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The northbound section reached Division Street.
The design reveals itself hour by hour (see day one). Today I visited at 10 AM. One Twitterer had this reaction to the project: “@gabe_klein As a daily Elston bike commuter I thank you and all of @ChicagoDOT for expanding these facilities. cc @gridchicago @thetrolusk”.
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The construction crew is spotted around the bend at McGrath Lexus and Morton Salt.
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A truck is parked in a dedicated parking area seen better in this photo.
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Still traveling northbound, approaching Stanley’s grocery store on North Avenue from LeMoyne Street.
View the full photoset from today. View all Elston Avenue cycle track photos.
looking good! I gave the workers a thumbs up yesterday as I passed.
I wonder if any of the workers themselves ride bikes in the lanes they build.
I rode this route today. There’s some illegal parking in the bike lane on southbound Elston from Evergreen to Potomac, but hopefully some bollards can take care of that in the future.
I rode north from Milwaukee this morning (an hour ago) and there were two school buses, a semi-truck with flatbed trailer, and a few other automobiles parked in the bike lane.
I saw those too. This area uses sees light parking. A tricky transition looks like it might crop up just south of the tracks on the southbound lanes. I think there is an awkward shift in the bike lane but it may just be that people were parking in the new lanes.
There are some weird jogs and shifts that I don’t agree with. I was under the impression that road design should be as straight and predictable (and consistent) as possible.
That was my impression, and the jog occurs right where traffic and the train crosses Elston. You pretty much make a blind jog. I know I harped on this eariler today, but I think it;s better to be in the flow of traffic than surprise traffic.
When I rode through yesterday morning there were several cars partially blocking the lane going southbound just past Stanley’s; then a semi, pickup, and taxi fully blocking the lane closer to Morton’s.
This morning as I rode through (southbound) there was a semi left-wheel to curb (illegal) parked fully in the bike lane and angled to block part of the parking spots. The driver repeatedly blew his air horn when I pointed to the lane and called out he was blocking it. The passing police car did nothing – hard to notice a truck parked on the wrong side of the road.
Was it this truck? http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbondsv/7205888850/in/photostream
If so, they bike lane seems to have been designed to accommodate it. I’ve seen it on three different days (including this morning). There’s a hose connected the truck to pipes hanging over the walls. It appears they are making a delivery.
No, it was a different semi and a bit further south, just around the bend. I had wondered how they would accommodate the truck you posted a picture of – I often see one there when I go through the area around 5:30am. It seems to be draining something from that building so I was concerned that the hose would be across the lane, but it is nice to see they made a spot for them.
The truck I saw was parked in front of the red brick building in this picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75698896@N00/7205848774/
Is there any plan on the city’s part in terms of how to sweep the elston protected lanes? While they previously benefitted from daily sweeping, the street sweeper can’t fit in the enclosed lane area and the lanes are now accumulating glass…which makes me not want to use them.
I’ve not heard of any plans that specifically address this.
While this cause is popular on Twitter (especially in conversations with our Twitter account, @gridchicago, and the hashtag, #bikeCHI), I cannot confirm that the Chicago Department of Transportation is aware of the issue.
I will bring it up to them today.
Thanks much steven.
Any word from the DOT Steven? Just curious. Thanks.
I haven’t asked yet. I’m compiling all of my requests for information into a single email.
In the meantime, you should report this to 311, cdotnews@cutyofchicago.org and the applicable alderman.
2 flats in a week- debris everywhere, all on a newly paved street! The worst!