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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on May 23, 2017 at 2:41pm

I feel like the large amount of construction e.g. the water main project on the North side makes the streets more dangerous. The roads are broken up, forcing us in closer proximity of cars, large construction vehicles not necessarily noticing the cyclists, and motorists feeling impatient because the construction delays them. This, coupled with a lack of alternative routes and a lack of planning for the bike traffic during the construction make it more dangerous. 

I love that we are getting the bike path split and love a lot of the great work being done for cyclists but right now, living in the middle of a lot of construction, my daily ride usually involves trying to figure out how to coexist with impatient motorists on narrow streets or ride in some really rough torn up road in the gravel.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy on May 24, 2017 at 4:22am

"and motorists feeling impatient because the construction delays them"

I have always felt car commercials contribute to this feeling among drivers.  Most commercials show one car driving down a city street with no pedestrians, no stop lights, no construction, and no other vehicles.  Except for the commercials that specifically point out how inconvenient those things are.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 25, 2017 at 1:14pm

The car commercials showing "freedom" sure don't help.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 24, 2017 at 7:11am

I feel like the large amount of construction e.g. the water main project on the North side makes the streets more dangerous. The roads are broken up, forcing us in closer proximity of cars, large construction vehicles not necessarily noticing the cyclists, and motorists feeling impatient because the construction delays them. This, coupled with a lack of alternative routes and a lack of planning for the bike traffic during the construction make it more dangerous. 

I agree. Unfortunately, water/sewer and other major construction projects are affecting many neighborhoods across the city, including Beverly, Avalon Park and others. Some of the same areas have gas main projects happening at the same time, making the situation worse.

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on May 24, 2017 at 8:46am

Anne, thanks for mentioning the other areas impacted by construction.  Is it just me or does this seem like an exceptionally construction-heavy year with all of the projects going on?

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 25, 2017 at 3:21am

Last year, too. This makes 2 extremely construction-heavy years in a row. 

A friend in Avalon Park has been dealing with a water/sewer project that's caused the pavement on his street to look like a war zone for months now. Some streets in my neighborhood look almost as bad. 

This will be the third summer of gas main replacement work in Beverly. The last 2 years it's had a heavy impact on streets where I often ride. I love riding at night, and there have been so many rough spots, steel plates and debris patches that I've had to carefully choose my routes to avoid those areas in low light conditions. Many of my favorite routes were unrideable for nearly a year. 

This year's water/sewer construction affects part of the on-street section of the Major Taylor Trail (95th to 97th on Charles St.). There are a few possible re-route options through north and central Beverly. I've mapped a couple of detour options. Just found this construction last week. The good news is that, when it's done, a long-cratered section of street will be smooth again.

Version 1 is a slightly longer detour - straightforward, with a stoplight for crossing 95th St.

Version 2 is slightly shorter, but a little trickier. This version crosses the Metra tracks at 94th and goes east to Vanderpoel. This street got a cul de sac treatment on the north side of 95th when the new fire station was built. It requires going up on the sidewalk briefly by the fire station gate, and there's a sharp turn on the 95th St side of the gate. There's a stoplight for crossing 95th.

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