Kinzie. It's what's next.

Hopefully you've heard by now that CDOT will begin construction this week on the city's first protected bike lane: Kinzie Street from Milwaukee Avenue/Desplaines Street to Wells Street. 

 

Full story on Steven Can Plan. 

 

I want to know what you think about this.

  • What do you feel will need special attention?
  • Is this the right or wrong location for such a facility? Why?
  • Are you going to thank/congratulate Rahm, Gabe, and the CDOT Bicycle Program?
  • Will you use it?

 

Cycle track and protected bike lane naysayers, this isn't the post for you. But if you've ridden in protected bike lanes before, then I welcome your constructive comments and criticism based on your actual experiences. 

Big intersection

The new beginning. Looking southeast at the intersection of Kinzie/Milwaukee/Desplaines. 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by jennifer james on June 9, 2011 at 1:41pm
One of the interesting things mentioned yesterday was that moving the parking isn't losing the parking and that the parking contract doesn't require them to leave the spaces by the curb thus, it's no limit on new cycling infrastructure. I think everyone is going to be paying for parking regardless of where it is.

H3N3 said:

Drivers will still be expected to pay for their parking.  Remember that this is a "study."

chixieonfixie said:

Are they going to remove the parking meter thats sitting next to the BMW in that picture and/or the others down the street?
Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on June 9, 2011 at 2:34pm

Ok, ok.  I should have said, "It's not fully operational."  Jeez.


Steven Vance said:

It's not working properly because it's not done.

  • There are no bike symbols on the pavement.
  • There're no bollards
  • There's no signage

No one knows it's a bike lane except us. 

It will be completed before Bike To Work Day on June 17th.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on June 9, 2011 at 4:36pm
Yeah but still like the drivers don't notice? But I give them too much credit after watching numerous cars try to continue through the closed part of the Wacker reconstruction.

Mark Kenseth said:

Ok, ok.  I should have said, "It's not fully operational."  Jeez.


Steven Vance said:

It's not working properly because it's not done.

  • There are no bike symbols on the pavement.
  • There're no bollards
  • There's no signage

No one knows it's a bike lane except us. 

It will be completed before Bike To Work Day on June 17th.

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on June 9, 2011 at 5:28pm
This is not a schematic of Kinzie Street but an excerpt from the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, which you can view in full and in color on NACTO's website. 

H3N3 said:

I just received this updated schematic from a source inside CDOT (click to view full size):

 

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on June 9, 2011 at 6:13pm
Cartlin Thomas from CDOT sent me these attachments on cycle tracks and bike boulevards.

H3N3 said:

Can you post the pdfs (or zip file) here (to this discussion) as an attachment?

See "add attachment" link just below the reply field.

Thanks!

Attachments:
Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on June 10, 2011 at 2:30am
No loosely goosiness allowed.

H3N3 said:
Oh my god, I used a slightly inaccurate descriptor in order to post a funny.  Please forgive me!!!y Design Guide, which you can view in full and in color on NACTO's website. 


Steven Vance said:
This is not a schematic of Kinzie Street but an excerpt from the NACTO Urban Bikewa
H3N3 said:

I just received this updated schematic from a source inside CDOT

Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on June 10, 2011 at 2:39am
Is it true that Emanuel would like to have 100 miles of these buffered bike lanes in his first 4 years?  If so, at this rate having completed 0.5 miles by June 17, his first month in office, we're looking at 6 miles complete in the first year and 24 miles in 4 years.  I'm not harping on this rate of progress.  I'm actually thrilled to know that the next buffered bike lane may be a couple miles in order to accomplish Emanuel's 100 mile plan.  The 0.5 mile Kinzie route felt great (albeit going around cars).  And it's a great connecter route to people heading to the train stations (Olgilvie and Union).  I can't wait to ride a longer buffered bike lane.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on June 10, 2011 at 2:47am
See page 37 of how Emanuel envisions creating a world class bicycle network.

http://www.chicago2011.org/transition-report.pdf

A lot of the other parts are worth reading as well, btw.

Mark Kenseth said:

Is it true that Emanuel would like to have 100 miles of these buffered bike lanes in his first 4 years?  If so, at this rate having completed 0.5 miles by June 17, his first month in office, we're looking at 6 miles complete in the first year and 24 miles in 4 years.  I'm not harping on this rate of progress.  I'm actually thrilled to know that the next buffered bike lane may be a couple miles in order to accomplish Emanuel's 100 mile plan.  The 0.5 mile Kinzie route felt great (albeit going around cars).  And it's a great connecter route to people heading to the train stations (Olgilvie and Union).  I can't wait to ride a longer buffered bike lane.
Permalink Reply by Joel on June 10, 2011 at 3:02am
I have to imagine that the first few miles will be the slowest.  It takes a while to get any new project up and going.  


Mark Kenseth said:
Is it true that Emanuel would like to have 100 miles of these buffered bike lanes in his first 4 years?  If so, at this rate having completed 0.5 miles by June 17, his first month in office, we're looking at 6 miles complete in the first year and 24 miles in 4 years.  
Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on June 10, 2011 at 3:18am

I haven't read "all" the comments in this thread so sorry if I duplicate. Here's a CLTV interview with Gabe Klein, Chicago's new CDOT Commissioner:

http://www.cltv.com/wgntv-new-man-at-the-top-of-cdot-who-is-gabe-kl...

Permalink Reply by Jin Nam on June 10, 2011 at 4:22am
  • I hope there will be clear, well placed signage indicating it's for bicycle use only...errant squirrels or pigeons are ok, bipedalists who can read, not ok to use the lane.
  • Stony Island was not the best location to start this project, not that it doesn't need it, so I am happy it was relocated to Kinzie. I am biased in saying this since I submitted Kinzie as a potential bike blvd choice when ATA was soliciting input about those back in April. I reside on the near west side and not the loop. This section of Kinzie is a pretty good spot from which the protected bike lanes can be extended into the downtown area as well as into the neighborhoods...eventually including all directions found on a compass. Having ridden all over Chicago to the very edge of its borders and beyond, it needs to start where bicyclists are already a common sight than not...helps raise awareness more quickly, I think, to build momentum for more.  
  • Will say thanks for getting things rolling but holding off on the congratulatory remarks until the 2miles promised are built along with the 25miles/year. It's the whole accountability thing...I am a stickler for that sort of thing.
  • I will use it by rerouting my morning commute a smidge just because it's there and see if it changes the quality of my ride...for a whole quarter mile!! 
=)
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 10, 2011 at 9:15am
People have an amazing ability to NOT see what's directly in front of them.

Cameron Puetz said:
I worked in road construction for a few years. Never underestimate the ability of driver to miss that road is closed. The number of times I've seen drivers go around barricades and then start screaming when they get stuck in the mud boggles the mind. The winner was a lady of drove into a work site and rear ended a D8R claiming that she just didn’t see it.

Mike Zumwalt said:
Yeah but still like the drivers don't notice? But I give them too much credit after watching numerous cars try to continue through the closed part of the Wacker reconstruction.

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