a miracle on Western

 If you noticed construction at a number of intersections on Western today, you saw a miracle happening. These are new pedestrian refuge islands, places to stop when crossing the street to make it safer to cross the street. These can also help a bit with traffic calming.

I saw them under construction at the following locations:

105th St. near Nicky's and Horse Thief Hollow

108th St. near County Fair and DiCola's

110th St. in front of Clissold School, near Open Outcry

112th St.

113th St. by Kennedy Park and Smith Village

113th Pl by Kennedy Park and Smith Village

The one place I saw where we a median refuge island could be feasible and useful but I didn't see one under construction was 101st St., where it would be helpful for pedestrians going to/from Beverly Park.

For years I've wanted to see these to make it easier for people to access parks, businesses, schools and other locations more easily and safely without needing to walk blocks out of their way to cross at a stoplight. I hope these help to calm our usually fast and unruly traffic and make it easier for people to access destinations on and near Western without having to use cars. 

safer crossings

UPDATE: Since this was first published in August of 2017, I've seen a marked difference on 97th and Longwood and at 99th and Walden. Drivers are stopping and yielding much more often, at a rate I never would have imagined 10 years ago. It's still not perfect, but it's a huge improvement.

Another thing that's changed in that time is the addition of Nicky's at 105th and Western. They've been busy, and limited parking often hurts them. This is another reason to consider adding a pedestrian refuge island on the north side of the intersection.

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The challenge of safely crossing our major streets continues, with minimal assistance from our alderman. The addition of signs by the crosswalks at 97th and Longwood and the restriping of the crosswalks has helped a little. Now a few drivers are stopping and yielding to pedestrians crossing to/from Ridge Park instead of none at all. Many people need to cross here - folks with young children going to the playground, people walking their dogs, or anyone else using or passing through the park. For some, difficulty in being able to cross safely means that they drive to the park instead of walking. This makes the problem worse.

97th and Longwood, adjacent to Ridge Park
(2017 view)

Meanwhile, we still have trouble crossing at locations like 95th and Hoyne (Southtown Health Foods, Top Notch, the new Barraco's location, and other businesses), 95th and Longwood (Jimmy Jamm, farmers markets, etc.), 95th and Oakley (Chipotle, Chase Bank and others) 104th and Western (Horse Thief Hollow, Boot Camp Fitness, Dunkin Donuts, etc.) and others. These businesses have limited parking. Traffic and demand for parking often drive away potential customers. 

If more people feel comfortable crossing the street in these locations, we could see a lot of benefits: more customers served at businesses without parking being an issue, reduction in speeding, reduction in crashes, people getting more exercise, more interaction between people in the neighborhood, etc.

Under current conditions, when a class is in session at Boot Camp Fitness, Horse Thief Hollow often loses potential business because nearby parking is maxed out. This happens every single week. We could create a safer crossing at 105th and Western to make it easier for people to walk or bike from the east side of Western.

105th and Western - with visualization
of concrete median

Southtown Health Foods' parking is often maxed out, and overflow ends up conflicting with customers for Top Notch, with the result of people parking across the crosswalk and in other illegal spots. Improving crossing conditions isn't a complete solution here, but any reduction in parking demand can make a positive difference.

95th at Hoyne with visualization of yield sign

The strip mall on 95th between Oakley and Claremont (Chipotle, Chase Bank and other businesses) has always had a problem with parking and traffic. That's not a fun place to cross 95th. It's been steadily losing businesses in the last few years (Panera Bread, Athletico Physical Therapy and others). Parking is only one factor, but it makes a difference. Without a fair number of people walking or biking there, the amount of parking available isn't enough to support those businesses. I almost always walk or bike there, but I don't have much company in my choice of non-motorized transportation.

When I stopped to take the photo below, the parking lot was nearly full, and there was a line of several cars waiting for someone to back out of a space. The backup extended a few cars into the righthand westbound lane of 95th. There was enough traffic that a bus was trapped behind the line of waiting cars, and all the people on that bus ended up having to sit and wait for the parking lot jam to clear up. I had to wait several minutes for a break in traffic to be able to cross to the middle of the street to take the photo, and a few more minutes to get back to the curb. No one would even slow down.

95th St. fits the definition of a stroad - a wide street with higher travel speeds designed to funnel traffic. Stroads kill - not just pedestrians and cyclists, but people in cars, as mentioned in the linked article.

95th at Oakley with visualization of yield sign

95th at Longwood with visualization of yield sign

I've written previously about problems at 99th and Walden, adjacent to All Day Montessori, the 99th St. Metra station, Beverly Montessori and several nearby businesses. The lack of significant pedestrian improvements was a big missed opportunity when the streetscape project was finished last year. I've seen some improvement in driver behavior at that location since the project was completed, but I attribute that mostly to pedestrians insisting on their legal right of way and forcing drivers to stop.

99th at Walden (2017 view)

Of course, all the infrastructure tweaks in the world won't make a significant dent in the problem unless we get some enforcement on the speeding that is such a major problem on 95th, Western, 99th, 111th and other streets in the ward. We need ticket writing blitzes - in random places at random times - with no exceptions for off-duty first responders and special people. I appreciate those few drivers who do stop. The rest need an incentive.

simple ways to help prevent crashes - part 2

I previously shared a few ideas on how to prevent crashes. Here are a few more. These should be obvious, but too many people disregard them.

1. Stop at red lights and stop signs.

2. When preparing to turn right or left, watch for cyclists and pedestrians whose paths may intersect with yours and YIELD. The right hook is a very common type of crash, sometimes with fatal or life changing results. If you have a newer car with a camera under your right side mirror, use this valuable tool to help prevent this type of crash.

3. If you are parallel parking your car, check your side mirror and look over your shoulder for approaching cyclists before opening your door. Getting into the habit of using the "Dutch reach" instead of operating the door lever with your left hand is a good way to make this instinctive.

4. If you are leaving a curbside parking space, watch for cyclists and yield if needed before pulling out into traffic.

5. If someone else is a jerk in traffic, do your best to resist escalating it into a road rage conflict.

Each of us can make a difference in helping transform our traffic culture from a culture of selfishness to a culture of yielding and caring about the common good.

traffic calming and signage - which version works better?

In recent years, traffic circles have been plunked into existing intersections in many locations in the 19th ward and across the city and suburbs. They do slow down traffic. However, if signage is confusing or missing, it limits the effectiveness of these installations and can cause crashes.

I'd like to test your visual memory. Which version of signage do we have on circles here in the city, version 1 or version 2?

Version 1

Version 2

Similarly, which version of pre-intersection signage do we have here in the city to indicate how traffic should navigate the circle, 1 or 2?

Version 1

Version 2

If you said version 1, you'd be correct for both sets of pictures.

This afternoon I was nearly hit head on by a driver as I was passing straight through a Beverly intersection on my bike and she turned left, passing to the left of the island instead of going around it. She slowed down approaching the intersection. Sight lines were clear, yet she barely missed me as she went the wrong way around the island. I was saved by my brakes. A driver entering the intersection after her also went the wrong way around.

In the years since these circles were first introduced in Chicago, I've seen way too many close calls at these intersections. I've always been further from the intersection so those close calls didn't directly involve me.  In some of these locations, the pre-intersection signage is missing, which doesn't help.

Confusing signage does NOT improve traffic safety.  If we want the neighborhood greenway concept to succeed here in Chicago and improve pedestrian and bike safey, we need signage that eliminates confusion.

If you would be willing to take a 2-question anonymous survey to indicate which signage you feel is more effective, please click here.

how reckless driving affects pedestrian and cyclist behavior

In my travels around the neighborhood, I’ve observed what I've seen others do and what I find myself doing in response to reckless driving.

In the 19th ward and elsewhere in the city, traffic enforcement is disappointingly rare. Bad driver behavior has become so brazen in the absence of traffic stops that many drivers seem to be in a contest to see how much they can get away with.

Drivers who don't stop or barely slow down at intersections are too common. They may not allow enough time for pedestrians and cyclists to react, forcing us to stop suddenly or change course to avoid being hit in situations where we have the right of way.

At intersections along 95th St., turning drivers often don't watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Many drivers fail to stop at 4-way stops on 96th. In locations such as the 9500 blocks of Damen and Longwood or intersections along 96th St., crossing in the middle of the block can be much safer, because a pedestrian has more advance warning of an approaching car.  I often find myself crossing at mid block and see others doing it, because drivers are roaring up to intersections so fast that we do not trust them to avoid hitting us when we are in the crosswalk.

I’ve noticed an increase in the number of adults riding bikes on sidewalks, coinciding with the increase in speeding and failure to yield. It seems that the percentage of adult bike traffic on Longwood on the sidewalk is much higher now compared to 10 years ago.

If I'm riding my bike and stop at the 4-way stop in front of my house, then attempt to ride into our mid-block driveway (E-W street), I often have near misses due to drivers coming out of the alley without slowing down or driving fast after turning at adjacent intersections. In most situations I would not ride on the sidewalk (illegal in Chicago for cyclists over age 12). I make an exception here because pedestrian traffic is minimal and I'd prefer not to end my ride with a trip to the hospital.

Here's another perspective on ped safety and crossing at crosswalks vs. other locations.

Safer walking and biking conditions encourage more walking and biking to local destinations.  Benefits for our neighborhoods include less stress, better health, reduced traffic congestion, fewer crashes and injuries, more people going to local businesses, and less parking needed to service those businesses.  The net result: more money staying in our community because people can get to local businesses safely.

median TLC needed on 95th St.

The planted medians on 95th St. and other major streets help in making the streets more pleasant and attractive. However, they do need some maintenance.

95th at Hoyne looking west - tough to see oncoming traffic

95th at Wood by the Metra station, looking west

95th at Pleasant, looking east
Not as bad as the others, but removing one or two branches would help.

Just a few low-growing tree branches make a critical difference in being able to cross the street safely.  During the growing season, these branches obscure the view of oncoming traffic, making it difficult to see approaching vehicles until they are very close.  

Over the past 2 years, I've tried 311 calls, emails to the 95th St. business association and the alderman's office. No trimming has been done.

This isn't rocket science. If people don't feel safe crossing the street, they're less likely to do it. This costs our neighborhood businesses - and ultimately us - if our businesses don't last because they don't get enough traffic.  It's also better for the farmers market if people feel safer crossing the street. I hope that someone in this ward can figure out a way to finally get this done - this summer.

It would be even better if we could get Yield to Pedestrians signs at a few of these median crossings, especially at Hoyne.

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

what we could lose if Evergreen Plaza is redeveloped without ped access and bike parking

Crain's Chicago Business recently ran an article about the Lormax Stern redevelopment plan for Evergreen Plaza. One of the things that is too often overlooked in mall development is that, even when people are using cars as their primary form of transportation to get to the mall, they still need to be able to walk safely from their cars to where they're going. In many business districts, employees use bikes as transportation for much of the year - an affordable option that helps their income go further. This is typically overlooked at malls.

Thousands of people live within easy walking and biking distance of this site. If we miss out on the opportunity to get infrastructure that would make walking and biking reasonable options for people to get to Evergreen Plaza, we get more traffic congestion, air pollution, road rage and longer travel times to destinations we might reach via 95th and Western. All of this costs us in quality of life.

Here's a much better example from the north side.  Note the ped refuge islands at the ends of the parking rows, the red-colored sidewalk along those islands and between the north-south parking rows, and crosswalks connecting the refuge islands. This design does not sacrifice a significant amount of parking and greatly improves walking conditions.

Proposed Evergreen Plaza site plan

Now is the time to put pressure on the developer to modify their crappy car-centric site plan to accommodate safe pedestrian access and include some bike parking. Bike access from the 98th St. end of the site could be feasible from 99th via Maplewood, Campbell or Artesian - if there are bike racks to use. This could be useful both for customers and store employees.

When the mall was still open, I and many neighbors walked there to shop at Carson's and other stores. I'm not about to get in the car, make traffic worse, and deal with all the traffic and parking hassles to go half a freakin' mile once it's open again.

If reducing car traffic and having safer access whether or not you drive to the Plaza makes a difference to you, please take a few minutes to write to the developer. Ask that half a lane or a lane of car parking be replaced with one or two east-west sidewalks within the parking lot so that people can walk through the parking lot with less risk of being hit.

Also ask for bike racks in 2 or more locations. This can make a difference both for customers and for store employees. Employees typically don't make a lot of money. If they can ride their bikes to work, it's an affordable option that may be faster than a bus, depending on where they live. Bike rack locations that might work well include 98th St. by the southeast corner of Carson's and near the health club.  Access from 99th St. via Campbell or other adjacent streets is very workable if there's a place to lock up your bike.  Please include an information link on bike parking, and emphasize that bike racks need to be decent quality and properly installed.

This is a great opportunity to make a positive difference. I don't know if they'll listen to us. We have nothing to lose by asking. Who's with me?

walking and the health of our neighborhood

Walking to a train or bus, park, school, business district or library, walking a dog, or just plain walking, isn't just a way to get around. It's a way to build community. We can observe many things we would not see from a car, have random conversations, meet new people, see nature or otherwise have a richer experience than would be possible inside a vehicle. Driver behavior can have a major impact on the quality and safety of that experience.

I'm always glad to see parents walking with their kids, or kids walking on their own. Kids learn so much by walking in a neighborhood - navigation, decision making skills, street safety, etc.  Bad driver behavior can have a negative effect on them and their parents and make our neighborhood less family friendly, contrary to the image it seeks to project. A driver-centric neighborhood where kids and parents don't feel safe crossing the street is not healthy for any of us.

One would think that the enhanced crosswalk and new signage at 99th and Walden might encourage drivers to at least slow down or, better yet, obey Illinois law by stopping and yielding to pedestrians trying to cross 99th St.  A surprising number of drivers appear to be completely ignorant of the law, or choose to disregard it. To quote a brief portion:

A driver must come to a complete stop (and yield):  
     When a pedestrian is in a marked crosswalk.
     A driver must yield to a pedestrian when a pedestrian is in an unmarked crosswalk on the
            driver's side of the roadway and there are no traffic control signals.
     When making a turn at any intersection.

I see all of these violated on a daily basis - at 99th and Walden, 99th and Longwood, 100th and Longwood, 96th and Longwood and other locations nearby. I witnessed an egregious example at 99th and Walden recently.

Passengers from a Metra train were walking towards the intersection around 5:45 p.m. I was among them. There was a brief break in traffic on 99th. I stepped into the crosswalk and encountered a group of about 10 coming towards me - moms and kids leaving All Day Montessori on the north side of the street. A driver in an SUV was yelling at them, saying they weren't entitled to cross there because they weren't at a stoplight. As they reached the middle of the street, the driver continued to yell as she started creeping through the crosswalk behind them. She resented the fact that the moms had stepped out and forced her to stop, perhaps delaying her by 30 seconds.

99th and Walden crosswalk

We have 3 pre-school locations around this intersection (2 buildings for All Day Montessori and 1 for Beverly Montessori), generating a lot of traffic at morning and evening rush hours, in addition to traffic around the Metra station and adjacent businesses. The intersection would be much safer if more people would walk or bike to/from nearby destinations instead of driving. I recognize that this is not always possible, but whatever we can do to reduce car traffic and share the road in a more considerate way can improve conditions for walking.

Pedestrian stings with real tickets, and perhaps traffic school, are needed in our neighborhood.  Enforcement should be applied to everyone, including off-duty first responders, who can be a big part of the problem. This may not be a popular opinion here, but the hypocrisy of first responders driving recklessly and making their own neighborhood less safe got old a long time ago.

If we work together as a community, we can make a difference. We can each set a positive example by yielding to pedestrians when we drive, and we can ask drivers to stop when we have the right of way as pedestrians.

A neighborhood where more children (and everyone) can walk safely is truly a family friendly neighborhood.  A car-centric neighborhood? Not so much.

sharing our roads safely - part 1

When you're on the road, whether as a driver or cyclist, do you make the effort to communicate with other road users and pay attention when others are trying to communicate with you?

Turn signals:  Drivers should use them not just for other drivers, but also for pedestrians and cyclists. Knowing whether or not a vehicle will be turning can affect our safety on the streets. If you see a pedestrian, cyclist or other vehicle near enough to be affected by what you're doing at an intersection, please use turn signals if you're going to turn.

Hand signals: Do you remember learning them as part of Rules of the Road in driver ed? Do you know them? If you are a cyclist, do you use them? Communication should go both ways.

Are you familiar with the various ways that cyclists can legally make a turn?  Depending on traffic conditions and intersection configuration, a cyclist may choose one of these options.

Illinois is one of many states requiring that drivers leave 3 feet or more of clearance when passing a cyclist.  Most states now have anti-dooring laws, which hold vehicle occupants (driver or passenger) liable if they injure a cyclist by opening vehicle doors into the cyclist's path of travel. Chicago also has laws holding drivers responsible for causing cyclist injuries by turning left or right in the cyclist's path.

Intersection crashes and doorings cause the majority of cyclist injuries from crashes. Clear communication can prevent crashes and injuries and save lives.

don't be that guy

How many days has it been since our last significant snow?  Too many sidewalks still look like this.

And this.  If you can clear this sidewalk this well, please do the neighborly thing and clear a path all the way to the street.

If there's a wall of snow at the curb (and many are bigger than this one), clearing your sidewalk isn't nearly as effective as it could be in helping people to get out and walk in the neighborhood.

Yes, winter got old a long time ago for many of us. Facing unnecessary difficulties when we want to get out of the house and walk makes it worse.

If you haven't already cleared your sidewalk - and the walls at the curb and alley if those apply to you - please do the kind and considerate thing while it's warm today.  If elderly or ill neighbors can't clear their sidewalks, please help them, too.

simple gifts

5:45 p.m., 96th & Longwood: I was walking home from the train. A speeding driver approached the intersection, barely slowing down for the 4-way stop, then hitting the gas again and flying down Longwood. About a minute later, a similarly lead footed Texas driver stopped for about one second, then stepped on the gas when I was in the crosswalk, about to step in front of his car.

Are you aware that there is a 2010 Illinois state law requiring drivers to stop and yield to pedestrians who are in the crosswalk? 

First responders: unless you are working and on your way to an urgent call, this applies to you too. We respect you more when you have respect for the most vulnerable road users.

How many 19th ward residents make unnecessary car trips to walkable destinations because they are afraid that someone will run over them or their kids if they were to walk there?  Too many.  This has a significant impact on quality of life in the ward, and it needs to change.

Take a holiday season pledge: yield to pedestrians. Better yet, slow down for a little while and walk to a neighborhood business or two. Say hi to a neighbor along the way. You may find that you enjoy it and even make a habit of it. If each of us makes more more walking trip each week instead of a car trip, the ward becomes a more pleasant place to be. It's a simple gift that we can give to our neighbors and ourselves, and it costs nothing.

99th & Walden pedestrian safety issues

When the 99th & Walden streetscape project was announced, it included the formation of a Special Service Area (SSA) to help maintain the area.  This winter, safe pedestrian to parts of that area have been exceptionally bad.  The sidewalk around the All Day Montessori parking lot has generally not been cleared, in spite of all the people who need to use it, including families going to All Day Montessori.  One of the results is pedestrians walking in the street at evening rush hour, when there is a lot of car traffic on Walden, increasing the risk that someone could get hit.

Sidewalk next to All Day Montessori parking lot

Parents picking up or dropping off frequently park right at the corner, creating a blind spot for turning traffic and higher risk of injury for pedestrians crossing Walden.

Vehicles are often parked over or right up to 99th St. crosswalk,
creating a blind spot for eastbound drivers turning onto Walden.

I hope that the SSA's maintenance plan will keep sidewalks and crosswalks clear in future winters and that a curb bumpout will be included in the streetscape to prevent cars from parking right up to the corner.  When simple things like uncleared sidewalks and blind spots end up pushing people to drive rather than walk, it has a very negative impact on quality of life in the neighborhood and on the health of our residents.

safe access to the proposed sports center at 115th & Western

The proposed sports center has the potential to be a great community amenity. However, if bike and pedestrian access aren't thoughtfully done to maximize safety by minimizing conflicts with motorized traffic, it would create a negative aspect to a facility that should be equally accessible to vulnerable users and drivers.  Streetsblog Chicago has published a thoughtful piece on this aspect of the plan.

Many have voiced concerns about the center's potential to significantly increase car traffic in the area of 115th and Western. This is another compelling argument to maximize the ease of pedestrian and bike access so that more people will walk or bike to the center rather than driving.

Others have questioned the wisdom of spending millions on yet another piece of infrastructure when so much of our existing infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, sewers, etc.) is poorly maintained.  A few have commented that this feels like a "let them eat cake" (while our streets crumble) moment. They have a point.  I would love to see our miles of deteriorated sidewalks made more walkable again.  Getting our streets in better condition would make biking much safer and more enjoyable.

What are your thoughts?

as our thoughts turn to spring...

Many folks are getting out on their bikes again as the weather gets more pleasant.  For some, this means more conflicts.  Did you know that riding on the sidewalk is illegal if you're over 12 years old?  Does riding in traffic make you nervous?  Taking a safe cycling or traffic skills class can give you the tools you need to be safer in traffic and ride with more confidence.



If you ride at night, make sure to use lights so that drivers and pedestrians can see you.  It's the law.  Check out this page for more bike-related videos: secure locking tips, safer riding in traffic and other useful information.

Want more info on biking in Chicago, including bike registration if you just got a new ride?  Go here.  Wishing you safe travels and pleasant rides.  See you on the road!