Bicycling In Chicago
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Since the advent of the
bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...
in the 1860s,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
has been distinguished as one of the premier cycling locations in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, with such public cycling destinations as Grant Park, Burnham Park and the
Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, several boat harbors, two botanic conservatories ...
's
Lakefront Trail The Chicago Lakefront Trail (LFT) is a partial shared use path for walking, jogging, skateboarding, and cycling, located along the western shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. The trail passes through and connects Chicago's four major l ...
.


History

Early bicycles arrived in Chicago in the 1860s. By 1900, there were 54 bicycle clubs with more than 10,000 members.Sheridan Road Sheridan Road is a major north-south street that leads from Diversey Parkway in Chicago, Illinois, north to the Illinois-Wisconsin border and beyond to Racine. Throughout most of its run, it is the easternmost north-south through street, closest ...
from Edgewater to Evanston. By the late 1890s, Chicago was the "bicycle-building capital of America". According to the 1898 Chicago Bicycle Directory, approximately two-thirds of the country's bicycles and accessories were manufactured within of the city. Mayor
Richard J. Daley Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...
, like Harrison, was a supporter of bicycling. When he was inaugurated, the city had a limited number of bike paths. By the 1970s, Daley's administration had built a large network of lakefront bike paths, bicycle lanes on the road, a bicycle route and rush-hour bicycle lanes on Clark Street and Dearborn Street. In the 2000s, Chicago roads and trails saw an increase in the number of bicyclists. This can, in part, be attributed to mayor
Richard M. Daley Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1989 to 2011. Daley was elected mayor in 1989 and was reelected five times until declining to run for a seventh term ...
. Daley said, "My goal is to make the City of Chicago the most
bicycle-friendly Bicycle-friendly policies and practices help some people feel more comfortable about traveling by bicycle with other traffic. The level of bicycle-friendliness of an environment can be influenced by many factors including town planning and cyclin ...
city in the U.S." Daley created a Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council (MBAC) in order to encourage bicycling in the city. The Council created the
Chicago Department of Transportation The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT ) is an executive department of the City of Chicago responsible for the safety, environmental sustainability, maintenance, and aesthetics of the surface transportation networks and public ways withi ...
Bike Program, a multimillion-dollar program funded primarily by Federal
CMAQ CMAQ is an acronym for the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model, a sophisticated three-dimensional Eulerian grid chemical transport model developed by the US EPA for studying air pollution from local to hemispheric scales. EPA and state enviro ...
funds, in order to achieve this end. The program, whose efforts are guided by th
Bike 2015 Plan
approved in June 2006, has created over of new bike lanes, installed 10,000
bicycle rack The ambiguous term bicycle rack or bike rack may refer to: *Bicycle carrier, a device attached to a vehicle (e.g., to a car or bus) to which bicycles can be mounted for transport *Bicycle parking rack, a stationary fixture to which a bicycle can be ...
s, and installed of signed bike routes in 2006. The city has also sponsored events to promote biking, such as Bike The Drive,
Bike to Work Rally A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...
, th
L.A.T.E. Ride
the Commuter Challenge, and many other events. In November 2001, ''Bicycling'' magazine honored Chicago as the "Best Cycling City in the United States" of cities with more than one million residents.


Bikes and transit

All
Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , o ...
(CTA) &
Pace Pace or paces may refer to: Business *Pace (transit), a bus operator in the suburbs of Chicago, US * Pace Airlines, an American charter airline *Pace Foods, a maker of a popular brand of salsa sold in North America, owned by Campbell Soup Compan ...
buses are equipped with bicycle racks that accommodate two bicycles each, available for use at all times. Bicycles are allowed to board any Chicago Transit Authority train (" the 'L'"), except during the hours of 7–9 am and 4–6 pm on weekdays, up to two bikes per car. Bicycles are not allowed on trains on July 3 or 4. Folding bicycles, however, are allowed on CTA vehicles at all times.
Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. I ...
, the commuter rail system, allows bicycles to ride on
reverse commute A reverse commute is a round trip, regularly taken, from an urban area to a suburban one in the morning, and returning in the evening. It is almost universally applied to trips to work in the suburbs from homes in the city. This is in opposition to ...
, non-rush hour, and weekend Metra trains for no extra cost. Metra timetables list certain blackout dates and specify which trips disallow bicycles; folding bicycles are allowed at all times. This policy began in 2005. Most CTA rail stations have indoor, outdoor or outdoor sheltered bicycle parking. The Chicago Bicycle Program'
Bike Parking website
displays all stations and denotes the quantity and type of bicycle parking available. Most Metra stations have bicycle parking available. Starting in 2008, high capacity bike parking was constructed at four CTA rail stations:
Damen (CTA Blue Line) Damen is an elevated rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", currently serving the O'Hare branch of its Blue Line. Opened on May 6, 1895, as Robey, it is the oldest station on the Blue Line. The station serves the popular Bucktown and Wi ...
, Sox-35th (CTA),
Jefferson Park (Metra-CTA) The Jefferson Park Transit Center is an intermodal passenger transport hub in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It serves as a station for rail and also as a bus terminal. Jefferson Park Transit Center's railroad station is on ...
, and Midway (CTA).


Bike sharing

Divvy Divvy is the bicycle sharing system in the Chicago metropolitan area, currently serving the cities of Chicago and Evanston. The system is owned by the Chicago Department of Transportation and has been operated by Lyft since 2019. As of Sept 20 ...
, a
bicycle sharing system A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost. The programmes themselves include bot ...
, was launched on June 28, 2013 with 750 bikes at 75 stations. It has since expanded to 580 stations, making it the largest bike share system in North America in area covered, including 2016 expansions to near suburban communities including Evanston and Oak Park. Oak Park ended its partnership with Divvy in January 2018, and the stations and bikes were subsequently removed soon after.


Facilities

According to the CDOT, Chicago has just over of dedicated bike lanes covering much of the city. There are also several miles of roads signed and marked with
shared lane marking A shared lane marking, shared-lane marking, or sharrow is a street marking installed at various locations worldwide, such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Spain, and the United States. This marking is placed in the travel lane to indicate where ...
s (consisting of bike and
chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * ''Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock lay ...
symbols, or bike symbols and arrows). As of August 2008, there are approximately of these types of shared bike lanes throughout the city. The Milwaukee Avenue bike lane and marked shared lane is one of the most popular on-street bikeways in the city: between 2003 and 2008, the number of bicyclists riding on the street has increased 377%. The City of Chicago publishes
Bike Lane Design Guide
The Bicycle Parking Program within the CDOT Bicycle Program lists almost 8,000 bike racks at over 4,000 locations in the city limits. More than half of the CTA 'L' stations have indoor or sheltered bike parking available to protect bicycles from inclement weather. The
McDonald's Cycle Center McDonald's Cycle Center (formerly Millennium Park Bike Station) is an indoor bike station in the northeast corner of Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city of Chicago built the center at ...
in
Millennium Park Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center near ...
was opened on July 16, 2004 just east of the Pritzker Pavilion. The building has indoor parking for bicycles, bicycle repair, showers, rental, lockers, and a cafe. The
Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, several boat harbors, two botanic conservatories ...
maintains an 18-mile
multi-use path A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
along Lake Michigan called the
Lakefront Trail The Chicago Lakefront Trail (LFT) is a partial shared use path for walking, jogging, skateboarding, and cycling, located along the western shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. The trail passes through and connects Chicago's four major l ...
.


Organizations

* The
Active Transportation Alliance Active Transportation Alliance (formerly Chicagoland Bicycle Federation) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to promote better biking, walking, and transportation options. It publishes the Chicago Bike M ...
, formerly known as the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, was founded in 1985 and is the largest member-supported bicycle organization in the Chicago region. ActiveTrans works heavily with the Chicago Bicycle Program. * Th
Illinois Cycling Association
focus on competitive cycling with links to several Chicago based racing clubs. * Th
Chicago Cycling Club
holds regular rides. * Th
UIC College of Cycling
promotes cycling at the University of Illinois at Chicago. * Several
grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
organizations also exist to promote cycling in Chicago. The Cycling Sisters work to encourage women to ride more. Break the Gridlock works to reduce auto-dependence. West Town Bikes teaches kids and adults how to maintain their own bikes. Bike Winter holds workshops and fun events to keep people biking all year round. The Pilsen/Little Village Bicycle Alliance works to increase bicycling in those neighborhoods. * Th
Evanston Bike Club
has rides for every skill and level on the north side of the city.
Bike Lane Uprising
is a group that promotes safe bike riding in the city, including giving out thousands of bike safety lights for free and developing an easy to use website and phone app that allows anybody t
submit a picture and information
about unsafe biking infrastructure in Chicago and across the US.


Events

The monthly
Critical Mass In nuclear engineering, a critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (specifically, its nuclear fissi ...
ride draws thousands of participants in the summer months. Participants gather at
Daley Plaza The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its open courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. The Center's modernist skyscraper primarily houses off ...
on the last Friday of every month at 5:30 PM for a free ride. The LATE Ride, sponsored by the
Friends of the Parks Friends of the Parks (FOTP) is a non-profit organization in Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1975, it acts as a watchdog group and environmental advocate for the Chicago area. Specifically, it monitors the condition and safety of the Chicago Park D ...
, is an annual overnight tour of Chicago neighborhoods.
Active Transportation Alliance Active Transportation Alliance (formerly Chicagoland Bicycle Federation) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to promote better biking, walking, and transportation options. It publishes the Chicago Bike M ...
hosts its annual Bike The Drive and
Boulevard Lakefront Tour The Boulevard Lakefront Tour is a non-competitive bicycle ride on Lake Shore Drive and neighborhood communities in downtown Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Inter ...
. Each summer, the Mayor's Office of Special Events (MOSE) hosts Bike Chicago, a series of bike friendly events around the city. MOSE and CDOT jointly operate the online calendar of events.Bike Chicago 2009


References


External links


Chicago Department of Transportation Bicycle Program
- official website for the City's Bicycle Program. Report an abandoned bike, request a bike rack, request a bike map or other publication. Download informational brochures and read information on state and local cycling laws.
Active Transportation Alliance
- Major bicycle advocacy group, formerly known as Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
The Chain Link
Social network for Chicago cyclists.
Chicago Critical Mass
Decades-old massive monthly ride.
ChicagoFitnessReport
A local guide on various cycling clubs and events offered in Chicago.
Chicago Bike Shop Database
A listing of all bike shops in Chicago. Browse via list and Google Maps; leave rating and comments.
McDonald's Cycle Center (formerly Millennium Park Bicycle Station)Chicago Bike Racing
- information about amateur bike racing in the Chicago area
Bike Winter
Events and classes for riding in the winter
Chicago Cycling ClubWorking Bikes Cooperative


Maps


MassUp.us
- Multi-function WebApp for Chicago cyclists. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cycling In Chicago Transportation in Chicago