The Chainlink

Ideas About Bridges.

I don't have to ride into the loop much, but each time I do, I find the grated bridges to be the source of some anxiety, in wet and icy conditions like these in particular.  Slippery!   

Since the city does some nice things by cyclists, I think the powers that be might be receptive to a reasonable fix to make the bridges a little less treacherous.  

I'm envisioning some kind of treatment to create a bike lane that is not so slick, but I don't know what.  Any ideas?  

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on February 11, 2010 at 10:50am
The city has tried a couple of different approaches to this issue. On at least one bridge they've filled in the metal grates with concrete (Randolph?). On some others they have added some plating. There is a name for the plates which I can't recall at the moment. Molly plates? named after the woman who campaigned (?) to get something done about it? My google fu is failing me, but here is an archived thread at bikeforums.net about it (sort of):
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-130867.html

I ride over the river at Kinzie and Loomis twice a day. I'd be overjoyed if we get get something done to make those bridges less unpleasant to ride over. I've never actually fallen, but any time it is wet or icy I get a bit of squirrlly fishtail action that is always a bit disconcerting.

(27 x 1 1/14 slicks usually inflated up to somewhere around 100 psi)
Permalink Reply by Joe TV on February 11, 2010 at 11:12am
Good link Tony, thanks. That's from upwards of 5 years ago now, and seems like not much has changed, no?
Permalink Reply by Brendan on February 11, 2010 at 12:28pm
Kathy Plates. Thank Kathy Schubert.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 11, 2010 at 12:31pm
Have you tried riding the Wells St. bridge? This was the first to get steel plates in the bike lane. The textured coating on the plates makes them safe to ride in all conditions. In the last several years, they have been added to several other bridges in the city.
Permalink Reply by Leah on February 11, 2010 at 12:36pm
Anne you beat me to it! :) I recently discovered the Wells St. bridge. When I commute south I take it - those plates just make me feel better. I'd love to see more of them!

Anne Alt said:
Have you tried riding the Wells St. bridge? This was the first to get steel plates in the bike lane. The textured coating on the plates makes them safe to ride in all conditions. In the last several years, they have been added to several other bridges in the city.
Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on February 11, 2010 at 12:55pm
Thank you Kathy Schubert for the Wells Street Plates. The State Street bridge is concrete and feels much less squirrelly to me...
Permalink Reply by JeffB on February 11, 2010 at 1:15pm
I use the concreted Franklin St bridge when heading home (north) whenever its wet or icy out, but I hate the traffic jam just north of the Mart. Didn't know that the State St bridge is concreted. In the morning I take Clark south, but switch to the bridge sidewalk when wet; its pretty wide and not heavily traveled.
Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on February 11, 2010 at 3:22pm
Jeff said:
I use the concreted Franklin St bridge when heading home (north) whenever its wet or icy out, but I hate the traffic jam just north of the Mart. Didn't know that the State St bridge is concreted. In the morning I take Clark south, but switch to the bridge sidewalk when wet; its pretty wide and not heavily traveled.

If you want to avoid that crappy stretch of Orleans (what Franklin turns into north of the river), take a left at Hubbard and turn north onto Kingsbury.
Permalink Reply by Chris B on February 11, 2010 at 4:35pm
The only problem with the Wells bridge is the R hand turn lane at the end which is annoying. Esp when you ride it every day :) But yeah it would be nice if every bridge had one or at least the bridges on streets with bike lanes.

I never thought of taking State. I take Dearborn, which has grates but so far i've been ok. I try to stay straight when I go across. I guess I could take State then go west after the bridge.

Hmm i just checked that bikeforums link out, I didn't realize people crashed on the bridges, is that by where the 2 halves connect? Is it because I have a fat tired MTB only that I never noticed a problem?
Permalink Reply by jen on February 11, 2010 at 5:25pm
I crashed on the cortland bridge back in 03 (befor they had the katy plates). The city had replaced a section of the grating and not matched up the seams leaving a space just wide enough for my tire to get caught in.

Grated bridges do have there benefits. The holes or open sections allow airflow so cold air coming off the river does not get trapped under the bridge to prevent icing. It also allows drainage also to prevent drainage to prevent icing. The uneven surface prevents large sheets of ice from forming.

Chris B said:
The only problem with the Wells bridge is the R hand turn lane at the end which is annoying. Esp when you ride it every day :) But yeah it would be nice if every bridge had one or at least the bridges on streets with bike lanes.

I never thought of taking State. I take Dearborn, which has grates but so far i've been ok. I try to stay straight when I go across. I guess I could take State then go west after the bridge.

Hmm i just checked that bikeforums link out, I didn't realize people crashed on the bridges, is that by where the 2 halves connect? Is it because I have a fat tired MTB only that I never noticed a problem?
Permalink Reply by Eric R on February 11, 2010 at 5:42pm
The plates are ideal since concrete creates a weight issue, at least for the lift bridges and possibly some others if they are in poor condition... I'm lookin' at you Halsted Bridges! (Between Chicago and Division)

What was it, two years ago? When the media claimed most of our nation's bridges were falling apart after the Minneapolis disaster.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 15, 2010 at 6:23pm
That Division St. bridge is in bad shape. Wonder if it might get a bit of bikey improvement whenever it gets fixed.

Eric Roach said:
The plates are ideal since concrete creates a weight issue, at least for the lift bridges and possibly some others if they are in poor condition... I'm lookin' at you Halsted Bridges! (Between Chicago and Division)

What was it, two years ago? When the media claimed most of our nation's bridges were falling apart after the Minneapolis disaster.

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