Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Milwaukee Avenue

CDOT Forgets to Accommodate Cyclists During Bloomingdale Construction

By Steven Vance | Mar 14, 2014 | 22 Comments

Bloomingdale Trail construction charges ahead, with bridge work that involves closing Milwaukee at the viaduct, tonight at 8 p.m. through early Monday morning. Cars, trucks and buses will detour around the construction via North and Western, and pedestrians are advised to take a shorter detour via Oakley, Wilmot, and Leavitt Street to reach Wilmot. Winnebago, which […]

To Smooth Out the Blue Line Rehab, Divert Cars From Milwaukee

By Steven Vance | Feb 24, 2014 | 14 Comments

As the Chicago Transit Authority prepares to fix up Blue Line tracks, the agency is warning riders that they’ll face significant delays during the weekends when work is underway. But tens of thousands of transit riders would face less inconvenience if the city cleared some room on Milwaukee Avenue by diverting motor vehicle traffic. The […]

Construction Makes Milwaukee Bike Lanes An Obstacle Course

By Steven Vance | Nov 22, 2013 | 15 Comments

Responding to a query today from Streetsblog Chicago about abysmal conditions for cyclists on Milwaukee Avenue, transportation commissioner Gabe Klein says he has asked a deputy commissioner to work with the Department of Water Management “to put a better traffic management plan in place for cyclists ASAP.” Deputy commissioner Pat Harney said he is “talking […]

Proposed Rules for Road Construction Could Be Better for Walking and Biking

By Steven Vance | Nov 1, 2013 | 19 Comments

The Chicago Department of Transportation is accepting public comments until 5 p.m. today on the draft update to “Rules and Regulations for Construction in the Public Way” [PDF]. Among other things, this document can help improve safety for biking and walking by creating better conditions during street construction projects. If the city’s proposed rules were in place […]

ThinkBike Challenges Chicagoans to Think Beyond Bike Lanes

By Steven Vance | Oct 2, 2013 | 12 Comments

Last Thursday, Dutch “mobility advisor” Sjors van Duren stood by the Lakefront Trail, pointed to the block of Monroe Street between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive, and asked, “What is the function of this street?” The answer, it was agreed, is to distribute automobiles between the Loop and Lake Shore Drive. Van Duren works for the Arnhem […]

New Bike Lane Design on Milwaukee Should Reduce Crashes and Frustration

By Steven Vance | Jun 13, 2013 | 20 Comments

The bikeway upgrades on Milwaukee Avenue between Elston Avenue and Kinzie Street were completed Wednesday, adding bike lanes separated from traffic with parking and flexible posts. Other features include green striping before intersections and the city’s first two-lane bike lanes allowing faster cyclists to pass slower ones on the bridge over the Ohio Street ramp to […]

Eyes on the Street: Milwaukee PBL Construction Starts Sooner Than Expected

By John Greenfield | May 23, 2013 | 19 Comments

It was quite a surprise to come upon fresh white thermoplastic stripes on Milwaukee Avenue Thursday evening. Many Chicagoans have been eagerly anticipating new protected bike lanes on Milwaukee, the city’s busiest bike street, which will be the missing link between existing PBLs on Kinzie and Elston. At a public meeting about the bike lanes […]

Businesses Win When Cars and Parking Give Way to Peds, Bikes, and Transit

By Steven Vance | May 17, 2013 | 7 Comments

When the Chicago Department of Transportation proposed a redesign of Milwaukee Avenue that will improve safety for cycling, a few merchants groused about the loss of parking directly in front of their stores. Change can be scary, but this fear is misplaced. A safer street is a more inviting street, and CDOT could actually implement […]

CDOT Unveils Bold Vision for Milwaukee Bike Lanes; Drivers Grouse

By John Greenfield | May 1, 2013 | 40 Comments

At last night’s community meeting at Intuit arts center, the Chicago Department of Transportation discussed its vision for innovative bike lanes on Milwaukee between Kinzie and Elston. The plan, which is actually much more ambitious than what was outlined on the CDOT website prior to the meeting, involves removing about half of the car-parking spaces […]

CDOT Discusses Plans for Buffered and Protected Lanes on Milwaukee Tonight

By John Greenfield | Apr 30, 2013 | 2 Comments

If you live or work on the Near Northwest Side and/or bike commute regularly on Milwaukee Avenue, try to stop by tonight’s community meeting on the city’s proposal for buffered and protected bike lanes on Milwaukee between Kinzie and Elston. The meeting takes place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Intuit arts center, 756 North […]

How to Create Protected Bike Lanes That Confident Cyclists Will Enjoy Riding

By John Greenfield | Mar 20, 2013 | 16 Comments

As Steven Vance wrote recently, protected bicycle lanes will be crucial for boosting Chicago’s bike mode share because they attract the “interested but concerned” set that doesn’t yet feel comfortable riding on city streets. But as the city installs protected lanes on roadways that are already popular bike routes, such as Milwaukee Avenue, it will […]

Highlights From the March Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council Meeting

By John Greenfield | Mar 15, 2013 | 6 Comments

The quarterly Mayor’s Bike Advisory Council meetings, held on the 11th floor of City Hall, are an excellent way to get up to speed on local cycling initiatives. At Wednesday’s meeting Mike Amsden, who manages the Chicago Department of Transportation’s bikeways projects, discussed the agency’s proposal to build protected bike lanes on Milwaukee Avenue between […]

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