The Chainlink

CTA website says "Sheltered bike parking available" which is not as descriptive as I was hoping for. 

Anyone have knowledge on if it would it be OK to leave my bike (properly locked) there over the weekend? I want to ride there then get on the train to fly out of O'Hare.

I like other blue line station's parking where the racks are inside the turn-styles, visible to the employee stations, and covered from the elements, hoping that is the case at Jefferson Park too.

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I hesitate to post anything to discourage you (or anyone) but a good friend had her carefully locked bike stolen from there.   As it was a bike I had fixed up and given to her I was particularly sad to hear this.   The bike was nothing special, an old Specialized HardRock (Cruz version, if you happen to see it), but it had turned out very nicely as an urban bike.

It's along the front of the building under an overhang.  Special racks like the ones in some other stations (Midway, Damen Blue come to mind.)

The whole setup is out in the open but unfortunately the way they are configured it would be fairly easy to take your time doing what you like to steal one, and not attract any attention or have anyone casually be able to see what you're doing.

My recommendation is to find a city rack close-by on Milwaukee and lock with two U-locks.

I had a Specialized Hardrock stolen there too!

Would not recommend it as a safe spot, and would not use it myself. 

Mine was stolen about 6 years ago on a Friday sometime duirng regular business hours.  The CTA was not helpful in the slightest (they have cameras everywhere but saw nothing).

The bike parking looks like this. The screens do seem to disguise any aisle activity further down the line. 

high-density bike parking

What a poor design. No way you can trust this.

You need 3 locks for this. U-lock the front wheel to the frame. U-lock the back wheel to the frame. Lock bike frame to bike rack on 2nd level if you can reach it.

O'Hare has 2 bike racks near the turnstiles in the airport to the right?(heading in) of the escalators near a manned cta station, might be a better bet.


It was designed for shelter,looks and storage capacity. On that it's good. The Damen stop is inside the turnstiles but outside or inside it's still available and sheltered for a leisurely way for thieves to take your bike and get back on the Blue line or like Jeff park just put it on one of the bus racks and deal with the locks later.
Tom A.K. said:

What a poor design. No way you can trust this.

I live not to far from there, but right between the Jeff park and Harlem stops, if you'd like (depend on when you're leaving/returning) we have a spare room you could stick your bike in.  It just has my roadie and some kids toys and it is indoors with the only in/out is through my apartment.

But I am an awkward distance from either stop so it wouldn't be like you could leave your bike and then walk to the train without walking a distance.

Otherwise be careful where you lock up over there, there has been several thefts according to the 16th dist. station when I went in there a few months ago.

There is some history of bikes locked inside CTA stations being removed by CTA (even the first night they're left there.) Ask Dan Korn....

I wouldn't.
 
Mike Zumwalt said:

You need 3 locks for this. U-lock the front wheel to the frame. U-lock the back wheel to the frame. Lock bike frame to bike rack on 2nd level if you can reach it.

O'Hare has 2 bike racks near the turnstiles in the airport to the right?(heading in) of the escalators near a manned cta station, might be a better bet.

I didn't end up using the parking; didn't get the reassuring comments I was hoping for, so thank for the heads up! 

Once other stations are like the Addison Blue Line (or better) I will feel comfortable leaving it there over a weekend, we can dream...

Not related to parking but I locked mine up near Jeff park,got a flat en route, on the way home I missed the bus so I fixed it the rode down Foster and eventually caught up to and passed the bus!?

There are a zillion buses on Foster because of the Kedzie garage.  Seems unlikely to me you passed the same one.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Not related to parking but I locked mine up near Jeff park,got a flat en route, on the way home I missed the bus so I fixed it the rode down Foster and eventually caught up to and passed the bus!?

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