UPDATE: Thursday night's meeting of the 33rd Ward Transportation Action Committee has been postponed until March, officials said Thursday evening. An exact date not been set.
ROSCOE VILLAGE — The Western-Belmont overpass is slated for demolition in late spring or early summer, and transportation advocates are concerned that the five-way intersection set to replace the bridge will be a nightmare for cyclists.
Chicago Department of Transportation project manager Charlene Walsh will address the issue at an upcoming meeting of the 33rd Ward Transportation Action Committee.
Steve Vance, a TAC member and writer for Streetsblog Chicago, has pointed out that a planned "road diet" for Belmont Avenue will make the street more comfortable for cyclists, narrowing from four car lanes to two and adding buffered bike lanes.
But at Western Avenue, Belmont will balloon to six lanes, Vance wrote in a January Streetsblog post.
The widening "puts bicyclists at greatest risk right where they most need protection," he said.
Those interested in learning more about plans for the intersection are invited to attend TAC's meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the 33rd Ward Office, 3649 N. Kedzie Ave.
Also on the agenda: Eric Hanss of CDOT will talk about volunteer-based pedestrian crossing counts at intersections.
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