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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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ben R. on April 26, 2013 at 5:42am

That's a big 'IF', not a little 'if' for sure. When was the last time you rolled a stop sign or red light, on a bike? (or even stopped at a red light, and started again when it was all clear but the signal was still red)

I know pedestrians downtown are even more inclined to disobey/stretch their signals than cyclists.

Hopefully cars follow theirs... but in Chicago... even that is a crap shoot.

Alex Z said:

How does it not reduce bike/MV intersection conflicts? If everyone follows the traffic lights, there should be zero conflict. I realize that's a big "if," but do you just mean that we cannot reasonably expect people to follow the traffic signals?

Kevin C said:

It's another bad PBL design/implementation in Chicago. It not only fails to reduce bike/MV conflict at intersections, it actually makes the existing intersections worse

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Permalink Reply by Alex Z on April 26, 2013 at 6:03am

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on April 26, 2013 at 6:21am

I make an effort to do so also. But in one case (that I know of) the Walk signal lights up several seconds before the bike green does - northbound at Harrison (I think). I totally get why peds should get a head start vs cars, but vs bikes?

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Ben R. on April 26, 2013 at 6:23am

I would too if I rode dearborn.

The last time I posted on this forum that I obeyed all my traffic signals everywhere I was told to 'get off my high horse' (perhaps for other errors in tone in my post, but also partly for that) so I would expect that there are many cyclists who do not obey their signals.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on April 26, 2013 at 6:23am

Yeah, I just start pedaling when the walk sign turns on. I do the same at other intersections with leading walk signals.

Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:

I make an effort to do so also. But in one case (that I know of) the Walk signal lights up several seconds before the bike green does - northbound at Harrison (I think). I totally get why peds should get a head start vs cars, but vs bikes?

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on April 26, 2013 at 7:19am

I'm with you. This is the one road that I wish we would all be willing to obey the signals. It is the prime example that most non-cyclists have of bike infrastructure in Chicago. We lose the ability to call others out for stepping into the lane, turning against the red arrow, standing obliviously in the lane, etc. if we are jumping lights, waiting in the crosswalk, etc. Why would anyone have to respect the lane if the cyclists don't?

I roll nearly all reds EXCEPT in the DBL.

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on April 26, 2013 at 7:41am

Exactly. Bike traffic in the Dearborn lane is SO visible to thousands of people every day. If some cyclists blow red lights there, they are BEGGING for the disrespect of other road users. Is disrespect what we really want?

NYC (7.0 mi) said:

I'm with you. This is the one road that I wish we would all be willing to obey the signals. It is the prime example that most non-cyclists have of bike infrastructure in Chicago. We lose the ability to call others out for stepping into the lane, turning against the red arrow, standing obliviously in the lane, etc. if we are jumping lights, waiting in the crosswalk, etc. Why would anyone have to respect the lane if the cyclists don't?

I roll nearly all reds EXCEPT in the DBL.

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on April 26, 2013 at 7:43am

While I agree with you, opponents of bike infrastructure will always come up with some BS excuse why they hate cyclists, whether it's true or not.

Anne Alt said:

Exactly. Bike traffic in the Dearborn lane is SO visible to thousands of people every day. If some cyclists blow red lights there, they are BEGGING for the disrespect of other road users. Is disrespect what we really want?

NYC (7.0 mi) said:

I'm with you. This is the one road that I wish we would all be willing to obey the signals. It is the prime example that most non-cyclists have of bike infrastructure in Chicago. We lose the ability to call others out for stepping into the lane, turning against the red arrow, standing obliviously in the lane, etc. if we are jumping lights, waiting in the crosswalk, etc. Why would anyone have to respect the lane if the cyclists don't?

I roll nearly all reds EXCEPT in the DBL.

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on April 26, 2013 at 7:55am

Those people may be a lost cause, but I'd reckon that your average driver or pedestrian on Dearborn is not (yet) an opponent or a proponent of bike infrastructure. We'll never know what it could take to could push them in either direction.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

While I agree with you, opponents of bike infrastructure will always come up with some BS excuse why they hate cyclists, whether it's true or not.

Anne Alt said:

Exactly. Bike traffic in the Dearborn lane is SO visible to thousands of people every day. If some cyclists blow red lights there, they are BEGGING for the disrespect of other road users. Is disrespect what we really want?

NYC (7.0 mi) said:

I'm with you. This is the one road that I wish we would all be willing to obey the signals. It is the prime example that most non-cyclists have of bike infrastructure in Chicago. We lose the ability to call others out for stepping into the lane, turning against the red arrow, standing obliviously in the lane, etc. if we are jumping lights, waiting in the crosswalk, etc. Why would anyone have to respect the lane if the cyclists don't?

I roll nearly all reds EXCEPT in the DBL.

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on April 26, 2013 at 8:04am

The least we could do for ourselves is not give them that true reason. If you want to crush lights in the loop - hit up Clark. It's what I do when feeling aggressive. The DBL has to be mellow. Something is gonna happen on it this Spring. I just hope a cyclist isn't at fault.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

While I agree with you, opponents of bike infrastructure will always come up with some BS excuse why they hate cyclists, whether it's true or not.

Anne Alt said:

Exactly. Bike traffic in the Dearborn lane is SO visible to thousands of people every day. If some cyclists blow red lights there, they are BEGGING for the disrespect of other road users. Is disrespect what we really want?

NYC (7.0 mi) said:

I'm with you. This is the one road that I wish we would all be willing to obey the signals. It is the prime example that most non-cyclists have of bike infrastructure in Chicago. We lose the ability to call others out for stepping into the lane, turning against the red arrow, standing obliviously in the lane, etc. if we are jumping lights, waiting in the crosswalk, etc. Why would anyone have to respect the lane if the cyclists don't?

I roll nearly all reds EXCEPT in the DBL.

Alex Z said:

I always obey the traffic signals on Dearborn.

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Permalink Reply by Ben R. on April 26, 2013 at 8:24am

I agree that I think that Dearborn is a special case and will warrant some truely mellow riding. (and I've been making an effort to mellow my own riding out in general) I also agree that the bike haters will always find a reason to hate even if they have to make it up.

But I also think that its fair that if we are expecting drivers and pedestrians to respect the rules of the road that protect cyclists' rights of way (the bike lane, using their signals etc) that we should be prepared to expect cyclists to respect the rules of the road that protect pedestrian and cage drivers' rights of way too.

I don't think that logic is unique to the DBL.