Description
This is so frustrating. I do my part to follow the rules of the road, stop at red lights, and yield the way at stop signs when it's not my turn to go. But after counting 10 cars either driving or parking in protected bike lanes yesterday (6 on Lake St, 1 on Dearborn, and 3 at this location on Kinzie), it made me want to say "F*** it." If they're not going to obey the law, why should I? I told a driver at this location that he was not in a parking spot and he was like, "Well, where else should I park??" Um, the parking garage in that building? The parking lot across the street? The on-street parking two blocks away?
Bottom line, CDOT needs to work with the city police to enforce the law and give tickets to cars parking in the bike lane. And get rid of free parking where the demand is so high that cars are parking illegally...because they don't want to pay for the garage.
I recommend bike cops for the job...
2 Comments
Dr. Thomas R Stelmack (Registered User)
1. I appreciate that the bicyclist posting this missive obeys the rule of the road. I wish the other 99.99% did as well. As a pedestrian crossing Kinzie / Canal / Clinton in this area I have almost been hit several times by both bicyclists and motorized vehicles blowing the stop signs. The city could resolve its fiscal problem by just posting a few squad cars issuing tickets in this area for both moving and parking violations.
2. CDOT could not have chosen a worse street to put the city's first bike route. The street is too narrow for this type of bike amenity and the area is becoming more congested each year with new residential developments. It will be worse when Riverpoint and the Kennedy towers are constructed.
3. CDOT is moving the bike route to Grand Ave. Not sure when. This might help since the street is wider.
Lindsay Bayley (Registered User)