Kinzie. It's what's next.
Hopefully you've heard by now that CDOT will begin construction this week on the city's first protected bike lane: Kinzie Street from Milwaukee Avenue/Desplaines Street to Wells Street.
Full story on Steven Can Plan.
I want to know what you think about this.
- What do you feel will need special attention?
- Is this the right or wrong location for such a facility? Why?
- Are you going to thank/congratulate Rahm, Gabe, and the CDOT Bicycle Program?
- Will you use it?
Cycle track and protected bike lane naysayers, this isn't the post for you. But if you've ridden in protected bike lanes before, then I welcome your constructive comments and criticism based on your actual experiences.
The new beginning. Looking southeast at the intersection of Kinzie/Milwaukee/Desplaines.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on -
How can that be?!
It's worth a special trip!
I rode it again today. It's so weird.
It looks like left turns from westbound Kinzie to southbound Canal are especially difficult.
Julie Hochstadter said:I still haven't made it out yet..... hopefully soon.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on
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Yeah, thanks, USPS.
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Permalink Reply by jennifer james on -
Agreed.
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Permalink Reply by James BlackHeron on -
Through sleet or snow...
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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on -
I don't like this even though there's no stop sign and you clearly have the right of way cars parked along the side block cars view that want to turn.I can swerve around faster than I can stop from a car turning in front of me.
I want it back the way it was. No joggers, pedestrians, rollerbladers, cars parked in the lane... with drivers side lanes.
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Permalink Reply by Elihu Blanks on
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NO,
I would like to see this project on Stony becasue Stony is a bigger street and could use this improvement. It may also encourage more bikers on my side of town. I take stony to the lakefront trail to get to work once a week and would love to have this protection.
However, the painted green areas seam to give me a false impression that I can ride through them and not look out for cars there. I'm sure this isn't true so I will look out for my safety but the paint may give a false since of security.
Back to the Stony Island path. It would be a great way to link Southeast siders to their local comunities (shopping) that they may not frequent since we drive to Indiana and suburbs a lot. I was so happy to hear this project coming to my comunity that I had to try the Kinzie sample. Now I'm hurt that it isn't comming to Stony but they're right I'm one of a few riders who commute down Stony. Maybe if ATA (since they are so big) would hold events on the southeast side there would be more interest.
Duppie said:This Tribune article gives some more detail. Apparently the Kinzie cycle track is being paid for by money originally designated for the cycle track on Stony Island. That project has been cancelled.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-bike-track-0606-201...
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Please don't be "glad" that a project is cancelled. I altered my way to the north side yesterday becasue I wanted to try this new route.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL, in that cars can park and drive along side bikes. Yes, it is a little congested for bikers and autos but the system seams to flow safely.
This system may encourage more people to find better ways to get around becasue it apears safe.
In my opinion, to be "glad" that a safe idea is cancelled is just wrong. However, to be glad that it was moved so that it may be expanded is a good thing in my mind.
...Always Forward,
Steven Vance said:I read this only moments ago.
I'm glad that project is being cancelled.
Duppie said:This Tribune article gives some more detail. Apparently the Kinzie cycle track is being paid for by money originally designated for the cycle track on Stony Island. That project has been cancelled.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-bike-track-0606-201...
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Yea,
That's my argument abuot the paint seaming like a special permission for Bikes to go through the stop sign without worring about the cars. This is a false security, I'm sure, and I will stop for heavy cars, truck and other bikers if its their turn.
:)
Duppie said:I've been riding it the last few days (with all the bollards installed) and so far I'm impressed. Fewer car interactions, and even the left turns onto Clinton and Franklin aren't too hard to navigate.
One of the things I didn't expect is that the roadway for cars is not only single lane, but also narrow. It forces cars to slow down, and pay more attention to their driving
Now if bicyclists only could stop for stop signs when cars are present: This morning I saw 6 bicyclists in a row blow the eastbound stop sign at Clinton, while a westbound truck is trying to make a left turn onto Clinton and gets stuck halfway into his turn.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on -
Illinois bicycle riders are required to ride "as nearly as is practicable" to the curb. By default, if there is a bike lane next to the curb, then Illinois law essentially requires the rider to be in the bike lane.
Stefanie Seskin said:
It's a little different in New York, as I'm pretty sure bicyclists are required to use bike lanes if present. In Illinois, they are not.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on
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The Stony Island project was not cancelled. The Tribune misreported this.
Stony Island cycle track still on, but conflicting reports
Elihu Blanks said:Please don't be "glad" that a project is cancelled. I altered my way to the north side yesterday becasue I wanted to try this new route.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL, in that cars can park and drive along side bikes. Yes, it is a little congested for bikers and autos but the system seams to flow safely.
This system may encourage more people to find better ways to get around becasue it apears safe.
In my opinion, to be "glad" that a safe idea is cancelled is just wrong. However, to be glad that it was moved so that it may be expanded is a good thing in my mind.
...Always Forward,
Steven Vance said:I read this only moments ago.
I'm glad that project is being cancelled.
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GREAT!
Man, I am soooo happy to hear this! I mean I've ridden the newly paved trail through Jackson Park to the lakefront and was hopeful that Stony would get a bike lane, till I read this blog.
I moved from Palmer Square, in the Logan Square neighboorhood, back home to my Southeast side of Chicago to buy my home and thus pay real taxes / investment into our system. The only thing I missed was the bicycle culture that Alderman Ray Colon supported up there. This culture helped turn me from a leasure mountain biker, who got initiated through miles of single track in Georgia and Florida while in college, to an all conditions (road / off road) year round (Spring / Summer Fall & Winter) biker here in Chicago. I can hang with some of the best of them, for miles, till those road bikers decide to stop playing wuith me and leave me.
So now that the bike culture may be speading south I'm more than ready to welcome it and my test run on Kinzie taught me what to expect. I'm not realy worried about the snow becasue that's what off road tires are for and maybe I'll get some that have spikes :)...
Now personally, Steven Vance I appologize for what may have seamed like an attack on your opinion of riding on the Southside. Although, I still don't understand what you ment by "glad" I don't think you ment for everyone not to enjoy the flexability that the Northsides offer.
...ALWAYS Riding FORWARD Over Adversity,
Steven Vance said:The Stony Island project was not cancelled. The Tribune misreported this.
Stony Island cycle track still on, but conflicting reports
Elihu Blanks said:Please don't be "glad" that a project is cancelled. I altered my way to the north side yesterday becasue I wanted to try this new route.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL, in that cars can park and drive along side bikes. Yes, it is a little congested for bikers and autos but the system seams to flow safely.
This system may encourage more people to find better ways to get around becasue it apears safe.
In my opinion, to be "glad" that a safe idea is cancelled is just wrong. However, to be glad that it was moved so that it may be expanded is a good thing in my mind.
...Always Forward,
Steven Vance said:I read this only moments ago.
I'm glad that project is being cancelled.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on
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I don't think Stony Island will have much effect on either attracting riders to bike more, attracting new people to ride bikes, or to reduce crashes in the area. I think there are other places in the same area that could better do this.
But I could be wrong.
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