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. 

Linear parking lots: Is this the best we can do for our streets?

by Michelle Stenzel

Parked cars are visual blight. 

Many people may not realize how much the sight of these massive, inert vehicles degrades the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Lining practically every curb of every block in Lincoln Park, there are rows and rows of them. Some of their drivers are paying by the minute and will return soon to move on, but the vast majority stay for days or weeks on end. We're so used to their presence that we mentally "erase" them from what we see when we look around. I know this because, unlike my brain, my camera lens refuses to erase the sight of parked vehicles from the pictures I take, and makes the pictures unusable for purposes of promoting walking and biking.

One fall day I went out seeking to take some nice pictures of autumn foliage on our neighborhood streets. I got a lot of this:

Linear parking lots line are found on every street in Lincoln Park. I think this is Mohawk, but it's really Everystreet, Chicago.

The colorful leaves look nice, of course, but the linear parking lots stretching endlessly along both curbs? Not so inspiring. 

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Bike commute from the Loop to Lincoln Park

by Michelle Stenzel

Map of the route shown on the video. Starting in
the Loop: Madison to Dearborn to Huron to Wells.

Last Friday was Chicago's Winter Bike to Work Day! Did you bike to work that day? Many people reading this post might not be bike commuters yet, due to fears of motor vehicle traffic on the streets, or just because it’s a great unknown. I spent many years only riding locally in the neighborhood, or to commute downtown, I rode on the Lakefront Trail to get to the edge of the Loop, and then I walked my bike the last block to work. The thought of riding down major arterials or in the central business district made me very nervous. In the years before I finally gathered the courage to ride on busy streets, it would have been nice to have a visual tour of what I could expect.

So, using my new handlebar-mounted video camera, I’ve filmed my bike commute home a number of times in the last few weeks and have posted one below. I chose this video because it’s pretty typical of my commute. It was taken on January 11, 2013, a Friday afternoon around 3:30 pm, on a cold (but above freezing) and overcast day. I begin my ride on Madison at Michigan Avenue and end the video just north of North and Wells, once I reach Lincoln Park. 

Note that I’m on bike lanes for every portion of this commute, except for the three blocks on Huron, which is designated on the Chicago Bike Map as being the “recommended bike route” to take from Dearborn to Wells.

My commute is about 18 minutes. I shortened the video to 13:23 by speeding up the parts where I’m waiting at a red light to 4x normal speed. I didn’t overlay any music because I wanted the viewer to hear the ambient noises. (Unfortunately, it makes the clips at red lights a little annoying!)
(More after the jump --->)

A virtual ride to the lake on the new Fullerton bridge

by Michelle Stenzel

The Fullerton Parkway bridge rebuild project was completed at the end of December and I've now had a chance to view the final result a few times. My overall opinion remains the same as it was on this post in March 2012, when Michael and I first learned of the plans days before demolition began: It's unfortunate that an entire sidewalk/multi-use trail was removed at this very important access point to the Lakefront Trail because it eliminated a natural, direct, and very well-used route. 

I made a video of the route to get to the lake arriving by bike from parts west on Fullerton. It's a little rough, but I'm new at making, editing and uploading videos, so take that into account.

 

In addition to the problems I mentioned in this follow up post of missing sidewalk, missing crosswalk and wide turn radii, I note that the off ramp from Lake Shore Drive is now a double-turn lane, with just a puny stop sign that will supposedly halt the drivers who were barrelling down LSD at 45 mph only 100 yards prior, and who are eager to make a right turn and continue on their way (the offramp is seen in the video at  1:38). I'm predicting a lot of motor vehicle traffic blocking the only crosswalk we have left.   (Following added January 8, 2013:) Update! This will not be simply a stop sign permanently. They are installing a traffic signal there as we speak. See my further thoughts in the comments section below.

John Greenfield of Grid Chicago wrote an article for New City that comments on the project and quotes from this blog.

Have you been on the rebuilt bridge? What are your thoughts?

What have you done for me lately? A look back at 2012

by Michelle Stenzel

A few weeks ago, after our Bike Walk  Lincoln Park bike share meeting,  a young journalist posed a very reasonable question to me that nevertheless took me completely off guard: So, what has your group accomplished? As I struggled to formulate a semi-coherent response, I made a mental note to work up some talking points on that subject, so I would be better prepared next time someone asked. This column will serve as my crib sheet.

In 2012, Bike Walk Lincoln Park successfully advocated for the use of Stop for Pedestrian signs in dozens of locations.

Michael Reynolds and I co-formed Bike Walk Lincoln Park in June 2011 as a way of providing a forum for people who were interested in making our neighborhood even better for walking and bicycling. It was that simple. We spent much of 2011 just trying to get the word out about our group, establishing a web presence with the blog, and getting to know Alderman Michele Smith and her staff.

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What's in store for Lincoln Park under the Streets for Cycling 2020 Plan?

by Michelle Stenzel

The visually exciting news of last week was the opening of the Loop's first two-way protected bike lane on Dearborn Street, of course. Who can resist the sight of our mayor high-fiving smiling bicyclists? Well not me, that's for sure. 

Somewhat overshadowed was the release on the same day of the Streets for Cycling 2020 Plan, which lays out the upgraded infrastructure that we hope to see installed citywide over the next eight years. You may remember that I was a volunteer leader of the north side Community Advisory Group, and Bike Walk Lincoln Park co-chair Michael Reynolds attended all the meetings faithfully, as did many other BWLP supporters. (You might spot yourself in a picture or two in the plan.)

Please download the plan and read it (link directly to PDF here)! Don't rely on this flimsy blog entry to summarize for you; there's just too much there. It's a beautifully done 57-page document that takes you through the process of putting together the plan, and then describes the recommendations for each area of the city. 

(More after the jump)

The Loop's first protected bike lane is open for business!

by Michelle Stenzel

You'll remember that in August, Mayor Emanuel announced publicly that Chicago would be getting its first two-way protected bike lane in the Loop on Dearborn, by the end of 2012. As the weeks and then months went by and there was no sign of it materializing, I began to lose hope, but suddenly, construction began. I've been stalking the new lane every opportunity I had while it was being installed, and I still can't believe it's done, but it is! 

It opened on Friday, December 14th, at a press conference hosted by Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein, and attended by Mayor Emanuel. I rode on the lane for the very first time on the way to the event, and was pleased to immediately be in the midst of five or six other riders heading the same way. It was like a little slice of Europe, right here in Chi-town:

Way more to be seen after the jump!  ---------->