Recent Events Related to Getting Around Chicago

Streetsblog Chicago is the daily news source and advocacy organization for sustainable transportation that addresses transit, walking, cycling, commuter railroad, ride share, and scooters.  John Greenfield co-founded it in 2013 and it has expanded with additional staff and free lancers.  John was the featured speaker at the August 14, 2019 Chicago Cycling Club meeting and provided an update on the following transportation issues related to cycling. ​

• Riverwalk bike ban – When the City of Chicago expanded riverfront access from the West Loop to the lake front, they claimed it would be a biking and walking facility when securing federal funds.  Due to congestion there are some that would like to prohibit biking on the Riverwalk.  Compromises are being discussed to require dismounting bikes and walking them in certain sections at certain times.  Other options are to convert a lane on upper Wacker Drive to a protected bike lane and redesigning portions of the Riverwalk to reduce the sharp turns and separate bike and pedestrian traffic.   

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• Dickens avenue greenway – The City proposed a neighborhood greenway in Lincoln Park, a new type of bike facility designed to make streets safer for all users.  It may include contraflow bike lanes (riding in both directions) and traffic calming measures such as raised crosswalk and curb bump outs.  There has been mixed reaction to the proposed change on Dickens from the community but additional community meetings are scheduled.   
• Separation of users on the lake front path – Ken Griffin, a wealthy hedge fund manager in Illinois, donated $12M to separate cycling and walking on the lake front path.  Work is mostly complete, although there are still some confusing sections such as at Foster Avenue beach so adjustments are expected. 
• Divvy expansion – The operator of the city’s bike share system, Lyft, is in the process of expanding with an additional 10,500 bikes and 175 docking stations so bikes would be available in all 50 wards by 2021.  In addition there will be a new dockless e-bikes so that people could cover longer distances more easily.  Uber filed a law suit against the City about how the deal was awarded, but it is not expected to impact the current expansion. 
• Bike lane blockages – There is a civic platform consisting of a web site and a mobile friendly option to report and track instances of blocked bike lanes called Bike Lane Uprising.  Having clear bike lanes makes cycling safer.  With the data collected problem spots can be identified and addressed.  There is limited space on the streets but it could be addressed with better management of curb spaces, creation of drop off zones, and enforcement. 
• Scooters – Bike sharing has been around since 2010 but scooter sharing only since 2018 so there is not as much experience with scooters in metropolitan areas. The fatality rate with scooters is higher perhaps due to the small wheels, high center of gravity, being harder for motorists to see, and faster speeds.   Until we have more experience with them, it is a good idea to be cautious when sharing a bike lane.  There is synergy with scooters in that a scooter ride is one less car trip and they create a demand for more bike lanes.

John left with this inspiration, “Everyday as you move through your city on foot, by bike, on transit, or, especially by car, you have the power to create bad or good vibes.  Use that power wisely.”   You can get your daily dose of active transportation news at https://chi.streetsblog.org/

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