Months After Cyclist Killed In Irving Park, Bike Lane Remains Faded

Ald. Jim Gardiner said he's trying to get the lanes repainted, but the Department of Transportation was unresponsive.

IRVING PARK — Two months after a woman was killed while riding her bicycle along Milwaukee Avenue and pledges were made to improve the safety of a bike lane, nothing has been done. And bike safety activists are upset.

On Nov. 6, 37-year-old Carla Aiello of Norwood Park died after being hit by a dump truck in the 3800 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Irving Park. Aiello, on her bike, and a truck driven by a 41-year-old man had both been traveling south on Milwaukee, with the bicyclist to the right of the dump truck, according to police.

Carla Aiello

When the truck driver turned right onto Kilbourn Avenue, it crashed into the Aiello, who rolled underneath the truck and was killed, police said.

Following the tragedy, 200 cyclists returned to the scene to draw attention to the sorry state of the bike lane in the area.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on January 29, 2020 at 3:30am
Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 29, 2020 at 4:19am

Good lord! Boston is unsafe for drivers as well- the absolute worst city i've ever driven/navigated.

Permalink Reply by ketoguychicago on January 29, 2020 at 9:41am

From the article, "A few mayors acknowledged the problem. “Painted bicycle lanes are useless,” one mayor told interviewers. “They’ve got to be separate.” "   

So that's our LFT for sure as a way to get cars and bikes seperated.  It's NOT west-bound Randolph nor Elston nor Milwaukee nor much of Clybourn .  The PBLs don't seem to satisfy that requirement in this town either, because the bikes are emptied right out into the standard 4way and diagonal intersections, and what's worse is because they're poorly maintained, riders end up right back in traffic in what is now a narrower car lane because of the losses to the PBL.  Clybourn between North and Division is a bit of a disaster.   Better is the 606, the LFT, a few good trails on the south side (which have occasional crossings) and some other efforts.  

CDOT seems to have the opposite tactic by doing things that put cars, pedestrians and bikes in close proximity. 

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on January 31, 2020 at 1:52am

Also, this (only tangentially related, but still interesting I think, as our local gummints consider how and where to allocate transportation money):

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/01/massachusetts-car-ec...

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on February 5, 2020 at 3:20pm

Somebody took matters into their own hands!

https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/02/05/tired-of-the-city-not-maint...

Tired Of The City Not Maintaining Bike Lanes, Someone Spray Paints New Ones At Deadly Intersection

Months after cyclist Carla Aiello has hit and killed by a truck at Milwaukee and Kilbourn avenues, someone repainted the faded bike lanes this week.

IRVING PARK — Someone apparently frustrated with the city for not maintaining the bike lanes on Milwaukee Avenue near the Grayland Metra stop has taken matters into their own hands.

Cyclists traveling southwest along the 3800 block of North Milwaukee Avenue on Tuesday noticed a newly touched up bike lane created with what appears to be white spray paint. Within the retouched bike lane are hearts drawn with sidewalk chalk.

Permalink Reply by Sabrina Bosch on February 5, 2020 at 4:47pm

Finally.  I think the article has a typo that doesn't take away from the rest of the article but just to clear it up it mentions cyclists traveling southwest? along the 3800 block of North Milwaukee.  I honestly don't ride it often now but that stretch is probably traveling southeast or northwest but not southwest.  But beside that the article really focuses on and emphasizes the importance of the maintenance.  Thank you for telling about this Bob.

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