Push for 100 Miles of Chicago Neighborhood Bikeways Begins

Cycle lanes — Image by Cian Ginty via Flickr

This is really a good initiative. The “cycle track” approach has increased bike commuting in New York City, especially among women because it doesn’t feel like you are out there taking on traffic with your own body. Read about the project as it is planned for Chicago, and get involved.

Everyone should feel safe on our streets, whether you’re an 8-year-old child, an 80-year-old grandmother or any age in between. To make biking safe and easy for everyone, Chicago needs a bicycle network designed with all kinds of people in mind.

The Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign seeks a 100-mile network of protected bikeways by 2015. Protected bikeways (one example is a “cycle track”) use barriers or buffers between automobile traffic and people riding bikes to help riders feel more comfortable on the street. Another strategy is “bike boulevards,” which are streets designed to significantly slow traffic down and give priority to people riding bikes.

via Chicago Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign | activetrans.org.