West Town residents push back on bike lane project despite fewer crashes in finished areas
'Does it cause traffic to move more slowly in places? Yes ... I would say that that is a feature, not a bug in the system': ald.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Some West town residents and business owners are calling on the Johnson administration to halt a plan to build protected bike lanes, pedestrian islands and other improvements on Grand Avenue. They argue it will do more harm than good.
They have popped up on stretches of several busy Chicago streets: protected bike lanes, along with pedestrian and bus boarding islands.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
"It's all about eliminating conflict between road users. When you create separation, when everybody has their own space, that's when it's safest for everybody," 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata said.
La Spata is an avid cyclist. As the chairman of City Council's Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee, he strongly supports the city's ongoing investment in protected bike lanes, especially one in his ward.
Construction will begin soon on a stretch of Grand Avenue from Ogden Avenue to Damen Avenue.
"The plan by the mayor and the alderman is not an equitable plan for everyone. It prioritizes bike riders above everyone else, and that is not the right design for Grand Avenue," said Roger Romanelli, with the Save Grand Ave. Committee.
A group of West Town residents and business owners are demanding City Hall halt the project. They say they're not against bike lanes, but they do not support the protected bike lanes and islands already installed west of Damen.
The owner of the antiques store Golden Triangle says it has caused the loss of parking spots and confusion among pedestrians, bikers, vehicles and robots.
"It's become a kind of business desert because nobody is opening a business in front of those curbs. They've made the street very narrow. They've added a lot of unnecessary cement island," Doug Van Truss said.
Some CTA bus drivers argue the condensed traffic lanes slow them down, and the bus boarding islands make it less safe for customers.
"It's dangerous for the passengers to stepping up, getting on the curb," said Antoine Trimuel, who is with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241.
But the city's Department of Transportation and La Spata say earlier phases of the project on Grand have resulted in fewer severe crashes, traffic injuries and safer vehicle speeds compared to the sections that have yet to be done.
"Does it cause traffic to move more slowly in places? Yes, does it cause drivers to have to be more observant? Yes, I would say that that is a feature, not a bug in the system," La Spata said.
La Spata says there is no turning back on the project. Construction will begin this year on Grand from Damen to Ashland Avenue, then next year from Ashland to Ogden.
