North Side Streets for Cycling planning district also looking for additional input

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People cycle on Wrightwood Avenue at Southport Avenue, a street that residents of the North Side district would like to see as a bicycle boulevard. Photo by Eric Rogers. 

John wrote on Tuesday about the West Side district’s efforts for the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. I just received an email from the North Side district (North Avenue to Howard Street, east of the Chicago River) asking for people’s input.

Until now, we have focused on existing conditions – local destinations and the barriers and assets that impact us getting to those destinations by bike. Now we have been asked to recommend good streets to consider transforming into neighborhood greenways.

[Here] is a link to a map of the North Side of Chicago with routes that have been suggested by cyclists as potential neighborhood greenways.

We want to hear from you – what would work on those routes? What challenges or barriers would there be? What are your top choices for where you’d like to see these bikeways installed?

When at all possible, we would like to recommend two-way routes, which is why you will see some routes listed as “couplets” – two one-way streets near each other. You will also see several “this OR that”. While we wish every road was a neighborhood greenway, we are being asked to identify a limited number of routes. The “this OR that” options are streets that could be conducive to being neighborhood greenways, but are also very close to each other.

The surveys are essentially asking for opinions on which ones you think should be prioritized. There’s one for east-west routes, and one for north-south routes. The Berteau Avenue bike boulevard (er, “neighborhood greenway”) is in the North Side planning district.

Will other planning district co-leaders please let know us know their progress and what feedback they’re currently seeking? I’d love to hear if anyone has ideas for how to use bikeways to calm the traffic on 55th Street in Hyde Park between Lake Park Avenue and Cottage Grove Avenue? It’s a highway there. Or if anyone is suggesting a return of the removed bike lane that was on Vincennes Avenue.

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The outer lane is up to 16 feet wide, influencing people to drive “55” miles per hour on 55th Street. I’m guessing at the speeds – I’m collecting donations to buy a LIDAR device. Photo by Eric Rogers. 

8 thoughts on “North Side Streets for Cycling planning district also looking for additional input”

  1. how to use bikeways to calm the traffic on 55th Street in Hyde Park
    between Lake Park Avenue and Cottage Grove Avenue? It’s a highway there.

    Yes, it is like a highway there.  I’d love to see protected or buffered bike lanes there (where the street is wide enough

    Or if anyone is suggesting a return of the removed bike lane that was
    on Vincennes Avenue.

    You better believe it.  A bunch of us are asking for bike lanes there – protected, if possible. 

    We had a decent turnout at last night’s south side meeting.  Saw lots of good ideas marked on the maps.

    1. I’m spending the day in Hyde Park (visited two museums, tried to visit the library, but it’s not open to the public) and I took a short ride on 55th. What a terribly designed street, especially when it splits to go around the big apartment building. 

        1. It doesn’t have to be like that. I made sure to get some photographs of the area on my “day trip” to Hyde Park on Thursday. 

          I also dislike the “u-turn” lanes/islands on the left sides of the street (in both directions of traffic).

      1. 55th is terrible.  They thought the split around the towers would CALM traffic, supposedly! Weird. Anywho, I have heard nothing at all from the south side organizers since the kickoff event downtown. I’m glad I got in all my key comments there.

        1. Hmm, I’m just about positive that you emailed the south side organizers. And I know you weren’t able to make it to the Woodson library meeting. The final in-person meeting is tomorrow, and there are webinars on Friday and Monday – details in the upcoming events sidebar. 

          John is publishing about the Woodson meeting on Wednesday morning. 

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