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Chicago full steam ahead with bicycling
plans
By Margo O'Hara
Chicago’s Bike
2015 Plan is
showing no signs of slowing as the Chicago Department of Transportation’s
Bike Program works tirelessly on all things bike.
“We are doing meaningful work on 75 of the 150 strategies,”
said Ben Gomberg, the City’s Bicycle Program Coordinator.
“Some things are happening faster than we expected; some things
are happening a little slower.”
Be sure to say thanks to the City’s Bike Program for all its
work in 2007 – from motorist education to green bike lanes.
If you thought 2007 was a good year, check out 2008:
All students in Chicago’s taxi licensing program are receiving
new training on safely sharing the road with bicyclists. The City
hired the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to develop develop the
training, which the Department of Consumer Services administers.
The taxi licensing exam has also added a bicycle-related question.
Mayor Richard M. Daley introduced an ordinance in February that
increases penalties for motorists who endanger bicyclists and clearly
defines violations against vulnerable users of the streets.
This spring, look for the latest installment of Safe Streets for
Chicago campaign — a bicycling component. The campaign, Share
the Road, will encourage all road users to lighten up a little as
they travel from point A to point B.
The City’s
Bike Program was busy last summer installing brand new thermoplastic
green bike lanes in eight locations around Chicago. The eye-catching
markings are modeled after Portland’s effort to reduce crashes
in high-conflict areas.
The City will have results this year on the lanes’ effectiveness
in reducing crashes.
You might have noticed even more marked shared lanes, too. Since
the first one in 2002, Chicago h
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as marked 21 miles of shared lanes.
The Bike Program also wants to know about you – where you
bike and how many bicyclists are out there. This summer, staff will
take surveys along popular routes like Lincoln and Milwaukee avenues.
The hope is that this information will make Chicago even friendlier
to bicyclists, with more bike lanes and targeted enforcement.
When it comes to getting a bike on a CTA bus, some people are less
than trusting of the racks their two-wheeled friend sits on. CTA’s
Todd Bapton hears about defective racks and has decided to do something
about it.
Now you can fill out an online form that reports any defective bike
racks (bus route and number) directly to him. Bapton added that
the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee sent a resolution to
CTA highlighting the plight of CTA bike-and-riders.
The letter encourages CTA to begin using the industry’s rack
standard instead of the racks currently used.
Out of breath yet? The City’s Bike Program isn’t. Find
out more information on the plan at
www.bike2015plan.org.
Margo O’Hara is the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s
Communications Director.
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