Anti-War Protesters Rally In Federal Plaza
Expiration Date: An interview with Undateable’s Anne Coyle
Review: Revolution Brewing
Bookstores We Love: The Book Cellar
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Photo by bowl rider
Mayor Daley suggested over the weekend that if our city improves bus efficiency, bikers could use bus lanes and everybody would win. He mentioned the plan Friday at a Bike to Work rally.
"As we improve the quality and movement of buses, the safest place could be in the lane for buses. . . . That's what we're really looking at because, many times, bus lanes are not filled."
Daley said if the plan ever came to pass, both bus drivers and cyclists would need a lot of instruction on how to share the roadway safely, which could be a good idea anyway given the recent wave of collisions between bikes and motor vehicles, including a CTA bus hitting a biker last week.
In 1939, Chicago became the first city to have designated bus lanes. [CBS 2, S-T]
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Talk about negating the whole point of the bus lanes.
@Tower, I disagree.
In limited stretches where the buses and bikes share a lane (e.g. bridges over highways on milwaukee ave. & halstead ave.), the system works well. In crowded traffic, bikes are much faster than still-standing cars. With frequent bus stops, bikes are faster than buses. Therefore, buses are slowed by bikes to a small degree.
Collisions would most likely be in the situation of bikes trying to pass stopped buses.
The Jackson Street bus lane in the Loop is already a good example of how this can work. The bus lane is infrequently used by actual buses on Jackson, so I just hop into that lane when it starts at Clinton and avoid a large part of the traffic back-up that occurs during the morning rush. The key to sharing the lane is getting out of it when a bus is actually approaching, which I admit I have seen some cyclists fail to do.
Oh is this where "we" beat up on cyclist again????
Honestly, Chicagoist at best is apathetic to the cyclist movement and at worst down right hostile. If bikes get any coverage its just scraps from the automobile table,more snarky than supportive like the one above.
Forget about covering the great community actions like the dedication of Ghost Bikes to the numerous riders killed by cars and the accompanying Ride of Silence. Also heaven forbid that Chicagoist cover the two cyclists killed while biking to work during Bike to Work Week!
Well this Saturday, if any one wants to hang out with some real women and men of the Cyclist Movement, feel free to join The Central Committee of the Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society’s Tour de Fat at Palmer Square this Saturday, June 21, 10am-4pm.
Sponsored by the New Belgium Brewing Company,the makers of Fat Tire Ale!
Cause every body loves a carnival right? Well what's better than a Cycle-centric carnival and fun fair with beer and bands? . Proceeds will benefit the community programs of West Town Bikes (see http://westtownbikes.org/)!
I think they were briefly mentioned in passing Spook.
Anyway, there's no bus lanes anywhere where I ride *regularly*.
Navin YOU scared the sh*t out of me, son! I though you were John MacCain in Navy Whites until I saw your name and recognized Steve Martin. Any way, that's just what I'm saying at best in passing. Meanwhile the auto show gets weeklong coverage!
On a side note, Liz Phair's lookin' gnarly in that American Apparel ad........geez.
I think the problem would more likely be the buses that try to pass cyclists, but only half-complete the pass before cutting back over. I can't tell you how many times I've had a bus swing wide to my left, then cut me off and stop.
The whole bus lane idea's stupid, anyway. Cars already use bike lanes and the few bus lanes we have as pass-on-the-right zones. You see it all the time on the overpasses on Milwaukee. Unless city cops want to devote a lot of time to patrolling these strips, they'll just be car lanes with diamonds painted on them.