"We want to make Chicago the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States," says Mayor Daley in a statement accompanying the Spring 2006 Chicago Bicycle Map.
On Sunday, Chicago unveiled its initiative aimed to encourage more biking in the city. The Bike 2015 plan foresees a not-too-distant future Chicago with a 500-mile network of bike routes to "equal the best of the world." The development would include almost 200 miles of new street routes.
The plan also involves 150 strategies for city agencies, the public sector, and the bicycling community to make bicycling an integral part of daily life in Chicago.
While some suggest that the city has already gone the extra mile in the past decade to make Chicago more bike-friendly—Bike 2015 is Mayor Daley's third such initiative in the last fifteen years to promote safe and convenient cycling in the city—one issue still restricting many to four wheels instead of two is a concern for safety.
Safety Measures
I didn't feel safe riding until I had a partner, says Diane from Albany Park, who has been riding recreationally with her husband for the past five years. She explains that unless another rider is watching out for her, she doesn't feel comfortable. "We are expected to follow the same rules of the road, but cars don't treat us like other cars," she says, "they treat us like a nuisance."
Bike 2015 includes an agenda for wider lanes, clearer signage and even a proposal to shut down some city streets on Sundays to only bike traffic. Diane was delighted to hear about the changes the city plans to make and said that she was encouraged by the measures toward bike safety.
Planners for Bike 2015, named for the year in which developments are projected for completion, are hoping that the initiative will encourage Chicagoans to make 5 percent of all trips shorter than five miles by bicycle. Educating residents on the joy of cycling in the city, the program will build on current campaigns like the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation's annual "Bike to Work Day" held this Friday, June 16 from 7 am to 9:30 am.
While Diane bikes primarily for fun, some riders view bicycles as contributing much more to our lives. Whether from the perspective of regular exercise, environmental concern, or for other reasons, many individuals and bicycle-driven communities in the city champion cycling as a superior form of travel.
Organized groups of cyclists can even resort to stark measures in making their statement heard. This past weekend hundreds of Chicago cyclists contributed to a global event known as the World Naked Bike Ride. While not all participating riders were actually naked—many rode wearing colorful costumes—the attention grabbing annual ride aimed to raise awareness of international oil consumption.
For others, however, biking is just essential for day-to-day living. "I never learned how to drive a car," admits Rose (52) who resides in the Ravenswood neighborhood, but grew up in Lincoln Park.
"It was not as congested as it is now," she says of her native neighborhood, "There was a lot more bike riding going on then." Rose has done most of her travel on two-wheels since she was 18 and, barring really severe weather, traverses city streets 365 days a year
Rose mentions that one of the riding hazards cyclists face are the narrow city streets, inadequate for accommodating both a bike and the wider vehicles manufactured in recent years. Although bike lanes are clearly marked by white lines, moving vehicles and parked cars often spill over into the area.
Bike 2015 includes several ideas to address this problem. One experiment proposes raised bike lanes which could deter cars from wandering out of their lane. But not everyone agrees with this strategy.
"That's going to be screwed up," exclaims Rose. She explains that when dodging a quickly opening car door (a common maneuver used to avoid a frequent danger to city riders) a cyclist could swerve off the raised lane and fall off one's bike. "If they made the bike lane six feet wide that would be okay," she comments, "but they are not going to do that."
Peaceful Bike/Car Coexistance
The Bike 2015 report finds that motor vehicles are involved in 90 to 92 percent of bicyclist deaths. As well as the new amenities, Bike 2015 includes an education program to make motorists more aware of responsible road use. Rose believes that such education is the best tool in making the roads safer for her and other cyclists.
"I don't think that when people get their driver's license they are taught in what accord they should regard a bicyclist," Rose says, "the street is to be shared by pedestrians, cars and bikes."
One of the goals of Bike 2015 is in working toward a more peaceful coexistence between bikes and cars. In addition to clearer signage—eye-catching green vinyl markers will be employed at certain intersections—the "Bicycling Ambassadors" program and other proposed public awareness campaigns could help curb the stigma that many motorists hold against cyclists. "A lot of drivers are really irritated at seeing an adult on a bike," observes Rose. "I've heard people yell, 'get a car,' or 'grow up.' They consider it an affront that I ride a bike."
But the "share the road" education will apply to cyclists as well. Rose's husband, Marty, also an avid cyclist, believes that his biggest threat to safety on the road isn't from cars but other bicycle riders. "I don't have problems with cars," he comments, "often when I ride at night I contend with cyclists that don't have lights, blow right through stop signs or go the wrong way down a one-way street."
Marty points to a righteous indignation and road-entitlement—characteristics often afforded to motorists—that seems to possess some city bikers, giving other cyclists a bad image. "A lot of cyclists ruin it for everyone else because they do a lot of crazy things," he says. "These cyclists [contribute] to drivers' road rage."
Marty offers a simple solution for dealing with others on the road: "Adopt a non-confrontational attitude when riding," he suggests. "If a car pulls along side me and is in a hurry I'll let him go. It's not worth [a fight]. The single most important thing is to acknowledge the other drivers."
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