Police Trail Block Saturday Night at Division

I was pretty upset and got a little attitude with them saying they were putting me in danger, ect, ect. Thank you to the riders who knew the route on the main streets and took me with them up to Fullerton. They told me the whole trail was closed but one officer said it was only blocked to North Ave. I was able to hop back on the trail at the Diversy/Belmont underpass.

They kept saying that the trail closes at 9:30pm. I know the parks close but it is really a thing that the trail closes as well? If so, that is just not OK... 

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Permalink Reply by Jordan Koss (#440) on July 21, 2014 at 3:35am
This article suggests that the trail is open 24 hours, but the adjoining parks close at 11pm
http://chi.streetsblog.org/2014/05/30/the-lakefront-trail-really-is...
Permalink Reply by Renee Patten on July 21, 2014 at 3:45am

That is what I thought! Now who do I contact to complain about this? The Alderperson of that ward? CPD seems less likely to care if complaints are sent directly to them. 

Jordan Koss (#440) said:

This article suggests that the trail is open 24 hours, but the adjoining parks close at 11pm
http://chi.streetsblog.org/2014/05/30/the-lakefront-trail-really-is...
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on July 21, 2014 at 5:43am
This is getting shared on twitter "FYI- lakefront trail riders is open 24/7" so that may help.
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on July 21, 2014 at 6:16am

After the incident at Montrose the week before they are just sweeping the area. They can't say they are profiling but when you see a group of kids throwing their empty 40 oz bottles in the air and have them break on the path/concrete or you have a group of guys with tattoos on their faces throw bottles at police cars and bike cops!!! I'm for a sweep.

They can't police that whole area it's just too crowded so the bad actions of a few mean everyone suffers temporarily.


 
h' 1.0 said:

I'm guessing they had their reasons for the shutdown (i.e. mob violence that the tourists can't hear about), but it still bothers me that so easily spout utter BS to  'explain' their actions.

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on July 21, 2014 at 7:41am

I think contacting the alderperson would be the most effective way to ensure that someone with authority understands that there's confusion about the Lakefront Trail's closure and that it affects a lot of people.  (31,000 people use at peak times, making it the busiest multi-use path in the country.) 

Renee Patten said:

That is what I thought! Now who do I contact to complain about this? The Alderperson of that ward? CPD seems less likely to care if complaints are sent directly to them. 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 21, 2014 at 7:48am

I would bet money that there was an incident at North Ave. beach, probably youth mob violence. Yeah, it sucks that they're spouting BS. Since I know officers who work in that district and have heard about what's happening there, I'm also aware that they're being ordered by their bosses to spout BS so the tourists don't get scared away from downtown, the Mag Mile and the lakefront. Unfortunately, that is our current reality.

In the future, if you see officers blocking the path like that and telling people not to pass that point, just ask them where the path is clear beyond that point and use the best route you can find to get there. That's likely to be the safest way around the situation.

h' 1.0 said:

I'm guessing they had their reasons for the shutdown (i.e. mob violence that the tourists can't hear about), but it still bothers me that so easily spout utter BS to  'explain' their actions.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on July 21, 2014 at 8:20am


LOL

h' 1.0 said:

(Obama is in town and decided to take a swim? A giant stingray washed ashore and had not yet been subdued? The Nude Survivor finale is being filmed there?)


 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 21, 2014 at 10:47am

Unfortunately, incidents at North Ave. beach have been happening at various hours of the day and night. This isn't limited to late night problems. Being aware of your surroundings in that area and turning around if you see what appears to be a threatening situation is NOT an unreasonable precaution there. I hate to say that, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

Yeah, since this was several hours before the park closes, it's pretty unlikely that this was confusion about whether the path is 24 hour. This sounds like some sort of special closure like happened at Montrose last week.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 21, 2014 at 11:49am

Oak Street Beach can be a little dodgy any given summer afternoon.  I can't say it's been any better or worse this year so far but there are usually a decent number of police around when the high school set is hanging out.  North Ave Beach is chock full of bro-dogs playing volleyball.  They're a hazard, sure, but not cop-worthy.

Permalink Reply by Tandemonium on July 21, 2014 at 2:14pm

I'll give you a mechanism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-0TEJMJOhk

h' 1.0 said:

I don't think you've been paying attention to the flash mob situation and have apparently not witnessed it in action.

We've posts here from cyclists who got caught in the middle of it in the past (I think North Ave coincidentally) and thugs had formed a line across the lakefront path to block it and not let anyone through.

You do realize that mechanisms are in place to keep details out of the media?

Tricolor said:

Oak Street Beach can be a little dodgy any given summer afternoon.  I can't say it's been any better or worse this year so far but there are usually a decent number of police around when the high school set is hanging out.  North Ave Beach is chock full of bro-dogs playing volleyball.  They're a hazard, sure, but not cop-worthy.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 21, 2014 at 3:54pm

I just know what I see.  I would have remembered posts about the trail being blocked by kids.  Plenty of them just wander around not caring about who's way they're in but I thought all the flash mobs were hitting Michigan Ave stores, which is why all the police are around there.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 22, 2014 at 4:24am

It's happening both on Michigan Ave. and along the lakefront. Don't kid yourself and think this stuff is limited to the Mag Mile. I know cops who work in that district and I hear about what's happening along the lakefront. If they're blocking the path and not letting folks through, disregard whatever BS line they're giving, but don't doubt that there's a cop-worth incident going on and a good reason why they're not letting you pass.

Tricolor said:

I just know what I see.  I would have remembered posts about the trail being blocked by kids.  Plenty of them just wander around not caring about who's way they're in but I thought all the flash mobs were hitting Michigan Ave stores, which is why all the police are around there.

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