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posts this month: As we are losing lives, are we also losing sight? Crossing Guard Appreciation Day Tuesday Kedzie and Armitage: Home sweet home? Archives by month:
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Friday May 2: Archie Eades, age 86, died from injuries sustained in an earlier crash.
In a separate crash, a car plowed into three pedestrians near Midway. Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but five people were hospitalized.
Sunday May 4: John Barnes, age 36, was killed in a hit-and-run crash. Reports indicate that the driver was drunk.
Monday May 5: Joseph Richardson, age 39, was killed while walking with his 4-year-old daughter when an out-of-control vehicle jumped the curb and struck them. Joseph’s daughter is hospitalized in serious condition. Reports indicate that the driver was drunk.
Tuesday May 6: Anca Ramiceanu, age 62, was killed while walking in a crosswalk when a driver of a U-Haul ran a red light. The occupants of the U-Haul fled the scene on foot — another fatal hit-and-run.
On that same day, six pedestrians were hospitalized after being hit by a beige sedan that fled the scene. The victims of this hit-and-run were two infants, two toddlers, the 30-year-old mother of two of the children and an adult male.
I am appalled and saddened by these crashes and the needless loss of life. I am disgusted that so many families are struggling to make sense out of these tragedies. I am horrified that there are drivers who flee the scene after injuring or killing someone.
I am also angered and frustrated, because I don’t know what to do to stop these crashes. It sickens me to know that warm weather brings more of these fatalities and summer weather has just begun. In 2006 there were 46 pedestrian fatalities in Chicago – since January of 2008, Chicago has almost reached 30 pedestrian deaths and the deadliest summer months are still ahead of us.
Tragedies like these make it hard to know what to do to make our streets safe for all roadway users. The problem of deadly drivers feels insurmountable. It is certainly a problem that runs deep in our society: too many drivers consider driving a right and not a privilege; too much impatience and distraction leads to tragic lapses of judgment; too many vehicles moving too fast make pedestrians and bicyclists vulnerable; too little consideration for other people leads to the shocking number of hit-and-runs in Chicago; too many roads are designed to only accommodate vehicles and aren’t safe for pedestrians or bicyclists.
I am sure that I am not alone in my desire to do something – now – to halt what feels like an assault on pedestrians. I have some ideas, but I want to hear yours: what should we do to stem this stream of death?
We recently lost two bicyclists in Logan Square due to fatal crashes. It is important to mourn the lives and remember the wonder and joy they brought to us while they were here. Too often, the headlines, the blogs, and the “sound bites” leave out the human elements. The Chicago Tribune’s article on Amanda Annis was rare – an insight into who Amanda was and the impact that she was making in Chicago. Too often, that humanity is left out of the story. Friends of Cordell Curtis, the driver of the car, are asking for his story, his impact, to be shared.
Where are the stories of Tyler Fabeck and his impact on friends, family and co-workers? We are so quick to blame someone in a crash that we bypass the feelings of those touched by the incident in ways that we can only try to imagine. What right do we have to sit by on the sidelines and cast blame, doubt, and shame? These crashes should serve to remind us that all crashes are tragedies, for all of those involved. We should reach out to offer support, prayers, and love. We should work hard to demonstrate that we care by being courteous and safe when we operate our vehicles – bicycles, cars, or otherwise.
Yes, we should, as advocates, continue to plead for motorists to slow down. Tyler and Amanda would likely still be with us if the motorists were driving at or below the speed limit. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation believes that motorists in general should bear the responsibility appropriate for their vehicles - large, heavy vehicles that can easily kill on impact a vulnerable person in traffic, such as a pedestrian, someone in a wheelchair or a bicyclist. We also know that statistics bear out the fact that when cars travel over 30 MPH, they are far more likely to cause major injuries or fatalities and when that speed drops to below 25 MPH, those numbers plummet.
The blogosphere, including our own, serves an opportunity to throw out accusations, more “sound bites”, and vent our angers and frustration. Remember that these comments also touch others, including family members, friends, and co-workers. Please don’t hide behind desks or monitors and throw out accusations, but keep comments on blogs (including this one) to comments that are concise, accurate, and not directed toward individuals. Please also remember that there are real people behind the stories who miss their loved ones, who want both justice and understanding. Let’s spend our energies making more friends, driving with care for all, and making the most out of our lives while we are here. Thank you for listening.
Tuesday, May 6 is Illinois School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day so be sure to give a special “hello” and “thank you” to your local crossing guard.
I’ll choose to commute in via Elston on Tuesday so I can pass by my favorite crossing guard, Lorraine, at the intersection of Sawyer and Diversey. Lorraine and I always wave to each other and she shouts out “be safe” to me as I bike by.
She’s been a crossing guard for 45 years. She’s now helping grandchildren of people that she helped 45 years ago when she started out. Like the multitude of other crossing guards, Lorraine, protects the safety and health of children every day, while putting herself in danger. Aside from keeping these children safe from cars, crossing guards also ensure the option for kids to walk to school — keeping them and the environment healthy.
So, to Lorraine and all the crossing guards in Illinois…we appreciate you! Thanks so much for keeping our children safe!
The death
of Amanda Annis continues to haunt the cycling community. As I learn more
about her, I mourn not only her tragic death, but also that I never met her.
Below is the letter I sent to the Cook County State’s Attorney office
to let them know that there is public support for tough prosecution of traffic
crimes. I am sickened to realize that this is only the first letter I will send
in response to one of us being killed on our streets. Please consider conveying
to the State’s Attorney office your thoughts about prosecuting traffic
crashes.
Honorable Richard Devine
Cook County State’s Attorney
2650 S. California
Chicago, Il. 60608
RE: Crash Date: April 30, 2008
Cordell Curtis/ Amanda Annis
Dear Honorable Devine:
On April 30, 2008, a crash occurred when a vehicle driven by Cordell Curtis
struck and killed bicyclist Amanda Annis at the intersection of Armitage and
Kedzie avenues. It is my understanding from news reports that Cordell Curtis
was cited for reckless driving, failure to reduce speed and driving without
insurance.
As a concerned bicycle advocate, I request that this case be prosecuted to the
maximum allowed by law including fines and time to be served. Cyclists have
the same rights as all road users to use the roadways safely. It is long past
due that motorists are held responsible for their actions that result in death.
Again, I ask that when presenting this case to the judge: Demand the
maximum penalty allowed. Driving is a privilege, not a right –
life is too precious to treat dangerous driving as anything less than the deadly
activity that it truly is.
I request that your office notify the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation about any
charges filed against Mr. Curtis stemming from this horrific crash.
Sincerely,
Sherry Daun, Esq.
Director of Advocacy
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
Kedzie
and Armitage is an intersection I know very well. It’s a typical Chicago
neighborhood intersection with local businesses on every corner. I frequent
all of them — I’m a regular at the Streetside,
I take my clothes to New Kedzie dry cleaners, I even rent movies from Hi-Fi
Video, a place that puts Ghostbusters in the “new releases”
section. When people ask me where I live, I tell them “Kedzie and Armitage.”
It’s my neighborhood.
It’s understandable that I get shaken up when a cyclist dies at that intersection.
My friends bike through that intersection to get to my house. I bike through
that intersection everyday. It literally hits close to home. I remember feeling
shocked last summer when a young woman, Blanca
Ocasio, was fatally struck by a dump truck at Kedzie and Armitage. I feel
shocked today reading the story of a 24-year-old woman cyclist who was hit and
killed yesterday at the same intersection. I’m 24 years old.
My shock turns to anger when I read,
“police urged city cyclists to follow all traffic signals and wear proper
safety gear when riding their bikes” in the Sun-Times article about the
crash. The reports don’t say if she was wearing a helmet or breaking any
traffic laws.
I follow the rules of the road and I never ride my bike without a helmet. I
tell my friends to do so and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation consistently
urges fellow cyclists to do the same.
But, if I were struck and killed by a car, I worry that the news articles would
likely be the same. Police would scold cyclists for not following traffic laws
and not wearing proper safety equipment. And I wouldn’t be able to defend
myself because I would be dead.
This blame-the-victim style of reporting is prevalent in many fatal pedestrian
and cyclist crash stories in cities all over the United States, but I don’t
think the media is entirely to blame. The problem is much bigger and more complex
than bad journalism. Crash stories are reflective of the overall attitude that
the personal automobile is the superior form of transportation and other modes
should have no right-of-way on public roads.
Until there is a shift from the auto-centric culture to a more balanced transportation
system, I think we can expect to read the same fatal cyclist crash stories.
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation fought long and hard to establish regular service for passengers with bicycles on Metra trains. This effort finally paid off with a Bikes on Trains program for Metra in 2005. Metra identified which trains did not travel at capacity and then allowed bikes to fill up some of the empty space.
People started to use the program and now we see not only bicyclists taking Metra trains on an occasional basis but also people incorporating trips with their bicycle on Metra trains as a regular part of their daily routine. That, however, is being threatened by two new waves of Metra commuters.
Gas prices have driven Metra’s ridership to record levels. This along with an increase in ridership due to the new RTA program that allows seniors to ride for free on all mass transit in Chicagoland is gobbling up those empty spots that bicyclists have gotten used to using. The 7:35 p.m. train on the UP North line is already slated for elimination from the Bikes on Trains program due to increased ridership. It is possible that we will loose more trains in the future.
Certainly we can not argue with more people taking mass transit as being a good thing for Chicagoland. On an individual level, however, we may find ourselves getting booted off some of the hard-earned spots on Metra and maybe even CTA trains when we look to take our bicycles on board.
While we are not yet sure how to accommodate everyone who wants to use mass transit, including those who wish to travel with their bicycles, we do need to be aware that we might not be able to take every train we’d like with our bicycle, even if it is supposed to be available for such use. Even during the “allowed” times for bikes on trains, if there isn’t enough room for us, we can be refused service due to capacity limitations. Definitely something to watch out for as gas prices continue to go up and more people are filling up trains.
See Bus Rapid Transit with Bikes in Paris by watching this video taken in the fall of 2006 by CBF's very own Randy Neufeld. The cyclist is Rob Sadowsky, CBF Executive Director.
Imagine a bike lane on Western Avenue or any other major north/south corridor that currently has a middle turn lane. This dream may soon come true with the announcement today that Chicago received $153 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to reduce downtown congestion. One of the two projects that these funds will launch is a bus rapid transit program on four corridors. This is exciting on many levels. (It’s also the silver lining to the demise of New York’s promising congestion pricing project, from which these funds were reallocated).
The concept for bus rapid transit started a few months ago when Eric Britton facilitated a discussion with the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Department of Environment, Chicago Department of Transportation, the Clinton Foundation and other transportation advocates about what can we do in the next six months to reduce the City’s carbon footprint while encouraging active transportation. I was active in those discussions and was energized by the enthusiasm that people had for the idea. I had no idea when I talked at the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s Modeshift conference that we would be jumping for joy only a few months later.
This is one more sign that we are moving forward to instill a new transportation priority in Chicago that focuses on active transportation and mobility. Congratulations to Chicago and Mayor Daley.
The Chicago Tribune story spells the program out here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-chicago-traffic-congestion-web-apr30,0,543062.story
Want more information about bus rapid transit? Look here:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/10/24/dot-announces-five-bus-rapid-transit-corridors/
Coming soon: We’ll post a video of me riding on a bus rapid route with a shared bike lane in Paris in the next day or so. See more on Paris here:
http://connectedcities.eu/guide/mobilien.html
Is it true? Funding could go toward bus rapit transit in Chicago. Check out the Tribune's story.
"Federal and city officials announced today an ambitious plan to get more
commuters out of their cars by freeing CTA buses from traffic congestion and
speeding the ride to and from work in Chicago.
Lanes dedicated to buses-only will be created on four major city corridors that
were not immediately identified. One could be Lake Shore Drive.
In addition, buses will make fewer stops—four to five blocks apart. Kiosks
will be installed at the bus stops to enable passengers to pre-pay their fares
and board quickly once the bus arrives. "
A new blog from John Greenfield, "Vote With Your Feet" is looking at transportation issues at a local and national level. Take a look at this week's issue — the car-free park movement. Have a good story idea for John? Drop him a line at greenfieldjohn@hotmail.com
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