DOWNTOWN — The curb-protected bike lanes installed on Clybourn this summer could be a model for other cities, city and state transportation officials said.
Representatives for the Chicago and Illinois departments of transportation gave a presentation Wednesday on the Clybourn Avenue protected bike lane project that was completed in July. They presented to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, made up of transportation officials from city and suburban engineering and transportation officials.
The officials gave insight as to why Clybourn Avenue was chosen for the project, how they came to decide upon curbed bike lanes and what hurdles they needed to cross to build the lane.
The presentation was given while the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning works on its "go to 2040" plan to create more transportation options that don't involve cars.
A push for bike lanes along Clybourn Avenue ramped up after a cyclist was killed on the road in 2013. From there, officials began studying traffic and usage data of the stretch of road, ultimately concluding bike lanes were warranted, said Mike Amsden, assistant director of transportation planning for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
From there, officials began to look at what kind of lanes should be installed. They settled on the curbed bike lane after consulting with officials from Austin, Texas, said Aren Kriks, bicycle coordinator for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
"We were looking for something we wanted to install relatively easy and quickly," he said.
The team then settled on a 7.5-foot wide bike lane in each direction of traffic, which is wide enough for a specialty street sweeper to traverse and also gives enough room for bikers to pass.
"It's really popular," Kriks said of the design. "It's nice to provide space for people to pass, people to bike at different speeds."
But before the lanes could be constructed, the team had to meet with local officials and businesses along Clybourn, Amsden said.
The project would remove parking from Clybourn and possibly restrict access to loading areas for businesses, Amsden said. So before the lanes were to be installed, community concerns needed to be addressed.
"Working one on one with all these stakeholders, it took a lot of time," Amsden said. "But it got everyone on board. Today, there haven't been many complaints, knock on wood."
The cost to construct the bike lanes on Clybourn from Division Street to Halsted Street was $700,000, Amsden said. Now, it is time to see if that was money well spent.
Transportation officials will begin this fall studying the new lanes. Kriks said. They will look to see if the passage is safer for cyclists, but also to see if the lanes are being used and used properly.
"We want to look at behavioral things," Kriks said. "Wrong way riding, people still using the sidewalk. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out."
One cyclist already has rave reviews of the newly installed lanes. John O'Neal, associate planner with the metropolitan agency for planning, said he has ridden Clybourn Avenue before and after the lanes' installation, and said they represent a big improvement.
"It's much, much more comfortable riding here," O'Neal said. "It's excellent."
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