Mayor Emanuel Announces Chicago’s First Protected Bike Lane

I have written in the past about former Mayor Daley’s steps to make Chicago a more bike-friendly city.  It appears that Mayor Emanuel is picking up where Daley left off as he announced that a stretch of Kinzie Avenue in River North will contain the first protected bike lane.  The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the lane designated lane is located closest to the curb, flanked by a roughly four foot-wide “buffer lane” and a row of parking. This results in 12 feet between bicyclists and the flow of vehicular traffic.

“I am proud that we are gonna have the first protected bike lane in Chicago with many more miles to come. I’m glad that Chicago will go from basically being in the middle of the pack as it relates to bike lanes to leading the pack. Planners [from around the country] will come to our city and see what the future holds: an integrated approach to transportation where biking is an essential ingredient.”

City leaders view this expansion as not only a promotion for bicyclists but also a way make city streets safer for everyone.  Newly appointed Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein said the “holistic approach” to transportation that he favors is about “much more” than just protected bike lanes. “It’s about balancing our right-of-way for the safety of all users,” he said. “When we add bike lanes like this, we make it safer for pedestrians. We actually make it safer for motorists, and we slow motorists down.”

I will be following closely to see when and where the city will designate additional ‘bike-only’ lanes. It will be interesting to see if this leads to less bicycle – motor vehicle accidents, including dooring accidents.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago bicycle accident or a Chicago vehicle accident, then contact Chicago car accident attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.