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Video where Kathy S notes in an interview that we were promised 25 miles of protected bike lanes the first year and we only have 6

I came across the above somewhere or ither about a week ago searching for something else (probably ROS coverage) and it kind of slipped away.

Anyone got a link?

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Permalink Reply by Gin on May 23, 2012 at 7:55pm

Also, emailing positive comments would be nice too. That will give the team a sense of what routes people are really excited about. Also, any support that can be documented always helps the cause in general. :)

Sorry to have been so quiet on this project. I feel very lucky to have been able to participate  to some extent in this project in an "official" capacity. I have not wanted to jeopardize my relationship with the project by talking out of turn as it were.

Permalink Reply by David on May 23, 2012 at 9:16pm

I see this thread has already been hijacked by the usual suspects, but on the original point, I never thought Rahm promised 25 miles each and every 12 month period, but rather 100 miles over the four years for an average of 25 a year.  

There wasn't much time last summer to get anything done, and not much serious street work gets done over the winter for obvious reasons, so I'd really say we should wait and see what happens over the summer before declaring the promise broken.  I think the promise will be broken, I suspect they're going to start calling the buffered lanes "protected".  But we'll see.  Either way, I certainly never thought they'd get 25 miles of protected lanes end before the end of this summer, there just wasn't time.

BTW, what's the six miles?  Does that include Elston and Lake?

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 23, 2012 at 11:12pm

Who cares what they actually end up doing? Who cares if the new  "protected" lanes end up only being protected by white lines on the pavement? We should be beside ourselves with joy that Rahm was even willing to promise us anything.  Thank you Rahm!!!

Guess I'll track down my own damn video. I thought she was priceless.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 23, 2012 at 11:19pm

Can't find it.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 23, 2012 at 11:24pm

Ron Burke says there are only two miles:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120428/RAHMSFIRSTYEAR/1204...

He's hoping for another 23 this year. I guess we're considering R.E.'s first year in office a "practice" year?

David said:


BTW, what's the six miles?  Does that include Elston and Lake?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 24, 2012 at 6:38am

The fact that bicyclists have become a voting block worthy of being pandered to is in itself good news.  There are enough of us out there riding that the politicians feel we are at least worth lying to, rather than merely ignoring as a fringe minority.


h' said:

Who cares what they actually end up doing? Who cares if the new  "protected" lanes end up only being protected by white lines on the pavement? We should be beside ourselves with joy that Rahm was even willing to promise us anything.  Thank you Rahm!!!

Guess I'll track down my own damn video. I thought she was priceless.

Permalink Reply by Liz on May 24, 2012 at 9:33am

It also appear that there's some sort of connecting trail between homer park and clark park with a crossing at what appears to be Grace. 

Cameron Puetz said:

Here's a larger version of the map that allows you to zoom in and read street names:

http://www.chicagobikes.org/public/Citywide%20SFC%202020%20Network.pdf

You are correct that the is a crosstown route running on Addison from about Lane Tech to just west of the Kennedy.

Duppie said:

I did see an East-West corridor ("A Crosstown Bike Route") on what looks like Addison....


James BlackHeron said:

Nice Graphic Duppie!

Notice the huge dead-zone/no-man's-land within Logan Square/Avondale at the Kennedy and the River.  It's like the Berlin Wall almost with no way across East/West.

If only there was an East-West corridor at around, hmmm, Roscoe maybe...

Permalink Reply by Justin B Newman on May 24, 2012 at 10:55am

The Chicago 2011 Transition Plan said:

100 Days: The City will select a pilot
location for the first two miles of
protected bike lanes. The site choice
will be based on locations where there
is high community demand and cycling
activity, combined with sufficient
physical room to create protected
lanes.

Year 1: Beginning in the first year, 25
miles of protected bike lanes will be
built each year to create bikeways that
are comfortable for all ages and
abilities.
A public bike share program will make
thousands of public bikes available at
stations throughout the city.
First Term: Featuring pedestrians and
cyclists, the Bloomingdale Trail will also
be completed to provide safe routes to
schools for thousands of children, bike
and pedestrian paths that link
communities, and public space for
neighborhoods.

It also mentioned that:

the City will dramatically
increase the miles of bike lanes added
each year, from 8 to 25 miles

It's pretty hard to declare Year 1 a success based on these metrics.

-jbn

Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on May 24, 2012 at 10:57am

Here’s Active Trans’ latest update tracking progress on bikeway installation in Chicago, and CDOT also just posted a status update here. Our Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign is rallying Chicagoans around a world-class bikeway network to make biking safe and easy for everyone. And making biking safe and easy for everyone will require a big plan, including 100 miles of protected bike lanes by 2015, as well as other innovative bikeways such as buffered bike lanes and neighborhood greenways. The Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 is that big plan – laying out vision for a safe network reaching every neighborhood.

Whether the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 is ultimately realized is up to us and our communities! We’re excited that it gives us tangible routes to talk to our communities about and to ask our aldermen for, but ultimately these new bikeway projects will require the support of our communities and the approval of our aldermen. We believe we can win support for creating a world-class bikeway network that goes far beyond just 100 miles of protected bike lanes, but we all need to be active participants to make it happen.

You can help build support for more innovative bikeways and the routes you want in your community. Please sign on to our Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign at http://www.activetrans.org/bikeways to voice your support and to get updates on progress and getting involved. Tell your friends to sign on, so we have more people in every ward of Chicago. You can also contact your alderman today to encourage them to support safer, better biking facilities in your community. (You can look up your alderman here.) The bike community has already been getting organized ward-by-ward, and we have more plans for this summer to help grow support and make our collective voice stronger. Chicago will be busy with bikeway construction this summer – this is a time the bike community will really need to be organized and speak up.

 

- Lee Crandell, Active Trans

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on May 24, 2012 at 10:59am

Thanks for the info, Lee!

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 24, 2012 at 12:28pm

Whether the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 is ultimately realized is up to us and our communities!

 

In other words, campaign promises mean nothing. Not like that's any sort of surprise, but it's painful to see our planners and decision makers buy in to them, and then make excuses when they're not fulfilled.

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