How could Chicago truly
become a bicyclable city?
Mayor Daley would like to make Chicago into the greenest city. But I’m afraid my experience today would indicate we have a long way to go. Green will be very hard to achieve if we abondon it when it becomes a little inconvenient. I’ve been using my bike on the Metra to go between Chicago and Libertyville. Except for rush-hour, Metra accomodates 9 bicycles on each train. Well, I rode my bicycle today to the station in Libertyville to catch the 2:10 to Union Station. Train pulls up, doors open, and I walk to a car that takes bicycles. The conductor calls out, “You can’t take that bike on this train.” A little stunned, I asked, “Why not?” He replied, “Taste of Chicago this week. No bikes on the train.”
It seems that accommodating a few bikes into the city per train is inconvenient this week. Sure, the Taste is running and July 4th is coming up in a couple days, but the train was not at all crowded. On the one hand it seems perfectly normal to restrict bicycles on the train if there is a big event and it would get crowded. But then I started to think about it and began to see it differently…
And now I see it as a complete failure of Chicago’s imagination and ambition to become green. Consider the following:
- This was 2:10 Monday afternoon of a working day. Why prioritize Taste-goers over the working class?
- These Metra trains are HUGE! It is utterly amazing that there is no room for bicycles. There has got to be a project goin gon at Metra that will accomodate unlimited bicycles in the future, right?
- Does the city really prefer we drive either to the train station or worse, into the city during the Taste?
- What impression does it give all the other riders considering doing away with their cars when you can be denied access so easily?
- How fragile is the idea of a bicycle friendly city when privileges are revoked during any significant event that may include people attending?
Can you imagine how it might be if we were to REALLY go for being a green, bicycle friendly city? C’mon be provocative with me. What would put Chicago on the map?
- Bicycles have the right of way in traffic. (Not to make excuses for the all-too-frequent violation of basic rules of the road that many bicyclists exhibit in Chicago.)
- Bicycles can be taken on any bus, train, cab or other vehicle serving the public.
- Pedestrians, then bicycles, then auto drivers have priority on public transport or regional transport services.
- It is a felony to steal a bicycle.
- Bicycle lanes are created on every street, even if that means reducing parking or the width of regular lanes.
- OR, a number of side streets (more than train lines, but less than bus lines) are designated as bicycle only and serve as major bicycle arteries for commuting.
- Pedestrian and bicycle commuters enjoy property or food tax breaks.
Oh, one more thing. I think I experienced a small fraction of what inaccessibility means to the disadvantaged. It must be incredible not being able to take advantage of products, services, or environments when they are not designed for accessibility.
Ok, I got that off my chest. Thank goodness I have something to Rave about on the same subject in my next post…