The Chainlink

Questions for the next Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council meeting?

Hello Chainlinkers,

 

The next MBAC meeting is Wednesday June 12. 2013 (3:00 pm, City Hall, Rm 1103 - public invited!). 

 

I'm one of three community representatives on the council and have a chance to bring up topics of discussion or ask questions of the CDOT officials during the meeting.

 

Since you're a large part of the bicycling community and I'm your rep, I ask you: What questions would you like asked or topics discussed? 

 

(Edited May 31 2013 to update date)

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 14, 2013 at 7:54am

I think you covered it pretty well.    The name of the new general manager of Alta is Ed Inlow.  Quick Linkedin check confirmed spelling of his name.  Looks like he came from Accenture doing Management Consulting.  I had to leave early so I wasn't able to personally congratulate him on the new position.  Happy its starting to roll forward. Gabe Klein mentioned he hoped the first installation would happen right around the time of the next MBAC meeting in June.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on March 14, 2013 at 8:55am

How do they plan to do that? It's one thing to say you are going to, another to have a feasible plan that will generate results.

Anne Alt said:


Charlie Short informed us yesterday that the bike program is picking up the slack to help prevent these problems in the future.  Three cheers for the folks at CDOT!

Permalink Reply by Melissa on March 14, 2013 at 9:25am

Thanks for the reports!  Also, here's a nice primer on Complete Streets.  The concept has been around for a long time, so it's great to see that it's finally being considered in Chicago. 

http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets/complete-streets...

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 14, 2013 at 9:32am

My understanding from what he explained yesterday is that they are reviewing proposed rack designs and site plans and offering guidance when needed to prevent bad installations.

Charlie - If you'd like to elaborate on this at all, please do.

Duppie 13.5185km said:

How do they plan to do that? It's one thing to say you are going to, another to have a feasible plan that will generate results.

Anne Alt said:


Charlie Short informed us yesterday that the bike program is picking up the slack to help prevent these problems in the future.  Three cheers for the folks at CDOT!

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on March 14, 2013 at 9:38am

Jim asked about Sacramento?

Michelle Stenzel said:

The MBAC meeting was held today. I'll provide just a few elements and Anne or Julie can chime in as well, and of course, there will likely be coverage on Streetsblog Chicago as well.

CDOT has reorganized. There will be a new org chart available and they're working on a newer website as well. There will be more alignment to allow an approach that is more oriented toward "Complete Streets" and not silos for bike projects, placemaking projects, pededstrian projects, etc. The outreach to communities will be more wholistic under this new organization.

The new Complete Streets plan will be released soon.

Wells St between Chicago and North will indeed be resurfaced and then it will have buffered lanes put in. The time frame is resurfacing hopefully April/May and then lanes put in maybe May/June.

Dearborn PBL will get the plates put in on the bridge over the next week or so. They will be fixing the potholes and drainage issues. They'll be putting in improvements throughout the season in order to help visibility at intersections, alleys and driveways, including things like signage, green paint and more.

Bike share: Alta was now confirmed as the official bike share company we're working with. They hired the new GM for the bike share program and he came on board two days ago (I didn't catch his name). The first 300 sites have been recommended and are now under aldermanic review. They're now talking about a summer roll out, but Gabe Klein sounds hopeful to have it begun by the next MBAC meeting in mid-June.

CLOCC, the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago's Children, has a new Obesity Prevention Blueprint available online.

The LIB, League of IL Bicyclists, is developing an online bicyclist safety quiz (pretty comprehensive, though) that will be aimed at schoolkids, adult cyclists, and drivers.

What did I miss, Anne/Julie/Anyone?

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on March 15, 2013 at 11:45am

H' sorry, didn't see your question before: Sacramento came up in the context of whether CDOT will continue putting in infrastructure when the street surface is suboptimal.

See a little more on that and a comprehensive summary of the full March MBAC meeting at John's Stre... from today.

Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on March 15, 2013 at 3:50pm

Picking up slack isn't the right way to put it. What's been happening is the folks here at CDOT have been holding developers to the standards set out in the zoning ordinance, which means making sure bike parking (both indoor and out) gets installed. The zoning ordinance is confusing at best, and making sure it gets followed so we actually provide space for bikes is super important. An example of this was a mixed use structure (residential, educational and commercial) that we made sure bike parking got installed appropriate for each use. The developer was already providing the indoor parking for residents and felt that that somehow accommodated all the modes. CDOT folks made sure that they also provided outdoor spaces for the commercial and educational uses.

Additionally, we're making sure that the designs for bike parking can actually accommodate bikes (as opposed to some racks that get installed too close to buildings or other structures.)

We're working on some other behind the scenes bike parking stuff that I'll be able to report on in the coming months.


Anne Alt said:

My understanding from what he explained yesterday is that they are reviewing proposed rack designs and site plans and offering guidance when needed to prevent bad installations.

Charlie - If you'd like to elaborate on this at all, please do.

Duppie 13.5185km said:

How do they plan to do that? It's one thing to say you are going to, another to have a feasible plan that will generate results.

Anne Alt said:


Charlie Short informed us yesterday that the bike program is picking up the slack to help prevent these problems in the future.  Three cheers for the folks at CDOT!

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 15, 2013 at 3:54pm

Thanks Charlie for the update!

Charlie Short 11.5 said:

Picking up slack isn't the right way to put it. What's been happening is the folks here at CDOT have been holding developers to the standards set out in the zoning ordinance, which means making sure bike parking (both indoor and out) gets installed. The zoning ordinance is confusing at best, and making sure it gets followed so we actually provide space for bikes is super important. An example of this was a mixed use structure (residential, educational and commercial) that we made sure bike parking got installed appropriate for each use. The developer was already providing the indoor parking for residents and felt that that somehow accommodated all the modes. CDOT folks made sure that they also provided outdoor spaces for the commercial and educational uses.

Additionally, we're making sure that the designs for bike parking can actually accommodate bikes (as opposed to some racks that get installed too close to buildings or other structures.)

We're working on some other behind the scenes bike parking stuff that I'll be able to report on in the coming months.


 

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on March 17, 2013 at 7:22pm


I apologize in advance for being redundant, but what about bike parking in the loop? NYC requires parking facilities maintain a certain minimum number of bike parking spaces and our vaunted mayor wants to make Chicago the bike friendliest city in America. This should be a no brainer. Not only will it encourage more bike commuters, but it will enhance the local economy as well. Outside of Millennium Park, there are very few off street bike parking facilities in the downtown area, and Millennium Park is too far out of the way for many of us.

Charlie Short 11.5 said:

Picking up slack isn't the right way to put it. What's been happening is the folks here at CDOT have been holding developers to the standards set out in the zoning ordinance, which means making sure bike parking (both indoor and out) gets installed. The zoning ordinance is confusing at best, and making sure it gets followed so we actually provide space for bikes is super important. An example of this was a mixed use structure (residential, educational and commercial) that we made sure bike parking got installed appropriate for each use. 

Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on March 17, 2013 at 10:42pm

Good points, all, but to be clear, Ann's original question was about poor outdoor parking at new developments, and that was what I was responding to. 


Joe Guzzardo said:


I apologize in advance for being redundant, but what about bike parking in the loop? NYC requires parking facilities maintain a certain minimum number of bike parking spaces and our vaunted mayor wants to make Chicago the bike friendliest city in America. This should be a no brainer. Not only will it encourage more bike commuters, but it will enhance the local economy as well. Outside of Millennium Park, there are very few off street bike parking facilities in the downtown area, and Millennium Park is too far out of the way for many of us.

Charlie Short 11.5 said:

Picking up slack isn't the right way to put it. What's been happening is the folks here at CDOT have been holding developers to the standards set out in the zoning ordinance, which means making sure bike parking (both indoor and out) gets installed. The zoning ordinance is confusing at best, and making sure it gets followed so we actually provide space for bikes is super important. An example of this was a mixed use structure (residential, educational and commercial) that we made sure bike parking got installed appropriate for each use. 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 18, 2013 at 6:12am

Thank you again!

Charlie Short 11.5 said:

Picking up slack isn't the right way to put it. What's been happening is the folks here at CDOT have been holding developers to the standards set out in the zoning ordinance, which means making sure bike parking (both indoor and out) gets installed. The zoning ordinance is confusing at best, and making sure it gets followed so we actually provide space for bikes is super important. An example of this was a mixed use structure (residential, educational and commercial) that we made sure bike parking got installed appropriate for each use. The developer was already providing the indoor parking for residents and felt that that somehow accommodated all the modes. CDOT folks made sure that they also provided outdoor spaces for the commercial and educational uses.

Additionally, we're making sure that the designs for bike parking can actually accommodate bikes (as opposed to some racks that get installed too close to buildings or other structures.)

We're working on some other behind the scenes bike parking stuff that I'll be able to report on in the coming months.

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on May 31, 2013 at 1:41pm

Bumping this discussion because the next MBAC meeting is on June 12th. As always, you can attend in person and ask questions directly of CDOT staff members present. I'm sure bike share will be a big topic on the agenda already as well as the status of the Milwaukee PBL, going in right now. I'll be there to raise questions as a community rep, and at minimum, I'm planning to revisit the problems caused by not timely re-paving streets torn up for water main work, as well as discussing the Dearborn bike lane, specifically asking what the plan is for continuing to upgrade it and make it safer for all street users (markings, signage, enforcement, asphalt, drainage). Do you have any other issues you'd like to suggest for consideration?

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