Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about protected bike lanes

The protected bike lane on Marshall Boulevard was downgraded to a buffered lane due to complaints about parking and other concerns. Photos: Steven Vance, Paolo Cisneros

The Backlash Against the Marshall Bike Lanes Serves as a Cautionary Tale for Planners

By John Greenfield | Apr 20, 2017 | 3 Comments

As the city strives to build more protected bikeways, this unfortunate episode underscores the need for CDOT to earn community buy-ins before construction and do extensive outreach afterward.

Take a Virtual Ride on the New Randolph Protected Bike Lane

By John Greenfield | Oct 18, 2016 | 13 Comments

An important new downtown bikeway recently became rideable. The Randolph protected bike lane runs from Michigan to Clinton, making an already-popular westbound route out of the Loop safer. The project involved a road diet. One one the three travel lanes on Randolph was converted to make room for the bike lane and its striped buffer. […]

Reported “Dooring” Bike Crashes Dropped Significantly from 2011 to 2014

By Steven Vance | Sep 29, 2016 | 10 Comments

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 […]

Evanston Protected Lanes Face Backlash While Making Dodge Ave. Safer

By Steven Vance | Jul 28, 2016 | 16 Comments

Evanston installed new protected bike lanes on Dodge Avenue from Howard Street to Lake Street last month, and already some residents are complaining that the lanes have made it unsafe to park their cars. But these fears are unfounded because Chicago has had protected lanes with a nearly identical design for five years. The new Dodge protected […]

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AASHTO’s Draft Bikeway Guide Includes Protected Bike Lanes and More

By Michael Andersen | Jul 18, 2016

Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities connect high-comfort biking networks. As the most influential U.S. transportation engineering organization rewrites its bike guide, there seems to be general agreement that protected bike lanes should be included for the first time. A review panel appointed by the American […]

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Eyes on the Street: London “Cycle Superhighway” Teems With Bike Traffic

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 7, 2016

Good Morning, London. This is what London’s Blackfriars Bridge looks like #cyclesuperhighwaypic.twitter.com/byAMWq1QLz — Sustrans London (@SustransLondon) May 17, 2016 In case you’re looking for a good visual to show how bike lanes can be extremely efficient transportation infrastructure, check out this short video from the UK-based advocacy group Sustrans. It shows rush hour on the Blackfriars Bridge […]

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In Rainy Areas, Protected Bike Lanes Can Cut Road Construction Costs

By Michael Andersen | Apr 20, 2016

Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets. As protected bike lanes arrive in American suburbs, some city builders are making an unexpected discovery. Not only are protected bike lanes by far the best way to make biking a pleasant […]

CDOT’s 2015 Bikeways Report Highlights Last Year’s Many Innovative Projects

By John Greenfield | Apr 12, 2016 | 4 Comments

The Chicago Department of Transportation’s new report “2015 Bikeways – Year in Review” showcases the fact that the CDOT bike program got a heck of a lot of stuff done last year. It quantifies the significant progress that was made in 2015, the year the city debuted curb-protected bike lanes. All told, CDOT installed about […]

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The Calgary Model: Connect Protected Bike Lanes Fast, Watch Riders Pour In

By Michael Andersen | Apr 6, 2016

Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets. Last week, we shared a new report about the best practices for cities that want to make faster, cheaper changes to their streets. Today, let’s take a moment to recognize the North American […]

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When to Use Protected Intersections? Academic Study Will Offer Advice

By Michael Andersen | Apr 5, 2016

Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets. If 2015 was the year protected intersections arrived in the United States, 2016 is the year the country’s bikeway pros are starting to really figure them out. Inspired by Dutch streets, protected […]

Cool Mexico City Bike and Public Space Initiatives I’d Love to See in Chicago

By John Greenfield | Mar 1, 2016 | 8 Comments

Despite Mexico City’s reputation as one of the most congested and polluted cities on earth, this metropolis of 21 million people has one of the best public transportation systems in the Western Hemisphere and many beautiful parks, plazas, and other public spaces. And in recent years, the Distrito Federal, or D.F., as Mexico City is […]

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