'Biking while black': Chicago minority areas see the most bike tickets

Okay as the article points out there are lots of potential explanations for this but not a single North side area listed in the top ticked areas?

As Chicago police ramp up their ticketing of bicyclists, more than twice as many citations are being written in African-American communities than in white or Latino areas, a Tribune review of police statistics has found.

The top 10 community areas for bike tickets from 2008 to Sept. 22, 2016, include seven that are majority African-American and three that are majority Latino. From the areas with the most tickets written to the least, they are Austin, North Lawndale, Humboldt Park, South Lawndale, Chicago Lawn, West Englewood, Roseland, West Garfield Park, New City and South Chicago.

Not a single majority-white area ranked in the top 10, despite biking's popularity in white areas such as West Town and Lincoln Park."

Read full article at the Tribune site...

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Permalink Reply by Angela Ford on March 26, 2017 at 3:56am

I hear you.  Now please hear me.  I did NOT use those terms lightly.  I am calm and clear-headed.  The fact that so few Black people actually ride in this city and have amassed the majority of the cycling tickets is institutionalized racism.  It is from a supremacist-mindset that a police department finds it acceptable to target Black people this way.  I don't expect to change your mind or dialogue with you about a solution.  I will not try to convince you that I am right.  I am a math expert.  The numbers don't lie.   You will only consider that truth from someone who's opinion you respect.  That is not me.  

I've been Black a long time.  I know how minds are changed.  It is not on a thread like this.  I rarely comment on these, but sometimes, when you read about the rationalization of racism, you just chime in.  

But I'll leave you be.  It must be awesome to go through the days when your very being, and your culture is not downgraded and assaulted every single day with you being told to "show care" during the barrage of stereotypes and insults.  I've spent extended time in other countries, so on a small level, I know the feeling of not being a subordinate human in a completely racist environment.  It IS cool.

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on March 29, 2017 at 4:16am
Just curious where the numbers of black/colored vs white cyclists was taken from? I might have missed a link but didn't see one posted showing numbers or ratios.

Disclaimer: Not trying to be racist I generally want to learn.
Permalink Reply by Caiken on March 31, 2017 at 4:56am

I can assure you using the term colored is racist A F. 

People of color. 

Communities of color. 

Instill it in your typing right now.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 31, 2017 at 5:28am

Yes. Or black people.

Using current language is a MUCH more respectful way to have dialogue here. 

Permalink Reply by Paul Lazzaro on March 26, 2017 at 3:04am

I've been riding all over the north side of Chicago for a decade or so, and (except for the Lakefront Path in Summer) almost all of the people I see are using their bikes for transportation, like I am.  There's no Walmart near me, but there are a couple of Whole Foods, and the bike racks are usually full.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on March 24, 2017 at 3:08am

This morning, I saw not one, not two, but three separate "Lakefront Lance" types biking the wrong way down Milwaukee.

Weird behavior IMO.

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on March 24, 2017 at 3:31am
Weird is a polite way to describe that... There is never an excuse for that any more than there is for driving on the wrong side of the road, especially not a crazy and congested street like Milwaukee.
Permalink Reply by Alex Z on March 24, 2017 at 4:16am

I almost said something when, between Grand and Hubbard, one of the Lances crossed over from biking south in the northbound lane to join me biking south in the southbound lane. But I decided, no reason to create the potential for confrontation.

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on March 24, 2017 at 5:38am

That's the smart move IMO, as you really aren't going to change anyone's mindset (generally very fixed) in the few seconds you have to interact, as they're going to be concentrating on the road conditions and whatever they are doing at their destination.

I speak/yell only when it's an immediate safety issue - so a guy biking towards me on my side of the street is definitely going to get an earful. The worst thing about those riders is not only are they going the wrong direction, but as often as not their first instinct is to push you into traffic while they hug the parking lane.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on March 24, 2017 at 5:51am

That's definitely the most annoying. My position in that situation is to stand firm, even stop if necessary. It's not worth risking your own life by moving blindly into oncoming traffic just to "avoid" someone biking the wrong way in the bike lane.

Permalink Reply by Jane on March 25, 2017 at 1:08pm

Wow, what a lot of angry, rude people on here!

In case you didn't see it, I used punctuation, " ..... " to show that I was referring to the media generalizations of the burbs in this city.

And to answer the accusations, actually I live in Roseland and do ride my bike to Walmart. I have never lived in a "rich" white suburb with the Lances, but I do see then on my work commute alone Roosevelt.

And next time any of you angry folk venture this far south, check out the bike parking at the L station at 95th. Its one of the biggest bikeparks on the L network and its always pretty much full. Which was why I referred to us in the "poor" burbs using our bikes for utility trips to work and the store and not those weekend jaunts along the bike paths.

I'm staying out of this discussion now, I have commented on what I see here, but you all clearly know so much more than me.

Enjoy your evening folks!

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 26, 2017 at 3:30am

I will second Jane's comment about the bike parking at the 95th St. red line being full most of the time. I regularly see people riding to/from this station and using this bike parking. 

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