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 Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on January 17, 2013 at 3:17am

Tomorrow will be my first time riding Dearborn.  Yes I said it....  Will post my thoughts (hopefully all positive) here.

Permalink Reply by Julie M. on January 17, 2013 at 3:27am

I'd agree, I'm a fan of the lane even with the issues so far and I think they'll improve as more cyclists start riding it.  In the morning I've taken to walking my bike in the lane across the bridge (I'm an early commuter so haven't had any conflicts with other cyclists doing this)  

Heads up though between Monroe and Adams, as there are often big trucks entering and exiting that alley, this morning I had to stop and wait (and yell) for one to notice me that was trying to leave the alley, since he was clearly not looking for southbound traffic.  

Permalink Reply by Michelle Grim on January 17, 2013 at 3:45am

excellent news :-)

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

This has turned into a pretty long thread, but just back a page or two you will see that this has been discussed.  Reader's Digest version:  Plates are coming.

Michelle Grim said:

I actually crashed on this route just last sunday.  Has anyone noticed that they set up this wonderful bike lane but abandon us on the bridge?  no cover, just metal.  I fish tailed as long as I could before hitting the ground...not cool.  does anyone know how we can get the word out about this?  It's so unfortunate because the rest of the bike lane is very nice and easy to use...but this is a huge oversight in my mind...

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 17, 2013 at 4:12am

I consider it a work in progress, and I think we'll see changes/improvements over the next year.

That alley Julie mentions between Monroe and Adams has a fair amount of truck traffic throughout a 9-5 workday, and not much on nights and weekends.  Truck drivers who regularly visit that location are often fairly careful about watching for cross traffic.  Non-regulars are a crap shoot.  (I worked in an office next to that alley for 10 years, so I'm very familiar with traffic patterns there.)

If you're southbound, you get a little more warning, because the building on that side is set back from the street.  If you're northbound, the Marquette Building comes right up to the regular-width sidewalk, so there's about 8-10 between the building and the bike lane - not much warning at all.

Julie M. 8.0 mi said:

I'd agree, I'm a fan of the lane even with the issues so far and I think they'll improve as more cyclists start riding it.  In the morning I've taken to walking my bike in the lane across the bridge (I'm an early commuter so haven't had any conflicts with other cyclists doing this)  

Heads up though between Monroe and Adams, as there are often big trucks entering and exiting that alley, this morning I had to stop and wait (and yell) for one to notice me that was trying to leave the alley, since he was clearly not looking for southbound traffic.  

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 17, 2013 at 4:45am

Also mentioned earlier in the thread - the plates on the 18th St bridge in both directions were solid sheets of ice on Monday morning. Plates are nicer to ride on, but they are not ice proof.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

This has turned into a pretty long thread, but just back a page or two you will see that this has been discussed.  Reader's Digest version:  Plates are coming.

Michelle Grim said:

I actually crashed on this route just last sunday.  Has anyone noticed that they set up this wonderful bike lane but abandon us on the bridge?  no cover, just metal.  I fish tailed as long as I could before hitting the ground...not cool.  does anyone know how we can get the word out about this?  It's so unfortunate because the rest of the bike lane is very nice and easy to use...but this is a huge oversight in my mind...

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on January 17, 2013 at 4:47am
Plates are indeed not ice-proof, but the point is that they are able to be salted. You can't pour salt over an open grate bridge.


Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:

Also mentioned earlier in the thread - the plates on the 18th St bridge in both directions were solid sheets of ice on Monday morning. Plates are nicer to ride on, but they are not ice proof.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 17, 2013 at 4:56am

That is certainly true, but I don't think it is "the point". My general point is to make people aware that plates are not a magical solution to ice on a bridge. All bridge users need to be careful on bridges in sub-freezing temps.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

Plates are indeed not ice-proof, but the point is that they are able to be salted. You can't pour salt over an open grate bridge.


Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:

Also mentioned earlier in the thread - the plates on the 18th St bridge in both directions were solid sheets of ice on Monday morning. Plates are nicer to ride on, but they are not ice proof.

Permalink Reply by JimmyD on January 17, 2013 at 6:48am

Maybe the solution to all of our problems would be if the city scraps the current Dearborn bike lane and then starts over with this picture as a model for the new lane configurations:

Permalink Reply by Michelle Grim on January 17, 2013 at 6:53am

hahaha.  this is awesome

JimmyD 3.75 mi said:

Maybe the solution to all of our problems would be if the city scraps the current Dearborn bike lane and then starts over with this picture as a model for the new lane configurations:

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on January 17, 2013 at 8:15am

Around 7:00 am and 3:30 pm, so definitely not during rush hour.
 
Cameron 7.5 mi said:

Mind if I ask what time you normally ride? My experience was that during rush hour motor vehicles in the lane weren't a problem, but when I worked past 7:00 or came in a weekend there was usually at least one in the lane.

Michelle Stenzel said:

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've only seen one occasion ever where a motor vehicle user was parked IN the PBL since it officially opened. And errant pedestrians don't bother me. That is a problem that will be around forever, basically. I'd rather be mixing it up on Dearborn with people on foot than people driving 18-wheel Coca Cola delivery trucks any time.

 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 17, 2013 at 8:35am

:)

JimmyD 3.75 mi said:

Maybe the solution to all of our problems would be if the city scraps the current Dearborn bike lane and then starts over with this picture as a model for the new lane configurations:

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 17, 2013 at 8:36am

I work a block away from Dearborn, so I usually see it around 8:30-9:00 a.m., somewhere around lunchtime, again after 5:00, and times at other hours.  After the first couple of weeks, I haven't seen many vehicles of any type parked in the lane between Van Buren and Washington (the section I see most often).

Michelle Stenzel said:

Around 7:00 am and 3:30 pm, so definitely not during rush hour.
 
Cameron 7.5 mi said:

Mind if I ask what time you normally ride? My experience was that during rush hour motor vehicles in the lane weren't a problem, but when I worked past 7:00 or came in a weekend there was usually at least one in the lane.

Michelle Stenzel said:

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've only seen one occasion ever where a motor vehicle user was parked IN the PBL since it officially opened. And errant pedestrians don't bother me. That is a problem that will be around forever, basically. I'd rather be mixing it up on Dearborn with people on foot than people driving 18-wheel Coca Cola delivery trucks any time.

 

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