EDGEWATER — Cyclists on the Far North Side will have a slower-paced, more family-friendly route after a bike lane is installed on Glenwood Avenue this week.
Dubbed the "Glenwood Greenway," the route takes southbound cyclists from Ridge Avenue to just past Foster Avenue via Glenwood Avenue, a one-way northbound street.
Beginning Tuesday, if weather permits, crews will be out painting the green lane, adding signs and shifting around a few parking spaces, 48th Ward Ald. Harry Osterman told residents in an email last week.
During installation, parking on the west side of the street will be restricted.
The work comes nearly two years after the project was announced.
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Osterman said in the past most people who bike Glenwood are less experienced riders.
The plan was proposed as a way to formally establish a route already used by many cyclists, particularly kids and older riders who don't feel comfortable "flying down Clark Street" or using busy thoroughfares like Ridge Avenue, Broadway or Sheridan Road, the alderman said.
In October, Osterman said he and city Transportation Department officials "went back to the drawing board" to come up with a more "fine-tuned" plan, particularly to ensure a minimal loss of parking spaces.
Between Hollywood and Foster avenues, no parking spaces will be lost, but between Hollywood and Ridge Avenue, two parking spots will be eliminated in areas that require a longer sight line for travelers.
Osterman's office said the project is funded with ward money set aside for infrastructure improvements, and came in about $10,000 under budget at $65,000.
