LFP at bend...treacherous

Looks solid but is slick. Went down. Struggled to to make it. I would strongly recommend not taking that route today (until salt is down or ice melts).

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on December 1, 2014 at 4:33am

Considering that there's a steady wind out of the north, avoiding the area around Oak St. might be a really good idea today.

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on December 1, 2014 at 5:01am
Permalink Reply by JeffB on December 1, 2014 at 5:31am

WGN was reporting that they closed it and that a cyclist went into the lake this morning.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on December 1, 2014 at 5:43am

WBEZ was including the icy LFP in their traffic reports this morning. I thought that was pretty cool of them. 

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on December 1, 2014 at 6:15am
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Bike-Path-Closed-on-Oak-Street...

LFP Closed. Report of one cyclist injured and taken to hospital after fall on ice.
Permalink Reply by SixtyTwoPercent on December 1, 2014 at 2:13pm

Quick update. I posted this morning and then read the comments much later.

I actually went down, and slid toward the lake. Pretty scary thinking I was going in fully clothed. Luckily my slide came to a rest, but not before I got a little soaking. I remember thinking that I hope the bike somehow keeps me from getting pulled in. Not sure why I thought of that in the moment.

I was able to stand up and then make my way straight up and to the wall...looking for a non-icy patch on which to stand while the water kept coming/going. It was a little unnerving. Obviously it worked out or I would not be typing this. To be clear the ground looked evenly dry/un-icy to my eye. I have been riding this route for nearly eight years now. I am still not sure how I messed up and did not see the ice.

I did see the marine unit heading toward the location a few minutes later. I was curious if someone indeed went in after I went down. I know after I was able to regain composure and begin riding again, I had to alert a northbound rider to divert. You really could not see the ice and he was coming up on it fast.

Glad to be home in one piece (I left the bike at work!)

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on December 1, 2014 at 2:41pm

I've fallen twice at that location due to the ice. It's invisible there, forming one continuous sheet and, as you've discovered, it does have the potential to kill you. 

It will take millions to re-engineer that section of the LFP and it will probably be done in conjunction with another project to straighten out the drive at that location as well. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime. Too bad though, if they could fix it then the entire LFP would be bikeable, year 'round.

SixtyTwoPercent said:

         ........

 To be clear the ground looked evenly dry/un-icy to my eye. I have been riding this route for nearly eight years now. I am still not sure how I messed up and did not see the ice.

.......

You really could not see the ice and he was coming up on it fast.

Glad to be home in one piece (I left the bike at work!)

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on December 2, 2014 at 2:17pm

You really recommend Inner LSD?  I've ridden south a few times but wouldn't even think of going north on it.  I'd suggest Michigan Avenue before that, and realistically State Street.

http://goo.gl/maps/JsIlE

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on December 2, 2014 at 4:18pm

Actually, there are two weird places where traffic can enter and exit LSD in that stretch.  It is incredibly confusing (and I know one is at Chicago, but cannot remember where the other is).  Of course the easy answer to implement your suggestion would be to just close off those entrances/exits.

And I have ridden southbound on Inner LSD a few times because I was going to the hospital, but I sure did not like it.


Cameron 7.5 mi said:

There really isn't a cost effective fix for the current path. Any successful project would have to reconstruct and redesign the lake wall. A more cost effective option would be to build a two way PBL on the east side of the inner drive between Oak and Ohio, and rework the existing underpasses to connect the PBL to the path. The inner drive has plenty of width to work with (it doesn't really need to be four lanes) and there aren't any intersections on the east side so there wouldn't be any intersection conflicts to worry about with a two way PBL. This would let through cyclists bypass the ice in the winter and the congestion in the summer.

 

Basically some minor improvements to make it easy to do this.



Joe Guzzardo said:

I've fallen twice at that location due to the ice. It's invisible there, forming one continuous sheet and, as you've discovered, it does have the potential to kill you. 

It will take millions to re-engineer that section of the LFP and it will probably be done in conjunction with another project to straighten out the drive at that location as well. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime. Too bad though, if they could fix it then the entire LFP would be bikeable, year 'round.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on December 3, 2014 at 5:28am

Mind you, this is the inner 14 year veteran bike messenger speaking (the one who "retired" back in 2000), but you need to "grow some."  But then I read your comfort with the Inner Drive and realize you're no shrinking Willy.  Ride on.

rwein5 said:

You'd prefer to ride Michigan Ave?? Replete with 6 lanes of cabs, buses, and tourists? You are an insane person. If you don't like Inner LSD, I'd recommend St Clair, Fairbanks, or Mies van der Rohe

I ride inner LSD every day, all season, as I work in Streeterville. I've done so for 2 years and the only issue I've ever had was getting splashed by an SUV during a downpour once.

Tricolor said:

You really recommend Inner LSD?  I've ridden south a few times but wouldn't even think of going north on it.  I'd suggest Michigan Avenue before that, and realistically State Street.

http://goo.gl/maps/JsIlE

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on December 3, 2014 at 9:41am

You have a lot more lane options and a sidewalk if you need to bail on Michigan, and can work with the predictable movement of buses to make decent time while overall traffic is slowed down by the congestion.  On inner LSD you have faster traffic, fewer lanes, no buses to work with, and your bail is over a little curb right into the oncoming traffic of *real* Lake Shore Drive (northbound, of course).  Congestion isn't that bad if you pay a mind to where buses will need to go pay attention to what anyone in front of you may do.  Only when it's gridlocked will you have trouble getting through.  But again I prefer State Street when in need and Dearborn when I have time to relax.  They all connect to the lakefront trail.

Permalink Reply by Waymond Smith on December 3, 2014 at 6:08pm

When you hit that patch of ice, the only thing that you can do is CRAWL BABY and drag your bike. It's really funny when you see more than 3 bikers crawling at a  time! LOL!!!!!!

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