What's this doing in the bike lane?

Share your pics, videos, streets, stories of what you find in the bike lane of the non-bike variety that has an impact on your ride and/or your safety. I've decided to keep it a little more open ended - cars, snow, buses, garbage, cabs, etc. If they shouldn't be in the bike lane, go ahead and add it to this thread. Please be safe if you are taking pics or video! :-)

My hope is that we can collectively build some evidence of what we see when riding in the city with the overall hope of better enforcement of "bikes only" and improving maintenance.

Update: More Hashtags to Capture Vehicles in the Bike Lane

With popular hashtags:
#BikeLaneShaming

#LaneSpreading (Chicago Bike Selling)

#ClearTheWay (ActiveTrans), there are many options to capture violations.

We think you should use ALL of them AND post your photos on The Chainlink. ;-)

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on February 10, 2017 at 1:02pm

Ended up riding on the sidewalk, then down a one way on Jefferson just so I can get to work on time.

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 9, 2017 at 5:53pm

This is the 2nd time I've caught this numbnut. I'm contacting the company tomorrow, and cc'ing the ward office.

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 10, 2017 at 11:52am

I contacted the owner of the company, Flood Brothers. I attached the photo, and cc'd the 42nd Ward Office. I'm not holding my breath.

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 10, 2017 at 1:10pm

I got a response from the owner. It was as dopey as expected:

"He was parked there because he was picking up trash , it gets picked up off the street .. It’s the only spot it can be picked up from and the only way the driver can stay safe due to traffic. "

So basically, it's acceptable to keep safe by risking the lives of cyclists who are forced into traffic.

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Permalink Reply by HumanPoweredTransportation on February 11, 2017 at 2:26pm

This is good evidence that the City needs to delegate more loading zones incertain areas, even if they have to negotiate with the parking company over removing metered parking spaces (just another reason to avoid the nightmare of selling off public services--the city loses control).

I would present a list a very common spots that there are delivery vehicles, places where there is no mid-block 15min loading zones or something similar and make such a request. Having more legal reserved spaces will help those Uber and cabbies, and delivery drivers while, to some degree, helping keep the bike lanes clear close to these 15 minute parking zones (even if they were 15min delivery 8a-6pm or something and could be metered at other hours).

Who will take up the challenge to make such a request of the City?

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 11, 2017 at 3:55pm

Even the spots along the route that have loading zones have cars standing in the lane, as there simply isn't enough curb space. Why are they picking up trash during the height of rush hour? They know there will be no parking available. If a company knows there is a bike lane near one of their pickup points, they needs to schedule it in the early morning, or late evening.

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Permalink Reply by Dale allen Bartlett on February 10, 2017 at 9:48am

Not the city and from 2014 but still bullshit. oak lawn, il around 17miles southwest suburbs. In 2014 i was on my normal bike ride and seen these two cops talking. I stoped and asked them to move out the bike lane and they laughed at me and told me to get a car. As you can see that black car had to go around the animal control van. My hometown of oak lawn, il is not a bike friendly town. It don't matter how i dress or what bike im riding that day i always have someone giving me problems or yelling or throwing stuff at me.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on February 10, 2017 at 1:00pm

Even in the city. the police were on the side of the driver when they had to be called in to quell the argument I had with the sphincter driver that tried to run me off the road.

"Bike friendly" Daley was mayor at the time and I overheard one of the police officers saying "F@<( Daley and his bike programs".

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Permalink Reply by HumanPoweredTransportation on February 10, 2017 at 1:13pm

Oh professional drivers are easy. Take any photo, video or other evidence and contact the company. People behaving dangerously, even aggressively behind the wheel are a liability to their organization.

Contact the company (I often get good results, sometimes I have had gift cards thrown my way from corporate)--and if you don't suspect they are taking you seriously I would certainly post to social media.

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on February 10, 2017 at 1:43pm

I just had an unpleasant email exchange with the owner of a trash hauling company. His response was "Everyone lives matter here .. It’s a temporarily situation and we cant park a garbage truck at the curb if cars are always there ..".

So, forcing cyclists into traffic is OK if the result is making their driver safer. Oy yeh.

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Permalink Reply by Adam C. on February 11, 2017 at 5:51am

When I first moved to Alsip back in the early 2000's, I'd ride my bike around it and also over into Oak Lawn. Dale is right about Oak Lawn not being a bike friendly town. It didn't take me long to realize that and I eventually pretty much stopped riding there unless I absolutely had to.