Safe to ride Jackson on West Side?

I've started riding to my workplace, going west on Jackson from Damen, then continuing on Jackson west to Homan (3400 W). It seemed safe enough this morning. A few local residents thought it might not be safe. Anyone else ride each way on this street each day? Also, it has a bike lane on both sides. I was passing mostly schools and churches. Seemed fine in the early morning, and probably would be fine heading back in the afternoon, before dark.

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Permalink Reply by James on March 6, 2020 at 3:23pm

Hi! I think it's perfectly fine... ride confidently, use lights and gesture signals, and you're in good shape. I ride from the city to Oak Park and beyond with regularity; My perception is that roads are safer here, both statistically and because with less traffic congestion in the area everyone has more room to breathe, than in downtown. But always use your own best critical judgement!

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Permalink Reply by ketoguychicago on March 6, 2020 at 3:46pm

It is a high crime area based on the reported crime stats. However, the assault on cyclists doesn't appear to be the big number. Cannabis possession (which is actually still illegal in all 50 states under federal law) sex offender failure to register, break-ins, carjackings, domestic battery, simple assault, thefts, and so forth. Would I do it? No, but, I tend to be really good at staying out of trouble. Would you end up in a McGrath/Elston situation like we saw a few days ago? Probably not in daylight hours. It is a balance though. Roosevelt depending on where you actually are coming from is busier, but in part that means more transit busses to collide with you. As a suggestion, try the parallel routes too. This data here, while incomplete (remember the McGrath thing didn't get reported right away) can offer some stats. https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Crimes-Map/dfnk-7re6

The fact that the local residents - who know what they're talking about better than anybody else on the planet with respect to what's actually happening - seem to think it's sketchy would give me pause.

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Permalink Reply by ad on March 9, 2020 at 3:50am

Hard to say why local residents feel the area might not be safe. Touhy-Herbert Park, and a few of the other parks near Jackson on the Near West Side, have had gang party problems in the evenings during the warm months, and those issues have caused a lot of problems for residents that live there.

As a cyclist moving through the west side areas that are labeled as higher crime, my experience is that riding through during the typical commuting hours is very different than living there permanently. Like most areas of the city, the west side areas that see a spike in gun-related crime see it largely due to gangs. As a cyclist that rides through the west side daily, IMHO cyclists are not getting targeted in those areas to any more significant of a degree than cyclists get targeted in areas like Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, etc.

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Permalink Reply by ad on March 9, 2020 at 3:41am

1500 Jackson is the heart of the west loop, so I assume you're talking more west.

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Permalink Reply by ad on March 9, 2020 at 3:39am

I ride in and out daily from Oak Park. I typically now take Washington/Warren heading East in the morning, but I've taken both Jackson and Madison in the past, and Jackson will be fine. Like any area of the City, just stay conscious of your surroundings.