the city where there should be designated short-term spots for loading and quick stops (15 minute limit).  The lack of such spots creates a lot of headaches for cyclists and drivers, and creates conflict.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on September 18, 2013 at 6:13am

You should have seen the guy southbound on State at Chicago this morning.  Assuming a tinkling bell granted right of way for a right hand overtake on a long line of right-turning traffic, he was quite upset to get hooked.  Didn't even try to stop, though.

Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on September 18, 2013 at 6:29am

What is the difference - performance and safety-wise - of a truck stopped on the side of the road in a legal space, where you have to merge into traffic to go around; or a truck topped at the side of the road in a bike lane, where you have to merge into traffic to go around?

I'm with Dug, trucks are large and visible from a great distance.  If you can't look ahead, plan your move, look around and maneuver safely then what are you doing in/on your vehicle?  I'd say about to crash regardless of road signage or markings.


Anne Alt said:

There are TONS of places in the city where there should be designated short-term spots for loading and quick stops (15 minute limit).  The lack of such spots creates a lot of headaches for cyclists and drivers, and creates conflict.

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on September 18, 2013 at 6:30am

I was biking in Chicago before all these fancy bike lanes appeared.  Made my way just fine.  Around parked/double parked anything.

That's all.

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on September 18, 2013 at 6:57am

+1

Mark said:

Let them double park in the traffic lane, like they do everywhere there ISN'T a bike lane.



h' 1.0 said:

Agree... painting lines on the street to simulate bicycle infrastructure is a half-assed and imperfect solution but it's the best we can hope for at the moment.

notoriousDUG said:

Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?

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