Kinzie. It's what's next.

Hopefully you've heard by now that CDOT will begin construction this week on the city's first protected bike lane: Kinzie Street from Milwaukee Avenue/Desplaines Street to Wells Street. 

 

Full story on Steven Can Plan. 

 

I want to know what you think about this.

  • What do you feel will need special attention?
  • Is this the right or wrong location for such a facility? Why?
  • Are you going to thank/congratulate Rahm, Gabe, and the CDOT Bicycle Program?
  • Will you use it?

 

Cycle track and protected bike lane naysayers, this isn't the post for you. But if you've ridden in protected bike lanes before, then I welcome your constructive comments and criticism based on your actual experiences. 

Big intersection

The new beginning. Looking southeast at the intersection of Kinzie/Milwaukee/Desplaines. 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on July 20, 2011 at 5:15pm
Yep a car parked in the lane, a wrong way cyclist and people thinking it's an extension of the sidewalk. Personally I prefer city traffic. It's crazy but you have room to move.

Travis Kluska said:
Permalink Reply by Will on July 21, 2011 at 2:24am
I was driving down Kinzie the other day (yes, I also have a car) and saw a lot of people just walking down the bike lane like it was a sidewalk, especially by Merchandise Mart where there's no sidewalk on the south side of Kinzie. Ugh.
Permalink Reply by igz on July 21, 2011 at 2:37am
ya, i saw at least 11 infractions here by cyclists

Travis Kluska said:
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on July 21, 2011 at 2:45am
I hope cycling advocates aren't so in love with the idea of this sort of infrastructure that they can't admit it isn't working. (I rode it once and thought it was scary as hell.)
Permalink Reply by Joel on July 21, 2011 at 3:02am
But there were cars and pedestrians present in the video, and I didn't exactly see yielded or even slowing down at the vast majority of intersections -- even with red lights and cross traffic.  It has been discussed to death here, but there is a difference between an Idaho stop and completely ignoring all traffic control.
Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on July 21, 2011 at 3:30am
Protected lanes are a good idea, but I think it's pretty clear that this particular setup isn't working as intended. Ideally you'd have a lot of trial runs with different set ups to see what works. I tend to think you need to actually raise a curb on the left side of the lane to communicate to drivers that it's a no go zone, but different markings might do the job as well.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 21, 2011 at 3:35am

You are quite the self-righteous cyclist. Demand more and better facilities for cyclists, but refuse to reciprocate by treating other traffic participants with respect.

From your post on Active Trans' fb page. Italics are mine:


"I generally stop if there are cars or peds present, but usually treat a red light or stop sign like a yield sign if there is nothing present. Maybe this is wrong but its hard for me to follow all the rules of the road when they are so oriented around car travel. I would stop a lot more if intersections better reflected bicycle use with lights and more designated lanes."


So now we have a protected bike lane on Kinzie, yet you feel justified to continue your reckless riding style. (See 11 documented traffic infractions)

(disclaimer: Personally I never made it past 2:29  here you nearly hit the construction workers that are attempting to cross the intersection at Kingsbury and instead of stopping, you end up hopping onto the sidewalk. At that point I couldn’t stand the self-righousess anymore)

Permalink Reply by vxla on July 21, 2011 at 3:37am

Bridge plates are going in today on Kinzie (this is the north side of the bridge).

New Cycle Track Bridge Plates on the Kinzie Street Bridge

Permalink Reply by milesperhour on July 21, 2011 at 3:42am
Question re: cars and postal trucks parked in the protected bike lane, couldn't the city just put up the soft bollards at the beginning and end of the bike lane whenever it meets an intersection?  Bikes could still get around them, but cars couldn't.  Would that be deemed to dangerous for bicyclists?
Permalink Reply by vxla on July 21, 2011 at 3:49am

Travis Kluska writes..

"1st stop light there was a green right arrow at a red. 1st stop sign no one present. 2nd stop sign traffic had passed and no people were crossing. 3rd stop sign cars had passed and none were present thereafter."

 

Did you sound your bell to the car making a left turn from Kinzie to Des Plaines? You know, that car stopped and had the right-of-way.

Permalink Reply by igz on July 21, 2011 at 3:49am

i may applaud the effort of protected lanes, but when everyone is digging deep in their pockets to provide cyclists with such an infrastructure, it would be wise to assess the faults in the design before executing such an expensive experiment. otherwise, we risk loosing the effort altogether stating 'it was a dumb idea, an expensive dumb idea'.

 

and like others pointed out, if you are going to use this - essentially gift to the cycling community - use it with a little more respect.

 

if you want to blow the rules of the road at midnight when few are around, have fun. but at mid day traffic both vehicular and pedestrian, thats a bit reckless.

 

oh, and that first arrow...it a green arrow to proceed right, not across the intersection. that is a very dangerous 6-way intersection with blind corners and inclines.


Travis Kluska said:

1st stop light there was a green right arrow at a red. 1st stop sign no one present. 2nd stop sign traffic had passed and no people were crossing. 3rd stop sign cars had passed and none were present thereafter. 4th stop sign I should have stopped but the sign was covered by the tree and I slowly went around the construction workers. 5th stop sign no cars or peds present. 6th stop sign seems not to apply to bicyclists because there are no car lanes or sidewalks that intersect. 2nd set of stoplights I yielded for traffic and a bicyclists to go by and then crossed when there was no one else. Then the protected Kinzie lane ended and I almost got doored and had to narrowly weave in between traffic. I know Kinzie is not perfect but its a solid step in the right direction and its fine to talk about its flaws but to say its worthless is ridiculous.
Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on July 21, 2011 at 4:00am

Thanks for posting that video.  You must not be too surprised to receive some criticism for how you rode the bike lane.  However, I've ridden the cycle track many times now and the way you did it is mostly consistent with the way I've seen the average bicyclist use it since its completion.  (I suppose the only exception I'd make is your running the light at Milwaukee and Kinzie.  Most cyclists seem to be obeying the law there.)  I think your video is more valuable because you filmed it the way you did.  Had you stopped at every sign and every crosswalk it simply would not be an accurate depiction of how Kinzie is being used.

 

The law requires bicyclists to stop at all traffic control devices just like cars.  I think we all know that. But if we are honest with each other we'd have to admit that we all are selective about stopping at stop signs.  Right or wrong, it is the rare bicyclists who stops completely at every sign/light, every time.  The law should recognize how real people ride -- rather than how we wish they rode -- in our vehicle code (treat stop as yield), and urban planners should appreciate that in how they design bicycle specific infrastructure.

 

Travis, I do not agree with your statement that, "People still have the option of bicycling with traffic on Kinzie as well."  In my opinion, they do not: http://www.mybikeadvocate.com/2011/06/chicagos-new-cycle-track-will...

Travis Kluska said:

I think its unfair to expect bicyclists to stop at every stop sign and light when there is no traffic or peds present. I yield but do not see the need to stop for everything. This is working and is just .5 of a 100 miles of protected lanes to be built in the next 4 years. Its going to get better. I think Kinzie is great, not scary, and am glad that more lanes are on the way. Scary is driving on the streets with no lanes whatsoever. Lets not be haters and see everything thats bad about this protected bike lane. Children and the elderly will feel much more comfortable on Kinzie now than it was before. People still have the option of bicycling with traffic on Kinzie as well.

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