This piece includes interviews by Cameron Bolton and commentary by John Greenfield.
You couldn't have asked for better weather than last Sunday, when there were joyful car-free celebrations on both DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park. Streetsblog will discuss the vibrant Meet Me on Milwaukee event soon. But for now, we'll take a look at yet another inspiring Bike the Drive ride, the key fundraiser for the Active Transportation Alliance advocacy group.
What's going on with Redefine the Drive?
First, let's set the stage. There's currently a lull in the battle over the future of DLSD, the eight-lane highway that's a barrier between Chicagoans and our gorgeous lakefront, which was raging about a year ago. That's when the Illinois Department of Transportation essentially announced it was abandoning proposals to convert two of the lanes on North DLSD to bus-only routes as part of the Redefine the Drive planning project. Instead, plans called for basically reconstructing the road as-is, and even making it more car-centric.
Sustainable transportation advocates and sympathetic lakefront politicians responded by holding a massive Save Our Lakefront Rally in August 2024, outside an IDOT open house on the project at Truman College. Many of the activists called for transforming the coastal road into a multimodal surface street, with four lanes for drivers, and excellent walk, bike, transit, park, and shoreline access.
Streetsblog recently checked in with the state transportation department to ask what's going on with plans to rebuild NDLSD. "The project team is continuing to evaluate feedback, input from public hearings last fall as well as meet with stakeholders," said spokesperson Guy Tridgell. "No plan has been submitted to feds for consideration. Still many months away, realistically."
Well, no news is good news, we suppose. But the time is definitely ripe to once again start demanding more right-of-way on the lakefront for sustainable transportation, with less space occupied by dangerous, polluting, noisy, and traffic-clogging metal boxes.
This year's Bike the Drive
It's wild to think that at 24 years old, Bike the Drive has been around for an entire generation. According to the Active Transportation Alliance, more than 16,000 people took part in Sunday morning's celebration, covering 15 miles of the coastal highway. And, as he did last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson made an appearance at the event.
"I am not only here today for an exhilarating ride along our beautiful lakefront, but to demonstrate my commitment to ensuring that Chicago has safe and abundant access to active transportation options," Mayor Johnson said in a speeach at the event. "By promoting and creating more access to biking, scooters, and more we are creating healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable communities. Whether you ride for recreation or as a means of transportation, please know that I am committed to making Chicago a safer place for bicyclists in every neighborhood."
Envision Unlimited's adaptive cycling program
Envision Unlimited, is an organization that provides "services that promote choice, independence, and inclusion" for people with disabilities." Its initiatives serve more than 5,000 people statewide. Streetsblog caught up with the group in Grant Park.
"We are out here today with our adaptive cycling program," said Envision Unlimited's Chief External Affairs Officer Brandi Adams. "[We have] a fleet of bicycles or accessibility of all ranges. We've got tandem bikes, trikes, side-by-side, and bikes for folks who use a wheelchair to get around, so that they can actually participate in riding as well, because biking should be accessible for everyone."
"We've been coming to Bike the Drive for six or seven years now," Adams added. "It's a big event that all of our members really look forward to. And we have about 50 individuals that we serve that are out here today riding."
One of them was a client named Adrian, who uses a wheelchair and was marking his fourth year at the event. "Through our adaptive cycling program, we were able to purchase a bike that Adrian can sit in the front of, and one of our volunteers rides, so that Adrian can ride, feeling the wind blowing through his hair and participate like everybody else," Adams explained.
"It’s so much fun," Adrian said. "I enjoy the bike, and I like to come over here and enjoy this place."
Another Envision Unlimited client named Marcel rode a tandem with a friend. He said this was his first time cycling on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and he's looking forward to doing it again next year.
What others had to say about Bike the Drive
Anthony, an employee at a suburban fire department said coworkers encouraged him to join Bike the Drive for the first time this year. "It was great," he said. "The weather was perfect. I'll probably do it again next year." He encouraged anyone who's interested in taking part in in next year's event to go to bed early the night before, because the event starts at 6:30 a.m.
Jane Lambshead told Streetsblog this was her third consecutive year doing the ride. "It was absolutely gorgeous today," she said. "I love the views of the city, biking along the lake, and being able to be on Lake Shore Drive. It's a chance to enjoy biking without dealing with city traffic and hazards."
Hopefully the positive experience of Bike the Drive will encourage more Chicagoland residents to join the movement to create a more people-friendly DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and a more sustainable region in general.
Gallery
Here are a few more images from this year's event. Perhaps they'll help entice a few more newbies to do the ride in 2026?
Do you appreciate Streetsblog Chicago's paywall-free sustainable transportation reporting and advocacy? We officially ended our 2024-25 fund drive last month, but we still need another $44K to keep the (bike) lights on in 2026. We'd appreciate any leads on potential major donors or grants. And if you haven't already, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us continue publishing next year. Thanks!
