Harrison St PBL

Question: How long does it take for car traffic to adapt to a bike lane?

As many of you probably know, there's now a bike lane on Harrison running from Wabash to Des Plaines. I ride most of this stretch every day during my commute. Since the installation  (and recent completion) of this bike lane, I feel that the stretch has actually gotten more, not less, dangerous. Cars fail to plan merges and right hook across the lane, most people seem to think it's a parking lane (yesterday a pickup right hooked in front of me, drove onto the sidewalk and then reversed to parallel park in the bike lane) and the police seem to not care at all (I've observed police cars parked in the lane in front of the post office so that officers can go in to send mail). 

Is this just the normal learning curve with a new bike lane? Or who can I contact to try to request improved enforcement of the lane along Harrison? At this point I'm considering riding either another route entirely or just riding in the car traffic lane, since at least the flow is sort of predictable. I've just had too many near misses since this lane went in. Thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on July 30, 2014 at 5:28am

Just like the Dearborn and Kinzie PBL It may take a year or two until MOST of the drivers realize they have been doing it wrong. 

I shamelessly ride the south sidewalk from Wells to Canal since before those lanes went in because of those reasons, now even more so to avoid being boxed in. Crossing that messy intersection is easier on that side with the way it's timed. Maybe when the police and traffic learn how to use that stretch I might trust it a bit more.

Permalink Reply by Jacky Chau on July 30, 2014 at 7:59am

I actually love the bike lanes on Harrison now.  I ride from Dearborn to Des Plaines, and it's so much better.  Yes, there are times where cars are parked in the bike lanes but at least there are bike lanes now!!  

Permalink Reply by Nick Kalmus on July 31, 2014 at 8:55am

Was riding this lane west from Wabash yesterday afternoon and saw a police car straight-up parked in the lane... with clearly visible barrier posts. Suffice it to say, enforcement may take a while.

Relatedly - anyone have experience complaining about stuff like this? Is it worth my time to try?

Permalink Reply by R W on July 31, 2014 at 9:14am

Apparently 311 will record complaints about parking in bike lanes. I've yet to call in but maybe if we all make a habit of it? 

I think what is particularly frustrating is that people can tell it's a bike lane... and just don't care. It seems many of the problems aren't due to unclear markings or misunderstandings. It's due to drivers being convinced that they are 100% more important than you and your safety.

Permalink Reply by Walter Dworak on July 31, 2014 at 9:15am

Im curious, has anyone in the community looked into crowd sourced enforcement of bike lane laws, particularly parking in lane? It seems like a quick phone snap would be enough to prove it and I don't exactly see why the city would be *against* being able to send out tickets basically with *free* evidence. Honestly just wondering and figured this group would know, given the recent cluster-fuck with the red light cams they should consider just accepting citizen reports with clear evidence even just as an easy money grab (lets be honest, that would be the only way to pitch such a system effectively).

Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on July 31, 2014 at 11:46am
I would LOVE to see this. Everyone seems to have a camera phone these days, and of it was an app or site that prompted to get clear photos (one front, one back, one plate) along with pinpointing the spot on a map, it could easily work. Doesn't the city want extra revenue these days?? Those tickets should be $150 a pop, last I checked.



Walter Dworak said:

Im curious, has anyone in the community looked into crowd sourced enforcement of bike lane laws, particularly parking in lane? It seems like a quick phone snap would be enough to prove it and I don't exactly see why the city would be *against* being able to send out tickets basically with *free* evidence. Honestly just wondering and figured this group would know, given the recent cluster-fuck with the red light cams they should consider just accepting citizen reports with clear evidence even just as an easy money grab (lets be honest, that would be the only way to pitch such a system effectively).

Permalink Reply by Jerry Lee on July 31, 2014 at 12:19pm

when the new bike lane on Broadway went in a month ago, cars were parking daily in the bike lanes at Foster and Broadway, not just for a few moments but all day and night, I notify alderman's office, and one of his aides notified the police district, I haven't seen a car parked there since. I guess it helps if the alderman is also a full time biker.

Permalink Reply by Eli on July 31, 2014 at 1:34pm

Sometimes I have been tempted, when a car is just parked in the bike lane, to park my bike crosswise in the main lane and block car traffic until the car moves. I'll get out of "their" lane when they get out of mine--seems fair, right? Motorists love to apply collective responsibility to bikes, so surely they won't mind a bit of turnabout.

Somehow, though, I suspect enforcement would be a little more stringent than it is for drivers who park in the bike lane.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 1, 2014 at 6:21am

Sweet!

Jerry Lee said:

when the new bike lane on Broadway went in a month ago, cars were parking daily in the bike lanes at Foster and Broadway, not just for a few moments but all day and night, I notify alderman's office, and one of his aides notified the police district, I haven't seen a car parked there since. I guess it helps if the alderman is also a full time biker.

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