The Chainlink

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. 

Big intersection

The new beginning. Looking southeast at the intersection of Kinzie/Milwaukee/Desplaines. 

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on January 3, 2012 at 10:02am

@ 9:30 am: slippery mess.

Cameron Puetz said:

Similar conditions still this morning. I hope this isn't a sign of what winter in the protected lanes means. Looks like I'll be shifting my commute back to Washington.



Mike Zumwalt said:

Only halfway salted or cleared today. But if it wasn't bad enough to ride out of the painted bike lane now we need to ride out of the "protected" lane past parked cars in the only remaining lane meant for cars.

FAIL.

Permalink Reply by Trachea on January 3, 2012 at 2:30pm

I was walking over Kinzie bridge at approximately 12:45pm today behind the truck that was salting bike lanes. Basically it's a guy in the back of S&S truck flinging salt from a shovel in regular intervals onto the bridge grate covers. Looks like they were covering both east & westbound lanes.

Permalink Reply by Davo on January 3, 2012 at 3:38pm

Its nice to see some people who used to live in Nebraska here. I didn't live in Lincoln when they put the "Middle of the road bike lanes" in but when I heard about it and saw them, I thought they were pretty dumb. I hope they go ahead with the prtected lane plan.

Jeff Schneider said:

The older part of the city of Lincoln has a compact grid street pattern, with quiet streets (good for biking) running parallel to most major arterials.  Growing up in Lincoln, I was able to bike everywhere I needed to go.

Unfortunately, the grid was abandoned in later developments.  There, as in most suburbs, all through traffic is forced onto major arterials.  At the same time, a really impressive system of bike trails was constructed.  For recreation, it's fine, but it isn't extensive enough to compensate for the loss of the grid.

It's nice to see some people in Lincoln remembering that bikes can be used for transportation as well as recreation.  Maybe someday the city will again be as inviting for cycling as it once was.

 

 
Daniel G said:

Uh-oh. Lincoln, Nebraska is just a few city-planning committees away from tying Chicago for number of protected lanes. 

http://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-considerin...

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 4, 2012 at 7:59pm

I've never had a problem with metal grated bridges. They make me a bit nervous in wet/snowy weather as the back tire occasionally slides around a bit, but I've never fallen on one or lost control. 

And in salt news: 

Rode over the 18th St bridge today. There was so much salt on the protected bike lane that I could not see the bike lane markings.


David said:

I'm one of the riders who has shifted to riding Kinzie quite a bit.  However, that's pretty much 100% due to the plates over the bridge and has nothing to due with the protected bike lane.  If the bridge grating at Chicago or Grand were covered in the bike lane, I'd go right back to riding Kinzie just once in a blue moon.    I've loved PBL's in other cities but am kind of ambivalent about the Kinzie implementation.  But I really, really hate the bridge gratings.

I'm just a single data point, but I'm really curious how common my experience is.  This is really important stuff because it's not just building a network that's important, it's actually understanding what makes people feel safer.   A bike route only feels as safe as the most dangerous link in the route.   CDOT has a long history of building bike routes with really scary intersections interspersed (think Damen-Elston), which really defeats most of the purpose of the bike lane. 

Steven Vance said:

Even if Kinzie has "stolen" riders from Grand, Lake, Washington, or another street, it's shown the attractiveness of what people think is a place that is safer and more comfortable to ride. One segment on one route where many people don't need to go won't be enough to build cycling numbers. A network will do that. 


Permalink Reply by David on January 4, 2012 at 8:40pm

Well, when I say I hate them, I must admit I've never fallen on one either, and I'm a world class klutz.  

I probably have much the same "make me a bit nervous in web/snowy weather" reaction that you do, but right now that's enough to make me change my route.   Related to this is the fact that a) I have thinner tires this year, and b) the Chicago Ave. bridge has become completely insane since Halsted closed.

Tony Adams said:

I've never had a problem with metal grated bridges. They make me a bit nervous in wet/snowy weather as the back tire occasionally slides around a bit, but I've never fallen on one or lost control. 

Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on January 5, 2012 at 9:04am

And here's a Flood Brothers garbage truck parked in the westbound Kinzie bike lane yesterday at 4:30 p.m.

Permalink Reply by Mark on January 5, 2012 at 9:45am

Nice driving!!  Looks like they need move the barriers a couple inches closer to the curb;)

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 5, 2012 at 10:32am

Might as well just be driving on the sidewalk...

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on January 5, 2012 at 11:41am

People from Salt Lake city came to look at it.

Detroit's closing it's underground salt mines and cleaning the Chicago streets for it's supply.

The Morton factory has stopped production and opened a recycling center.

Jeff Schneider said:

There is an insane amount of salt on Kinzie tonight. It's like riding on a beach.
Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on January 22, 2012 at 4:21pm

Thank you pizza delivery! I guess I should have ridden the sidewalk, it was much more ridable anyways!

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on May 8, 2012 at 2:34pm

Why are half the bollards missing?

Permalink Reply by Duppie on May 8, 2012 at 4:14pm

The city took them out last week. They left the ones at the corners, but removed all of them across the parking lane.

Juan said:

Why are half the bollards missing?

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