Do you want this facility? Where?

By On April 4, 2011 · 3 Comments

Take a look at this protected two-way bike lane in Brooklyn, New York City.

Some people are suing to remove (or change it). If you’re someone who doesn’t live there, here’s why this fight could still be important for you. Or maybe you want to know why the bike lane was installed.

Array

If your city’s transportation or public works department proposed a protected bike lane or cycle track for your town, where should the first one go?

I propose 11 locations for Chicago (see link for ideal segments):

  • Blue Island Avenue
  • Chicago Avenue
  • Fullerton Avenue
  • Grand Avenue
  • Halsted Street (in some discrete locations)
  • King Drive (connecting downtown/South Loop to Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Washington Park)
  • Ogden Avenue (the entire street, from the city boundary on the southwest side to its dead end at the Chicago River near Chicago Avenue)
  • Wabash Street (connecting downtown and IIT)
  • Washington Boulevard/Street
  • Wells Street – this may be one of the easiest locations to pull off, politically at least, especially if Alderman Reilly pays for all or part of it with his annual appropriation of $1.32 million (“menu funds”).
  • Western Avenue

    Notice how I didn’t propose Stony Island. Here’s why.

    P.S. This will not be like the case of high-speed rail in America, where if one governor refuses money for an HSR project, other governors can compete for that money. The Prospect Park West bike lane will not be picking up and moving to another state ;)

    Array

    Look at all that room for people to go about their business, whether by car, bike, roller skates, wheelchairs, or their own two feet. Photos by Elizabeth Press.

    Tagged with: • • • • • • • • •
     
    If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
    Reddit Delicious Mixx StumbleUpon Digg
    • Roland S

      Your Stony Island link didn’t work, but it’s obvious why the city is building it there… it is literally the city’s widest street. Nobody will miss the lost roadspace, so there’s no possibility of controversy. The fact that nobody will use it is irrelevant to CDOT.

      Hopefully this is just a trial balloon so that CDOT becomes comfortable with the concept, and they can start rolling it out elsewhere.

      • http://www.stevevance.net/planning Steven Vance

        I put that link in prematurely. The post about Stony Island will come tomorrow. I think you’re right on, though, about its width. Just wait ’till tomorrow!

    • http://tiny.cc/fiubike Brandt Absolu

      In Miami, the dangerous conditions of our streets keep a lot of people from riding their bikes. As of now I know of only one protected bike lane around here, and if we had a lot more of them, it would do A WORLD of good.

      Places it could exist:
      US-1 (north of the start of I-95)
      SW 8th Street
      Coral Way
      Flagler Street
      N. Miami Ave
      NE 2nd Ave
      NE 6 Ave
      NE 36, 54, 62, 79 Street
      Federal highway
      The list goes on…but those are high priority streets that desperately need it