April 5, 2014

Mayor Emanuel Announces City Reaches Halfway Point of 100-Mile Goal for Protected Bike Lanes by 2015

Next 20 Miles Installed This Spring; 30 More Miles in Design Phase

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is halfway finished with the plan to install 100 miles of protected bike lanes by 2015, and is on track to achieve that milestone by early next year.

"Improving our bicycling facilities is critical to creating the quality of life in Chicago that attracts businesses and families to the city," Mayor Emanuel said. "We are making Chicago the most bike-friendly city in the United States."

Twenty more miles of protected bike lanes will be installed this spring and summer, with the remaining 30 miles in design phase and planned for installation later this year and early 2015.

In 2013, CDOT installed 31 miles of new or restriped facilities, including 19 miles of protected bike lanes, bringing the number of protected bike lanes installed in Chicago since Mayor Emanuel came into office in May 2011 to 49 miles.
Chicago's bikeways now total more than 207 miles, according to CDOT's report, 2013 Bikeways – Year In Review, which was released today.
"Chicago is a national leader in building new and improved cycling facilities and setting a new standard for other cities to follow," said CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld. "We are looking forward to continuing our bikeways construction efforts this summer to make Chicago the best cycling city in America."

Bikeways achievements in 2013 include:
• Chicago's first Neighborhood Greenway on Berteau Avenue
• Bicycle-friendly treatments on three bridges
• Installation of 12 bike corrals
• 35,000 cyclists counted in monthly biking data collection events
• Installation of 300 Divvy bike-share stations

In addition to installing new lanes, maintenance of existing facilities continued as well. A total of 8.75 miles of existing bike facilities were restriped in 2013. Ensuring the existing bikeway network is in good condition is just as important as installing new facilities.

The 31 miles of new and restriped bike facilities in 2013 include:
• Four miles of new barrier-protected lanes on Canal, Halsted and State Streets, Milwaukee and Vincennes Avenues
• 15 miles of new buffer-protected lanes on Archer Avenue, Wells Street and U.S. Route 41
• 1 mile of neighborhood greenway
• 2.25 miles of new standard bike lanes or marked shared lanes
• 8.75 miles of restriped bike lanes

Beginning this spring and working through the summer, CDOT will install five more miles of barrier-protected bike lanes, including:
• Broadway, from Montrose to Foster Avenues
• Harrison Street, from Desplaines Street to Wabash Avenue
• Lake Street, from Austin Boulevard to Central Park Avenue

Fifteen more miles of buffer-protected bike lanes will also be installed beginning this spring, including:
• California Avenue, from Augusta Boulevard to North Avenue
• Halsted Street, from 31st to 26th Streets
• Stony Island Avenue, from 63rd to 56th Streets

Thirty more miles of bikeways projects are currently in design, and are scheduled for installation in late 2014 and early 2015, including:
• Clybourn Avenue, from Division Street to North Avenue
• Kedzie Avenue, from Milwaukee Avenue to Addison Street
• Leland Avenue, from Clark Street to the Lakefront Trail
• Randolph Street, from Michigan Avenue to the Lakefront Trail

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