Eyes on the Street: New Pedestrian Islands on Lawrence Avenue

Lawrence Avenue streetscape and road diet construction
The sharrows between Western and Ashland will be replaced with painted bike lanes.

Three years after the Chicago Department of Transportation presented renderings and details about a proposal to narrow Lawrence Avenue between Clark Street and Western Avenue in Lincoln Square, construction began in June despite late opposition from business owners.

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CDOT's 2010 rendering of the road diet, showing a bike lane, expanded sidewalk, and crossing island.

The project will put Lawrence on a road diet from four travel lanes to two, with a center turn lane at some intersections and pedestrian crossing islands at others. Some sidewalks will be widened, and painted bike lanes will be installed in both directions.

Lawrence Avenue Streetscape Pedestrian Island
Pedestrian island (and future crosswalk location) at Bell Avenue. Photo: Josh Kalov

Lawrence Avenue, before the road diet
Current bicycling conditions on Lawrence, just east of Western, are not comfortable for any crowd.
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The existing bike lanes west of the project area need restriping.

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