Category: Bicycling

City, The Chainlink, Bicycle Film Festival team up with Goose Island to present video contest

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Flyer for the Bike Chicago PSA Video Contest. 

Do you remember Terry Bloom? Of course you do. He’s the producer of the Bicycle Film Festival in Chicago and I interviewed him last November. He and I met up Sunday night to share with each other our submissions for the 2012 edition of Bicycle Film Festival (the deadline has passed). Terry recently returned after several months in India, where millions of people ride bikes every day. He told me about a contest he’s helping out with alongside Goose Island, The Chainlink, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’s (DCASE) Bike Chicago summer events program. It’s the Bike Chicago PSA Video Contest.

The contest is centered around Bike To Work Week, June 11 through June 15,  but you don’t have a lot of time: submissions need to be uploaded in two weeks, by Sunday, May 20. All the rules are here (including 30-90 seconds, must follow road rules, and reflect the “Bike it Everywhere, Chicago!” theme).

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Goose Island made an announcement video for the Bike Video PSA Contest. 

Need an idea or a partner? Leave a comment below or on The Chainlink’s discussion board. Terry and I will be happy to help you, via email, develop concepts or deal with technical issues. Check our video archives for other short videos to get some ideas on what you could create. Continue reading City, The Chainlink, Bicycle Film Festival team up with Goose Island to present video contest

Grid Shots: Challenging weather

Hail on Thursday, rain and flooding Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Grid Shots this week is about weather challenging our transportation system. And our transportation modes.

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Group bike ride to protest coal-powered plants in Chicago which Community Voicebox participated in. Mayor Emanuel brokered a deal with Midwest Generation to have them shut down by the end of 2012. My photo.  Continue reading Grid Shots: Challenging weather

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

BRT to arrive in Chicago in 2012 while CDOT plans for more enhanced routes

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Transportation deputy commissioner Luann Hamilton and commissioner Gabe Klein answer questions. Updated 08:57 to clarify details about Jeffery BRT project and add construction timeline. 

Bus rapid transit in Chicago has never felt more real for me than it did tonight at the open house hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Even though the Jeffery BRT project will be constructed and operational this year, I never visited one of the community meetings about that project and I haven’t been keeping track of its development. But BRT really will come to Chicago. What’s up for debate is “how much BRT” each project exemplifies.

Every BRT implementation is different. Planners pick and choose the attributes most appropriate to the street characteristics, political, business, and community support, and funding availability.

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Project map showing six bus routes that will run in enhanced busways on Madison, Washington, Clinton, and Canal.  Continue reading BRT to arrive in Chicago in 2012 while CDOT plans for more enhanced routes

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