LFP - Car Wreck

This morning, there was car debris all over both LFP lanes and a police car blocking one of the LFP lanes between Diversey and Belmont. There had been a serious wreck in which a car had gone off LSD, swiped a tree and went across both paths. The path had been damaged. I didn't see the wreck and the car had been moved to Belmont Harbor by the time I came across the site but I hope the driver and nobody on the path was seriously injured. Judging from the condition of the car, I would guess the driver wasn't so lucky. It did leave me thinking about all of the stretches of LSD without guardrails, though, as this wreck occurred in such a stretch. Given the amount of traffic on the LFP, doesn't it make sense to ensure that there is a protective barrier in almost all areas?

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on November 15, 2018 at 4:25am

I agree. This comes up as a topic of discussion pretty often after a crash like this - it's a reminder of how vulnerable people using LFP really are.

Permalink Reply by Johnny Quest on November 15, 2018 at 5:51am

I happened to catch some video of the crash site and pictures of what seem to be the car involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynFKWL6WcM 

It looks like last night or this morning a particularity violent car crash actually spilled onto both Ped and Bike paths just north of Fullerton Ave. It seems that the car went thru the fence and a light pole and flipped at least once. I have not seen any reports on the status of the driver or others who may have been injured.

They were using a snowplow to clear the debris from the trail.

What, if anything, is in the works to try to prevent similar crashes? Seems like a guard rail would be a no-brainer (for both cars and bikes/peds).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynFKWL6WcM 

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Permalink Reply by Steve Fiete on November 15, 2018 at 7:19am

Enforcing speed limits on the Drive would probably make the frequency of this occurrence go way down.  Seems like that would not cost much to do.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on November 15, 2018 at 6:44am

This was on the path towards the north end of the trail a few years ago.

The speeds you can reach on Lake Shore Drive really should require better barriers between the road and the park.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on November 15, 2018 at 8:56am
Be nice to have speed-bumps in problem areas... that would upset many drivers, but it would be a harsh solution.
Permalink Reply by Tricolor on November 15, 2018 at 9:34am

The city just needs to recognize very few cars will follow the speed limit and rebuild LSD with barriers and medians designed for 60-70 mph. It's always been one of those weird "don't ask, don't tell" streets you get in big cities.

Permalink Reply by Johnny Quest on November 15, 2018 at 9:51am

Its interesting that where this crash happened there are barriers/guard rails surrounding all sides EXCEPT adjacent to the Ped/Bike trail.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9361318,-87.6330855,3a,90y,315.67h,...

Also note that the new Bike path portion is even closer to LSD than in this Google Maps view.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on November 15, 2018 at 11:28am

The joke on LSD is the speed limit. A coworker of mine once passed a cop who was already going about 60, and when he got pulled over the cop told him, 'I'm not stopping you because you were speeding, but because you disrespected me!"

The city doen't need to reconfigure LSD, but needs to install speed cameras and reinstate traffic patrols... city wide whilst they're about it!

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on November 15, 2018 at 5:27pm

I’m a real fan of Streetsblog, and grateful for the coverage. That said, there’s something that his photos always seem to feature somehow...

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on November 16, 2018 at 5:40am

Thanks for the kind words. That photo is by a Flickr user called Ciscel. Are you referring to the fact that the photos of cyclists we run on Streetsblog Chicago and with my Reader column often feature women and/or people of color? While the demographics of people who bike on Chicago streets by choice, rather than necessity, skew male and white (Example: https://chi.streetsblog.org/2015/09/10/divvy-membership-skews-white...), that's due to a conscious decision to have our images reflect the city's population and promote a more diverse cycling community.

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on November 30, 2018 at 6:58pm

Hi John, thanks for this comment and sorry that i didn’t spot it sooner. Yes i was refering to the number of women featured in the images and i’m glad to know your rationale. Personally i feel there’s a fine line between representation and exploitation, with the camera angle having a lot to do with it, especially where women on bicycles in the summer are concerned. But “eye of the beholder” and i really am glad that we have a fully-fledged SB entry in Chicago.

Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on December 4, 2018 at 5:39am

OK thanks. Again, I didn't take that particular shot, but I used it because it's one of the most dramatic photos of a Lakefront Trail crash that I've seen. I'm guessing that if you go back and look at photos of female cyclists that I and other Streetsblog reporters have shot, you won't find anything problematic. 

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