Please stop riding in the wrong direction on Wabash.
It's getting absurd. On average about 3 times a week since the weather has gotten warmer, I've had run-ins with people ridding North on Wabash. Mostly in the turning lane areas or right before as I am trying to turn East onto Madison and etc. I'm not into playing "chicken" on my way to work or thrilled about having to swerve back into traffic to avoid you because you are going the wrong way. On Tuesday, A guy on a bike ran a red light and plowed into me as I was going West on Madison.
Please start following common sense and the rules of the road. Please.
I am all for everyone biking, but this spring/summer seems worse than normal all over the city as far as fellow cyclists being completely inconsiderate to each other, pedestrians and vehicle traffic.
Views: 1327
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on
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Sounds like you can take 14th to State from Wabash? Does this require riding on State?
Anne Alt said:I'll second that suggestion and add another option for folks coming in further south. At 14th/State, you can duck into Dearborn Park, go north on Plymouth Court (nice cul de sac/cut through under Roosevelt Road), then continue as Tony noted below.
Another notable spot on Plymouth Court, if you're a jazz fan, is Jazz Showcase in the old Dearborn station just south of Polk.
Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:I agree with Tim. There are no good northbound routes between the Lakefront Path and Dearborn.
What I do to get to Dearborn when going northbound into the loop on Wabash:
1. Turn left (west) on 9th - taking it to Plymouth
2. Turn right (north) on Plymouth to Polk
3. Turn left (west) on Polk half a block to the southern terminus of the Dearborn lanes/circus.
(Bonus feature: Well hidden, pretty good Indian/Nepalese joint at 9th and Plymouth - the Chicago Curry House.)
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Permalink Reply by David Barish on
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I prefer not to talk about Dearborn in the context of this thread. The ends simply do not justify the means. I really don't care about the other options. Salmoning on Wabash which is already treacherous for all (car, bike foot) with the elevated structures taking up space. Would the failure of the Streets and Sanitation to pick up your garbage justify throwing your trash on the street? I understand a controlled minimal (1-2 block) salmon run on a dead side street done with extra caution. A loop street during the day? You have to be kidding me.
The unapologetic post from a resident salmon vexes me. You are basically saying that you are urinating on the street but are aware of the wind direction so you know you will not get sprayed. Since its a one way street nobody else expects you to be lowering your zipper so its very likely that somebody is inadvertently going to wind up metaphorically wet and actually injured.
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Aw c'mon Dave, you're being silly now.
Why not speak up for better connections from S Wabash to the loop rather than compare your fellow cyclists to public urinators?
Maybe the city could provide public urinals by installing a "reverse flow" lane on the part of Wabash in question, if the unofficial reverse-flow lane is not to your liking?
David Barish said:I prefer not to talk about Dearborn in the context of this thread. The ends simply do not justify the means. I really don't care about the other options. Salmoning on Wabash which is already treacherous for all (car, bike foot) with the elevated structures taking up space. Would the failure of the Streets and Sanitation to pick up your garbage justify throwing your trash on the street? I understand a controlled minimal (1-2 block) salmon run on a dead side street done with extra caution. A loop street during the day? You have to be kidding me.
The unapologetic post from a resident salmon vexes me. You are basically saying that you are urinating on the street but are aware of the wind direction so you know you will not get sprayed. Since its a one way street nobody else expects you to be lowering your zipper so its very likely that somebody is inadvertently going to wind up metaphorically wet and actually injured.
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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on
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14th does not go through to State, but 14th Place does. To get over to Plymouth from there does require riding on State either half a block south to 15th from which one can cut north through Cotton Tail Park* or up ~ a full block to 14th Street.
I tried it a few times and found it to be far too much rigmarole to be worth the bother. It is pretty fun though to ride that whole stretch of Plymouth. It is like someone dropped an affluent suburban subdivision (except with urban sized lots) into the south loop.
*This park belongs to kids and dogs so if anyone rides through there in anything resembling a hurry I will personally hunt you down and give you a lecture that will make you weep with remorse.
h' 1.0 said:Sounds like you can take 14th to State from Wabash? Does this require riding on State?
Anne Alt said:I'll second that suggestion and add another option for folks coming in further south. At 14th/State, you can duck into Dearborn Park, go north on Plymouth Court (nice cul de sac/cut through under Roosevelt Road), then continue as Tony noted below.
Another notable spot on Plymouth Court, if you're a jazz fan, is Jazz Showcase in the old Dearborn station just south of Polk.
Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:I agree with Tim. There are no good northbound routes between the Lakefront Path and Dearborn.
What I do to get to Dearborn when going northbound into the loop on Wabash:
1. Turn left (west) on 9th - taking it to Plymouth
2. Turn right (north) on Plymouth to Polk
3. Turn left (west) on Polk half a block to the southern terminus of the Dearborn lanes/circus.
(Bonus feature: Well hidden, pretty good Indian/Nepalese joint at 9th and Plymouth - the Chicago Curry House.)
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Thanks. Sounds like 9th makes much more sense for anyone actually trying to get somewhere.
Seems to me this should at least be signed for anyone taking Wabash into the loop. The way it just ends is ridiculous.
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Permalink Reply by Crazy David 84 Furlongs on
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+1.
The urination analogy is quite good.... although in many ways it is worse than that as it also supports the "presumption" that bicyclists do what they want and to hell with the consequences.
David Barish said:I prefer not to talk about Dearborn in the context of this thread. The ends simply do not justify the means. I really don't care about the other options. Salmoning on Wabash which is already treacherous for all (car, bike foot) with the elevated structures taking up space. Would the failure of the Streets and Sanitation to pick up your garbage justify throwing your trash on the street? I understand a controlled minimal (1-2 block) salmon run on a dead side street done with extra caution. A loop street during the day? You have to be kidding me.
The unapologetic post from a resident salmon vexes me. You are basically saying that you are urinating on the street but are aware of the wind direction so you know you will not get sprayed. Since its a one way street nobody else expects you to be lowering your zipper so its very likely that somebody is inadvertently going to wind up metaphorically wet and actually injured.
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Do you hate all humans equally or do cyclists enjoy some sort of special status?
David crZven 10.6 said:+1.
The urination analogy is quite good.... although in many ways it is worse than that as it also supports the "presumption" that bicyclists do what they want and to hell with the consequences.
David Barish said:I prefer not to talk about Dearborn in the context of this thread. The ends simply do not justify the means. I really don't care about the other options. Salmoning on Wabash which is already treacherous for all (car, bike foot) with the elevated structures taking up space. Would the failure of the Streets and Sanitation to pick up your garbage justify throwing your trash on the street? I understand a controlled minimal (1-2 block) salmon run on a dead side street done with extra caution. A loop street during the day? You have to be kidding me.
The unapologetic post from a resident salmon vexes me. You are basically saying that you are urinating on the street but are aware of the wind direction so you know you will not get sprayed. Since its a one way street nobody else expects you to be lowering your zipper so its very likely that somebody is inadvertently going to wind up metaphorically wet and actually injured.
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What I hate are self-entitled jerks who engage in conduct that puts the rest of us at risk. Anyone who Salmons (particularly in the loop and particularly at speed) on a regular basis is a self-entitled jerk that puts the rest of us at risk. If your definition of cyclist is someone who rides a bicycle, I don't hate cyclists. If your definition of cyclist is someone who rides with reckless abandon and no consideration for others, than yes, under your "perverted" definition of cyclist, I guess I hate cyclist.
The good, albeit tragic, news is that the reckless cyclists aren't posting for the long term. TO paraphrase an old adage, there are old cyclists and bold cyclists, but there are no old bold cyclists.
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Howard
I am not much of a hater at any level. However, like the other David I have a problem with people who think they are entitled. This is because they hold themselves above the rest of us. The post is very entitled,
There should probably just be a protected bike lane on wabash. Until then, its just gonna happen and everyone should be cautious of all their surroundings.
So, until somebody else fixes the problem I am going to be a danger to everybody. My analogy, although crude, was accurate. Had the guy written that he had been doing it but really didn't realize what a stir he caused, had he shown some regard for others, had he indicated in any way whatsoever that he would take this into consideration, had he said that he does this a 4 am when there is really no traffic on the street, had he said that having read this thread he will give Dearborn a try, I am certain you would have perceived my tone as much less misanthropic. However, he didn't seem to care about us. If there is a hater amongst us I think its our proud salmon. It really doesn't matter whether he is a fellow cyclist.
h' 1.0 said:Do you hate all humans equally or do cyclists enjoy some sort of special status?
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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on
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Is it possible to bring this discussion back to the topic of why someone would ride against traffic on Wabash in the first place?
I never ride on Wabash, but I can see why people would. It appears to be the best way into the Loop from the south. It looks like there is a dedicated bike lane between Cermak and Harrison, which just ends there, not connecting to any other bike-friendly streets. I'm not sure what the bike lane designers were thinking. If Google Maps is correct, it appears that Wabash is two-way south of Harrison. If you ride northbound in that vicinity, there don't appear to be any great choices, hemmed in by State and Michigan as it is. The best option looks to me like 9th -> Plymouth -> Polk -> Dearborn, or maybe make a left on Harrison, then go to Dearborn. Not sure how bike friendly Harrison is...
I don't see any salmoning on Wells, a street similar to Wabash (one-way s/b, running under the train tracks), so my guess is that the traffic engineers just flubbed on Wabash. ATA, this looks like another small lobbying effort for you (as if you don't have enough on your plate already).
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Somebody skipped reading most of the discussion :-)
Skip Montanaro 12mi said:Is it possible to bring this discussion back to the topic of why someone would ride against traffic on Wabash in the first place?
I never ride on Wabash, but I can see why people would. It appears to be the best way into the Loop from the south. It looks like there is a dedicated bike lane between Cermak and Harrison, which just ends there, not connecting to any other bike-friendly streets. I'm not sure what the bike lane designers were thinking. If Google Maps is correct, it appears that Wabash is two-way south of Harrison. If you ride northbound in that vicinity, there don't appear to be any great choices, hemmed in by State and Michigan as it is. The best option looks to me like 9th -> Plymouth -> Polk -> Dearborn, or maybe make a left on Harrison, then go to Dearborn. Not sure how bike friendly Harrison is...
I don't see any salmoning on Wells, a street similar to Wabash (one-way s/b, running under the train tracks), so my guess is that the traffic engineers just flubbed on Wabash. ATA, this looks like another small lobbying effort for you (as if you don't have enough on your plate already).
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Well, Dan Korn does this much better than I.... but I hope someone almost opens an almost-hospital soon for all of the almost-injured cyclists who are almost hit by cyclists travelling upstream on the stretch of Wabash in question.
David Barish said:Howard
I am not much of a hater at any level. However, like the other David I have a problem with people who think they are entitled. This is because they hold themselves above the rest of us. The post is very entitled,
There should probably just be a protected bike lane on wabash. Until then, its just gonna happen and everyone should be cautious of all their surroundings.
So, until somebody else fixes the problem I am going to be a danger to everybody. My analogy, although crude, was accurate. Had the guy written that he had been doing it but really didn't realize what a stir he caused, had he shown some regard for others, had he indicated in any way whatsoever that he would take this into consideration, had he said that he does this a 4 am when there is really no traffic on the street, had he said that having read this thread he will give Dearborn a try, I am certain you would have perceived my tone as much less misanthropic. However, he didn't seem to care about us. If there is a hater amongst us I think its our proud salmon. It really doesn't matter whether he is a fellow cyclist.
h' 1.0 said:Do you hate all humans equally or do cyclists enjoy some sort of special status?
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