Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 – Page 2

CDOT unveils draft Streets for Cycling plan, but there’s still time for input

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On Tuesday at the first of several community input meetings before the Streets for Cycling 2020 plan is finalized, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) unveiled a draft map of locations for the 110 miles of protected bike lanes (PBLs) and 40 miles of buffered lanes to be built during Rahm Emanuel’s first term.

However, the meeting focused on a new concept, the Citywide 2020 Network, a comprehensive plan for 640 miles of bikeways to be created over the next eight years – more details on this in a minute. CDOT also unveiled a draft map of this larger network at the event, held at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence in Jefferson Park.

Although the Streets for Cycling community input process is nearly complete, there’s still time to provide feedback before the final plan is unveiled at the Bike to Work rally on Friday, June 15. After you finish reading this post, take some time to study the two maps. If you have suggested edits to the proposed bikeway locations, see the bottom of the post for several ways you can make your voice heard.

Continue reading CDOT unveils draft Streets for Cycling plan, but there’s still time for input

Recap: New bike lanes and NATO closures, plus upcoming Bloomingdale Trail and bike plan meetings

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A view down the North Side Main Line ‘L’ tracks by Drew Baker.

This is a recap of the 12 articles posted in the last 5 days, as well as a look at the calendar ahead.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

MBAC updates: New pedestrian and bicycle projects discussed at March MBAC meeting
New bike lanes: CDOT continues roll out of new bike lanes: Division Street today, your neighborhood tomorrow?

Thursday, May 10

New bike lanes: Bike facilities don’t have to be “the white lanes of gentrification”

Friday, May 11

Station access: How LaSalle Street Metra station maintains hard-to-find reputation
Action Agenda: Chicago transportation to move very far forward with two-year plan
New bike lanes: Jose Lopez offers the PRCC’s perspective on the Paseo bike lanes

Saturday, May 12

Road repair: CDOT’s Gabe Klein announces viaduct repaving project
New links added: The Grid Network is deprecated, but the links page lives on

Sunday, May 13

Monday, May 14

Bike TV show: Ira David Levy’s “Pedal America” show pushes pedaling to a broader audience
New bike lanes: Elston Avenue bike lane returns in upgraded form

Calendar

Tonight is a meeting about Bloomingdale Trail access parks and is the first meeting following yesterday’s release of the Framework Plan. “We are particularly interested in your feedback about access parks. After a short presentation, we’ll break into small groups to discuss the following access parks, and how ramps and other amenities will be designed.”

Tuesday, May 15, 2012
6 to 8 PM
Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1440 N Humboldt Drive, Chicago, IL

Wednesday night is the Ride of Silence to “honor fallen cyclists and raise awareness in this annual procession past Chicago Ghost Bikes”.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012
6 to 8 PM
Gather at 6 PM, Depart at 7 PM
Eternal Flame in Daley Plaza

Next Tuesday is the public revealing of the draft network of the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. There are three more meetings and two webinars.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012
4 to PM
Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL
Presentation with Q&A at 1630 and 1830.

Chicago transportation to move very far forward with two-year plan

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Looking down Madison Street. Photo by Daniel Butler.

A new plan for the Chicago Department of Transportation was released today and Grid Chicago got to talk to commissioner Gabe Klein this morning about the Chicago Forward CDOT Action Agenda’s development, strategies, and goals.

I started reading the 100 page plan last night to prepare for today’s interview. After the obligatory messages from Mayor Emanuel and Commissioner Klein (as well as photos of a Brown Line train and the bean), there’s a timeline and a short historical narrative. This plan gives a new mission statement for the department and is the first time a vision statement has been adopted by the agency (which the timeline tells was created in 1992 after a reorganization of the Department of Public Works). The Action Agenda is important to ensure our transportation system (as envious or dubious as you see it) changes in good, appropriate ways. Not only do we know how CDOT will get us there, Chicagoans will be able document change and compare our status in 2014 to where we started in 2012. Continue reading Chicago transportation to move very far forward with two-year plan

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

A Complete Streets “heads up” for Division Street

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Plan drawings show lack of bicycle accommodations.

Last year I requested from the city plan drawings for the bridge replacement and road reconstruction at Halsted Street and the north branch canal (near Division Street). Included in the response to my FOIA request were plan drawings from the Department of Transportation’s Division of Engineering for a complementary project, the reconstruction of Division Street between Cleveland Street (east) and the railroad viaduct by the McGrath Lexus dealer (west).

So no one is caught off guard like some felt in regards to the Fullerton Avenue/Lake Shore Drive project, I wanted to give a heads up for a project that I think lacks consideration of the principles of complete streets and Chicago’s Complete Streets policy. In other words, what is proposed is not a complete street. Continue reading A Complete Streets “heads up” for Division Street