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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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on June 28, 2011 at 5:23am
Damn! I shoulda had those pedestrians video me with my phone while I staged a good crash...

H3N3 said:

I'm starting a fund to fly Casey Neistat out here to crash into that for the next video.

In for the first $20. Who else?

Duppie said:

Barely visible to the left (on the Merchandise Mart's property) is some sewer replacement project going on. My guess it is related to that.

in it to win it said:

So I checked out the ever-popular Kinzie Cycle Track this morning.  Took a small detour Westward at Wells/Kinzie.  Nice set-up.  I see some of the points earlier posts bring up; especially winter maintenance.  It was nice to see city employees with leaf blowers clearing debris off the path!  However, I wonder what this apparatus is; how long has it been there?  It's right in the middle of the path with the city "orange netting" wrapped around it.  I hate to think the city or buildings will be using the path as temporary storage for "stuff"?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 28, 2011 at 6:42am

Don't hit it too hard...

 

Permalink Reply by Tim S on June 28, 2011 at 7:00am
I have ridden this stretch a few times now and while I like it I worry that the average driver is not going to get it and turn onto the side streets without remembering the bikes may be there because the cars parked in the designated spot obscure the bicycles.
Permalink Reply by David on June 28, 2011 at 9:19am

I had my first seriously scary moment there last night.  I was headed east on Kinzie, a car making a right on Jefferson came pretty far into the bike lane before stopping.  Of course, I had picked up a lot of speed on that downhill and wasn't really ready to stop so I swerved around him.  It was the closest I've come to an accident in a long time.    There actually might be a stop sign right there, I'm not sure, but I've never stopped at that corner and I've never seen another cyclist stop either. 

 

I'm not sure if the car had stopped or not (I think he did a "rolling stop" through the intersection), which kinda scares me.  I'm usually hyper-aware of traffic, but that lane isolates you from cars even though you need to still be aware of them.   I guess these lanes are the future, but they're definitely going to require a different riding style than I'm accustomed to.

 

Tim S said:
I have ridden this stretch a few times now and while I like it I worry that the average driver is not going to get it and turn onto the side streets without remembering the bikes may be there because the cars parked in the designated spot obscure the bicycles.
Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on June 29, 2011 at 2:42am

So here's the sign next to it.  Looks like their gonna be there a while.  And, yes, the apparatus is still there; now over the manhole.  Looks like an extremely large electric motor; was plugged in and running.



in it to win it said:

So I checked out the ever-popular Kinzie Cycle Track this morning.  Took a small detour Westward at Wells/Kinzie.  Nice set-up.  I see some of the points earlier posts bring up; especially winter maintenance.  It was nice to see city employees with leaf blowers clearing debris off the path!  However, I wonder what this apparatus is; how long has it been there?  It's right in the middle of the path with the city "orange netting" wrapped around it.  I hate to think the city or buildings will be using the path as temporary storage for "stuff"?

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on June 29, 2011 at 2:49am

Oh yes.  And, there was yellow tape everywhere today blocking the riding lane and pushing cyclists into the one car lane or on the sidewalks.  Maybe look at scheduling of the lane painting I guess?  Maybe I'm being too picky...

 

Permalink Reply by Duppie on June 29, 2011 at 2:58am

Technically speaking, your statement is incorrect. The apparatus wasn't there when I rode by there yesterday afternoon.


in it to win it said:

So here's the sign next to it.  Looks like their gonna be there a while.  And, yes, the apparatus is still there; now over the manhole.  Looks like an extremely large electric motor; was plugged in and running.



in it to win it said:

So I checked out the ever-popular Kinzie Cycle Track this morning.  Took a small detour Westward at Wells/Kinzie.  Nice set-up.  I see some of the points earlier posts bring up; especially winter maintenance.  It was nice to see city employees with leaf blowers clearing debris off the path!  However, I wonder what this apparatus is; how long has it been there?  It's right in the middle of the path with the city "orange netting" wrapped around it.  I hate to think the city or buildings will be using the path as temporary storage for "stuff"?

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on June 29, 2011 at 3:08am
You know, that's correct.  I'm only there once a day in the AM.  So they probably do move it when not in use.  Hope so!

Duppie said:

Technically speaking, your statement is incorrect. The apparatus wasn't there when I rode by there yesterday afternoon.


in it to win it said:

So here's the sign next to it.  Looks like their gonna be there a while.  And, yes, the apparatus is still there; now over the manhole.  Looks like an extremely large electric motor; was plugged in and running.



in it to win it said:

So I checked out the ever-popular Kinzie Cycle Track this morning.  Took a small detour Westward at Wells/Kinzie.  Nice set-up.  I see some of the points earlier posts bring up; especially winter maintenance.  It was nice to see city employees with leaf blowers clearing debris off the path!  However, I wonder what this apparatus is; how long has it been there?  It's right in the middle of the path with the city "orange netting" wrapped around it.  I hate to think the city or buildings will be using the path as temporary storage for "stuff"?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 29, 2011 at 3:12am

I personally really like that green surface coloring.  It really differentiates the bike lane from the driving lane and makes it very obvious to the cars that there is something different going on there.    

 

I believe that everyone perceives the world a little differently (like how some people learn differently)  so one visual clue stand out more to some people while different clues may work better for others.  White and yellow parallel lines on the street, vertical bollards, and colored surfaces over large areas all work together to help make sure that everyone gets it.   The less confusing the roads are the less likely confused people will run each other over. 

 

Perhaps we need to be a little patient while they get the bike lanes built and finished.  It's been years since the city did anything more than give us lip-service so I see how many bicyclists are impatient.  They will really have to ramp things up to meet their ambitious goals.  I'm just happy they are finally doing SOMETHING. Going a little bit slow is a good idea so that they actually do something that WORKS and isn't throwing a bunch of money on infrastructure at junk we don't need or want in the end. 

 

Whatever that thing is in the middle of the bike lane (pump, transformer -whatever) it  doesn't look too permanent and will probably gone soon.  That picture looks like there is plenty of room to go around it and unless one is seriously color-blind it would be hard to miss seeing with the orange snow-fencing around it. The next picture of the blocked-off lane just makes sense while whatever compound they use to make the surface green dries.   You can't make an omelette without breaking ergs. 

Permalink Reply by Liz on June 29, 2011 at 4:15am

One thing that makes me glad for this being the first cycle track location is how much its being used.  

 

I spotted about 50 other cyclists riding on it with me this morning!!!!

 

:)

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 29, 2011 at 4:29am

+1

 

It is a very helpful artery to link the much-used Milwaukee street "Hipster Highway" with Wells and parts further into the city.  Up until now Kinzie was probably pretty scary for many riders in the configuration it was in before.  I know I avoided it for the most part and often peeled off South on Green before Milwaukee just ended and left a bicyclist with few good options.   Green isn't perfect either as one has to salmon a few of the stretches and some of the road crossings are pretty hairy.  But early in the morning it is pretty abandoned and because of the reversing one-way sections it is not very used except for the delivery trucks.    

 

The new Kinzie route is much better.  Now Wells could use some more touching up (and has had some I have noticed)  More would be better.  

 

If nothing else there seems to be many more riders on the stretch and numbers increases visibility and overall safety due to that. 

 


Liz said:

One thing that makes me glad for this being the first cycle track location is how much its being used.  

 

I spotted about 50 other cyclists riding on it with me this morning!!!!

 

:)

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on July 1, 2011 at 4:06am

News via Grid:

-Bridge deck schedule

-Discussing the location for the next protected bike lane

-Cost of building Kinzie Street protected bike lane

 

Read about it on Grid.

 

 Kinzie Street protected bike lane

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