The Chainlink

Lakefront Trail now officially closed overnight?

So I'm heading north on my nightly lakefront ride, when I get to Olive Beach at about 11:30 and suddenly encounter a CPD truck parked squarely in the middle of the bottleneck there, obviously blocking anyone from trying to pass and announcing that the lakefront closes at 11:00 every night.

 

I turned around and took to the streets at Grand because I'm not inclined to argue with law-enforcement officers---especially when they are only enforcing what is indeed, technically, the law. Still, I was surprised (and mildly annoyed at the inconvenience), because I have never, ever been shooed off the Lakefront Trail after 11:00 pm, as long as I've been on a bike and clearly going somewhere.

 

So, it seems that the assumption that the Lakefront Trail is "open" (nudge nudge wink wink) 24 hours for cyclists no longer holds, and I thought I should give the heads up. Has anyone else encountered this recently? For what it's worth, on the return trip, I got back on the trail at 18th Street and continued on to 47th Street without incident.

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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on June 28, 2011 at 8:03am

What time does it theoretically open in the morning?

 

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on June 28, 2011 at 8:15am

This is probably part of the efforts to keep ne'er-do-wells from the Ohio/Oak/North/Fullerton stretch. Too bad the strategy apparently requires banning law-abiding users as well. 

Permalink Reply by Carly on June 28, 2011 at 8:40am
Thats such a freak incident. The Lakefront path is legally supposed to remain open to cyclists all through the night, while any park or beach off the path closes at 11pm.  Its such a sadness that these scum bags have ruined it.
Permalink Reply by Melanie K on June 28, 2011 at 8:57am
I have seen CPD shoo people out of the park and lakefront path around 11:15 at night, but I never actually saw them completely block the path before or tell a cyclist to get off the path if it seemed they were going somewhere. I can only speculate it is in the interest of keeping the park safe and getting rid of the rabble that may congregate there due to prior incidents along the lakefront.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 28, 2011 at 9:13am

You can't have a police state without police.

 

I'm sure pushing around law-abiding bicyclist is much less stressful for these guys than confronting large gangs of violent roving zombies bent on terrorizing the public and beating the crap out of people. 

Permalink Reply by Clare on June 28, 2011 at 9:28am
I actually got ticketed for riding the path at night...way back in 2005 (I was on my way to work). It was during the Taste of Chicago that year. My sense is that the police are trying to clear out all of Grant Park and the lakefront promptly at 11:00 in order to keep festival-goers from causing too much havoc, drunkenly falling into the lake, etc.  Which is also why there's little enforcement the further you are from downtown.  I'm guessing this time next week it will be open again...at least until the next major festival (lollapalooza?).
Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on June 28, 2011 at 9:39am
OH MY GOD! There are zombies in Chicago now?!?
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on June 28, 2011 at 9:40am
I....  Wait, what?

Adam "Cezar" Jenkins said:
OH MY GOD! There are zombies in Chicago now?!?
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on June 28, 2011 at 9:43am
Entertainment, Michael.  Entertainment.

Michael Brosilow said:
Gawd, give it a rest will you.

James Baum said:

You can't have a police state without police.

 

I'm sure pushing around law-abiding bicyclist is much less stressful for these guys than confronting large gangs of violent roving zombies bent on terrorizing the public and beating the crap out of people. 

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on June 28, 2011 at 9:50am

BTW, for LFP commuters.  I find that during the "Waste of Chicago" it's easier to go a little South to Balbo and cross there vs. crossing at Adams (read "crossing rain delay").

 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 28, 2011 at 10:07am

-just being silly.  

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on June 28, 2011 at 2:58pm
That's how I'd interpret it.  In past years, I've never had a problem with police when I was riding through after 11:00, as long as I wasn't loitering.  Right now they're on a zero tolerance policy, and that kind of thing tends to have a few adverse affects on regular folks.  Hopefully this will pass.

Michelle said:

This is probably part of the efforts to keep ne'er-do-wells from the Ohio/Oak/North/Fullerton stretch. Too bad the strategy apparently requires banning law-abiding users as well. 

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