I rode Dearborn today...anyone else?

I just missed the press conference and just hung out at lunch to see how it would all work. It seemed easy enough, so I took Dearborn as my starting route home to Roscoe Village. Normally I hit Franklin to Orleans then north to Lincoln.

I have to say, it was pretty easy and relatively safe. The ambassadors were helpful with the the auto traffic. The walkers were easy enough to avoid. I had to chuckle at two riders riding side by side in the lane.

What I didn't see was any oncoming traffic; southbound riders. I am guessing that will come in time or at other times during the day.

Way to go Mayor RE! This is really making a statement.

Who else rode the new path?

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Permalink Reply by Tim on July 1, 2013 at 8:34am

About a couple weeks ago, I was riding southbound on Dearborn near Madison during Rush hour. A car came out of a parking garage and without looking, plowed into me. I was fine, walked away without injury but my front wheel was destroyed. The lady that hit me told me that she has worked in the building for years and simply is not used to traffic coming southbound on what has always been a one way street northbound. While her excuse is not acceptable as the lane has been there for months now, It really points out how terribly planned this design of a bike lane was. I will not be riding on this lane again.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on July 1, 2013 at 11:16am

If she did not look for you she did not look for pedestrians, either.  She had to go through the crosswalk before she got to the bike lanes.

Tim said:

About a couple weeks ago, I was riding southbound on Dearborn near Madison during Rush hour. A car came out of a parking garage and without looking, plowed into me. I was fine, walked away without injury but my front wheel was destroyed. The lady that hit me told me that she has worked in the building for years and simply is not used to traffic coming southbound on what has always been a one way street northbound. While her excuse is not acceptable as the lane has been there for months now, It really points out how terribly planned this design of a bike lane was. I will not be riding on this lane again.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on July 1, 2013 at 11:55am

What would have constituted better planning?

Tim said:

It really points out how terribly planned this design of a bike lane was.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 1, 2013 at 12:49pm

Exactly. My guess is that it's the garage just north of Madison, where I've had many problems with selfish drivers like her over the years. Most folks are reasonable coming out of there but there are always a few who don't want to yield to anyone. 

The bike lane has been there for six months, more than long enough for her to get a clue.

Lisa Curcio 6.5 mi said:

If she did not look for you she did not look for pedestrians, either.  She had to go through the crosswalk before she got to the bike lanes.

Tim said:

About a couple weeks ago, I was riding southbound on Dearborn near Madison during Rush hour. A car came out of a parking garage and without looking, plowed into me. 

Permalink Reply by Mark on July 2, 2013 at 2:41am

Like installing a southbound bike lane on Clark instead of a contra-flow lane on Dearborn.

Alex Z said:

What would have constituted better planning?

Tim said:

It really points out how terribly planned this design of a bike lane was.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on July 2, 2013 at 2:53am

I agree with Mark's thought.  I suspect it would have cost more to install two one-way bike lanes (NB on Dearborn or Franklin, SB on Clark), but the individual lanes would have been wider than the NB/SB halves of the current Dearborn PBL, and bikes would move in the same direction as the one-way auto traffic.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on July 2, 2013 at 3:14am

Has anyone else seen the "SLOW" signs painted in the Dearborn PBL outside the Goodman? Anyone know if it's CDOT-related or more rogue PBL modification by a dissatisfied business-owner?

Permalink Reply by JeffB on July 2, 2013 at 5:28am

I noticed them between Polk and Congress, as well as several horizontal lines.  Are we in for rumble strips in those spots?

Alex Z said:

Has anyone else seen the "SLOW" signs painted in the Dearborn PBL outside the Goodman? Anyone know if it's CDOT-related or more rogue PBL modification by a dissatisfied business-owner?

Permalink Reply by Shaun Jacobsen on July 2, 2013 at 6:50pm

I hope not, rumble strips on bike tires would not be good and bikes can't handle them like cars can.

Speeding bikes on the PBL aren't a problem, IMO. Its the drivers entering the lane and blocking it, giving those using it no way out except to dart into traffic, and the left-turn situation which was not very well-designed.

On streets like Dearborn the priority should not be telling the cyclists to slow down... You can hardly get past two blocks without the light going red, and I rarely get over 10mph (I think).

JeffB (7+ miles) said:

I noticed them between Polk and Congress, as well as several horizontal lines.  Are we in for rumble strips in those spots?

Alex Z said:

Has anyone else seen the "SLOW" signs painted in the Dearborn PBL outside the Goodman? Anyone know if it's CDOT-related or more rogue PBL modification by a dissatisfied business-owner?

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on August 20, 2013 at 6:12am

So I'm riding up Dearborn this morning around 8 AM. It's been one of those great commutes where nothing bad or even obnoxious has happened. As I approach Harrison I see a motorcycle parked in the lanes north of Harrison. When the light changes to green for bikes, I ride though and while myself and about four other riders are passing the Sportster (i'm pretty sure) I hear a voice on a VERY LOUD PA yelling at the biker something to the effect of "Hey motorcycle rider! Get that thing out of there!" It was like the voice of G*d or something - i mean LOUD. Turns out it was from a firefighter in a Chicago Fire Department SUV. The biker came running toward his bike from about half a block away as if he too thought it might be the voice of G*d. He hopped on his dainty hog and cleared the lane pronto.

I'm really impressed that a firefighter would have the initiative and take the time to help keep our lane clear. Bravo CFD! 

Permalink Reply by Rusty on September 12, 2013 at 11:01am

HAhahahahaha very funny to have been there I'm sure
 
Tony Adams 7 mi said:

So I'm riding up Dearborn this morning around 8 AM. It's been one of those great commutes where nothing bad or even obnoxious has happened. As I approach Harrison I see a motorcycle parked in the lanes north of Harrison. When the light changes to green for bikes, I ride though and while myself and about four other riders are passing the Sportster (i'm pretty sure) I hear a voice on a VERY LOUD PA yelling at the biker something to the effect of "Hey motorcycle rider! Get that thing out of there!" It was like the voice of G*d or something - i mean LOUD. Turns out it was from a firefighter in a Chicago Fire Department SUV. The biker came running toward his bike from about half a block away as if he too thought it might be the voice of G*d. He hopped on his dainty hog and cleared the lane pronto.

I'm really impressed that a firefighter would have the initiative and take the time to help keep our lane clear. Bravo CFD! 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on September 14, 2013 at 3:50am

For the last week or so, you have posted this approximate message to exactly three threads. While I would never discourage the sentiment, the message bears little if any relationship to the topic or continuity of the thread. Today, you posted the message to six threads. Why the departure?

Domenica Cresap said:

Take a ride this afternoon.  Great sunny day for a ride!

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