The Chainlink

Introducing "Close Calls", website to record your near misses

Close Calls

The purpose of Close Calls is to collect data about cyclists’ encounters with inattentive and reckless driving, as well as poorly designed and maintained infrastructure. These close calls, while not physically injurious, contribute to perceptions that Chicago’s streets are not safe or comfortable for cycling, which in turn compromises efforts to get more people on bikes. They also indicate behavior and conditions that might result in injuries – or fatalities – in the future. This data will help identify “hot spots” that need attention–whether through targeted enforcement, education or roadway modifications.

This site is operated by Gin Kilgore and Steven Vance (@stevevance). All entries are moderated and sometimes edited. Although our form requires you to submit your name and email, we cannot validate them. 

Since it's a pretty manual process right now, please spread out your submissions (don't submit them all at once if you have several to report in a day). 

I'm seeking/developing a better process. Those who are technologically inclined and willing to help should contact me off-list. 

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I am thrilled and grateful that Steven has created a resource that has long simmered on my mind! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please do use this site. It helps us take the temperate of the streets and provide feedback to decision makers. And, it's a way to document your venting. How many of us have had a negative encounter, come home or to work and raged about it to anyone in earshot? Well, let's get that rage, fear, discomfort, etc on the record!

Will you add the functionality  to add "Close Call" to your app?

This has the potential to be a great resource and give a much more accurate picture of what we face as cyclists on Chicago streets. Reported crashes show only a small fraction of what happens out there. I suspect that a year or two of data from this site could be very enlightening and extremely useful to planners in adding and refining bike infrastructure and to advocates in shaping policy goals.

Thank you Steven and Gin!

I really enjoy reading the stories from this. Almost reads like an AUTObiographical account of some of my more than 2 decades worth of treacherous travels throughout the city.

Good question... 

I will do this. 

J.A.W. said:

Will you add the functionality  to add "Close Call" to your app?

oh, ill know ill be contributing to this!  there are two spots that offer constant ire on my commute home.  called the local police and cdot on one of them to no avail.

Data, esp crowd sourced data, is the way to really get things done and help make changes for the better.  

Thanks to you Steven and Gin for creating this great tool! Luckily, I haven't had any close call experiences (yet) to report. If (when) I do, I will certainly contribute.

I'm curious, as this valuable data is collected; do you have any plans on how to distribute the data to organizations and/or city officials that may be able to use this information to better the laws and infrastructure in the city?

(P.S..... I just want to plant these few words in your brain subconsciously: Android OS! Android OS! Android OS! Android OS! Android OS! Android OS!)  ;-)

I have no plans for how this will evolve. The potential uses for the data, though, are well-understood. Will Gin and I take the responsibility of actualizing those potential uses? Who knows. This is a large undertaking that I hope, at its base, serves as a way to document problem areas. 

While we can easily track the number of crashes and the number of people cycling (although we generally don't track the number of people cycling except in project-specific locations), we cannot track the number of people who aren't cycling but want to. This is an attempt to find the "latent potential of crash locations". 

JimmyD 3.75 mi said:

Thanks to you Steven and Gin for creating this great tool! Luckily, I haven't had any close call experiences (yet) to report. If (when) I do, I will certainly contribute.

I'm curious, as this valuable data is collected; do you have any plans on how to distribute the data to organizations and/or city officials that may be able to use this information to better the laws and infrastructure in the city?

Please only post actual close calls. Do not post problematic locations at this time. 

thanks for starting this resource. Here's a hot-spot for.downtown commuters: Monroe between Jefferson and Clinton. Cabs sit in a designated no standing zone after dropping fares at PepsiCo. I was nearly doored by a slav douche who walked to his cab door without looking after unloading the trunk. They then sit and wait for a fare going off to peddle poison somewhere. A cop is needed to issue "rolling tickets"?

This is fantastic!  I feel so alone out there when I am out on my bike daily and my heart is in my throat as a car turns left on the new RED ARROWS with my green bike picture go ahead clearly evident and so forth.  Thank you for giving us this place so that I can release the deadly cortisol that pours into my body at having almost been killed when I am following every rule:)(:

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