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 Skip Montanaro 0mi on May 17, 2013 at 4:06am

Didn't someone mention AirZound earlier in this (or another) thread?  Seems like it would be a bit more practical, since you recharge it with a plain old pump.

Permalink Reply by physis 8.2 on May 17, 2013 at 4:26am

Am I hurting cycling efforts if I do NOT use the Dearborn PBL for my loop commuting?

Turned southbound on Clark this morning instead of using Dearborn for the first time in weeks...and it felt glorious.  Moving at the speed of traffic without dodging pedestrians and motorists' contraflow (when they exit their car after parking) was a lot less stress and worry than I've had on the PBL as the weather has gotten nicer.

No one honked at me or seemed to get irritated - hopefully due to me obeying all traffic signals and working my butt off to keep with the speed and flow of traffic making sure to stay visible and to the left of turning cars.

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on May 17, 2013 at 4:38am

I opt Clark most of the time.  When I want to feel euro I take the Dearborn route.



J Park said:

Am I hurting cycling efforts if I do NOT use the Dearborn PBL for my loop commuting?

Turned southbound on Clark this morning instead of using Dearborn for the first time in weeks...and it felt glorious.  Moving at the speed of traffic without dodging pedestrians and motorists' contraflow (when they exit their car after parking) was a lot less stress and worry than I've had on the PBL as the weather has gotten nicer.

No one honked at me or seemed to get irritated - hopefully due to me obeying all traffic signals and working my butt off to keep with the speed and flow of traffic making sure to stay visible and to the left of turning cars.

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 17, 2013 at 4:45am

I ended up getting one of these for $6.

http://dx.com/p/6-alarm-sound-bicycle-horn-with-mount-black-1-6f22-...

Works really well. It makes an alarm like sound that turns heads. I use it 3-5 times every single time I ride the dearborn lane.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on May 17, 2013 at 4:54am

It's people like you, who are not riding exactly where Rahm tells us to, that are the bane of Chicago's cycling society.

Get with the program already.

;)

J Park said:

Am I hurting cycling efforts if I do NOT use the Dearborn PBL for my loop commuting?

Turned southbound on Clark this morning instead of using Dearborn for the first time in weeks...and it felt glorious.  Moving at the speed of traffic without dodging pedestrians and motorists' contraflow (when they exit their car after parking) was a lot less stress and worry than I've had on the PBL as the weather has gotten nicer.

No one honked at me or seemed to get irritated - hopefully due to me obeying all traffic signals and working my butt off to keep with the speed and flow of traffic making sure to stay visible and to the left of turning cars.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on May 17, 2013 at 4:55am

+1  I usually take LaSalle but will take Dearborn when I want a bike community kind of feeling. It has been slow but really cool lately with the warmer weather and  so many cyclists in the lane.

in it to win it 8.0 mi said:

I opt Clark most of the time.  When I want to feel euro I take the Dearborn route.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on May 17, 2013 at 5:11am

What a revolutionary concept. Bikes, pedestrians and motor vehicle users coexisting in shared space! Everyone is safer because everyone sees and expects other users to be present. But that's just heresy...

The best streets in/around/to/from the Loop don't have protected bike lanes on them (at least until they ruin Milwaukee Avenue between Kinzie and Elston). When you point out glaring shortcomings with the jury rigged bike infrastructure being built in Chicago, such as the failure to maintain, failure to adhere to any design standards refined over the years by cities which have been doing it longer than Chicago (NACTO, Amsterdam, London), failure to consider the possibility that they will increase conflict with pedestrians, motor vehicle traffic, and yes, even valets, well that's heresy too. They tell the peds, autos and bikes that the problem isn't with the design or maintenance, or the fact that they are trying to cram PBLs into constrained infrastructure which is poorly suited to accept it, no, the problem is community outreach and education.  To which I say "Bullshit!" Good design should be intuitive.

IDOT declared a moratorium on installation of PBLs on state owned roads in Chicago while they assess whether or not the ATA and CDOT mantra that these PBLs are making all road users safer, and making cycling more accessible for all. This struck me as a reasonable and measured course of action. What was the ATA response? A petition directed to Gov. Quinn (which I understand garnered 2800 "signatures") pleading with the Governor to not stand in the way of making roads safer. To which I say, "Prove it."

I went to the CDOT meeting on April 30th regarding the proposed changes to Milwaukee Avenue. This one mile stretch of road will have five different segments with varying and alternating road treatments. Buffered bike lanes, barrier protected bike lanes and protected bike lanes. Weaving in and out of rows of parked cars into and out of traffic in a one-mile stretch should make it feel like navigating a maze at a carnival. At that same meeting Comm. Klein and Ald. Burnett each stated that the design was not settled and that they were still in the process of getting input from neighbors, businesses and other road users. Well, that was fast, they started tearing up Milwaukee on Wednesday 5/15.

J Park said:

Am I hurting cycling efforts if I do NOT use the Dearborn PBL for my loop commuting?

Turned southbound on Clark this morning instead of using Dearborn for the first time in weeks...and it felt glorious.  Moving at the speed of traffic without dodging pedestrians and motorists' contraflow (when they exit their car after parking) was a lot less stress and worry than I've had on the PBL as the weather has gotten nicer.

No one honked at me or seemed to get irritated - hopefully due to me obeying all traffic signals and working my butt off to keep with the speed and flow of traffic making sure to stay visible and to the left of turning cars.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on May 17, 2013 at 5:13am

Oh. You're one of those people…

Kevin C said:

What a revolutionary concept. Bikes, pedestrians and motor vehicle users coexisting in shared space! Everyone is safer because everyone sees and expects other users to be present. But that's just heresy...

Conversely, I take La Salle whenever I want the "walking though a mine field" kind of feeling.

David Barish said:

+1  I usually take LaSalle but will take Dearborn when I want a bike community kind of feeling. It has been slow but really cool lately with the warmer weather and  so many cyclists in the lane.

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on May 17, 2013 at 5:59am

I say, "Give me a break." I've never seen anyone ponder why there may be more accidents at PBL intersections, they just cite this anomalous statistic and pat themselves on the back. Let me start you off: lack of signage, failing to inform the public of the new lanes, drivers not giving a shit/texting on their phones/eating a sandwich/stressed out drivers not paying attention, and on and on.

Can you tell us that there'd be less dooring, less side-swiping, less ROAD RAGE, and less accidents when more and more cyclists are routed into existing traffic lanes? You cannot. Until you go through with it, that is, which seems to be your best argument. "Well, why NOT try it? Derp"

Have you seen what can take place during critical mass rides? Imagine what will ensue when the number of cyclists on the road keeps increasing and "encroaching" on the "territory" of pissed off drivers in the streets trying to get to work, to a play, to take their kids to school, etc.

You can cite all the statistics you want from other cities or other parts of the country, but every situation is unique. And even if you get your way and PBL's are kibboshed, the same tragedies will occur like the one's at certain PBL intersections without the proper education of the public and better/more law enforcement and medical services to handle what would surely result.  

Kevin C said:

To which I say, "Prove it."

Permalink Reply by Duppie on May 17, 2013 at 6:36am

You mean the antagonistic behavior by both cyclists and drivers that is on display during CCM will now become the new normal, 24/7, on every street in Chicago?

Zoetrope said:

[...]

Have you seen what can take place during critical mass rides? Imagine what will ensue when the number of cyclists on the road keeps increasing and "encroaching" on the "territory" of pissed off drivers in the streets trying to get to work, to a play, to take their kids to school, etc.


Kevin C said:

To which I say, "Prove it."

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on May 17, 2013 at 1:29pm

David--

You ate at Petterinos?!?

David Barish said:

Last night I dined al fresco at Petterinos at the corner of Dearborn and Randolph.  During the course of my meal nearly 200 bicycles had passed by going both directions in the PBL. I felt like I should speak Dutch to the waiter.

Permalink Reply by Julie M. on May 21, 2013 at 1:02am

Today just before 7 am at Adams/Dearborn two trucks from the farmers market were completely blocking the bike lane.  Nothing like having to play chicken with oncoming traffic...  Calling 311 now.  Hope they just warn them since I think this is the first market of the season and I like the market :)

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