Small improvements for people walking in Lincoln Park

by Michelle Stenzel

We're eagerly waiting for the re-paved Lincoln Avenue to materialize, and when it does, I'll be sure to post "after" pictures. In the mean time, I noticed a few small improvements made lately in the neighborhood.

There are new "Stop for Pedestrian" signs installed on Armitage, at Mohawk Street and at Cleveland Avenue:

New "Stop for Pedestrian"signs on Armitage at Cleveland. (Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park)

The signs are on both crosswalks, alongside the zebra-stripe markings. These intersections are "uncontrolled", which means that there is no stop sign or red light for drivers. 

I also noticed new faux-brick stamped crosswalks at the intersection of Clark and Webster:

New crosswalks on Webster at Clark Street. (Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park)

This is a very busy intersection, especially before school starts at neighboring Francis Parker School. It's nice to see the fresh striping, paint and stamped asphalt. Families with kids at the school and all the neighborhood people likely appreciate the increased visibility of the crosswalks.

Improved crosswalk installed on Stockton!

by Michelle Stenzel

Have you noticed the upgraded crosswalk on Stockton Drive at Belden? It's between the Shakespeare statue and the Lincoln Park Conservatory. This is a very busy crossing for joggers, walkers, guests of the Belden-Stratford Hotel, visitors to the zoo, and many others.

The improved crosswalk on Stockton Drive at Belden. (Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park)

Do you remember what it looked like before? Here's a picture to remind you of its sorry original state:

This "Before" pic shows that the marked crosswalk was very wide, and nearly invisible.
(Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park)

The improvements include re-painting of the "zebra-style crosswalk markings, of course. However, what makes the most difference is the wide curb bump-outs that narrow the distance that pedestrians are in the roadway.  (More -->)

Pedestrian signs are taking a beating but are still working well

by Michelle Stenzel

The Stop For Pedestrians crosswalk signs went up in Lincoln Park about seven months ago, in July 2012. You may have noticed that they've already taken a beating. Many are scratched and bent, and I  presume that it's from people driving into or over them.

This "Stop for Pedestrians" sign has already suffered damage during its seven months of service on Stockton Drive.

My first thought upon noticing this is that it's unfortunate that there will be yet another piece of worn-out looking infrastructure our streets. So many of our street signs are bent, hanging askew or upside down, faded, obsolete or otherwise in a pathetic state, and this will just add to the decrepitude. 

Pedestrian signs update: New locations, and some wear and tear

by Michelle Stenzel

More "Stop for Pedestrian" signs have been placed in Lincoln Park, and they're working well. From my observations at various installations over the past few weeks, it seems that most drivers are much more likely to drive slower as they approach, and stop when needed to allow pedestrians to cross. Sure, there are always the occasional drivers who have no problem buzzing past people in the crosswalk in spite of the signs, but that's now the exception.

There are now five signs at uncontrolled intersections (where there is no stop sign nor stop light) on Clark, between Fullerton and Diversey. These crosswalks see a very high volume of people crossing due to the wonderful variety of shops and restaurants on both sides of Clark.

More after the jump!

More crosswalk signs installed!

by Michelle Stenzel

Why yes, we are excited about these signs. This month marks the two-year anniversary that it's been state law that drivers must STOP for pedestrians in crosswalks, not just swerve around them. These signs are helping to finally educate drivers, and make life easier for people walking!

In-street "Stop for Pedestrians" signs are appearing all over Lincoln Park. (Photo: BikeWalkLincolnPark)

In addition to the first in-street stop for pedestrian sign that we reported about in this post, we've now spotted five more locations.

More after the jump -->

First "Stop For Pedestrian" sign appears on Stockton!

by Michelle Stenzel

As you may recall, we asked Alderman Michele Smith to allocate a portion of her annual aldermanic menu funds to install "Stop for Pedestrian" signs at unsignallized crosswalks, to help drivers remember that it's the law to stop for people crossing the street. She committed to installing 19 of them, listed on Alderman Smith's 2012 menu request document, which you can find here. You'll see them soon on Stockton, Lincoln, Clark, Diversey and Belden. 

The first sign appeared today! (At least, it's the first one we've seen. Tell us if you've spotted any others.) It's on Stockton Drive, at about 1700 North, near the surface parking lot owned by the Chicago History Museum.

 More pictures and post after the jump --->

Clark Street near the Green City Market, revisited

by Michelle Stenzel

It's been nearly a year since we first posted on the section of Clark Street from North Avenue to Armitage, which has four lanes of fast-moving car traffic, no bike lanes, and little help for pedestrians trying to cross it. I spent a little time recently in the area during the Green City Market morning hours, to see if there are any new developments.

The good news is that more people than ever are doing the "green" thing and riding their bikes to the market. There were bikes locked up to every street pole and fence.

This also makes it very clear that we need more parking for bicycles during on Green City Market days!  Locking to a chain link fence is not ideal, since the fence links can be very easily snipped with wire cutters. Since the Green City Market has a "special events" permit, perhaps they can arrange to have bike racks placed just for the May to October market season?

Post continues after the jump --->

Stockton Drive Pedestrians Need Help

Stockton Drive from LaSalle (1700 N) to Cannon/Diversey (2700 N) is a winding north/south street that goes through the heart of Lincoln Park. It runs alongside popular recreational destinations like the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and North Pond Cafe. Pedestrians from areas to the west heading to any of those destinations, as well as the soccer and softball fields, Lakefront Trail or beaches, all cross Stockton en route to their destination.

This long stretch of road has many pedestrian crosswalks but only infrequent stop signs or stop lights, and cars often move at speeds far in excess of the 25 MPH posted speed limit. They rarely stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, which are often poorly visible due to fading. Also, the current signage only tells motorists to "yield" and not stop for pedestrians.

Pedestrians crossing Stockton at a crosswalk. Notice the faded paint. (Photo: BikeWalkLincolnPark.com)

Therefore, what usually happens is that a pedestrian enters the crosswalk and waits as car after car zooms past, until there are no cars approaching from either way, until finally crossing the street safely. It's not unusual for a pedestrian to start to cross, only to have a speeding car swerve around them in order to avoid stopping.

Stockton Drive pedestrians desperately need help. So what can be done to help the situation?

First, change the current signs that say "Yield to Pedestrians" to reflect the new law in effect since July 2010 that motorists must stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. In addition, why not put a blinking solar-powered light on top to call attention to it?

This sign in Champaign, Illinois clearly tells motorists to STOP for pedestrians in the crosswalk. (Photo: BikeWalkLincolnPark.com)

Next, at the minimum, repaint all the crosswalks so they are clearly delineated in white. Or, take it a step further and use colored pain to differentiate the marking visually and make the crosswalk more of an extension of the sidewalk.

Example of a painted crosswalk, in an unspecified location. (Photo: PedBikeImages.org)

Or maybe go all-out and put in a few raised crosswalks like the one below. They're not speed bumps, but they're visual speed bumps. Encountering even one of these will put a motorist on alert mentally that pedestrians are likely to be present, and they are to be given their due respect.

Example of a raised crosswalk, in an unspecified location. (Photo: SafetyTransportation.org)

At times, Stockton is unnecessarily wide, and that creates a "highway" feel that makes drivers think it's OK to drive faster. Reduce those wide sections as often as possible. One stretch of Stockton at 1800 north by the Farm in the Zoo has no parking on one side allowed because the space is supposedly reserved for "charter buses", but there are never any buses there. The emptiness makes passing drivers hit the gas, and endangers pedestrians. Why not direct all buses to use the massive Lincoln Park Zoo parking lot, which has an area expressly reserved for them? Then, parking for the public can be added here (yes, added!), which would effectively narrow the street, make motorists slow down, and pedestrians would benefit.

Stockton Drive is unnecessarily wide at times. (Photo: BikeWalkLincolnPark.com)

Finally, we could use better enforcement by police of the new law requiring cars to STOP for pedestrians in a crosswalk. Maybe if all the measures above are undertaken, motorists will respond favorably due to the visual clues they are given, and ticketing won't be necessary. 

Do you have any additional suggestions on how to make Stockton Drive or similar streets safer for pedestrians?