LakeFront Path

Has anyone tried to ride the LFP during lockdown?

Wondering if you could bandit sections without getting into trouble.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on May 2, 2020 at 6:36am

I have been out of town this entire time, so have no firsthand knowledge, but I thought Mayor Lightfoot had closed it.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on May 4, 2020 at 11:26am

I am back home now. (That was a long trip - nearly two months.)

It sounds like LFT is still shut down. Didn't the mayor shut it down in response to people congregating in large groups when the weather was warm? Maybe it should only be open when the temperature is below 50°. :-)

Permalink Reply by dav on May 4, 2020 at 12:39am

Stay home.  Save lives.

Permalink Reply by David P. on May 4, 2020 at 4:01am

South of the Loop, probably. North side, less likely. I haven't tried it myself, though.

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on May 4, 2020 at 4:58am

I'm not endorsing breaking laws, but the point of the lakefront closure was to prevent dangerous social-distancing violations like congregating in big groups and team sports and crowded conditions on the Lakefront Trail. Those are total non-issues if you go for a solo or duo bike ride on the trail at night, so while it's possible you may encounter a police officer who will order you to leave, it's unlikely that you're going to have a major problem. (Granted, your mileage may vary depending on your race, age, gender, etc.) Also note that while there are plenty of cops on the north lakefront at all hours, there appear to be few officers on the south lakefront, even during the day in nice weather.

Permalink Reply by Len Krietz on May 4, 2020 at 6:00am

You should have ended your post with "I'm not endorsing breaking laws".  The rest is justifying circumventing the lake front closure because "it really, really doesn't apply to us". One solo/duo bike rider becomes 2, becomes 3 becomes n+1.

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on May 4, 2020 at 6:34am

Let's suppose that every single Chicagoan who might be interested in going on a solo or duo bike ride after sundown took my comment as a green light to do so, and the cops did absolutely nothing to stop them.

Do you honestly believe that would create a dangerous trail crowding issue?

Permalink Reply by Len Krietz on May 4, 2020 at 10:41am

I think people should follow the directives that the city and state have enacted to get us though this situation.

Permalink Reply by Michael Novo on May 4, 2020 at 11:20am

It's OK to question what the government tells us. They're not always or often correct and their rulings will always be blanket. 

Permalink Reply by David P. on May 5, 2020 at 4:11am

OK, Karen.

Permalink Reply by ketoguychicago on May 4, 2020 at 11:51am

You're right on Len.  Managing public health scenarios and policing large populations to keep EVERYONE safe all of the time is a challenge. Such is the case with swimming pools, race courses, gun ranges, airport runways, SCUBA diving venues, skating rinks, highways and so forth. 

And there's always some idiot who says "do you really believe if certain people did xyz that it would be that dangerous?" with no clue of the rigors involved with keeping large groups of people with varying vulnerabilities safe.  "Hey, I'm a good driver, and so it's cool if I talk on my cell phone, and if all the good drivers but only the good drivers do it, then the cops can't stop us all.  Besides, I drove right by a cop on my phone the other day and they didn't do anything so it's cool."

It's just not sensible, but yet people think like that from time to time to the peril of themselves and others.  Usually others. 

Permalink Reply by Bill Nedza on May 6, 2020 at 1:36am

John, I understand your view and have a lot of respect for you, but the only thing that matters here, in my opinion, is that the LFP is closed.  Saying it's a "total non-issue" if you go for a bike ride at night on the path because there may not be social distancing issues may be correct, but it's still breaking the law.  I think everyone needs to pull together to do the right thing, and to me that's abiding by what the Mayor feels needs to be done.  Do I think there would be a problem with me hopping on the south LFP for a mile or two?  Yes.  The right thing to do is just to stay off the LFP. 

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