how to make the neighborhood less friendly to pedestrians, families, seniors....

on bike parking, sharing and secure locking

Recently I've seen more folks getting out and about in the neighborhood by bike - a sight I welcome. The downside - some appear to be newbies who don't quite understand how to use the longer wave-style racks that we have in some locations.  The fact that the 10-bike rack in front of the public library on 95th is incorrectly installed (too close to the wall) doesn't help.  In most places, racks are correctly installed with enough space to use them as designed.

Failing to share on 95th St.

Yesterday I was trying to park my bike on 95th St. and was disappointed to see the bike in the above photo blocking 4 out of 6 available spaces on the rack where it was locked.  Someone could have locked another bike parallel to this one, limiting the rack to half the capacity for which it was intended.  These racks are designed for the bikes to be parked perpendicular to the rack, not parallel.  

This is how you do it.

Using rack as designed, so that all spaces are available for bikes

Note: for a 2-bike rack, either way is okay, but parking perpendicular can allow a 3rd bike to be locked over the top of the rack - a common practice in places where demand for bike parking is high.

I also see lots of folks locking their bikes in such a way that even an amateur bike thief could easily take them. I don't want to see anyone lose their ride for such a preventable reason.  Here are a few pointers to help keep your bike secure.  

1. Don't rely on a cable lock to offer real security. They can be easily cut with bolt cutters and then your bike is gone.

2.   If you're leaving your bike for a few hours, or all day, it's best to secure both wheels and the frame.  If you're just stopping into a store or restaurant for a short time, securing one wheel and the frame can be enough, at least here in the 19th ward.  Downtown or in other high theft areas, you're better off fully securing the bike - both wheels and the frame.

3.  If you lock only the frame to the rack, your wheels can get stolen.  If you lock only one wheel to the rack, the rest of the bike can get stolen.

A few visual examples of good and bad practices

Bike theft is not as big a problem in the 19th ward as in some parts of the city, but it does happen. I hope that your bike stays yours and doesn't become a statistic.

Ride safe and have fun!

parking and traffic on 97th Street

If any of you readers were at the meeting at Ginger Rugai's office after that nasty accident on 97th near Longwood a few months back, you've probably been wondering what's happening with parking signage and/or restrictions there. I just ran into a neighbor who was wondering the same thing.

I called Ginger Rugai's office today and was told that the "No parking here to corner" sign that was wiped out by the crash will be replaced ASAP. Neighborhood permit parking signs will be going up soon, probably within a month. Hopefully that will help with the congestion issues we've been having there.

parking humor

Not everyone will laugh at this bit of parking-related humor, but it's a clever song parody.

when in a bureaucratic SNAFU, DIY

Bureacratic snafus involving parking tickets and stolen cars certainly aren't limited to Chicago. Check out this story from San Francisco.

paradise paved

Since I moved back to Chicago from New Hampshire over 10 years ago, I’ve had a change of heart on the subject of parking and its costs to society and the environment. Increasing reliance on private vehicles doesn't just create traffic congestion, road rage, obesity and air pollution. Increasing the availability of parking to accommodate all these vehicles creates more impermeable surfaces, which reduces the earth's ability to absorb rainwater, increasing flooding and sending more pollution (oil from roadways and other pollution) directly into our lakes and rivers instead of letting nature filter much of it out in soil. This Slate article makes a lot of other related points. Your $0.02?

green choices - no free parking

Slate ran an article recently about why there really is no such thing as "free parking" due to the environmental costs of providing parking.

Seattle is taking that thought a bit further and putting the squeeze on parking spaces to encourage use of public transit and bicycles for commuting instead of driving.

This Chicago Tribune article looks at the issue of parking and congestion across the country.

The increasing social and environmental costs of car traffic and parking have reshaped my thinking on transportation. I lived out of state for 10 years, in an area of low population density and minimal public transit. Although traffic congestion was not a significant problem for me on a daily basis, the lack of transportation options bothered me. I hated having to drive nearly everywhere because there was usually no other way to get there. My last apartment there was on the edge of downtown Concord, NH, with many friends and a good range of Main Street shops and restaurants and two grocery stores within walking distance. I drove for my commute but usually left the car at home after work. I enjoyed being able to walk so many more places. Main Street was a social desination on Saturdays, thanks to the Main Street merchants efforts to create a viable alternative to the mall.

I still missed the cultural amenities of Chicago and finally moved back 10 years ago. I'm using my bike for an increasing portion of my shopping trips to the grocery store, hardware store, garden center, etc., thanks to a cargo trailer from a new local business.



Now that it's an option in many more places, using bicycles in combination with public transit is an increasingly viable option. Using a car share program, such as I-Go or Zipcar, is a better option for those of us who have an occasional need for a car but don't use one on a daily basis.

In another 10 years, I'd like to see a lot more bikes on Chicago streets, and a lot fewer cars. In 20 years, I'd love to see more bikes than cars on our streets. Working for better facilities and programs and better laws is a good way to get there.