Best routes (tricks) around Oak-Ohio closure

My first winter on the road commuting and loving it, don't mind the cold at all, snow pack is okay..I have good routes trough Evanston and Rogers Park but icy streets downtown sketch me out

Hoping to hear some good routes from Oak on LFT to McDonald's center.  Ideas?

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on January 10, 2015 at 3:41pm

That's the irony. The McDonald's center is in a very bike unfriendly area. I'm not aware of any easy way to get from the LFT to the Mcdonald's center. You can't ride through Millennium Park. Columbus Drive and Randolph are below grade level there. The best way I know of to get there from the LFT is to take the Riverwalk and cut through lower Wacker Drive to get to Field Blvd., ride around Lake Shore East park back to Field Blvd and to Randolph from there. Not exactly a straightforward or even very pleasant ride imho. I was hoping they would have added some pedestrian/bike friendly access across the Outer Drive as part of the Maggie Daley park project to correct this problem but no such luck.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on January 11, 2015 at 4:43am

State to Kinzie then take the lowers to Michigan, you have to carry your bike up the stairs but it's never snowy under and a little bit warmer.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on January 11, 2015 at 4:48am
LFT to south of river, then turn under LFT, go east under LSD to Lakeshore East development, circle around Lakeshore East park, then turn right uphill out of the development. You will end up on upper Randolph, a little east of the bicycle center. No walking or stairs involved
Permalink Reply by PK RPR on January 11, 2015 at 6:41am

Thanks,  good routes.  do you take inner drive when the LFT is closed between Oak and Ohio?  its okay southbound but looks bad northbound... other proffered routes?

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on January 11, 2015 at 10:07am

This is what I do. Great route Duppie. Also good for getting to concerts at Millenium in the summer.

Duppie said:

LFT to south of river, then turn under LFT, go east under LSD to Lakeshore East development, circle around Lakeshore East park, then turn right uphill out of the development. You will end up on upper Randolph, a little east of the bicycle center. No walking or stairs involved
Permalink Reply by SixtyTwoPercent on January 11, 2015 at 3:04pm

This is my normal commute route home (reverse order...east on Madison to Michigan, north to that first block that splits to upper/lower wacker, left onto the feeder road to the development, circle 1/4 around, cut under the building, out the back, under the overpass and loop up and onto the LFT heading north.) Reverse makes sense. I tend to take the river path (lower wacker) when going into the loop in the morning.

Duppie said:

LFT to south of river, then turn under LFT, go east under LSD to Lakeshore East development, circle around Lakeshore East park, then turn right uphill out of the development. You will end up on upper Randolph, a little east of the bicycle center. No walking or stairs involved
Permalink Reply by JohnO on January 11, 2015 at 4:27pm

One thing I don't like about taking the river path route is crossing Lower Wacker Drive to get to the Lakeshore East Park. There is a crosswalk but it's dark and you're in a blindspot to westbound traffic until you're halfway across. Westbound traffic is light, but when it is there it's usually going fast.... makes me very uneasy.

Permalink Reply by Mark on January 12, 2015 at 10:35am

Exit LFT at North Ave underpass, then west on North Ave, south on State, east on Delaware, south on Wabash, east on Wacker PLACE across Michigan and up the ramp, south on Upper Columbus to Upper Randolph.  Only 3 stoplights on Wabash between Chicago and Wacker.  The route can be reversed heading north using Rush Street between Superior and Cedar.

Permalink Reply by Nançois on January 13, 2015 at 3:59am

What I did today was LFT to underpass at Oak St., then rode Oak west to State, State south to Delaware, Delaware east to Wabash, Wabash south to Lake, Lake east to Stetson, Stetson south to Randolph, walk bike on sidewalk up to MCC.

Permalink Reply by SixtyTwoPercent on January 13, 2015 at 5:09pm

I should add that the Riverwalk path (east/west waterfront path from LFT to roughly State Street) is a nightmare if you are not riding knobbies. Heck, even with there are some sketchy parts (like near one of the bridges where no guard rail exists next to the river.)

Permalink Reply by PK RPR on January 14, 2015 at 10:31pm
Thanks for all the help!!

I found a good map of multi level streets on Wikipedia that also helped (attached)
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