Advice Needed: Safe cycling streets South of Museum of Science and Industry

Hi all,

 

I'm planning the blues ride and want to ensure we're cycling safe streets around Artis' Lounge (87th/Cottage Grove area.) If you're familiar with these streets, would you be willing to share some tips on safe areas to bike?


Thanks!

Katie

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Permalink Reply by Jared on October 12, 2010 at 4:31am
King Drive.
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on October 12, 2010 at 5:07am
Not asking to be a smartass: Are you more concerned about traffic or thugs?
Permalink Reply by Jim Behymer on October 12, 2010 at 5:08am
I ride that far south quite a bit, though not often that far east. When I have, 83rd has been pretty good, though it does get a bit narrow in parts. And of course most of MLK is pretty bike friendly. I'm not sure you want to be on either Cottage Grove or 87th Street. Though that far east, it looks like 87th is less of a highway than it is farther west. Depending on how many people you'll have, you could probably come down the lakefront to 71st or so where it starts to angle east, then come down Yates to 83rd & use 83rd to get west most of the way. Probably use some backstreets to get south to 87th rather than Cottage Grove. But I don't know, I've never really had to plan routes for groups of people
Permalink Reply by KatieP on October 12, 2010 at 5:08am
Both - and pot holes. I know the South Side streets don't get a lot of love...


Dr. Doom said:
Not asking to be a smartass: Are you more concerned about traffic or thugs?
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on October 12, 2010 at 5:18am
Probably the quietest way would be to go down the lakefront, edge over to 75th and then take that to Cottage Grove, maybe going down a parallel street. You're not going to get roving packs of feral youths going all the way down King Drive, Cottage Grove or Stony Island, but you might get some drag racers or stray bullets, while the east/west streets tend for whatever reason to seem more settled down at night. Basically with a smaller group I'd try to go east/west, while with a larger one I wouldn't worry too about it much either way.

Just for comparison's sake I wouldn't be more or less concerned about riding with a group on a Friday night on any of these streets than I would be about the Broadway/Lawrence area.
Permalink Reply by S on October 12, 2010 at 5:29am

I agree with Dr Doom. The lakefront path is fairly good in regards to safety and it's free of potholes. It connects to S Shore Drive which has bike lanes and is fairly quite and non-sketchy but it does have quite a few rough patches with potholes. I'm not sure about the east/west connection from the path or south shore dr to 87th and cottage though since I don't go that way when I bike south.

Permalink Reply by J on October 12, 2010 at 5:55am
If you're coming from downtown-ish, I would take the LFP to Hyde Park, take Stony to 87th, and 87th to Cottage. The LFP to 71st is great, but it will force you to backtrack a lot. And don't forget Dat Donuts on 83rd/Cottage!

Alternatively, with a smaller group, King.
Permalink Reply by KatieP on October 12, 2010 at 8:59am
You all are awesome - thanks!
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 12, 2010 at 9:23am
I really would NOT recommend Stony Island. It's like a highway once you get south of Hyde Park. We're talking 3 lanes in each direction plus turn lanes, and speeds of 40 mph and erratic driving are not unusual.

King Drive is mostly decent south of 67th. From 60th to 67th, the neighborhood is dicey and I'd be concerned about personal safety, especially around the El at 63rd.

If the group is a little smaller (maybe 10-15), I'd suggest LFP to 67th/Jeffery to 87th, west to Artis'. Jeffery is not all that wide, so I don't know how well it would work for a large group. It's not a high speed street.

If the group is larger (or small but fast), I'd say LFP to 55th to Cottage Grove south to 87th, then east to Artis'. Cottage Grove is wider (generally 2 lanes in each direction) and a bit faster than Jeffery, but nowhere near as scary-fast as Stony Island.

Dat Donuts at 83rd and Cottage gets a thumbs up for donuts and coffee. Unfortunately, they're not open past 6 p.m. :( Great for a morning or afternoon ride, though.

J said:
If you're coming from downtown-ish, I would take the LFP to Hyde Park, take Stony to 87th, and 87th to Cottage. The LFP to 71st is great, but it will force you to backtrack a lot. And don't forget Dat Donuts on 83rd/Cottage!

Alternatively, with a smaller group, King.
Permalink Reply by J on October 12, 2010 at 12:03pm
Are you thinking of the other Dat on 111th? The one on Cottage has a big neon sign that reads "Open 24 Hours" and a little sign that says 6 days a week (it's closed Sundays). It's true, though, that they generally stop making donuts at 7pm and run out before 8pm.

I didn't suggest Cottage because sadly a lot of folks unfamiliar with the south side feel it's unsafe precisely on the stretch between 59th and 87th. FWIW, most of the roadie club rides departing from these parts heading south into Indiana, use Stony.
Permalink Reply by Jim Behymer on October 12, 2010 at 2:12pm


Anne Alt said:
If the group is a little smaller (maybe 10-15), I'd suggest LFP to 67th/Jeffery to 87th, west to Artis'. Jeffery is not all that wide, so I don't know how well it would work for a large group. It's not a high speed street.

I had half-assed planned on riding the full commute home (River North -> Midlothian) today anyway, so I tried this route out this evening. Not a bad route, just thought I'd make you aware of a few minor current issues.

Jeffery is pretty good, wider and more well lit than Yates, the N/S street I'd suggested for this leg, but also busier. Still, I didn't have any problems. There was 1 short stretch that narrowed with traffic cones along the right and a sharp dropoff where the curb had been cut away, but there was still enough room to ride alongside the traffic that was there.

Then 87th was much better than I'd anticipated (I usually cross 87th at Damen, where it is a pretty wide fast highway-type road), but the surface has been removed east of Stoney Island. It's a smooth surface that's there, rather than a rough grooved one, but there are multiple manhole covers and concrete blocks and other road features jutting up 2 inches or so out of what pavement is there. Which wasn't a problem at all for 1 rider but might be for a group; again, I'm inexperienced with planning for a group so I don't know. West of Stoney Island 87th was all smooth brand new pavement though, and who knows? the work east of there might be done by the time you have your ride.

Overall, I think Anne's suggested route is a pretty good one. Due to a medical thing I have scheduled for tomorrow I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to ride is, or I'd check out the other route she suggested too.

I do recommend riding whatever route you choose before the day of the ride so that you have some familiarity with it. Do you have a posse you can round up for a warmup ride through the south side?
Permalink Reply by KatieP on October 13, 2010 at 6:50am
Thanks again! So South Side sages, to verify - this route would be okay?

Lakepath to 67th/Jeffery to 87th to Artis’ (1249 E 87th)
Leaving Artis' - 87th West to Cottage Grove to W on 35th to N on Damen

Thanks!
Katie

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