Double parked in the bike lane.

I tried the search feature, and it isn't working.  I'm sure this is a common gripe. But why can't the city do anything about all the cars double parked in the bike lane.  ESPECIALLY UPS, FedEx, and USPS.  I could gather 4 or 5 pictures daily of these guys double parked in an obvious bike lane.

Maybe that is what I should do.  Start stopping and taking pictures with my cell. Then writing to the owners of companies.

"Forcing bikes to quickly merge with traffic is dangerous.  The city has created these wonderfully useful "Bike lanes"  however, we are unable to use them, because you keep parking your delivery trucks in them.  This is not a delivery lane. It is a bike lane.  Please instruct your drivers that this is unsafe, and Illegal."

Now if we could just get the CPD to do something about it.

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Permalink Reply by Mark on September 16, 2013 at 8:57am

Hence the "Go slowly".  Which I can not do, merging into traffic. 

Permalink Reply by Tim on September 16, 2013 at 9:23am

adam herstein is bored with his life. maybe he should go find one and stop being so damn negative on every forum post!

Permalink Reply by Duppie on September 16, 2013 at 9:26am

It all depends. If:

a. There is is truly enough space (a full bike lane's width or more), and

b. You move slow enough to be able to stop on a dime;

then I'd say its nothing different than slowly but deliberately filtering to the front of backed up traffic.

Problems will likely occur if you go too fast or misjudge the available width.



notoriousDUG said:

Getting between a truck and parked car is one of the worst places you can be on the road; if a door opens you are trapped.

Permalink Reply by David P. on September 16, 2013 at 9:40am

Double-parked anything is annoying, and it's annoying whether I'm on a bike or in a car - it's more annoying to me in a car, because it's harder to go around. But I don't think it's reasonable to propose that somebody double-park without pulling as far to the right as possible.

Also, UPS trucks and other such box trucks all have sliding doors on the curb side, so dooring is not a concern.

Permalink Reply by Renee Patten on September 16, 2013 at 12:26pm

The company I work for has a "Premium" account with FedEx. I called them recently and put in a complaint about their drivers parked in the bike lane under the company's account, reiterating it is illegal, citing the city ordinance, ect, ect.

Got a case #, which doesn't mean much, but they said they would contact the local Chicago location on the matter. 

Doubt it did much, but I felt better for at least trying. 

Permalink Reply by Thomas Bruzan on September 16, 2013 at 1:46pm

 Notorious Dug said "Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?"

 I love those folks. They bring me birthday cards and bike parts. I wouldn't snitch on Santa either.

                  Best regards, Tom

P.S. I love drafting in their trucks wake.

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on September 17, 2013 at 6:37am

Oh, gee, I don't know ... maybe in a legal parking spot like mere mortals do.

notoriousDUG said:

Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 17, 2013 at 11:35am

Been in Wicker Park around The Crotch much?  Where do you suggest the trucks delivering to all the businesses down there park if not double park?

It's really not that hard to just swing around a double parked delivery truck on a bike, just like it is not very hard to swing around them in a car.

I have terrible, terrible news for all of you; you are not an individual special snowflake whom the world was created for; there is a whole world going on out there beyond your world of one.  Commerce must carry on and sometimes that means you, or other people, will be inconvenienced by delivery trucks, cabs and all variety of things happening in and around the road.  Get over it, people have jobs to do because the world just keeps turning even though you ride a bike.

Seriosuly, it is really not that big a deal to check over your shoulder, signal and then pull out into the traffic lane to get around a parked truck; I mean the truck is parked there so you have TONS of time to figure out what to do.  

Share the road means everybody working together so things are easier for all of us, not just you.

Michael J Blane 6.5 said:

Oh, gee, I don't know ... maybe in a legal parking spot like mere mortals do.

notoriousDUG said:

Where should UPS, USPS and Fedex park their trucks when they make a delivery then?

Permalink Reply by Maurice on September 17, 2013 at 12:15pm

They also do it when there is ample curbside parking (not to mention loading docks).  On Canal just north of Roosevelt, for example, you'll routinely find double-parked delivery trucks 20' away from giant empty parking spaces.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 17, 2013 at 3:33pm

I was thinking about this issue tonight on my ride home. on Clark street there are always 2-3 cars parked in the bike lane with their flashers going. I have to risk my safey just so they can go in and get their dinners or whatever they are doing. Typically there is nobody in these cars....the bike lane is their temporary parking spot.

How can we get the city to act on this?

Any lawyers out there know if photos of cars in the lanes  - shot via cell phone - could stand up for a ticket?  

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 17, 2013 at 7:29pm

If you honestly think ducking out into the traffic lane is risking your life why are you even riding a bike in the city?

Riding in  traffic is part of riding in a urban area; get over it.

jolondon30 said:

I was thinking about this issue tonight on my ride home. on Clark street there are always 2-3 cars parked in the bike lane with their flashers going. I have to risk my safey just so they can go in and get their dinners or whatever they are doing. Typically there is nobody in these cars....the bike lane is their temporary parking spot.

How can we get the city to act on this?

Any lawyers out there know if photos of cars in the lanes  - shot via cell phone - could stand up for a ticket?  

Permalink Reply by Mark on September 17, 2013 at 11:41pm

Hey Dug, Are you a Anarchist?  Don't believe in the law? 

Just asking, because the last time I looked, Chicago had laws against just this thing.  So why pass a law, and then say, "Weeeeeelllll, that doesn't really apply to them, because pulling over to the actual curb, well, that would just be to much to ask."  No. We want to promote corporate greed, by making that driver deliver more packages of junk to consumers, faster, so instead of him having to find a LEGAL parking spot, we will let him endanger cyclists in the bike lane, so we can keep the corporate bottom line going.  Yes, commerce must go on, the bottom line above all.  We will give lip service to safety, but honestly, we could care less...  All we care about is making more and more profit.

As long as people double park in the bike lane, and CPD does nothing about it, they will continue to do it. All it would take is a little enforcement. Problem solved.



notoriousDUG said:


I have terrible, terrible news for all of you; you are not an individual special snowflake whom the world was created for; there is a whole world going on out there beyond your world of one.  Commerce must carry on and sometimes that means you, or other people, will be inconvenienced by delivery trucks, cabs and all variety of things happening in and around the road.  Get over it, people have jobs to do because the world just keeps turning even though you ride a bike.

Seriosuly, it is really not that big a deal to check over your shoulder, signal and then pull out into the traffic lane to get around a parked truck; I mean the truck is parked there so you have TONS of time to figure out what to do.  

Share the road means everybody working together so things are easier for all of us, not just you.

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