Riding an e-scooter in the new protected lanes on Wrightwood Avenue in Logan Square and Hermosa, shown just west of Metra’s Milwaukee District-North line, looking east. Photo: John Greenfield
Hi there, Streetsblog readers. I hope you've been enjoying the holiday season. To those of you who continue to bike and/or ride e-scooters during the brisk weather (and as you'll see in this post, there are plenty of you), I hope you have been doing some enjoyable commutes and recreational rides.
Remember the rule for winter cycling, "You can't have fun if you're cold," and be sure to wear warm, moisture-resistant layers (clothing that includes wool or synthetics > 100-percent cotton). If possible, bring extra clothing along (another light top layer, gloves, head covering etc.), so you can adjust your warmth level as needed.
Once again, I made the above map of bikeways that the Chicago Department of Transportation has "installed" this year, or are currently "underway," per CDOT's Planned Bike Projects spreadsheet.
New bikeways discussed in this post. Green = protected bike lanes, blue = Neighborhood Greenway side-street route, red = non-protected bike lanes. Image: John Greenfield via Google MapsTo give you a better sense of how the new bikeways shown my Google Maps screenshot fit in with the existing bike network, here's the section of the city covered in this post, as shown on CDOT's 2024 Chicago Bike Map, released earlier in the year, before many or most of the 2024 bikeways were completed. Blue = bike lanes (black outlines means they're protected lanes), green = Neighborhood Greenway side street routes, gray = off-street trails.
I'm working my way counter-clockwise around the city, gradually checking out every new bike lane, protected bike lane (PBL), and Neighborhood Greenway (NG) side street route. I'm not pedaling the entire length of all these facilities, but rather trying to gauge what they're generally like.
This post includes stuff I saw last Wednesday and Saturday in Portage Park, Irving Park, North Center, Avondale, Logan Square, Hermosa, and Humboldt Park. On the latter day, it was around 23F, but I still say plenty of people riding bikes and scooters. Below is a quick summary of what I observed. All photos and video are by yours truly.
NG on Long Avenue in the Portage Parkcommunity
In October 2023, a driver fatally struck Joshua Anleu Buendia, 16, while he was biking at Waveland (3700 N.) and Long Avenues (5400 W.) in Chicago's Portage Park community. This photo shows his "ghost bike" memorial. In February 2024, only four months later, and one eighth of a mile north, at Grace Street (3700 N.) and Long, a driver critically injured Ernesto Vargas, 18, on his bike.
As shown in the above video, the Chicago Department of Transportation recently installed speed humps, paint-and-post curb extensions, and "sharrows" – bike-and-chevron symbols – from Irving Park Road (4000 N.) to Grace. "CDOT recently completed a resurfacing project on Long Avenue south of Grace, and in 2025, will add sinusoidal bike-friendly speed humps, updated pavement markings, and new signage to create a low-stress connection to Chopin Park [3500 N.]," said agency spokesperson Erica Schroeder. "We’re continuing to work closely with the 30th Ward on other potential traffic calming measures in the area."
NG on Kilbourn Avenue in the Irving Parkcommunity
Looking southeast on Kilbourn Avenue (4230 W.) towards the eponymous park, located just south of Addison Avenue (3600 N.)Kilbourn at Belmont Avenue (3200 N.), with a northbound contraflow bike lane, looking southwest.
Non-protected bike lane on Damen Avenue in North Center
Ghost bike memorial for Anastasia Kondrasheva, 23, at Addison and Damen (2000 W.) avenues. In September 2016, a right-turning flatbed truck driver failed to yield and fatally struck her. The new bikeway runs south from this location.Riding south on the new Damen bikeway, just south of Addison.Riding south on the new Damen bikeway at Roscoe Street.
Non-protected (so far) bike lanes on California Avenue in Logan Square and Avondale
Riding north on California Avenue (2800 W.) just north of Logan Boulevard (2600 N.)Bike/bus lane north of Diversey Avenue (2800 N.), just south of the Kennedy Expressway.While CDOT's Planned Bikeways Installations Tracker designates this portion of California under the expressway (shown, looking north) as being an "installed" "protected bike lane," there isn't actually any physical protection here yet. Presumably, the department will eventually bolt down concrete curbs in the striped area to change that.Bike/bus lane on California just south of Belmont and Elston (diagonal) avenues, looking north.
New protected bike lanes on Belmont west of Kimball Avenue in Avondale ("underway")
Biking past the Belmont Blue Line station, just east of Kimball Avenue (3400 W.) on Belmont Avenue, shot looking west. East of Kimball, Belmont has mostly protected bike lanes (obviously not the ones in this photo), east to about Western Avenue (2400 W.) CDOT is currently building new protected lanes on Belmont west of Kimball to Milwaukee Avenue (diagonal, about 3830 W. there.)
Riding west on a new protected bike lane segment on Belmont at St. Louis Avenue (3500 W.) Presumably, green paint will be added.
ll
A new raised bike lane segment on Belmont east of Ridgeway Avenue (3730 W.), looking east. It's likely this will be painted green as well.
Non-protected bike lanes on Milwaukee in Avondale
Biking southeast in the non-protected lanes on Milwaukee south of Belmont.
Non-protected bike lanes on Central Park Avenue in Avondale
The new bikeway on Central Park Avenue (3600 W.), passes by the office of State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-29th), just north of Milwaukee.Riding south on Central Park.
Protected lanes on Wrightwood in Logan Square and Hermosa
This is the ghost bike memorial for Ronald Mendoza, 43, who died from injuries sustained in a July 2023 crash with a car driver at Wrightwood Avenue (2600 N.) and Pulaski Road (4000 N.). The protected lanes were installed this year. See a photograph of the protected lanes, located just west of this intersection, at the top of this post.
Protected bike lanes on Division Street in Humboldt Park
New concrete protection, looking east on Division Street (1200 N.) just east of Humboldt Boulevard (3000 W.), and just south of the eponymous park. CDOT will likely add green paint to the bikeway.Under-construction concrete protection on the south side of Division near Humboldt Boulevard, looking east.
New curb protection on Cortland Avenue in Logan Square
Cortland Avenue (around 1900 N.) looking east towards its Chicago River bridge. The existing non-protected bike lanes on Cortland have been upgraded with curbs from Ashland Avenue (1600 W.) to the river (roughly 1430 W.)
Did you appreciate this post? Streetsblog Chicago is currently fundraising to help cover our 2025-26 budget. If you appreciate our reporting and advocacy on local sustainable transportation issues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation here. Thank you!
In addition to editing Streetsblog Chicago, John writes about transportation and other topics for additional local publications. A Chicagoan since 1989, he enjoys exploring the city on foot, bike, bus, and 'L' train.
