Good news! Chicago’s Department of Transportation is suggesting a big boost in the enforcement of the no parking or driving in bicycle lane regulations. The city says it will begin issuing parking citations for motor vehicles parked in bike lanes. A $100 fine will be assessed and vehicles may be towed. In addition, the Chicago Police Department will be cracking down on motorists driving in the bike lanes with $100 fine for that violation as well. There are at present 72 miles of bike lanes throughout Chicago and by 2004 the city expects this number to be 150 miles. Let’s see what happens!
What’s more, if we can get our lawmakers’ attention, two significant meetings last September may ultimately result in improved cycling throughout the Chicagoland area. The first was a meeting hosted by the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the second a meeting hosted by the Illinois Greenways and Trails Council.
The Center for Neighborhood Technology presented a new transportation plan — "Changing Direction: Transportation Choices for 2030." This plan resulted from 18 months of work during which time public input from throughout the Chicagoland area was obtained. The "Changing Direction" report is designed to send a strong message to our legislators that spending priorities must be redirected. Citizens are requesting that monies should be spent constructing better public transportation and improving bicycling and walking infrastructures rather than building new roadways.
The report points out that for every mile of a two-lane road that’s constructed, it is possible to build 100 miles of sidewalks or bike paths. Importantly, if transportation spending patterns (that emphasize road construction) are carried forward, less than one half of one percent will be dedicated to walking and bicycling. Given the overweight/obesity epidemic among Americans, we need to get the public out of their cars! Hence, transportation funds must be used more wisely to put greater impetus on systems that support walking and bicycling.
Uncle Sam appears to be on board with the idea that something more needs to be done. The deputy administrator for the federal highway administration, Cindy Burbank, has suggested that the range of transportation choices does indeed need to be widened. For instance, she says we need better service for senior citizens and early public involvement in decision-making on transportation issues. At the Center for Neighborhood Technology meeting, Burbank also emphasized the need to build with regard to safety...for pedestrians and cyclists as well as for motorists. Some in Washington obviously recognize that we have a problem. We must remain vigilant in order to push the plans that are in place. Think about these issues when you vote.
The meeting of the Illinois Greenways and Trails Council was one of three across the state. This was a more focused meeting attended by people who are responsible for design and construction of greenways and bicycle trails throughout the state. The speakers, who were from the League of Illinois Bicyclists, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the National Park Service, and the Illinois Commerce Commission, spoke about funding, trail planning and signage, and dealing with the railroads that may cross trails or run parallel to trails.
Karen Ann Miller, a planner with the Kane County Development Department, is pulling together all of this information to incorporate individual trail plans in Kane County into a cohesive whole and to establish connections with surrounding counties. It’s anticipated that some of these trails may ultimately become part of the Grand Illinois Trail, an approximately 500-mile trail from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and back.
Meanwhile, the Freeport Park District, which is close to the Wisconsin border, is in the process of developing an extension of its local trail to the Wisconsin border. In turn, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is planning to continue this trail north to Madison. The trail through Freeport is part of the Jane Adams trail that is a component of the Grand Illinois Trail.
So , big plans are in place to improve cycling in the Chicagoland area and throughout the state. Again we say, be patient; things are getting better. But whether you choose a trail or a bike lane, the important thing is to get out your bike, dress properly, ride safely, and stay healthy.