dooring

Striping all bike lanes in a way that encourages cyclists to ride out of the "door zone" would help keep people out of harm's way.

A state law was recently passed adding the "Dutch Reach" anti-dooring technique to the Illinois driver's manual, but more outreach is needed.

Four years of data on reported dooring crashes in Chicago show a decrease from 2011, when the data started being collected by the state, to 2014, the most recent year for which crash data has been released. A dooring crash occurs when someone in a car opens their door into moving traffic without looking, resulting in a collision with a bicyclist.

A new study has found that buffered bike lanes are better than conventional bike lanes when it comes to encouraging bicyclists to ride outside the door zone. The study draws its conclusion, in part, based on a test done with bike lanes in Chicago.

As part of Chicago’s pantheon of curmudgeonly, bike-baiting opinion writers, an elite group that includes Tribune columnist John Kass and guest contributor John McCarron, DNAinfo’s Mark Konkol is a bit of an odd duck. After writing a series of rants against the Kinzie protected bike lanes for the Sun-Times, his former employer, Konkol seems to have softened his position on cycling a bit.

I’m getting really fed up with hearing about cyclists’ blood being spilled on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park, Bucktown and Logan Square from dooring crashes that might have been prevented by protected bike lanes.

Chicago's taxi regulator, Rosemary Krimbel, the Business Affairs and Consumer Protection commissioner, revealed on Twitter this Sunday that her department is teaming up with the Chicago Department of Transportation to build awareness that people opening car doors need to look out for passing cyclists. Based on a simple reminder -- "LOOK" -- this city-led anti-dooring effort will join a grassroots campaign launched in early March.

The hunt for the motorist who ran over Dustin Valenta then fled the scene is one step closer, but the cyclist's lawyer says it’s no thanks to the Chicago Police Department. Earlier today attorney Michael Keating received red light camera footage of the pick-up truck from the city in response to a request he filed soon after the February 8 crash. Keating is optimistic it will be possible to make out the license plate number using video enhancement equipment. “But it’s preposterous that the police didn’t do this themselves sooner,” he said.

While the Chicago Police Department issued no citation to the driver who doored Bridgid Mullen on Southport Avenue in April, 2010, she will be compensated for her injuries. Mullen has now received an $800,000 settlement from the driver's insurance company, reports the Lincoln Park Patch.