You
can also view this issue at www.biketraffic.org/biketraffic/BT0503/
or download the PDF at www.biketraffic.org/biketraffic/BT0503.pdf.
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You're not a member? Good
god, not so loud. Someone might hear. After all, everyone's fed
up with traffic jams, tired of being afraid on the streets of
their own neighborhoods, sick of dirty air, and done with spending
the vacation money on a new transmission. So they've all joined
the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and are making a difference
(and getting discounts on maps, at bike shops, and events to boot).
So carefully now, slip off with this issue of Bike Traffic (another
member benefit) and call us or
join at www.biketraffic.org. That was close, but it's gonna
be okay. |
| Bicycle
Commuter Challenge June 7-13. Companies and organizations square
off to see who gets the most employees to ride to work. The Big Accounting
Firms catagory this year is especially wide open. Sign
up here, or call Randy Warren, 312/427-3325 or e-mail
him if you want in. Get a hands-on crash course at Mayor Daley's Bicycling Ambassadors Road-Share Fair, June 11, 11 a.m to 2 p.m. in Daley Plaza. When you drive a pedal-car through the Ambassadors' street mock-up and avoid hitting bikers, you can win a Timbuk2 bag. Bike the Drive June 15! Sign up NOW at bikethedrive.org. Deadline for the July ‘03 Bike Traffic is June 8. How I weary of this world and its lies. No, not really. |
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Get our FREE Bike to Work Guide!
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I don't even see the exclamation points. All I see is Blonde, Brunette, Redhead.... |
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Chicagoland
Bicycle Federation At 650 S. Clark: Randy
Neufeld Pamela
Brookstein Steve
Buchtel Dave
Glowacz Cathy
Haibach Nick
Jackson Eve
Jennings Matt
Maloney Anne
Nepokroeff Neile
Rissmiller Randy
Warren Alex
Wilson At
Chicago Department John
Greenfield T.C.
O'Rourke |
Safe Routes to School Fed's first foray into pedestrian advocacy
By Daphne Whitington
The
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is walking into a whole new arena of advocacy
by integrating pedestrian safety into its Safe
Routes to School program. Following in the footsteps of pioneering Safe
Routes projects—like those in the Bronx and Marin County, California—the
Chicago initiative is taking aim at the concerns of students who walk, as
well as bike, to school.Safe Routes to School is an international movement to encourage students to walk and bike to school. The catalyst behind the movement was an understanding that car-dependent children become car-dependent adults who contribute to the ills that befall a car-dependent society: inactivity and epidemic obesity, pollution, isolation, and congestion. Through community outreach and parental involvement, Safe Routes programs also impact the lifestyles of the adults in the communities that they service, creating healthier, safer, and less traffic-clogged neighborhoods.
Two years ago, the Chicago Department of Transportation hired the Federation to implement a local Safe Routes to School program. In its first year, Safe Routes used the Federation's expertise to teach bike safety to hundreds of Chicago students and create bike facilities at Chicago schools.
This year, Safe Routes expands its program to include pedestrian safety curriculum for primary-grade students and traffic-calming measures that create a more hospitable environment for all non-motorized transportation.
Being hit by a car is the leading cause of death and serious injury to kids in the US. In urban areas like Chicago, where almost all of the 700-plus elementary schools are neighborhood schools, the majority of kids walk to school. But little has been done to mitigate the danger that cars create for young pedestrians.
"Last year, we found pretty quickly we couldn't promote just biking and bike safety," says Dave Glowacz, Safe Routes' Director of Education. "So many kids walk, that, in some cases, not to teach pedestrian safety would make us irrelevant at best and negligent at worst."
Adding pedestrian safety to the Safe Routes repertoire is a natural evolution, and one that is beneficial to bikers and walkers alike. The barriers encountered by kids walking and biking to school are often the same: car traffic, street crime, and inadequate accommodations.
Nationally, 20% of morning car trips are parents taking kids to school. Thirty years ago, 63% of kids walked to school and today only 11% do. Chicago sees a higher rate of pedestrian traffic than the suburbs and rural communities, but many parents still prefer to drive their children to school, often citing safety as a motive. But, a student on foot is a student out of the car, and less traffic means a safer commute for everyone.
Safe Routes is also reviving city-sponsored walking encouragement and safety programs that have been shelved because of lack of funding and oversight.
In
1997, Chicago was home to the first major metropolitan Safe Routes initiative
in the U.S. when Mayor Richard Daley created Walking School Buses in the
Chicago Public School system. The Walking School Bus program recruited and
organized parents to walk students to school along a particular route, picking
up kids along the way. Police Districts mapped safe passages in many neighborhoods
as part of the Walking School Bus plan. But with no one doing the legwork
required to keep the program alive, very few walking school buses are active
today. Safe Routes will utilize existing safe passage routes and recruit
community volunteers to get Chicago's Walking School Bus up and running
again.Similarly, International Walk-to-School Day found a supporter in Mayor Daley in the late nineties, but has not been given the funding or manpower necessary to integrate it meaningfully into the public school calendar. Safe Routes to School has adopted International Walk-to-School Day and is working to involve every public school in the city in Walk-to-School Day on October 8, 2003.
Dora Would Kill for It
The exploring she could do with THIS in her backpack
By Nick Jackson
The
wait is over! The 4th edition of the six-county Chicagoland Bicycle Map
is now available.The 4th edition of our regional bike map is more than an update. Over the years we've collected lots of ideas from people who use the map to help make it better, and now we've teamed up with the professional mapmakers at Chicago Cartographics to make your wishes come true.
The first and most comprehensive change you'll notice are the recommended on-street routes. On the first three editions, recommended roads, whether they were quiet residential streets or busy four-lane arterials, were all marked the same way. Many cyclists wished for more details, particularly when planning bike trips with children. Thanks in large part to the mapping genius of Ed Barsotti, Executive Director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, all the routes are now grouped into three levels of bicycle-friendliness. In addition to crunching untold columns of traffic volumes and lane widths, 60 Chicagoland Bicycle Federation volunteers were dispatched to the far reaches of the region to insure that the new information is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. The new color scheme will take some getting used to, but that's why there's a legend!
The off-street trail network has also undergone serious revision. We tracked down every municipality, forest preserve, park district, and transportation agency for maps of new trails. All told, the 4th Edition has over 20 miles of new trails, and in many cases, these trails don't exist on any other maps!
Other exciting new features on the map include—for the first time—the location of sponsoring bike shops. The 40 shops that supported the production of the map are identified with a symbol and have their name, location and contact information listed on the map.
We also heard users' desire for more street names, so we've gone ahead and labeled most of the major roads in the region whether or not they are recommended routes. There is also new information about taking your bike on Pace and CTA as well as the usual updates like phone number and web pages.
Think we STILL didn't get it right? Don't worry. There's plenty of time to give us your input for the 5th Edition. In the meantime, you can help keep our routes database current: continue to send your comments and corrections to map@biketraffic.org. We will also dedicate a special page on www.biketraffic.org to provide periodical updates to the map.
One archaic holdover from previous editions made it in: the Chicagoland Bicycle Map is still only $6.95 and $5.00 for members. Send your check to Chicaogland Bicycle Federation, 650 S. Clark St, #300, Chicago, IL 60615 or buy it on-line at biketraffic.org.
Bike to Work Week Canceled?
Nope. Just (hopefully) the bad weather
By Randy Warren
Remember that day in May 2002 when it was literally freezing? You know, 32 degrees out? And we asked you to ride your bike to work as a part of Bike to Work Week? That won't be happening this year...
No, we are not canceling Bike to Work Week or the Corporate Commuter Challenge. We are moving them to June! In an effort to thwart the gods of crappy springtime weather, we have moved Bike to Work Week to June 7-13 with the Bike to Work Day Rally capping off the week at Daley Plaza on the morning of June 13.
So, with the weather out of the way, there is one less excuse not to ride your bike to work this year. You can either sign up to participate as an individual or, much better yet, you can sign up your company to compete in the Corporate Commuter Challenge.
Signing up yourself is great and we will love you. You can download PDF documents from our website to help you commute to work, and you'll be signed up to win prizes just for participating. Plus, the more people we can count commuting to work, the better we can sell this event to our great sponsors.
Signing up your company for the Corporate Commuter Challenge, however, helps even more. We will REALLY love you, and so will the rest of Chicagoland. We'll give you several publications to help convince both your company and your fellow employees to try bicycle commuting to work. We'll even give you discounts at Chicagoland bike shops to outfit you and your bicycle for commuting and enter you into a drawing for even more prizes. The power of one is pretty great, but by getting your co-workers to join you, well that's downright insurmountable!
All you have to do is ride your bicycle on any part of your commute to work, even just once during the week. That could be the whole way or just to the Metra stop or even down the block to your carpool. It all counts! If you sign-up for the Corporate Commuter Challenge, then you'll be competing with other businesses of similar size. Categories include: business/non profit, public agency and bicycle-related business. Awards will be given in each category for 5-24 employees, 25-99 employees, 100-499 employees and 500+ employees.
The week will be capped off for Chicagoans on June 13 with the traditional Bike to Work Day Rally in Daley Plaza. Come by between 7:30-9:00 AM for a free T-shirt, breakfast, inspirational speeches and a chance to win more fabulous prizes. You don't have to be signed up for the Challenge to attend; but if you are, stop by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation table and we'll give you a free Clif Bar as an additional reward!
So, get to our website now and get you and your company signed up for the Challenge!
BIKE PEOPLE PROFILE
Theresa Cowen
Mayor's Office of Special Events
by Floyd Mittleman
You
may remember Bike-to-Work Week. It wasn't too many years ago that the Mayor's
Office of Special Events sought to encourage cycling to work, instead of
driving, with a week filled with special events. Thanks to Theresa Cowen
and the staff at the mayor's office this event is now THREE MONTHS LONG.
The event begins in May and runs though July with over 130 biking activities.
This year it's Bike Chicago 2003
which encompasses—heck, even embraces— the 2003 BIKE THE DRIVE.Theresa Cowen graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign with a major in Recreation and Sports Management. What do you do with that degree? Work in the Sports Development Office of a big city, of course, and that is what brought Theresa to the Mayor's Office of Special Events.
An avid cyclist, Theresa enjoys biking to work. She's hoping that Bike-to-Work day on Friday, June 13 will bring thousands of cyclists to Daley Plaza for a rally and breakfast. This is the same weekend as the Bike the Drive: Sunday, June 15. You can get into shape for the Sunday ride on the drive by biking to work on Friday—join other cyclists at the Daley Plaza for a morning rally and breakfast between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. All of the Bike Chicago 2003 events are included on the website www.bikechicago2003.org. And, incidentally, Bally Total Fitness has once again agreed to open their showers to all bike-to-work participants. "Show your bike lock key to shower free." (If you use a combination lock, be creative.)
This year, Theresa helped coordinate the planning for Bike the Drive. This is a major undertaking involving the City Department of Transportation, the police, the Park District, and ward offices. Promotion for all of the Bike Chicago events is a complex assignment. Over 40,000 brochures and 100,000 post cards were printed for Bike Chicago 2003 and distribution of these is a major undertaking. It's great to know that the mayor's office of special events has on staff a trained expert in sports and recreation management. We can all appreciate the benefits by participating in the many activities open to us throughout the city. Thanks to Theresa, there are now even more reasons for Bicycling Magazine to pick Chicago as the Best Big Cycling City in the United States.
Police Beat
By David Callahan
Daley Center Room 404 will become a hotbed of hit-and-run cases May 5, as three Chicago bicyclists confront the motorists who struck them. All three cases will be called in the 1 p.m. session of Traffic Court.
A Chicago woman, who is charged with leaving the scene after she drove her car into a 17-year-old bicyclist, faces a second hearing in her case; and two Chicago men will be arraigned in separate cases.
Wanda Dzienisowicz, of 2933 N. Avers Ave., pleaded innocent in February to leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, failure to render aid, and refusing to provide information to police. She allegedly struck Chicagoland Bicycle Federation member Kyle Frayne on Avers, near Wellington Avenue, on December 4. Frayne was thrown over the car's hood and he suffered bruises and scrapes.
Albert Cooper, of 223 W. 118th St., faces charges that he drove away from the scene after injuring a cyclist in the intersection of Clinton, Milwaukee and Fulton avenues on March 6.
The victim, Hui Hwa Nam, was hit while riding northwest on Milwaukee. She told police that Cooper proceeded through the signed intersection out of turn, as she had first yielded to a taxi that had stopped in front of Cooper.
She was thrown from her bike and landed face down. Her front teeth were knocked out and her wrist was sprained.
In a third case, Caleb Jewell, of 2116 W. Berteau Ave., will be arraigned on charges that he left the scene after dooring a cyclist in the 1600 block of the North Wells Street bicycle lane February 24.
Police say Jewell opened the door of his car in the path of cyclist Valerie Lawson. She was thrown over her bike and sustained injury to her left elbow. She watched him then close his door and walk away.
He is charged with opening a door into traffic and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.
Let's Roll
By Jim Nugent
Back in the March issue of Bike Traffic we took a look at cars and stop signs. What we saw wasn't pretty. More and more automobile drivers are rolling through stop signs, speeding out of driveways and exiting alleys with no regard for pedestrians and/or cyclists. It's a jungle out there and motor vehicles are king.
But what about cyclists and stop signs? Should we stop or roll on through? Can we point an accusatory finger at automobile drivers without changing our own behavior? Currently, Illinois law and the police say cyclists should come to full stops. If asked, most bicyclists would say they don't do full stops very often. Many cyclists would quickly add that bicycles are different, visibility is better, or they'd be late for work if they stopped for every stop sign.
We need a little "selective enforcement" of stop sign laws. Get the police to chastise motorists ignoring stop signs, but at the same time pass over those cyclists who gently glide past stop signs in the name of progress, motherhood, and apple pie. It's written into the law in other places, why not here?
Check out the Idaho Vehicle Code, which says, "A person operating a bicycle or human-powered vehicle approaching a stop sign shall slow down and, if required for safety, stop before entering the intersection." According to the Idaho code, bicyclists "...may cautiously make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping." There are a number of reasons why bicycles could, or should, be treated differently:
Cyclists have much better visibility. Bikes have no blind spots, no roof pillars, no tinted windows, and no windshield glare.
Preferred bike routes through neighborhoods often use stop signs on every block to slow motor vehicle traffic. Since bikes aren't the problem, they shouldn't be penalized.
A cyclist rolling through a stop sign usually drops from 15 mph or less down to 3 or 4 mph. A motorist might be going 35 or 40 and only slow to 15 mph to roll through a stop sign.
Bicycles are nowhere near as big or as deadly as cars. When a cyclist makes a mistake they usually hurt only themselves. Cars and trucks can kill and it's usually innocent bystanders, not negligent drivers, who pay the price.
Some bicycles, recumbents especially, are slow to accelerate from a standing stop while other cyclists need startup time to engage shoe clips. In both cases allowing rolling stops would probably improve safety.
Bicycle commuters lose too much time and get too sweaty when forced to stop everywhere the law says they should.
It comes down to this: cars, trucks and bikes shouldn't all be lumped together in our traffic laws. Foolish consistency in the law doesn't save lives or move more traffic through our streets. Holding big, powerful, and deadly motor vehicles to a different standard than bicycles would be rational public policy. Cyclists shouldn't feel guilty when they call for selective enforcement of the stop sign laws. What would it take to bring Illinois laws up to the Idaho standard?
I Fought the Law and the Law Won
By Matt Maloney
Let's cut to the chase. What rights do you really have as a cyclist? Many of us have been involved in altercations on the roads, whether with a motor vehicle, another bicycle, a pedestrian, metal grate bridge or pothole. People do crash on residential streets, off-street bike paths, and in bike lanes. Not surprisingly, these types of events often result in property damage and injury. Unfortunately, many are unaware as to the best course of action in the aftermath of the horror.
In an attempt to douse the fires of confusion surrounding crashes, lawsuits, and settlements, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation dispatched a legal dynamic duo in the form of attorneys Larry Falli and Christ Stacy. Larry and Christ spoke to more than thirty of our members at Federation headquarters in a free seminar called "Bikes and the Law." The lively discussion engaged the speakers and audience alike, and questions and answers flew across the room like struck bicyclists over handlebars. Once again, this proves to be a vast and diverse issue, with a plethora of different cases and personal experiences.
Christ and Larry offered practical information about what to do if involved in a crash on your bike. Namely: get out of harm's way, inform the police (without admitting fault), gather witness information and get medical treatment. No big revelations there. However, the seminar did see its share of controversial topics too, many of which revolved around settling with insurance companies. Larry and Christ suggested seeking legal advice for any substantial loss or injury, a statement greeted with some muffled guffaws ("hey, these guys are LAWYERS!!"). In any event, the point was well taken. Certain insurance companies can lead individuals into statements that undermine their claims. In addition, some make the mistake of settling on a certain amount before the reality of huge rolling health bills hits home. Seeking solid legal counsel can help avoid these kinds of traps.
The lawyers touched on other topics of interest as well, and generated a number of questions and comments to boot. Larry Falli discussed municipal and state responsibility in bike crashes, including mysterious language like "intended and permitted" and "willful and wanton." (Sound familiar? I think there's a bill floating around out there somewhere.) The audience also expressed considerable interest in the notion of criminal suits (i.e. "how do I make sure that guy who hit me never drives again?!"), as opposed to the "take the money and run" civil variety. The police have a lot of discretion in terms of what to pursue, and rarely have the lawyers seen criminal statutes brought against a driver in a bicycle-related incident, unless there have been considerable witnesses on the scene.
Oh yeah, and when that guy who hit you gets a citation and pays a fine in traffic court, don't necessarily assume that you can use that against him in your civil suit. ("Say what?!") Want more information? Wished you were there? Never fear: we plan soon to distill some of this information on www.biketraffic.org for general consumption.
When you drive, you're still a bicycle advocate. Or you could be. Click the sign above to take the pledge. Or read about the Driver's Pledge in the December 2002/January 2003 Bike Traffic.
Program-o-rama! We sing like mules and dance like chimps, but we ain't offering you that. Instead, on Thursday, May 22 @ 7 P.M. Chicagoland Bicycle Federation staffers (on the whole an attractive bunch) will twist your noodle around their programs and activities that are changing the attitudes, behavior, and infrastructure of our region to make bicycling better--safer, easier, more popular and more fun--in real-time Hi-Rez 3D (i.e. they're standing right there). We'll also introduce candidates for our board of directors and proposed changes to our by-laws, both to be voted on at Bike The Drive. Venue is Chicago Temple, Pierce Hall, 77 W. Washington, Chicago.
Work the Drive...and bike for free! We need your help to make Bike The Drive a success. Join us for a Wednesday night work party each week in our south loop office; help before the event with packet pick-up at city or suburban locations in June.
On the day of the event we're looking for early risers to work as course marshals, help at a water stop or help with set-up in Grant Park. Many positions offer the opportunity to volunteer, and to ride (for free!) Check out the Bike the Drive web site, call Mark Counselman at 312/427-3325x25 or email him for details.
Roadside assistance comes to bicyclists. Unlike "AAA," there's no car reference in Better World Club. There is that "better world" thing, but BWC is living up to its name: Bicyclists can now join the environmentally responsible AAA alternative, and receive the club's slew of travel, rental and restaurant discounts, PLUS two roadside service calls per year. 'At's right: Better World Club will pick up you and your bike wherever you break down/poop out and take you either home or to a bike shop up to 30 miles away. At least finish reading this issue before you hop-skip to BWC's web site.
City's free bike map viewable on-line. See all the recommended routes, the bike lane network, the off-street paths including newly opened Major Taylor and Burnham Greenway in warm, glowing pixels right here. Such beauty....
U-Lock Rock! This weekly series takes place at the Handlebar, Chicago's cycling cafe, 2311 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park. Every Wednesday at 9 p.m., John Greenfield and special guests perform live music. Opened in February by riders from Critical Mass, the Handlebar features vegetarian and fish dishes, a smoke-free environment and free bike parking in the beer garden. Sometimes you want to go...
Spying on Our Neighbors Dept.: NW Indiana citizens have formed Calumet Citizens for Connecting Communities, or C4: a great acronym for ensuring a wire tap. But they're not worried; G-men would uncover dozens of people openly plotting the development of greenways, trail corridors, and bicycle friendly roads in the Calumet region. C4 invites infiltration: go to C4's website, or call Mitch Barloga at 219/661-2284.
Rhino-rama! Chicago-based SOS Rhino, a non-profit dedicated to the survival of the world's rhinoceroses, wants 10 bicyclists to take their Borneo Rhino Challenge. Participants must get on the horn (HA ha ha, ho-ho, hmmm...) to their friends and raise $3500, which covers travel costs to Borneo and leaves SOS Rhino some money to save the last remaining Sumatran rhinos. Maybe you can charge it (WAH HA HA, hoo, oh my...). Part of the challenge includes cycling along the Kudat Peninsula. More info at sosrhino.org.
Bike Trafficis published by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, a nonprofit, volunteer advocacy organization that is improving the quality of life in Northeastern Illinois by making cycling safer, more convenient, and more fun. All material that isn't copyrighted may be reprinted. Advertising rates available on request.
Managing Editor
Steve Buchtel
Editors
Randy Neufeld
David Callahan
Layout
Steve Buchtel
Copyright
2003, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
650 S. Clark, Ste. 300, Chicago, Ill. 60605
Ph: 312/427-3325 Fax: 312/427-4907 E-mail:
cbf@biketraffic.org
