Category: Infrastructure

Roscoe Street gets buffered bike lanes

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On my way from Logan Square to Lincoln Square yesterday I stumbled upon a crew striping a new buffered bike lane on Roscoe Street (3400 N.), between Western Avenue (2400 W.) and Damen Avenue (2000 W.) on the Roscoe village business strip. Along with a snippet of buffered lane coming on Campbell Avenue (2500 W.) between Belmont Avenue (3200 N.) and Roscoe, this might make a useful route for cyclists coming from Logan to parts northeast, and vice versa. Here’s a map of the route via Active Transportation Alliance. Roscoe could use repaving, and in places there are some serious ruts right in the bike lane, so hopefully these will be patched with asphalt soon.

Continue reading Roscoe Street gets buffered bike lanes

Add this to your calendar: Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 draft network meetings

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Your feedback about Division Street. 

From a CDOT flyer advertising these events: Come view the draft Streets for Cycling 2020 Plan network! We listened to what you told us about where you bike, where you want improvements and what would encourage you to cycle. Now come see the draft network and continue the dialogue. Learn about possible street treatments and bike facilities, remaining challenges and next steps.

All of these are posted to our calendar and in the sidebar. What are your expectations from the meetings? What streets do you most want to see have recommendations for new or upgraded bikeways?

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
Copernicus Center
5216 W. Lawrence Ave.
4 – 8 p.m., presentation with Q&A at 4:30 & 6:30p.m.

Thursday, May 31st, 2012
Gary Comer Youth Center – Exhibition Hall, 3rd floor
7200 S. Ingleside Ave.
4 – 8 p.m., presentation with Q&A at 4:30 & 6:30p.m.

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
Douglas Park Cultural and Community Center – Ballroom
1401 S. Sacramento Dr.
4 – 8 p.m., presentation with Q&A at 4:30 & 6:30p.m.

Saturday, June 9th, 2012
77 S. Dearborn – Building Lobby
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Open House

Monday, June 11th, 2012
Webinar #1
12 – 1 p.m.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: http://goo.gl/lEV2k

Wednesday, June 13th. 2012
Webinar #2
6 – 7 p.m.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: http://goo.gl/CQSS9

The Bloomingdale rails-to-trails conversion is chugging along

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One the perks of co-writing this blog is attending events that I probably wouldn’t get to go to otherwise. Case in point was last week’s swanky benefit party, “The Bloomingdale: An Ideas Salon,” at the Hotel Allegro, 171 W. Randolph. According to Beth White, Chicago director for the Trust for Public Land (TPL), the nonprofit which is assisting with the community input process and private fundraising campaign for the 2.65-mile elevated park and trail, about 150 people attended. She’s yet not sure how much will have been raised after expenses, but the $100 ticket price means the event grossed about $15,000.

Continue reading The Bloomingdale rails-to-trails conversion is chugging along

Help us pick the infrastructure to research and report on

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Sidewalk conditions on the Torrence Avenue bridge. The bridge is apparently slated to be replaced. Photo by Eric Rogers. 

On Monday, Illinois Secretary of Transportation Ann Schneider announced the state’s multi-year multi-modal transportation plan and a list of all projects it intends to build. I looked through the District 1 list and picked out 29 projects to happen (or start) in Chicago from now until 2015.

My list is here which includes 1 pedestrian, 2 rail, 6 transit, and 20 road projects. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) website lists all projects in the plan. Note that rail and transit projects are listed separately from road (and pedestrian overpass) projects.

Read through my handpicked list of projects and leave a comment telling me the project(s) about which you want to learn more. A sampling of the projects in the list:

  • Bridge replacement at Torrence Avenue at the Calumet River. This bridge is part of a recommended bike route and connects to the Burnham Greenway via 126th Street. It should be made bike friendly. The bridge deck is made of concrete, but the lanes are too narrow for comfortable cycling and the sidewalks are a mess.
  • 31st Street bridge replacement over Metra Electric tracks. The beach and playground here are popular destinations, and many people access the Lakefront Trail here. The bridge has two big bumps at the disintegrating joints at both ends of the bridge. CDOT has proposed protected bike lanes for this street segment, part of Wells Street to Lakefront Trail.
  • Resurfacing Noble Street from Augusta Boulevard to Erie Street. I’d like to recommend a change in this project: extend it north to Milwaukee Avenue, turn the segment from Milwaukee to Augusta into a two-way for bicycling (many people already ride against traffic here because it provides convenient access to Augusta Boulevard and Chicago Avenue, two blocks south), and make the street a bike boulevard. This street is very wide, yet has low traffic. The street should be modified to ensure appropriate traffic speeds.
  • Resurfacing Canal Street from Roosevelt Road to Cermak Road. This is a great opportunity to fix a gap in the bikeway network. A bike lane currently exists from 14th Street to approximately 17th Street, prematurely ending before the 18th Street cycle track. The road has a width compatible with a good diet plan, reducing the number of non-bike lanes and created a protected bike lane. The street is no longer used for Maxwell Street Market and can finally receive the quality bike lane due to it.

I excluded some projects because they are already under construction, like Fullerton Parkway at the Lincoln Park lagoon.

New Lakefront Trail underpass at 31st Street beach and marina opened last Friday

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Frequent contributor Calvin Brown sent these photos of the new underpass on the Lakefront Trail at the new 31st Street marina. View all the photos. The underpass and rerouting of the path should reduce some of the conflicts seen in the past: beachgoers cross the path without paying much attention to trail traffic; people (workers, I presume) driving on the path to access to the beach house and lifeguard shack.

Continue reading New Lakefront Trail underpass at 31st Street beach and marina opened last Friday

Grid Shots: Shiny and new

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Post updated April 30, 2012, at 16:01 to add more photos of the new CTA station and new commentary. 

In this edition of Grid Shots, the suburbs of Skokie and Evanston are getting a bit of attention. Transit infrastructure is being built in more places than Chicago. Post updated to feature photos from opening day at Oakton-Skokie Yellow Line station. The Oakton-Skokie Yellow Line station opens on Monday, April 30, 2012. The Chicago Transit Authority will have another station opening in May, at Morgan (at Lake Street) Green and Pink Lines station. First four photos were taken by Jeff Zoline on April 30 and prior.  Continue reading Grid Shots: Shiny and new