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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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 8, 2017 at 6:13pm

So far we've seen you consistently trying to shame us. Consider this:

Cyclists are legally allowed to be in the street (even if there is a bike lane). I created this thread because I saw a lot of cyclists on CL struggling with vehicles in the bike lanes. I also experience this regularly and realize it is dangerous and puts all of our lives at risk. I feel especially annoyed reading nasty and/or condescending posts about how much (we) Chainlink cyclists suck when I am nearly killed on the road that same day because of an overly aggressive or thoroughly distracted (nose in the phone) driver. How many experiences like that have I had in the last week? I lost count. Seriously. Warm weather only makes drivers more impatient when they are getting to/leaving the beach or driving down the street. I am a typical, experienced, and a careful cyclist that does stop for cars/lights, watches for pedestrians, and as much as I can I try to stick to bike lanes and more-friendly routes. In other words, I am a pretty typical Chainlinker.

Sorry. Not Sorry.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 9, 2017 at 9:11am

Thank you Yasmeen!

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Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on June 9, 2017 at 10:41am

Amen! Yasmeen, you are a fantastic ambassador for all of us, it is much appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on June 3, 2017 at 12:09pm

For some reason, car washes seem to feel that bike lanes are their private queuing space. Clybourn just south of Belmont, but this is endemic on the NW side, especially on Elston.

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Permalink Reply by NYC (7.0 mi) on June 7, 2017 at 4:48pm

I pass that every commute. Not sure what the answer is though. The cars can't wait in the middle of the road and hold up car traffic. I give all those people a pass. That car wash was there before the bike lane. And no solution was presented when the lanes were put in.

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Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on June 7, 2017 at 9:50pm

The solution is to run your business competently, and set appointments and/or purchase an adjoining lot to handle the overflow.

This would be illegal without bike lanes, you are legally entitled to bike in that space, you are not entitled to double park your car there. File this under "the City will not learn until someone gets hurt and sues the bejeebus out of us."

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on June 5, 2017 at 5:13pm

260 S Wells St. 311 report submitted.

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Permalink Reply by Gage B. on June 6, 2017 at 9:39am

This guy thought it was so funny that I took a photo of him illegally parked in the Clinton Bike Lane on 6/5/2017. Also they don't even have license plates on this truck!