| November
2006 |
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Trails 'Cast Spell' over 'Burbs Suburbs Seek Help with Bicycle Facilities New Policy Steers Chicago Streets Toward Completion 'Rack 'Em!' Bike Parking Expands, Evolves in Chicago Bikes Kept a Rollin' All Year Long on Metra Donors are the Force Behind Good Biking |
New Policy Steers Chicago Streets Toward
Completion
When Chicago unveiled its new Safe Streets initiative in October, local media focused mainly on the high-tech traffic enforcement tools Chicago Police will deploy under the plan. But a less-publicized part of the Safe Streets announcement has the bicycling and transportation advocacy world buzzing: Chicago now has a Complete Streets Policy that for the first time mandates that all users must be accommodated in all transportation projects. In a regular meeting June 8 with Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation staff asked for the moon: a citywide complete streets policy. CBF was subsequently consulted on language for the policy. Chicago thus becomes the nation’s largest city to enact a policy of Complete Streets, so named for the principle that no street is complete until it safely and efficiently accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized users. Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Cheri Heramb said the policy makes pedestrian safety a top priority. “We realize there’s more we can do, especially for our most vulnerable citizens: children, the elderly and people with disabilities." “This is a huge step toward restoring the health of Chicago streets,” said CBF executive director Rob Sadowsky. Chicago’s Complete Streets Policy mandates that “the safety and convenience of all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, freight and motor vehicle drivers shall be accommodated and balanced in all types of transportation and development projects and through all phases of a project.” Training is the part of the new policy that is critical to making it work. “The planners, engineers, and consultants that use the policy must be trained on how this is different from the previous way of doing business,” said Healthy Streets Campaign Coordinator Randy Neufeld. CDOT plans this training for February and commits to "update ... all project managers and engineers on new guidelines in 2006." The policy is consistent with Chicago’s Bike 2015 Plan, so bicyclists can expect to see the expansion of the bike network complemented by targeted improvements in pedestrian access, such as bulb-out curb extensions for crosswalks, countdown crossing signals, median refuges and crosswalk/traffic signal re-timing to minimize pedestrian delay and conflicts.
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