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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. Mayor's Bike Rally June 13th! 7:30-9:00 a.m., Daley Plaza. More info at bikechicago2003.org. Bike the Drive June 15! Sign up NOW at bikethedrive.org. Deadline for the July '03 Bike Traffic is June 8. Time to step up and represent. |
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Get our FREE Bike to Work Guide!
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Exclamation marks, or the tracks of Stick Man in stilleto heels?!! |
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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 |
By Rachel Alger
(Editors Note: Rachel sent this letter to the Chicago Tribune's Rick Kogan who, in an April 27 Perspectives column, implored Chicagoans to stop learning about Chicago from the 10 o'clock news. Instead, he suggested, learn about Chicago by using your car to explore the neighborhoods a biased and superficial media ignores or warns you about.
Rachel has an even better idea. I had to cut it down to fit, but you can get the full text for free on-line at www.geocities.com/wnaeco/rkpublic.htm.)
Dear Rick:
If you really want to know Chicago, I highly recommend exploring it by bicycle. Don't have a bike? Bikes are sold inexpensively at a number of bike shops, or build your own bike from pieces found in the alley. Be sure to get (and wear) a helmet, water bottle, and a map by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. A bike lock and sunscreen would also do you some good. With this minimal amount of gear you are free to explore the Chicago one cannot experience driving around in an automobile. The map will act as your guide, but your curiosity might lead you down streets you never knew existed.
The lakefront path, while nice, is best during the "off-season" (once leaves fall off the trees and the temperature drops) and only the "brave souls" are out and about. If you enjoy an obstacle course, by all means ride your bike on the path from the north side to McCormick Place during the warm months. I've found more pleasure the further south I go on the path and will take a break at a skate park crowded with kids doing crazy tricks on their boards before settling in at the sidelines at Calumet Park for a women's flag football game.
If you're tired at this point, take the bus or ride your bike to the 95th Street Red Line, which will get you on your way home (except during rush hour). I'm not sure when the restrooms open at Calumet Park but I've found that the merchants near the park are willing (and friendly about it) to let you use their restroom. If you're still in the mood for riding, thank the convenience store employee for use of their restroom by getting a snack or catch lunch at T's Tap before hopping on your bike and pedaling to the Little Village area, where you can hop off to do some shopping with the masses and enjoy the flexibility one has on a bicycle navigating through automobile traffic.
Take a ride through Douglas Park near Mt. Sinai Hospital (the emergency room staff is excellent, by the way, in case a man in a Beretta hits you and drives off, leaving you unconscious in the middle of Ogden and Pulaski, like one did to me last October). The park is much larger than it looks from the road and there are many things to see. Last weekend I taught my friends how to find frogs, we saw a goose nesting about 20 feet high in a tree, and I rescued a set of handlebars to donate to the Rat Patrol's nest at Bubbly Dynamics (the members' bike-building creativity is invaluable; I built a wonderful funny bike for free thanks to their help).
Even if you're a bike stud, you've got to be hungry for dinner by now, so I highly recommend going to The Handlebar, which has plenty of bike parking in the rear. The food is delicious and if you don't know what a funny bike looks like, there's one hanging on the wall. Maybe you'll overhear conversation about the Cycling Sisters' recent bike trip to Old Orchard Mall or their upcoming workshops on bike maintenance, or perhaps you'll strike up a conversation of your own with other people enjoying food at The Handlebar. If you're pooped out at this point, there are buses and trains to the rescue.
Hopefully you've taken your family and/or friends with you, but if not, you will certainly have many stories to tell about your adventures that day. Being on a bicycle exposes you to people on the street you never would have had the opportunity to say hello to (or maybe never would have noticed) because of the barrier an automobile creates. On a bike you get an intimate look at what the neighborhoods are like, how they are changing, and best of all, the true feeling of the neighborhoods as you encounter the people who live there.
For the 'Burbs
Three (count 'em) Suburban Coordinators take on the region
By Steve Buchtel
Why hire one suburban bicycle advocacy coordinator when you can hire three, with the real prospect of hiring a fourth in the near future?
Here's why: khakis with jogging shoes. How much of this outfit can a hip & trendy urban office like ours absorb? Three is definitely an upper limit. Otherwise, there's nothing but upside to expanding the position that will work to improve and promote bicycling in a huge and hugely diverse region.
"We soon realized that the perfect person for this job was actually several people focusing on a piece of the region where they had contacts and familiarity," says Chicagoland Bicycle Federation executive director Randy Neufeld. Three of the four regional positions‹North, Northwest, and South‹have been filled, while a decision regarding the fourth region to cover the western suburbs will be made soon.
Steve Boime, North Suburbs‹Steve's a University of Chicago MBA who has worked in manufacturing and distribution companies for 25 years. He's the president of the Palatine/Willow Road Community Mobilization Team and sits on the Wheeling Plan Commision.
What most excites him about being a suburban coordinator: "The social status it confers on me."
Position on khaki pants with jogging shoes: "I don't wear jogging shoes because I never run when I can ride. I do wear SPD bike shoes with khaki pants, though."
E-mail address: sjboime@biketraffic.org
James McDermott, NW Suburbs‹James worked for 31 years at Motorola in quality management, commuting by bike 10 miles each way from April through November for 21 years. So he knows a bit about biking in rush hour traffic. He currently serves as a linkage coordinator for the Northern DuPage Bike Trail, helping to ensure that communities' bike path efforts connect.
E-mail address: JamesM@biketraffic.org
Steve Buchtel, South Suburbs‹Swallow that cheer: I'm retaining the editorship of Bike Traffic. But I'm exchanging my web site duties (now you can clap) for a chance to work directly on the problems my co-workers have listened to me bitch about for eight years.
What most excites me about being a suburban coordinator: "Leading rides to Crestwood Panthers games at Hawkinson Ford Field."
Position on khaki pants with jogging shoes: "I refuse to claim any such 'position' when there are so many people in the world without access to a Gap clearance rack."
E-mail address: steve@biketraffic.org
Much of the suburban coordinators' efficacy in your neighborhood depends, of course, on your support and participation. In fact, no suburban coordinator positions would be possible without your year-end contribution to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, which funded the creation of the positions.
The Federation and all the suburban coordinators look forward to the future that more and better bicycling in the 'burbs can provide. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make it happen.
Chicago Bike 2010 Plan Blooms
Like a bulb you planted in the fall, a Plan emerges...
ByLisa Phillips
It's spring, so it must be time for another public planning meeting! The Bike 2010 Plan is shaping up nicely, and we're ready to spread the word. We spent the fall and winter hibernating err I mean researching best bike practices from around the world, reviewing your comments from our last meeting and web site, meeting with our many excellent advisors, and finally drafting some recommendations for Chicago. We expect to finish the Bike 2010 Plan by early 2004, but not before we discuss it with you.
Bike 2010 Plan Public MeetingAt this meeting we'll discuss our draft recommendations for improving the bicycle network with innovative designs; street compatibility issues such as traffic calming; marketing that targets specific groups and neighborhoods, and much more. Chicago CBF members: watch your mailbox in early June for a newsletter from the City of Chicago Department of Transportation that will preview some of the ideas. A PDF of the newsletter will also be posted on www.biketraffic.org/2010, for all to see and pass around to friends and neighbors. You can also give us feedback on the newsletter, meetings or your general comments on the web site at any time.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. 5th Floor East
We want to make sure we're on the right track, so please come let us know on June 19 at the Cultural Center.
An Army of Fun
Director of Education Dave Glowacz teaches the 2003 Bicycling Ambassadors
their first lesson: always face the camera. From left to right, Carlos Cuarta,
Andrea Murphy, Glow, Alex Polotsky, Liz Wuerffel, Anna Glenn. Meet them
in person! See their event schedule at biketraffic.org/ambassador.BIKE PEOPLE PROFILE
Amy Malick
Facilities Development Coordinator, CTA
by Floyd Mittleman
We
are highlighting people who have made or are making a difference for cyclists
in the Chicagoland area. At the top of the list is the name Amy Malick.
Amy is the Facilities Development Coordinator for the Chicago Transit Authority.
If the CTA is part of your daily travel routine you may already know what
Amy has helped accomplish. Not too long ago only two bus lines in Chicago were equipped with bike racks. Today almost 2,000 buses in the city are equipped with racks. Chicago has more bike racks on buses than any U.S city save one. But this is only part of the story.
Amy comes to Chicago from the West Coast. She has a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Washington in Seattle and worked for the Mayor's Office of Planning on land use, pedestrian, and bicycle improvements around Seattle's future light rail system. She moved to Chicago over a year ago, settled in Wicker Park, and took a position at the Chicago Transit Authority. Among her many projects at the CTA are three that have a direct influence on how we cycle in the city‹bikes on buses, bikes on trains, and bike parking.
You already know that all of the PACE buses have bike racks. Now all CTA buses can carry your bicycle too. Just think of how many new ways you can get around if you can take your bike on all the buses in the region! Let's say you ride your bike to a CTA train station--what then? At this writing, 92 out of 143 rail stations have parking for bicycles, including 23 indoor facilities. Amy is working with the dedicated folks at CDOT's Bike Program to coordinate the effort to develop larger-scale secure bicycle parking at more rail stations.
Last year, the CTA reduced bikes-on-trains restrictions to 7 to 9 am and 4 to 6 pm Monday-Friday. There are no restricted times on weekends. What's more, the CTA plans to provide added service and special accommodations for cyclists on the Brown, Blue, and Red lines for Bike The Drive and other cycling events. However, don't expect to take your bike on a train on the 3rd of July‹it's just too crowded.
Amy is excited to be helping make transit combined with bicycling a viable transportation mode, and she is pleased to be working in what she says is a remarkably dedicated and creative community. If you have any questions for Amy you can contact her at: amalick@transitchicago.com.
Legislating Lids
Two responses to the Evanston helmet ordinance
I just wanted to comment on the fine intent of the Evanston bike helmet law. A road paved with good intentions doesn't make a great bikeway. A couple years ago, I searched the web for information on bike accidents, injuries and mortality. The only actual medical study of helmet laws and mortality that I could find, in the British Medical Journal, argued that "Cyclists are advised to wear helmets but legislation to make them compulsory is likely to reduce the number of people choosing to cycle and would not be in the interests of health"
The minimal impact of the few crash injuries prevented was outweighed by the maximal effect of people choosing not to ride because of the helmet law, either because they didn't have a helmet, didn't know what to do with the helmet at their destination, or came to believe biking was more dangerous than it is because of the symbolism of the helmet law. Fewer riders meant a less healthy population that got sick and died younger.
The question of "where will I put my helmet when I get there?" is just one more hassle in a world that doesn't accommodate riders particularly well anyway. I hope Evanston's law isn't enforced. We shouldn't let the emotional impact of the admittedly ugly, incapacitating injuries that can occur sway us from doing everything to encourage people to ride, with helmets when possible, without helmets when they choose. That's a better recipe for a long, healthy life.
For that matter, there are a fair number of head injuries in auto-auto collisions. Perhaps the aldermen in Evanston should enact a law requiring all minors in cars to wear helmets. This would protect them while in the car and at the same time discourage them from getting in.
Ryan Chew
Chicago River Canoe & Kayak
Why should there be laws forcing someone to do something to protect their own life?
I read Steve Buchtel's article and while I feel bad about anyone'sinjuries I also feel that adults should have the right to protect theirown lives as they see fit. If that means not riding with a helmet, there should not be any law forcing them to wear one.
I wear a helmet, by choice. I encourage others to wear helmets too.If Chicago passed a law forcing me to wear one, I would stop wearing andstart organizing.
Did Dr. Goldin wear a helmet before his friend's accident?Did he encourage his riding buddy to wear a helmet?
Reading that Dr. Goldin's riding buddy had a son who was riding with himwe can assume that the injured rider was an adult. As an adult we shouldbe allowed to make decisions about our health and lives, not forced bylawmakers.
This is my opinion, like my choice to wear a helmet when I ride; it is mine.
Michael Blane
Chicago
Riding (or Walking ) The Plank
By Jim Nugent
Readers should check out the Old Plank Road Trail (OPRT), one of Chicagoland's premier rail-trails. This 20 mile asphalt trail runs east-west between Joliet and Park Forest, parallel to and about a mile south of Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30).
In Touch with Nature
The OPRT is like Chicago's Lakefront path but with less people, no lake but more nature. dozens of prairie grasses grow along the trail. Native flowers vary by season and include purple coneflowers, shooting star, wild bergamot, blue flag iris, prairie phlox, and compass plant. The OPRT cuts through the Dewey Helmick Nature preserve between Central and Ridgeland Avenues, a good place to spot heron, egrets, finches, swallows, and 175 other species of birds. On a quiet day you might see signs of coyote, fox, mink, muskrat, or beaver. Native prairie species abound because some areas of the trail have never been cultivated. The right-of-way was bought in 1850 by the Oswego and Indiana Plank Road Company, just a few years after the first settlers came to Will and Cook Counties.
Passenger and freight trains traversed this ground for 120 years until abandonment in 1976. For the next 20 years local groups worked to convert the line into a trail. Twelve miles of paved trail were opened in 1997 with extensions and improvements every year since.
A Smooth and Straight Ride
Most cyclists will appreciate the gentle curves and grades of the former railroad. The east end of the trail is flat at 700 feet elevation. This rises to about 750 feet at Frankfort and then falls gradually to Joliet, elevation 600 feet. Prevailing winds are out of the southwest so you often get a boost riding east up the gentle grades. Bathrooms are located at a half dozen places along the trail. Water fountains can be found in Lions Park at New Lenox, Breidert's Green in Frankfort, and Logan Park near the eastern end of the trail in Park Forest.
OPRT Parking and Access Points
The Chicagoland Bicycle Map offers many different routes by bike to the trail. For drivers, Hickory Creek Preserve, on U.S. 30 about 3 miles west of LaGrange Road (U.S. 45), is a natural trail access point. You'll find bathrooms, water, playgrounds, picnic tables, parking and a half-mile link to the main trail. Go north into the preserve to give your granny gear a workout on three miles of very challenging hills.
For access in downtown Frankfort take LaGrange Road (U.S. 45) south of U.S. 30 and look for the Historic downtown Frankfort signs. Great parks, restaurants, carry out and shopping are located along the trail. If you are driving on Interstate 57 get off at U.S. 30 in Matteson. A half mile east and south on Cicero Avenue you'll find the Target Store parking lot. Good parking is also available a half mile west and south on Central to the Matteson Auto Mall loop road.
Connections
The OPRT is part of the 535-mile Grand Illinois Trail (GIT). Check out the GIT at http://bikelib.org for cue sheets and maps. A short (5 mile) ride through Joliet from the west end of the OPRT brings you to the 60-mile long I&M Canal trail. Or go north through Joliet to reach the 5-mile Heritage Trail into Lockport. Both are paved with limestone screening so be prepared for more dust on the chains.
The Will County FPD recently started construction of the 26-mile long Wauponsee Glacial Trail. Work on the 8-mile Joliet to Manhattan section should be completed this year.
Maps and More Information
Complete information on the OPRT including pictures, maps, distances, facilities, and history is available at http://oprt.org. A foldup map and guide is available from towns, villages, and stores along the trail or check with the Will County Forest Preserve District (815/727-8700). Trail links at the League of Illinois Bicyclists web site also are useful (http://bikelib.org).
To Cuss or Not to Cuss
By Jeff Balch
"Ride on the sidewalk!" I was already close to the curb, but the woman's shout made me swerve to the right as the SUV shot past. I could see the window going back up as she accelerated, heading toward a left turn a block ahead. The light there went yellow. I knew the intersection, knew she'd have to wait a while. I caught up at normal speed.
"Hi," I called from the curb lane. She looked over and the window came down. She stared without expression. I saw that she was in her seventies. I paused. You don't bark at a grandmother. "You know, I can't ride on the sidewalk," I called out in an even tone. "It's against the law. I have to ride in the street."
Her expression softened. "Really?" she said. "I didn't know that. Sorry." Her light went green and she turned and drove off.
I rode away wondering. "Didn't know that"? Really? Had I actually taught her something? Or had she just faked me out? Nah, she must just never think about bikes.
I guess I can blame these musings for what happened next. A couple intersections later I was scooting between curb and idling traffic, a little less attentive than usual. Suddenly my left handlebar banged into the right side-view mirror of a BMW. I stopped instantly, hopping off the bike and turning and noting nervously that the driver was extraordinarily large and fierce-looking. His window came down as I approached. "I'm very sorry," I said. "Totally my fault. Have I damaged it?"
"No, no problem. It's the kind that bends back." A pedestrian who had stopped to witness my execution moved on.
"Don't worry about it," the driver said. "Hey, whaddidya say to that gal back there?"
"Uh, not much. Just said I couldn't ride on the sidewalk. She yelled that when she went by."
"Yeah, I saw. Heard her before, too, I mean with other bikers. She does it a lot. You shoulda cussed her out."
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.
Count Bikes-a-lot.
The CDOT Bike Program's Grant Davis says CDOT needs bike count data to
justify and pay for new bike lanes, and Grant needs volunteers to conduct
these counts. The counts last for two hours and take place weekdays (from
7-9 am or 4-6 pm) or Saturdays (from 9-11 am, 1-3 pm, or 3-5 pm), all
over the city. Grant will work with you to place you in a location that
is convenient for you. You will be asked to complete only one count, but
you can do as many as you desire. To volunteer, contact
Grant , 312/742-3219.
BikeOne. From May 31 through August 2, Bank One will lead free
guided bike rides (2 hrs. long, 15 rider limit) around Chicago and select
suburban neighborhoods. These weekly tours leave from Bank One Plaza and
select suburban banking centers and, with a learned guide along, take
in local landmarks and other points of interest. And BankOne's doing much
more for Chicago cycling; look for the whole story in July Bike Traffic.
Find BankOne's tours at bikeonechicago.com.
Next time you¹re self-consciously avoiding eye contact with the person
sitting across from you on the train or bus, look heavenward for salvation.
Bike the Drive and Chicagoland Bicycle Federation car cards are running
on CTA trains and Pace buses in the burbs, thanks to Events Director Cathy
H. and her boys.
Bikes build community. The Elgin Community Network's working with
the City of Elgin to develop a comprehensive city-wide bike plan. They'll
unveil the project at Elgin's Neighborhoodfest Expo June 7, and invite
all bicyclists to come share their perspectives, enthusiasm and expertise
with Elgin's residents. Contact
Cherie Murphy, or 847/931-5667 for info.
Heatlhy people cheaper to keep alive. Despite spending only $273
a year per person on healthcare (compared to America's $4500/yr.), Costa
Ricans live as long as we do: 76.1 years, reports the Washington Monthly's
Phillip J. Longman. The article cites environment‹e.g. far fewer cars,
so Costa Ricans aren't as likely to be killed by one plus they get more
exercise‹and behavior‹e.g. not eating so much fast food‹as the two factors
boosting their longevity on the cheap. Sounds like the health insurance
industry should be writing bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations
big fat checks. Biggie size
this blurb.
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
Lisa Phillips
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
