Is coronavirus changing biking in downtown Chicago?

I noticed this on Grist this morning:

Coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City

I'm in Portland for several weeks (at least), so can't check myself. Is the biking scene in downtown Chicago changing as companies and individuals adapt to the coronavirus outbreak?

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Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on March 23, 2020 at 3:13pm

I also see more speeding, although the mostly deserted neighborhood streets are great. Regarding “the large contribution car drivers make to society,” tax laws can be changed. If we get to choose between sustainable, walkable communities on the one hand, and the status quo on the other, I vote for the former.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on March 23, 2020 at 5:11pm

I gotta say, being here in Portland with its bike infrastructure, semi-courteous drivers (they often actually stop for you at uncontrolled intersections!) and reduced cars on the road (stay-at-home in Oregon was put into effect this morning), I'm enjoying the riding I've been doing. Well, not so much the hailstorm and quick 10°F temperature drop this afternoon, but other than that, riding here is pretty awesome.

You know that neighborhood greenway in Ravenswood Manor? Portland's got several much larger ones. Bikes are explicitly allowed to take the full lane. Yow! 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 29, 2020 at 1:03am

That's great!

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 29, 2020 at 1:03am

I'm seeing a mixed bag here in Beverly and Morgan Park - increased speeding, increased running of stop signs and red lights (often without slowing down at all for intersections), but also more drivers stopping to yield for peds in crosswalks and more drivers letting me go first at 4-way stops when I'm riding.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on April 3, 2020 at 1:50pm

Today I was on Damen approaching 95th on a green light. I was about to enter the intersection when some dumbass driver (who had been at a full stop) suddenly decided to run the red in front of me. Charming, eh?

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on March 22, 2020 at 3:22am

Someone tested + in my building... ugh!

Permalink Reply by David Barish on March 22, 2020 at 3:29am

It is hard to find the balance.  Protect yourself. Stay awey. Use all the lotions, potions and unctions that keep you disinfected. Then,perhaps think of calling your neighbor to wish him/her well and  leave a box of cereal, a bag of chips, a bottle of liquor or some baked goodies (you can't get them any sicker) in front of their door.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 28, 2020 at 2:51am

I'm sorry Ernesto. That sucks. It's my worst fear. My coworker's roommate is sick with all of the symptoms and worked grubhub (which may be how he got it). She is hiding in her room, living in fear that she will come down with it as well. The worst of it? He called his primary doctor who told him he won't get tested because he's under the age of 60. 

Just to unpack that for a minute... that 105k number we see? It's only confirmed tested. Think about the thousands that are turned away from getting tests until their conditions are critical. So most likely 105k is tip of the iceberg. 

I decided to go for virtual walks with my sister, dance with my dog in my home, etc. I'll probably do a little riding but tbh, I'm concerned about the reckless driving - there was just a crash last night in my county. A pedestrian was just killed after a driver went up on the sidewalk where I normally go to catch the Metro in Rockville. 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 29, 2020 at 1:01am

Sorry to hear it. Hope you can stay safe Ernesto.

Permalink Reply by DerferMark on April 4, 2020 at 3:26am

Mayor Lightfoot should enact something like this:

https://www.twincities.com/2020/04/03/st-paul-temporarily-converts-...

Permalink Reply by David Barish on April 6, 2020 at 10:41am

back  on  topic- I  rode to work today for a change  of  pace after two weeks  of working from the dining  room  table.  At a stop light on  Kinzie from a distance  of  about three  meters, I told the young woman in  front of me that she was the first cyclist I had  encountered at a light in  13 miles. There were few bikes cars,  scooters, pedestrians and even  dogs on the  street. It was kind of weird, a little  lonely, but  certainly the  safest commute I have  had  in  a long time.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on April 13, 2020 at 1:35am

Cities Close Streets to Cars, Opening Space for Social Distancing

Boston, Minneapolis, Oakland and other cities have temporarily banned through traffic on streets, giving pedestrians and cyclists extra elbow room during the coronavirus pandemic.

With roads cleared of traffic because of the coronavirus pandemic, some cities across the country have repurposed streets into car-free zones, giving pedestrians and cyclists extra room to spread out and practice social distancing.

Cities including Boston, Minneapolis and Oakland, Calif., have closed streets to through motor traffic. Others are extending sidewalks to make more space for pedestrians looking to stay at least six feet apart. And some municipalities are considering adopting similar measures.

Samuel I. Schwartz, a consultant and former New York City traffic commissioner known as Gridlock Sam for his traffic-curbing efforts, supports the idea of car-free zones in the city.

“There is no more important resource in New York City and in all the dense cities after people than space,” he said on Saturday. “And cities are now dedicating 30 to 40 percent of their land areas to cars. This could be a welcomed reclamation movement.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/us/coronavirus-street-closures.h...

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