The Chainlink

Emanuel's transition plan serious about active transportation

From our blog, copied/pasted below.

 

Thanks,
Ethan Spotts, Marketing & Communications, Active Trans

 

Submitted by Rburke on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 3:52pm

Emanuel's transition plan serious about active transportation

 

Yesterday, Mayor-Elect Emanuel unveiled his transition plan. The 71-page plan—which covers the full spectrum of city services and operations—offers no shortage of goals that relate to biking, walking and transit.

Overall, we find the plan very encouraging. We’re excited about the goal of building 25 miles of protected bike lanes each year. This will help create a cycling network that allows Chicagoans of all ages and abilities to feel safe riding on city streets.

Creating a robust public bike share system within Emanuel’s first year in office will offer more opportunities for getting around by bike—whether you own a bike or not.

The Bus Rapid Transit corridor mentioned in the plan, on either Western Ave. or Ashland Ave., would run the length of the city and have the potential to connect communities, destinations and train lines across the city. This would be a great step toward increasing transit opportunities quickly.

Finally, we are very pleased with the prospect of Chicago creating and implementing its first pedestrian plan, which will provide a roadmap for building and maintaining streets that are safer and more inviting for people who walk.

These are important steps that will allow Chicago to reclaim its place as a world-class city for active transportation. We’re excited to work with Mayor-elect Emanuel, the Chicago Department of Transportation and CTA to achieve these goals and go beyond them.

 

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on May 16, 2011 at 2:44pm

This is how I understand repaving efforts after utility work:

The entity that has the permit to do utility work under the pavement is responsible for restoring the pavement to its original or better condition. 

There's a permitting database structured similarly to the 311 database but I'm not sure if Ward offices that will tell who is responsible for a certain segment of the road.

The rough concrete in the southbound Damen Avenue lanes north of North Avenue is the "setting" concrete. It holds the utilities in place and takes at least week to fully set. After a week the top layer of the concrete can be cut out and replaced with asphalt. 

Different crews are responsible for the utility placement, the rough concrete placement, and then the asphalt placement. They rotate around the city doing this work.

So you may understand the process, but nowhere did I mention room for excuses as to why this process takes so long. The rough concrete can be dangerous for bicyclists and should be replaced with asphalt as soon as it's done setting.


Davo said:

Its my understanding that the contractors don't have permission from the city to properly repave what they cut up.  I don't know much about the repaving process, but it seems to me that they (contractors) probably have the ability to repave what they tore out. They would be taking work from streets and san then and those guys would get up in arms. Which ever is the case it sux. Remember when Damen was going to be fixed mid april? 
Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on May 16, 2011 at 3:18pm

leyzdoo, you can expect to hear more from Active Trans about the Lakefront Trail in coming months. We've been ramping up our reporting on Lakefront Trail conditions (http://www.activetrans.org/lakefront), and we're also ramping up our advocacy for the Lakefront Trail as well. We agree about the need to address trail congestion issues, and we've been talking to the Park District about ways to better accommodate the different types of trail users, including providing more path options. We've been pushing for years to build the Navy Pier Flyover (http://www.activetrans.org/blog/lcrandell/chicago-plan-commission-a...). And as the city begins a major project to rebuild the entire north segment of Lake Shore Drive, we'll be pushing to improve trail conditions and access during the project. In coming months, we'll be looking to organize you and other friends of the Lakefront Trail to win some trail improvements that will make it more useable and safer for everyone.


- Lee, with Active Trans


leyzdoo said:

This may very well has been addressed on this board before, but I haven't seen it in my reading.  Has much thought or effort been put into addressing the existing dangers of the Lakeshore Path during summer months?  It is heavily used from April - Sept and is very hazardous when you mix cyclists, rollerbladers, pets all of whom are wearing headphones (even the dogs)?

 

Signage would be great, an expansion of the actual path (two paths? wider paths?) would be better.  I understand that costs would be significant but hate that I avoid the path during these months because I feel safer on the street.  Thanks to Active Trans for the work that you do continuously for us riders!

 

Thoughts, comments or redirects to previous posts are all appreciated.  Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Ash L. on May 16, 2011 at 4:29pm

At the last Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting a plan to create a bicycle commuter only path that runs abreast to LSD was presented by the park district. The initial path will only run for a 1/2 mile on the far north end of the LFP. Usage will then be assessed before new trail is laid. Since the planned path will be less scenic, situation close to the speedway, it shouldn't be too difficult convincing the joggers and roller bladers to use the multi-use path.

 

I don't remember what the ETA for the project was, unfortunately.

Permalink Reply by Davo on May 16, 2011 at 4:50pm
Thanks for clearing that up Steven. It still seems rather convoluted though. Thats life in the big city i guess.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 16, 2011 at 5:09pm
That is a really common sense plan.  Doing a 1/2-mile stretch is an even more common-sense approach.  This would make a good experiment and something to point to as a success if/when it works to keep accidents/incidents/injuries down.  The only hard part would be signage and communicating to the non-bicyclists to keep off/away from the bike-only path. I'm sure it could be done. 

Ash L. said:

At the last Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting a plan to create a bicycle commuter only path that runs abreast to LSD was presented by the park district. The initial path will only run for a 1/2 mile on the far north end of the LFP. Usage will then be assessed before new trail is laid. Since the planned path will be less scenic, situation close to the speedway, it shouldn't be too difficult convincing the joggers and roller bladers to use the multi-use path.

 

I don't remember what the ETA for the project was, unfortunately.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 18, 2011 at 1:57pm
The more education and enforcement, the better.

Active Transportation Alliance said:

Oh, one additional note...we are working hard (we've had discussions with Ray Lahood and other major players) about overhauling drivers education so that it includes a week of education about biking, walking and transit. It's a long-term goal and shift in thinking, but something we are working on.

 

We have done some Drive with Care efforts in the past and have worked to secure a lot of distracted driving laws/ordinances but, it's true that without enforcement, they aren't effective.

 

We'll keep pushing on this, of course!

 

Thanks,

Ethan, with Active Trans

Permalink Reply by Joel on May 18, 2011 at 2:02pm
Is a half mile stretch even enough to gauge interest?  That's only 4 blocks, and you have to get on and off a separate path.  It might get used as on/off ramp to the existing path at most.  If they are interested in a bike-only path it needs to run for a couple miles to be at all useful. 

James Baum said:
That is a really common sense plan.  Doing a 1/2-mile stretch is an even more common-sense approach.  This would make a good experiment and something to point to as a success if/when it works to keep accidents/incidents/injuries down.  The only hard part would be signage and communicating to the non-bicyclists to keep off/away from the bike-only path. I'm sure it could be done. 

Ash L. said:

At the last Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting a plan to create a bicycle commuter only path that runs abreast to LSD was presented by the park district. The initial path will only run for a 1/2 mile on the far north end of the LFP. Usage will then be assessed before new trail is laid. Since the planned path will be less scenic, situation close to the speedway, it shouldn't be too difficult convincing the joggers and roller bladers to use the multi-use path.

 

I don't remember what the ETA for the project was, unfortunately.

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