City Policy Makers May Hear Concerns Today About Winter Maintenance of Bicycle Lanes

Today is the perfect day to voice concerns to the City over how it has maintained (or not) Chicago's bike lanes over the winter.  From 3:00 to 4:30 this afternoon the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council (MBAC) will meet at City Hall to discuss the state of all things bicycle.  The meeting is open to the general public and will take place in Room 1103, 121 North LaSalle Street.  MBAC meetings are held four times a year and provide an excellent opportunity to hear about the latest bikey happenings and to discuss issues with actual policy makers.

There is much to discuss about how the City has dealt with a difficult winter season.  Judging solely by appearances, the City seems to have largely thrown in the towel when it comes to maintaining our (no longer) shiny new bicycle infrastructure.  Our bike lanes, particularly our protected bike lanes, are in terrible shape. Plastic posts meant to separate bikes from cars have in numerous instances been ripped from the asphalt, often by the City's own snow plows.  Potholes, are not merely an annoyance but are so deep and prevalent in areas designated for bike traffic that they are down right dangerous.  In the Kinzie protected bicycle lane there is a sewer cover that has recessed deeply into the ground so as to present a hazard to cyclists using what was once a gleaming example of where the we wanted to go as a city.  Someone placed a orange safety cone in it some weeks ago.  It now lays mashed in the hole, a limp symbol of our present sad state.

As my law partner, Jim Freeman, documented a short time ago on this blog, snow removal in Chicago bicycle lanes has been inconsistent this winter.  This morning conditions in both the Kinzie bike lane and the Loop's Dearborn bike lane were down right treacherous.  Both were filled with a thick mix of slush and ice that probably could have been avoided had the City simply placed salt in the bike lanes.  This is what Kinzie looked like at around 8:30 a.m.:

Chicago's Kinzie Bike Lane this morning

Many cyclists were forced to abandon the lane and ride on the sidewalk.

This is what the Dearborn bike lane looked like a short time later:

Chicago's Dearborn Bike Lane this morning

It was accurately worse than it looks and it looked bad for the lane's entire length through the Loop.  In the case of Dearborn, the City does not seem to have attempted snow removal.  Also, the situation was made worse by building property managers along the route pushing snow directly into the bike lane.  (I'm looking at you Monadnock Building.)  This has been a problem all winter long and the City is quite aware of it.  After snow storms Chicago police should be patrolling Dearborn handing out tickets to those dumping snow in the bike lane.  

My guess is that the City's response to many of these concerns will be that, you know, this was an exceptionally bad winter.  It was.  But the weather was certainly not unprecedented.  No one should be surprised when a Chicago winter is cold and snowy.  Perfection is not expected, but the current state of affairs is unacceptable and worrisome.  Is Chicago truly committed to making cycling safe and accessible for people "8 to 80" year 'round, or not?  If it is, then hard work and planning is required.

If you share the concerns raised here, or have additional concerns, show up today and make yourself heard. I know, the winter is nearly over and everyone is sick to death of thinking about snow and the removal thereof.  But the time is now to start making sure that next winter the City does a better job of making our bike lanes safe for everyone to use.

Smile, You're Blocking The Bike Lane!

A lot of folks have worked hard for many years to make Chicago's infrastructure better for bicyclists.  Perhaps the greatest advance has been the building of bike lanes which give cyclists a place on the streets to call their own.  So it really drives a lot of bicyclists nuts when people park or stop or do anything but bike in Chicago's bike lanes.  We all see them on a daily basis:  cars, delivery trucks, taxi cabs, etc. stopped or parked in the bike lanes.  Let me be clear, every time someone does that they are breaking the law.  The law creates no exceptions.  Here is the relevant City of Chicago ordinance:

9-40-060 Driving, standing or parking on bicycle paths or lanes prohibited - 

The driver of a vehicle shall not drive, unless entering or exiting a legal parking space, or stand, or park the vehicle upon any on street path or lane designated by official signs or markings for the use of bicycles, or otherwise drive or place the vehicle in such a manner as to impede bicycle traffic on such path or lane. The driver of a vehicle shall not stand or park the vehicle upon any lane designated by pavement markings for the shared use of motor vehicles and bicycles, or place the vehicle in such a manner as to impede bicycle traffic on such lane. In addition to the fine provided in Section 9-4-025 of this Code, any vehicle parked in violation of this section shall be subject to an immediate tow and removal to a city vehicle pound or authorized garage.Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 9-1-99, p. 10503, § 1; Amended Coun. J. 3-12-08, p. 22781, § 1

Reading the Chainlink this morning, I learned that one concerned and enterprising person has created a Tumblr page where anyone can upload photos of people blocking a bike lane.  Click here to upload your photo.  (Please be careful to stop your bike if you are going to take photos while out cycling.)

Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel's Transition Plan Offers Big Benefits To Chicago Bicyclists

Courtesy of Transportation Nation

Chicago's new mayor-elect has released his 2011 Transition Plan which contains some significant benefits for city bicyclists.  Rahm Emanuel's plan proposes the creation of 25 miles of protected bike lanes yearly for use by persons of all ages and abilities beginning in his first year in office.  A two mile long pilot location for a protected lane is to be chosen within his first 100 days in office.  Protected bike lanes will be located between the sidewalk and parked cars which would shield cyclists from moving motor vehicle traffic.  The City will prioritize creation of these new lanes to link various neighborhoods to Downtown and to each other.  (See Initiative #25 on page 37).

The bicycle will be taken seriously as a mode of intracity transportation when it becomes reasonably safe and convenient of everyone.  Protected bike lanes mean that shuttling young children to school or daycare in a trailer, bakfiet or child seat becomes a viable option for more people.  Take the fear of getting poleaxed by a car out the the equation and more Chicagoans will perform more errands on their bikes, reducing the number of cars on city streets.  This will reduce congestion for drivers and cyclists alike, lessen carbon emissions and make streets safer for all.

Chicago's Mayor-Elect Sees Protected Bicycle Lanes In City's Future

Protected bicycle lanes are in Chicago's future.  Or, so it would seem based upon the present discussion going on over at Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel's blog.  His Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is considering ideas "to make Chicago’s transportation network safer, easier, and more convenient and fun."  Among those ideas apparently receiving serious consideration is protected lanes.  The Committee states, "A major reason people say they avoid biking is dangerous traffic. By building protected bike lanes – which are physically separated from motor vehicle travel lanes, parking lanes, and sidewalks – Chicago can make urban cycling safer."


The idea is to pilot a two mile long protected bike way along a major corridor.  They are seeking the public's suggestions regarding where it should be.  Click here to provide your input.  (Raise your hand if you think it should be Milwaukee Avenue.)