bike blog

Local cyclist attempts a 30-hour nonstop world record this weekend

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:49:28 GMT

Local cyclist Bryce Walsh will attempt to break two world records this weekend. From 10 a.m. Saturday until approximately 4 p.m. Sunday, Bryce will be riding 2,578 nonstop laps at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome in Northbrook. He's attempting to break the record for distance travelled in 24 hours on a track, as well as the 1000 kilometer record.

The velodrome is located on the north 1500 block of Maple Avenue in Northbrook, IL. If you're in the area, stop by and cheer him on!

Visit http://www.brycewalsh.com/?p=108 for more details.

Sun Times profiles CBF board member

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:12:45 GMT

Chicagoland Bicycle Federation board member Dinah Ramirez was profiled in the Sun Times as one of the"50 People Who Make Chicago a Better Place."

DINAH RAMIREZ | She's determined to promote fitness on Southeast Side
Dinah Ramirez was born and raised on the Southeast Side, onetime home of steel mills, and she refuses to move -- or be moved.
As the executive director of Healthy Southeast Chicago, she is a staff of one who relies on volunteers who are as passionate about their community as she is.
A few years ago, Ramirez was shocked to find that, of 33 local restaurants, only two served salads. Since then, she has helped raise two major vegetable gardens, which feed 50 to 75 families. She has fought gangs, raised funds to fight cancer and even handed out energy-saving light bulbs.

Bike to Church Day

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:38:36 GMT

From Bob Burns, Associate Minister, Armitage Baptist Church: Armitage Baptist Church of Logan Square hosted their first ever �Bike to Church Day,� Sunday, August 10. Everyone who was able was encouraged to ride a bike to church. People of all ages and from all distances participated in the exciting and energy-filled event. They gave away nine gift certificates spanning three of their Sunday morning services; one of which was the Spanish language congregation. Always trying to keep their business in the neighborhood, they purchased the gift certificates from Boulevard Bikes - the friendly neighborhood (Logan Square) bike shop. The prizes were given in three categories: youngest to arrive on a bike, oldest to arrive on a bike, and the furthest distance biked to church that day. They celebrated the youngest to arrive on a bike � she was a seven-month-old � and the oldest was 63 years young. The farthest was from Buffalo Grove, Ill. � that�s right, Buffalo Grove � 27.1 miles. It took him 3 and one half hours, but he made it in time for the 11:00 a.m. Church service. There were over 80 bikes accounted for and close to 100 participants (including trailers and seats for children). It was a great sight to see all those joyful and healthy people riding in and parking their bikes on Kedzie Boulevard on that crisp and beautiful Sunday morning. They thank God for such a wonderful day and healthy experience.

Red light cameras are great

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:15:54 GMT

Today's Tribune has a map of the location of red light cameras in the city. It�s encouraging that crashes have reduced citywide since the cameras have been installed at over 100 intersections. Drivers are more likely to be injured running a red light than in any other type of urban crash.

Communities announce Sunday Parkways

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:06:42 GMT

Residents walking, biking, skating and dancing will reclaim 10 miles of Chicago streets through five Northwest and West side communities in the first-ever Sunday Parkways events Oct. 5 and Oct. 26, community-based organizations announced today alongside key partners and funders. Visit www.biketraffic.org/sundayparkways for all the information.

Gotham City's dirty underbelly

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:24:09 GMT

Hopefully you have had a chance to see Dark Knight. I have. And all the Chicago-sightings aside, it..was..amazing.

During all the Lower Wacker Drive chase scenes, it struck me — where are the bicycles?

And then it dawned on me..Gotham City is a dirty, corrupt and many times evil place to be. Why would there be bicyclists in a city that is in no way bikeable?

As we have said many times, bicyclists are like an indicator species — the more of them present in a community, the more vibrant and livable that community is. So of course, there aren't any bicycles!

There are, however, some pretty incredible rides coming out of the batcave.

Lucky for us, the scenery and landmarks are the only similarities between Gotham City and Chicago.

Do you have any information?

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:21:52 GMT

On Sunday, August 3, 2008, two cyclists were struck and injured on Bateman Road approximately 500 meters south of Lake Cook Road in Barrington Hills, IL. The driver of a pick-up truck with a horse trailer in tow lost control of his vehicle and struck two cyclists. The driver fled the scene of the crash. The trailer did not have a license plate number. The crash is now under investigation by the Barrington Police Department. If you have any information related to the crash, please contact the Barrington Police Department at (847) 304-3300.

Distracted driving

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:01:55 GMT

Motorists frequently engage in dangerous behavior when behind the wheel- brushing their teeth, applying makeup, eating a sandwich, and talking on the phone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirms that 80 percent of crashes involve drivers not paying attention in the three seconds prior to the crash. With the recent recommendations by the Distracted Driving Task Force, drivers will be punished for not paying attention to the road.
Studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone poses a crash risk equivalent to driving drunk. The difference between driving drunk and driving distracted is that the general public does not think you are reckless, unsafe, or a jerk for driving while talking on a phone. That will change with the passage of new legislation that tackles distracted driving. Harsher penalties combined with enforcement and education for distracted driving will, over time, shift the social norm. In the future, we will here kids say things like, “Mom, driving while talking on the phone is dangerous!”.

New Bike Traffic hot off the press!

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:56:44 GMT

Read the new issue of Bike Traffic for the latest news on Sunday Parkways, Suburban bike plans, school busing funding, Chicago�s pedestrian plan, gas prices and more.

Join today and get ticket to film festival

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:14:46 GMT

There�s still time to get your free ticket to the Bicycle Film Festival. Join or renew your membership to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation today, and we will give you a free ticket to the Bicycle Film Festival. Are you already a member or do you already have your Bicycle Film Festival pass or ticket. For goodness sake, get your friend a gift membership and give her a ticket to the film festival. Call Falon immediately to get those tickets. (312)427-3325 ext. 289.

Chicago City Council Passes Progressive Transportation Resolution

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:14:03 GMT

Last week at the Chicago City Council meeting the council passed the Resolution To Support 21st Century Transportation For America. Despite the long title it is a pretty sweet idea to pass the City Council.
Basically, the resolution is aimed at transportation funding and demands sensible prioritization of transportation projects. The resolution encompasses many ideas, including strong support of transit and consideration of environmental implications. The following are highlights that I found exciting:
• …value capital investment for transportation that contributes to dynamic and accessible communities where more residents can walk, bike or take transit to get where they need to go;
• ..transportation that that encourages reduction in global warming and smog forming pollution;
• Federal spending for transportation is distributed in an outdated manner that rewards increasing gas consumption and new road construction at the expense of repairing current roads and bridges and transit infrastructure;
• Transit in Northeastern Illinois is responsible for saving transit riders 276 million gallons of oil and $723 million dollars that would have otherwise been spent on gas;
• …support a transportation infrastructure investment plan that spends taxpayers’ money more wisely by requiring objective criteria to prioritize the projects most in need to serve the people of Illinois; and
• ..we urge Congress and the Illinois State Legislature to prioritize spending on reducing our dependence on oil, curbing global warming pollution, alleviating congestion, improving safety, and supporting healthy, sustainable communities.
Read the full report here. I’m sending a “thank you” note to Alderman Moore for sponsoring this resolution. I will also contact my state representative, senator and congressman to let them know that I fully support the points in this resolution – if you approve of this resolution, I suggest that you let your elected officials know it.
I am left with a lingering question, though – is the Chicago City Council prepared to increase its funding for the CTA and Metra, too?

Video riding in traffic

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:13:35 GMT

Ride in traffic? Yes!

Here's a 3-minute, 27-second jump start...

Olympic Tour brings hope to Chicago transit

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:15:05 GMT

I was looking at the great photos on today’s Chicago Tribune website that shows Mayor Daley touring the Guomao subway station in Beijing. He echoes the sentiment of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation that says wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a state of the art transit system in Chicago?
Some highlights:
Beijing’s goal is that 50 percent of people use public transit for their transportation choice.
They are seeking to drastically increase transit options over the next seven years.
Daley gets the connection between transit, funding, and a great city.
Transit is good for all of us in Chicago. It will help reduce congestion on the roads, reduce our carbon footprint, and make trips to work shorter. All good news for bicyclists and pedestrians, not to mention daily transit riders. Here’s how you can help: ask your legislators to fund world-class transit for the region as part of the State’s capital bill. Ask your federal legislators to fund world-class transit for the region as part of the federal reauthorization of the transportation bill. Let us know how it goes.
Now if you are naturally a skeptic and like a bit of satire, see the story here.

Transit in the hot seat

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:04:21 GMT

Transit and transportation are hot topics in the Chicago region. In the last two days I attended public meetings where the topic for discussion focused on transit and transportation throughout the Chicago region.
On Monday morning the first in a series of RTA meetings occurred in downtown Chicago to discuss the development of its strategic plan. There are several more meetings scheduled throughout the region, which I encourage anyone interested in the future of transit to attend. Learn more here, including schedules of the upcoming meetings:
At the RTA meeting I was struck by several different observations: First, there were almost no RTA board members present to hear the public’s comments. Second, only one member of the Illinois General Assembly, Elaine Nekritz, attended the meeting, and her district isn’t even in central Chicago: why weren’t there alderman, representatives and senators whose districts are in central Chicago present at this meeting? Finally, the RTA presentation described several reasons why it needs increased capital funding (and operating dollars too, due to high energy costs and the Governor’s unfunded mandate that seniors ride free). However, RTA appeared to support the governor’s Illinois Works capital bill, even though it provides significantly fewer dollars to transit than previous capital bills.
Illinois First! provided capital funding for transit and roads at approximately 1:1 ratio, whereas the currently proposed Illinois Works bill funds at a 1:5 ratio, leaving transit agencies across the state woefully underfunded in comparison to roads and highways. What this means is that if this bill is passed, Illinois will build many new roads downstate, while the transit agencies in NE IL continue to crumble. My impression was that the RTA was content to receive crumbs from the capital bill instead of fighting for a bigger piece of the pie.
If you attend one of these RTA meetings, please voice support for more capital funding for transit. Also let your elected state representatives and senators know that you want more funding for transit and a fair share of capital funding for NE Illinois.
Earlier today I attended the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Moving Beyond Congestion meeting and heard presentations about the cost of congestion to the Chicagoland region. Jon Hilkevitch of the Chicago Tribune wrote a summary of some of the meetings key points.
Noteworthy points are that development in the suburban areas create a lot of congestion on suburban arterials – Not the highways and downtown Chicago areas that often illustrate congestion. The traditional commuting pattern from the suburbs to the city’s central business district is no longer the only traffic pattern that needs to be considered. A regional focus and plan is required to address the reality of commuting and off-peak transportation patterns.
Two main ideas were presented to help relieve congestion in the Chicagoland area. The first is investing in public transportation systems so that people have more transportation options. The second was congestion pricing. However it was stressed that congestion pricing that focused solely on the Chicago downtown business district will not solve the region’s congestion problem. Again, the solutions to tackle congestion need to consider the region as a whole and not simply improve the current transit lines, but also create more train and bus routes to accommodate the new movement between suburbs.
To read the full report by MPC, click here

Commuter survey

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:56:35 GMT

We need your input on a study that will examine the role bike facilities play in decisions to commute to work by bike. Our goal is to increase the number of bicycling commuters in Illinois. In connection with this project, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and Shaw Environmental, Inc. invite you to take part in a brief online survey of your bicycling habits, interests and needs.
Completed surveys will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to Kozy’s. Click here to get started on the survey. Thanks in advance for your help. The project is funded through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Bicycle Film Festival coming to Chicago!

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:18:35 GMT

Roll out the red carpet and pull up to the curb in a luxurious human-powered machine: The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is coming to the opening night party of the Bicycle Film Festival, 9pm, Wednesday, August 6, at Sonotheque. We�ll be promoting membership to the Bicycle Federation by offering new and renewing members a complimentary ticket to one of seven programs in the film festival. Don�t miss out on this opportunity to support more and better biking at the same time as reveling in the grit and glamour of bicycle culture. You can also leave your bike with the Bicycle Federation complimentary valet when you come to the screenings. We look forward to seeing you there.

Transit money going to highways?

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:39:29 GMT

Due to ‘pain at the pump’ Americans are finally reducing gasoline consumption by driving fewer miles – for the first time in decades. As a result, the reduced revenues from gas taxes create shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund’s budget as soon as this October. To remedy the situation, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters recommends that the Mass Transit Fund transfer money to pay for highways. Read more here.
Mass transit agencies across the country recently experienced booms in riders due in part to high gas prices. Trains and buses in Chicago and nationwide are filled to capacity and people demand high-quality transit: they demand more trains, more buses, more routes and longer service hours. Improved transit options help Americans kick their addiction to oil and ease the pain of high gas prices.
A comprehensive transportation policy should take into account the shift out of cars and into trains and allocate more money to transit. Instead, Peters continues to prioritize highways at the expense of transit and insisting on applying mid 20th century solutions to 21st century problems. Funding highways with transit dollars is like robbing Paul to pay for Peters’ misguided priorities.
If you think this “solution” is as misguided as we do – send Peters an email at mary.peters@dot.gov to let her know your thoughts paying for highways with transit dollars. While you are typing, make sure your congressional representatives hear you, too.

Criterium a success!

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:13:38 GMT

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Downtown Chicago hosted the Chicago Criterium Sunday. We at the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation were out in full force to enjoy the race and advocate for better bicycling. Our Road Show outreach brought several more bicyclists into the fold of the Chicagoland Bicycle federation when they signed up for membership. At our VIP tent for Chicagoland Bicycle Federation members, we were comfortable under the shade as we sipped lemonade and watched the racers spin past us. We saw many fine athletes (and their equally sleek bicycles) whir past us as they forced a break-away, hung in the main pack or valiantly pushed to catch up with the group ahead. Congratulations to all of the athletes who worked so hard in the sun. The hum of the pelotone each time the pack flew through was something to behold. The winners of the CAT 1 race were amateur (!) Adam Bergman (men) and Amber Rais (women). Were you at Sunday's crit? Would you like to see this become an annual tradition in Chicago?

Get directions: walking

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:59:10 GMT

Google has added yet another options to its direction search — walking!

You can now choose "walking" as an option on trips up to 6.2 miles (10 kilomters). One cool thing is that the program ignores one-way streets.

The streetview option is also available on the walking directions so you can find that corner store that you are looking for even if you don't know the exact address or intersection.

And if Google wasn't rad enough: "Walking is a great way to learn about a place, to get around, and to get some exercise when the weather is nice. You'll notice shops, parks, and public art that you've been accustomed to zooming past, and come away feeling like you've really gotten the insider's take on a neighborhood or city."

Swoon...

Try it for yourself!

Calling on videographers

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:26:29 GMT

Calling on videographers to express the Chicago bicycle culture and inspire others to enjoy riding. To inspire you to make your own video, see this.
I happened upon the link when I was ruminating about J. Alex’s new bakfiet she was showing off at yesterday’s inaugural Chicago Criterium races downtown. I took Nathan for a spin and it was easy to handle, absolutely fantastic. Of course, now I want another bicycle…
After viewing the music video above, I thought, what can our great bicycling enthusiasts in Chicago come up with on their own. Post your videos as a comment to this blog entry or send them directly to me at rob@biketraffic.org and we’ll see about a direct post.