Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on June 11, 2015 at 8:12am

BTW, video by Steve Vance (via Streetsblog/vimeo) showing a mostly mellow ride from end to end, but including some startling needle-threading action at 2:21 and 3:22

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on June 11, 2015 at 9:43am

I watched the video.  The path is way too narrow for the incredible density of cyclists, runner/joggers and pedestrians (including baby carriages) who are going to be competing for it.  This could make the north LFP look like a wide-open superhighway. 

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on June 12, 2015 at 11:33am

That's way too narrow for anything but the slowest cruising, and would be pretty much impassible with real crowds. I like all the speedsters getting into narrow scrapes and the doofus that keeps tryign to pass on the right. If the weather's good I may check it out Sunday but while it's pretty I don't think you want to bike on it.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 14, 2015 at 4:34am

The 666 is brilliant.  I'm going to start using this term from now on. 

Maybe the $666,000,000 would be more like it. 

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 12, 2015 at 3:36am

We have a number of threads that have had some pretty polarized viewpoints with regards to progress for cyclists in Chicago. I've been following them and at many times, wanting to chime in but I hesitate because I think dialogue about important topics is a good thing and I don't want to discourage it. We've been debating Active Trans, the city of Chicago, and the 606 (and bike paths in general). I don't want to dismiss the viewpoints because I think there are some good, thoughtful concerns about all of these topics - while we have come along way, we have so many more improvements we need to make. 

And that is part of what makes us such a great city for cyclists. I am SO excited for where we are heading - more bike lanes, more protected bike lanes,  the 606, a vibrant community of cyclists, an extraordinary local racing scene, Big Marsh, Cal-Sag, and I could go on and on. We are a part of the dialogue - so much so that we have a morning in which we can ride our bikes on LSD. We shouldn't dismiss events like Bike the Drive, Commuter Challenge, the Late Ride, etc. because these events are the introduction to thousands of people riding their bikes, commuting for the first time, and seeing cyclists as their own when they are behind the wheel of a car. 

Looking at what England (and specifically London) is dealing with - so many cyclists hit by cars and trucks every year, I appreciate how many riding options I have in my city. I am not saying it is flawless and we do see our own tragedy - we are not yet Holland. We are working to get there. Never resting on what we have, always looking to the future and how to make it better. That is why I think it is important to voice our concerns and express when we think something needs to be improved. It's the first step in getting the problem addressed. Gentle reminder - please remember to keep it a respectful, healthy debate.

So, the newly opened 606 - yes, it is crowded and it is a shared path. I agree, that is not ideal. The LFP makes me nervous because of all of the toddlers that run across my path - that alone gives me a heart attack. So I take it slowly until I get down to McCormick. We expect it to be bad because it's how people get to the beach. The 606 is busy too and that is incredible news - an investment was made to build this elevated path and it is a great success - already filled with people and it proves we need more. By being so packed with people, we have proved there is a huge need for more paths like it. Build these paths and thousands of people will take advantage of it. Maybe one day we will get our dream of a bike-only path. I consider paths like the 606 a step in that direction.  My dream is to have Chicago considered the "Holland of the U.S.". Between Active Trans, Chainlinkers, the city of Chicago, and the general cyclist community, we can get there. 

Permalink Reply by Donald P Kingston on June 12, 2015 at 9:14am

yasmine  HEAR HEAR!

race cars go on race tracks  to ride a bike as fast as you can, plenty of country roads available.

 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 13, 2015 at 1:33pm

Meh.

I really can't even call the 606 a "bike path" no matter how it was packaged and sold to us by the marketers like ATA and other "pro-cycling" groups over the years of its planning and construction.

The path is ridiculously narrow for the amount of ped traffic it is going to carry on a skinny strip-land park like this (any amount of ped traffic really due to the curvy nature and folks walking 6-abreast like they are the only people in the whole world who might want to be on such a path.) Plus, any "bike path" that you must ride a sidewalk to get on to or off of, really isn't a bike path at all in any reasonable definition of the term. 

It's a nice walking path, that you can maybe ride a bike on very slowly and carefully around the zombie shamblers.  I wouldn't be surprised (or much disappointed) if the city eventually closed it to bikes entirely and made it pedestrian/strollers only.  I can see that handwriting on the wall already.

No real loss IMHO, other than the millions of dollars spent on it (ostensibly sold to us as a "bike path" expenditure)  that could have been much better used for actual transportation cycling infrastructure, i.e. real bike lanes and bikeways that actually go someplace, and can be used by bicyclists going more than 5mph.   If someone were actually trying to GET somewhere on the 606 in a reasonable amount of time for a real commute or going to the store, then it would take them forever, not to mention to the almost complete lack of access on or off of it. 

But it seems like a pretty park.  It should be for the many years and millions of dollars sunk into it so far (not to mention the inevitable large ongoing maintenance costs going forward.)  let's just hope that it doesn't turn into a mugging/assault fish-in-a-barrel hunting zone for the criminal element eventually. 

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on June 14, 2015 at 7:44am

I agree.  For that kind of money, they could have built a few real parks in the area.  No way is this going to work for biking except perhaps in the wee hours of the morning.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on June 15, 2015 at 2:36am

How did you "accidentally" end up on the 606? ;)

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 15, 2015 at 3:23am

I was trying to take it easy too, and got passed by other folks on bikes coming from behind in some really harrowing circumstances.  While I waited behind some walkers for a clear/safe spot to pass, they instead just shoved through the crowd, forcing yet some other bikes coming towards us in their own lane to dodge off the path so the folks passing could push pushed right into them across the centerline.  This happened multiple times and I didn't even ride more than a mile or so of the path before getting back off.

People are jerks, on or off bikes -or in or out of cars.  They feel entitled to make a pass and not slow down even if it means drifting over the center-line directly into oncoming traffic to go around someone going slower than them.  Because hitting the brakes and waiting a couple seconds just isn't an option...

The 666 is a hell-path.  Too many people, too many bikes, not enough room.  You would think for nearly $100,000,000 for a 4-mile path there would be a little more room for everyone...

Permalink Reply by Rich S on June 15, 2015 at 3:50am

I would fully support a 10 mph speed limit for bikes when near pedestrians or during daytime hours. 

I rode the path home from work Friday afternoon. It was busy but not too crowded so I took it easy and cruised. While it was busy most people were quite courteous and conscious of where they were on the path and their surroundings. Only two people out of several hundred were being stupid. One was a cyclist who was in the left lane talking on his phone. The other was a guy running on the blue strip while his dog ran in the center of the path with the leash stretched out between them. All others with dogs kept them curbside on short leashes. 

That being said this really needs to be treated as a path through a park and not a trail. I understand some people were sold the idea of this being a potential commuter highway but the reality is it's too busy for that. Even if you're upset that this is not as useful for commuting as hoped for, you still have to admit it's better that this exists and is being used vs. just leaving the abandoned tracks as they were. 

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 15, 2015 at 3:56am

Thanks Rich, well said. 

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