In Chicago, what's your best practice for using side streets?

Defining side street as a residential street, one way, single lane.  Would have cars parked parallel to the curb on either or both sides.  Your moving in the direction of  posted traffic.  No salamongering.

So how do you play it?  What are you comfortable doing?

Take the lane, ride dead center down the middle.  Yielding to motor vehicle traffic behind at intersections, allowing them to safely pass by?

Take the lane, ride dead center down the middle.  Hold onto the lead position through intersections.  

Is it different for you when passing through different neighborhoods?

I'm interested in your experiences, not hypotheticals.  How do you actually maneuver under these circumstances on Chicago streets?      

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 4, 2012 at 2:16pm

That's fine until you become a hazard to other cyclists who are riding in the legal direction of travel.

James BlackHeron said:

Thunder Snow has the technique.

I have no issue with salmoning on residential streets as long as there is light/little traffic.  If one tries to rigidly adhere to the posted direction of travel you just are not going to be able to navigate residential streets without constantly detouring and nearly doubling the distance you are going (even IF you know the area and which way actually will work for you to find the road going the right posted direction.)

Screw it.  I drive the wrong way down one-ways in residential streets all the time.  The one-way markings are purposely meant to be a barrier to traveling through these residential streets so that cars don't use them as short cuts.  This doesn't apply to bicycles.  We are not the problem these one-way streets are meant to solve and therefore do not apply to us.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 5, 2012 at 6:37am

Are you serious or is this meant as tongue-in-cheek?

Just how fast are you riding your bike down the pot-hole and speed-hump strewn residential streets of Chicago?

If you really believe that bike/bike collisions and passing on a 10'-wide street is an issue how do you deal with the bike paths?

Anne Alt said:

That's fine until you become a hazard to other cyclists who are riding in the legal direction of travel.


Permalink Reply by S on February 5, 2012 at 9:15am

I wouldn't be surprised if Anne is being serious.  I've had my share of making left or right turns onto one way streets only to get surprised by someone coming down the street right at me.  Naturally, they also tend to be bike ninjas riding when it's dark out.

James BlackHeron said:

Are you serious or is this meant as tongue-in-cheek?

Just how fast are you riding your bike down the pot-hole and speed-hump strewn residential streets of Chicago?

If you really believe that bike/bike collisions and passing on a 10'-wide street is an issue how do you deal with the bike paths?

Anne Alt said:

That's fine until you become a hazard to other cyclists who are riding in the legal direction of travel.


Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 5, 2012 at 9:24am

I guess I'm the opposite of a bike-ninja.  I've got my super-bright skin-flaying light that doesn't conform to the UN commision on laser-light weapons.  And I am always sure to pull over into an opening between parked cars whenever an oncoming car (or a very wide bike pulling a pop-up bike trailer behind it) approaches.   Also, because I'm aware that I'm traveling contra-flow to posted traffic to be sure and yield right of way to anyone getting near the roadway, including pedestrians entering off of alleys, crosswalks, or sliding between cars to cross the street mid-block.

We have eyes, we are going 14MPH. 

Seriously, is this a major safety issue?

Permalink Reply by S on February 5, 2012 at 11:33am


Is it a problem if it's only the occasional bike rider? Probably not.  The chances that a cyclist or car will make a turn onto a street just as the salmon approaches the intersection is small and not an issue.  

Is it a problem if cycling becomes more popular and cyclists think that it won't matter if they salmon all the time?  Probably.  I think Kant's categorical imperative applies to this situation.

James BlackHeron said:

We have eyes, we are going 14MPH. 

Seriously, is this a major safety issue?

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 6, 2012 at 5:03am

Yes, I'm serious.  My biggest problems have been with bike ninjas on dark sections of streets like Glenwood (in Lakewood-Balmoral), or someone coming around a blind corner (where an apartment or commercial building comes right up to the narrow sidewalk) who's suddenly RIGHT in front of me, or situations like what S describes. 


I've had similarly startling (but potentially more dangerous experiences) when someone zooms around a corner into a bike lane on a street like Halsted going the wrong way, and I've got nowhere to go because I've got parked cars on one sideand moving traffic on the other.  I've always managed to avoid those collisions, but it's been a real test of reflexes and bike handling.

Even at 14 mph, a head-on collision resulting in a head impact on pavement can result in serious life-changing injuries.  Yes, in places where bike salmoning happens a lot (like Glenwood), this IS a major safety issue.  In other places, it rarely happens, so I wouldn't consider it a serious problem everywhere.

I've encountered the problem most often in places where the best bike route is one way (like parts of Glenwood) and people use it as an alternate to a congested main street like Clark.  If the Streets for Cycling 2020 plan addresses these locations effectively, it should reduce the risk quite a bit.

S said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Anne is being serious.  I've had my share of making left or right turns onto one way streets only to get surprised by someone coming down the street right at me.  Naturally, they also tend to be bike ninjas riding when it's dark out.

James BlackHeron said:

Are you serious or is this meant as tongue-in-cheek?

Just how fast are you riding your bike down the pot-hole and speed-hump strewn residential streets of Chicago?

If you really believe that bike/bike collisions and passing on a 10'-wide street is an issue how do you deal with the bike paths?

Anne Alt said:

That's fine until you become a hazard to other cyclists who are riding in the legal direction of travel.


Permalink Reply by David Barish on February 6, 2012 at 9:22am

I have a mirror and use it. I generally take the lane and when I see  a vehicle behind me will move closer to the right to allow them to pass.  I will only move WAY to the right if there are cars coming both ways.  On many Chicago side streets the road conditions often dictate my postion.  Side streets seem to often have rough (or worse) patches that are just to the left of the parked cars where you might think a cyclist would want to be.  That is one of the reasons why I prefer to simply take the lane.  There are a variety of streets. The quieter the street the more likely I am to be taking the lane. The busier it is the more likely I am riding more on the right side.  Also, when I say I take the lane I don't become an eddy in the stream of traffic.  I take control and everybody is moving with me making the decisions.  I let the cars pass unless I determine there is a traffic, safety,street, obstruction or other reason why their jets must be momentarily cooled.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 6, 2012 at 9:45am

100% all the way.

A mirror is a near-necessity IMHO.  When I'm riding a bike that doesn't have one (such as the recent tweed ride where I was riding a bike I purchased a couple of hours before the ride) I feel very vulnerable.

Take the lane on side streets.  If cars want to go fast they shouldn't be on the residential streets.  On many residential streets it isn't safe to go more than 20MPH anyhow and nobody should be going over the speed limit of 25MPH.  If they have to go a few miles per hour slower until you let them by then too bad.

If one doesn't take the lane they will pass you when they feel it is safe for THEM -not for you.  And they think 8-10 inches is safe for them.  NOT.

Don't give them the chance to buzz you -as they are all in a hurry and your life really doesn't mean as much to them as getting 4 seconds ahead. 

As a rider it is my responsibility to take charge and find the spot to let them pass where it is safe for me -not the other way around. Anything less is unsafe for ME.

David Barish said:

I have a mirror and use it. I generally take the lane and when I see  a vehicle behind me will move closer to the right to allow them to pass.  I will only move WAY to the right if there are cars coming both ways.  On many Chicago side streets the road conditions often dictate my postion.  Side streets seem to often have rough (or worse) patches that are just to the left of the parked cars where you might think a cyclist would want to be.  That is one of the reasons why I prefer to simply take the lane.  There are a variety of streets. The quieter the street the more likely I am to be taking the lane. The busier it is the more likely I am riding more on the right side.  Also, when I say I take the lane I don't become an eddy in the stream of traffic.  I take control and everybody is moving with me making the decisions.  I let the cars pass unless I determine there is a traffic, safety,street, obstruction or other reason why their jets must be momentarily cooled.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 6, 2012 at 11:33am

+1

David Barish said:

I have a mirror and use it. I generally take the lane and when I see  a vehicle behind me will move closer to the right to allow them to pass.  I will only move WAY to the right if there are cars coming both ways.  On many Chicago side streets the road conditions often dictate my postion.  Side streets seem to often have rough (or worse) patches that are just to the left of the parked cars where you might think a cyclist would want to be.  That is one of the reasons why I prefer to simply take the lane.  There are a variety of streets. The quieter the street the more likely I am to be taking the lane. The busier it is the more likely I am riding more on the right side.  Also, when I say I take the lane I don't become an eddy in the stream of traffic.  I take control and everybody is moving with me making the decisions.  I let the cars pass unless I determine there is a traffic, safety,street, obstruction or other reason why their jets must be momentarily cooled.

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