The concrete curb-protected bike lanes on Campbell Avenue in North Center are a relatively rare example of a Chicago bike route with sturdy protection from drivers. Photo: Rebecca Resman
The physical curb-protected bike lanes on Campbell Avenue in North Center are a relatively rare example of a Chicago wheel route with sturdy protection from drivers. Photo: Rebecca Resman

The Chicago Department of Transportation is in the midst of a projection to install 100 miles of new and upgraded bikeways in 2021-22. Just cycling advocates accept pointed out that our city still lacks a plan for a citywide network of connected, physically protected bike lanes. That's  volition really make biking a safe and appealing transportation and recreation option for everyday residents, not just bicycle enthusiasts.

Meanwhile, New York City is making progress on creating more bikeways with sturdy concrete protection that will actually brand "normal" people consider riding on city streets. Newly elected mayor Eric Adams promised that the local transportation department would bolster 50 percent of bike lanes that are classified as "protected" just that, like many Chicago protected bike lanes, are merely delineated with pigment and flimsy plastic posts. Such treatments do relatively little to finish drivers from parking in them, let alone prevent reckless motorists from careening into them and hit bike riders.

Granted, the NYC project got off to a slow get-go. New transportation chief Ydanis Rodriguez initially promised that crews would reinforce 20 out of the city'due south 40 miles of "delineator-protected" wheel lanes with physical barriers within his get-go 100 days on the job. Nevertheless, last month NYC DOT moved the goalpost, with an proclamation that the xx miles won't actually get concrete until every bit late equally the end of 2023.

Withal, slow motility on a significant pledge to harden bike lane protection is better than piddling or no motion in that section, which is what's happening in Chicago. CDOT'due south plan for 100 miles of new or improved bike lanes in 2021-22 calls for only 12 miles of protected lanes, and it's not clear how many of those miles, if any volition become sturdy, driver-resistant protection similar physical curbs, Jersey barriers, or machine-proof bollards.

I would love to run into CDOT chief Gia Biagi brand a promise similar to this ane from Commissioner Rodriguez – and follow through with information technology in a timely mode. "New York City's cyclists deserve to exist condom everywhere, but especially in protected lanes – where drivers will too often disrespect and block that critical space," Rodriguez said. "We have an actionable, concrete plan to protect cyclists and we are going to deliver on this work to keep our lanes clear. We thank our friends in the advancement customs for helping us place top targets – and we know that these 20 miles of barriers will make a real difference."

I reached out to Chicago sustainable transportation advocacy groups for their thoughts on this outcome. "Protected bike lanes make streets safer for everyone while encouraging more people to ride," said Active Transportation Alliance spokesperson Kyle Whitehead. " It'south past fourth dimension for Mayor [Lori] Lightfoot and Commissioner Biagi to commit to time-express goals to upgrade existing protected bikeways to concrete and build new PBLs citywide. Plastic [posts] were never meant to be a permanent solution withal our static transportation bureaucracy and a lack of political leadership have made information technology then."

Kyle Lucas, a cofounder of Amend Streets Chicago (as am I), assorted NYC'south efforts with our urban center's progress. "Chicago has really stalled when it comes to building bike infrastructure that will attract and maintain new riders," he said. "I tin can't recollect of whatever biking infrastructure projection in the past five years that we can point to and say was a success. While NYCs efforts may non be perfect, the fact that they are listening to cyclists and are responding is more than I tin say CDOT is doing. I'd dear to receive a CDOT newsletter with a plan to triple or quadruple our protected bike lane mileage and the creation of an advisory committee that has real power when it comes to steering CDOT'southward work." The Mayor'southward Bike Advisory Council meetings, hosted by CDOT, unremarkably take identify on a quarterly footing, just haven't happened since before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Chicago.

It bears repeating that CDOT classifies the Clark Street bike lanes in Edgewater, which has portions where the bicycle lanes are delineated with pigment and plastic posts, to exist a protected bike route, despite the fact that drivers constantly park in it. After advocacy past Better Streets, local alderman Andre Vasquez, and others, the department added more posts and has promised to install physical protection this yr. But every bit of terminal week the bike were notwithstanding auto-clogged, as you lot tin see in this video.

However, I don't remember physical barriers alone will be enough to prevent drivers from parking in bike lanes like the ones on Clark Street. In that location should also exist measures to stop motorists from entering the bikeways, mayhap physical or metal bollards, covered with reflective paint, at the entrances and entrance of each bicycle lane segment. Parking and driving in bike lanes is likewise much less of an issue when the bikeways are raised above street level.

Accept you encountered any well-designed bike lanes that prevent motorists from entering them? Share a link in the comments.