The Chainlink

According to police, an intoxicated motorist careened off the drive and onto the shoreline path early this morning.

Women and gender-nonconforming folks shared advice on simple ways guys can help make public space safer, more comfortable, and less annoying.

Better infrastructure and education "carrots," rather than enforcement "sticks," are key.

A recent bike crash sparked a new conversation about why the $60 million initiative to build an overpass for cyclists and pedestrians is taking so damn long.

You know your city has a vibrant bicycle culture when its starts exporting good ideas to other places. Founded in 2008 in Chicago, The Chainlink social networking site (a Streetsblog sponsor) has become an indispensible resource for local cyclists, with info on commuting, recreational rides, and racing, a busy discussion forum and events calendar, and over 12,000 members.

Members of The Chainlink, a local bike social networking website with over 8,500 members, were alarmed by a report that Millennium Park’s bike station will no longer offer free, indoor parking to the general public. Upon closer inspection, though, the news isn’t so bad.

As Steven Vance wrote recently, protected bicycle lanes will be crucial for boosting Chicago’s bike mode share because they attract the “interested but concerned” set that doesn’t yet feel comfortable riding on city streets. But as the city installs protected lanes on roadways that are already popular bike routes, such as Milwaukee Avenue, it will be important to design and maintain the new lanes so that they appeal to current riders as well.

After reading Allison Zmuda’s account of being attacked on her bike last month, fellow bicyclist Lauren Gill was inspired to take action, writing a guide to dealing with street harassment and crime for female cyclists. The tips for avoiding assault while riding are useful for everyone, and the piece also calls on men to help stop intimidation and violence against women on wheels.

For a crash course in the local bicycle scene, you can’t do better than a visit to the Chicago Bike Swap, taking place this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in a huge gym at the UIC Physical Education Building, 901 West Roosevelt. Admission is $10, $5 for Active Transportation Alliance members and UIC students, and free for kids 12 and under. The event has taken place for several years in the cozier confines of the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse in Noble Square, which packed hundreds of attendees into several smaller rooms.