What's this doing in the bike lane?

Share your pics, videos, streets, stories of what you find in the bike lane of the non-bike variety that has an impact on your ride and/or your safety. I've decided to keep it a little more open ended - cars, snow, buses, garbage, cabs, etc. If they shouldn't be in the bike lane, go ahead and add it to this thread. Please be safe if you are taking pics or video! :-) 

My hope is that we can collectively build some evidence of what we see when riding in the city with the overall hope of better enforcement of "bikes only" and improving maintenance. 

Update: More Hashtags to Capture Vehicles in the Bike Lane

With popular hashtags:
#BikeLaneShaming

#LaneSpreading (Chicago Bike Selling)

#ClearTheWay (ActiveTrans), there are many options to capture violations.

We think you should use ALL of them AND post your photos on The Chainlink. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by HumanPoweredTransportation on November 14, 2016 at 10:12am

it's amazing to see construction crap or barrels in the bike lane (or similarly blocking a sidewalk) when there is space along side the road or a parking space that could be used instead to avoid blocking people on bikes or pedestrians.

I hope when people see this they are not just posting here but calling the Dept of Public Works and their representatives. It should be systematic: don't block bike lanes, don't block sidewalks unless absolutely necessary, and then POST SIGNS ahead of the block and on both sides of it, if applicable. 

Permalink Reply by Maurice on November 14, 2016 at 7:09am

It's worse now.  Same pile of garbage + a truck + a tractor.  Still no warning or detour.  Fortunately, I was travelling northbound was able to switch over to the bus lane.  The cab drivers weren't too happy with me, since they like to pretend that the bus lane is the cab lane.

 

Also, around 2100 S. State, a private contractor is doing some demo work on a building.  To their credit, the dumpster company left the dumpster in a legal parking space instead of the parking "protected" bike lane.  The contractor wasn't too happy about it, though.  They used a couple of horses and some yellow tape to barricade the "protected" bike lane between the dumpster and the construction site.  I guess they just didn't feel like looking out for bikes before pushing their wheel barrow across the lane.  My conclusions are based on circumstantial evidence, since another cyclist passed through before me this morning and leveled both horses and the tape, saving me the trouble.

Permalink Reply by Maurice on November 15, 2016 at 6:15am

Dearborn was better this morning, but South State and Wabash continue to be a minefield of construction vehicles operated by people with no situational awareness.  Trying to get that last bit of work in before the weather turns, I guess.

 

One driver (properly) stopped his truck at the curb but left his giant door swung open into the lane as he talked to a construction worker who was standing in the middle of the lane and gesturing wildly at about the height of my face as they spoke.  I timed it perfectly so that, as I passed, I slapped his hand out of my face while yelling "high five."  What's that worth--20 points?

Permalink Reply by Tim on November 15, 2016 at 3:19pm

This was at about 5:10 on 11/15/16. At 12 n Franklin (Franklin just past Madison). There were people taking cardboard bins full of stuff out of the truck and up the alley....The truck was definetly parked and not only blocking the Bike lane, but also car traffic.

Permalink Reply by DerferMark on November 15, 2016 at 4:12pm

Interesting...  Is this done in Chicago? (besides in this forum)

www.treehugger.com/bikes/new-york-city-using-311-and-open-data-trac...

Permalink Reply by Jenn_5.5 mi on November 17, 2016 at 3:49am

Feeling super safe at the Daley Center. You know, I just want law enforcement to enforce the laws (all of them); instead of the blatant disregard for cyclist safety and the LAW 9-40-060. I got yelled at by the officer/security guard for banging on the van after nearly getting hit by the speeding car. I was not level headed enough to go and have a calm discussion. 

Permalink Reply by Tim on November 17, 2016 at 4:11am

It somehow makes it even more frustrating when an entity that is supposed to be doing some sort of good in the world, puts you in a position like that....

Permalink Reply by Mike Muczynaki on November 17, 2016 at 4:34am

Uh oh.  Carbon dioxide emergency at the Yard House (Newcity on Clybourn side).  Blocking the bike path and a fire hydrant.

Permalink Reply by Bruce on November 17, 2016 at 4:52am

I think we need to be proactive about calling 311 and/or 911. This is a particularly bad example of the problem.

Permalink Reply by HumanPoweredTransportation on November 17, 2016 at 9:17am

I propose a new rule. If posting a pic of something that shouldn't be in the bike lane:

PLEASE give us the ACTION you took to make an effectual change, 

e.g. "After speaking nicely to the driver making them aware of the problem, I called the NuCO2 company and posted this pic on their facebook page to discourage this behavior"

If you get a response, email or otherwise, please share.

Permalink Reply by Sydney Barton on November 17, 2016 at 9:54am

Yes! Otherwise, we're just in an echo chamber. 

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on November 17, 2016 at 9:09am

If you can find a Twitter and/or Facebook account for the company, send them the photo and a complaint. And complain via the website: http://www.nuco2.com/contact.html.

This is absurd.

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