Alright test test. Here we go Echo the meeting of the
committee on pedestrian and traffic safety is now called to
order for January 10th 2024. We will now have a roll call
to establish a quorum will orders. Please make sure their
microphones are unmuted terminal Spotify present vice-chair
Cruz.
Alderman Hopkins
Boardman Robinson
Alderman UNC
Apartments Chico
Harley Quinn
Alma Moore
Morgan Curtis
Alderman Ervin
Auburn Clemson is on his way to order in Lawson.
An old woman may not have been worth.
We have 10 members present. We have a quorum. Meanwhile
Alderman Martin and old woman Coleman have requested to
participate in the meeting remotely pursuant to rule 59.
Can I get a motion to allow orders Martin and Coleman to
participate remotely?
almond moreso moves
All those in favor say aye all those opposed say nay in the
opinion of the chair that I have it Alters Martin and
Coleman ottoman Martin is present here for Quorum by video
conference and very grateful to have non-member alderwoman
Coleman as well at this point. We will begin the public
comment period out of respect for everyone's time and a
very happy abundance of public comment this morning.
Everyone will be limited to two minutes.
We will begin online with Nate grabner Nate are you with
us?
Nate is not present.
We will come back to Nate. We will proceed to in person. We
have a starting with us Alex Perez from the active
Transportation Alliance.
Everybody hear me with the expectation Lions. Just want to
say on behalf of transportation's thousands of members and
supporters throughout the city. We are pleased to be here
to discuss Chicago's progress on implementing
implementation of our city has made great strides and
trading safe and comfortable places for people to use bikes
at every day of Transportation either efforts to help
improve quality of life for all residents by creating a
healthier more sustainable City whether you walk bike or
drive to get around the city these projects have made our
streets safer for you and I just recently Chicago
Department of Transportation Hazard evaluated a
Protected bike lane project in Logan Square that showed the
installation of the bike next to reduce the road slow down
traffic and reduce the number of crashes and we want to see
that be introduced in other parts of the city as well where
we know traffic is a major problem, but we must continue
these efforts to ensure that were working. So are they
connected and protective might not work across the city we
would like to commend the Department transportation
particularly for the work. They have done over the past few
years to install concrete curbs. I have made a big progress
in making our streets safer there Sunday. We have been
pleased to be a renewed commitment to community outreach
and engagement as part of the city's neighborhood
initiative and more rapidly program and the availability of
the local funding for building 6th Street in the future.
Why do the progress has seen have been a remarkable without
continued support for the Chicago work program? We risked
losing momentum for our path to
Become the best big city for biking in the US and today as
the community cares about good work this evening has been
doing under the Chicago Community Cycling strategy. We ask
that you look ahead at the end of the conversation about
how to expand expand into our Capital program. Thank you.
Thank you Roman showster.
Take me to my friend here has romanatwood been living here
for twenty years. I've been my whole life since I've lived
in the city and you know, I would have been there to see I
see what the changes that would do it here if we have this
conversation five or ten years ago. But I mean, I assume
you have had kids at two kids right now. I'm fighting that
it's more challenging put together a bicycle and I can drop
you off and I want to it's feels like as I've been watching
some of the changes that been happening in the community.
They don't get the sweatshirts feels like our know the
designs are becoming more antagonistic. Those drivers are
the most recently. I want to bring sample to the Dickens
traffic to her. I'd spend it over to the community Feels
Like a Block you live in the area are to be happy about
that. It's there. I recognize you know why I was put in a
big supporter of Pickens Road ring. But again, it's
what Luann hearing it when they didn't say I didn't want
this thing here. Is that the back Advocates and all the
rest and we'll just wait you'll get used to it and what
that what I'm supposed to thinking about it I get off as
nothing but a mass of people here to stop thinking about
people who choose to drive for whatever reason to ask some
you know, what am I supposed to be the programs from
whatever they believe in but think of the machine picks
think about while they're driving which was in there making
and you know it
I know it sucks almost as if you listen to what the
community saying I thinking that if the traffic to deal
with such a popular idea, why was it put in just without
much oversight. People just found out afterward. So I think
we're all in this together. I think we we all deserve a
safe drive safe in the picture of structure, but I think we
should think about not just the people in this room, but
that Brielle school driving the city. Thank you. Thank you
very much, noting orders Robinson and Knutson here present
for porum. Thank you gentleman. Next up. We have Rebecca
Roseman family biking
Hi there, I'm Rebecca reisman from Chicago family biking
that were an organization of thousands and thousands of
parents that want to see our kids safely bike around the
city of Chicago. We and Chicago family biking are always
looking at the age of 12 in this our city. That's the age
are kids will no longer be allowed to legally ride on the
sidewalk and it's on our Paul all of our best interests to
ensure. We're creating a network that will keep them safe.
And so they can independently ride when they reach that
Milestone first. I want to commend the city for a plan that
really is looking at the city as a whole are Ward planning.
Thus far has left gaps in our Network that has left an
inequitable Network or people trying to ride today. And so
we're excited to see that happen and that's shown
This plan, that's awesome. What we want to see more of is a
bold infrastructure. There's a lot of talk about Greenways
what we've seen so far as we have infrastructure that goes
in but it doesn't go far enough. It doesn't actually put in
the gold standard infrastructure that is recommended by
experts when we do that or watering down our infrastructure
and we're not realizing our full potential of safety and
people aren't seeing the real benefit of that
infrastructure. So I just want to encourage everyone to be
bold and courageous. One thing I do also want to say is
that we would love to see more education and herdsmen
Outreach efforts integrated into this strategy not only
leading up to the implementation. But thereafter as we see
time and time again projects go in their awesome projects,
we maybe use them personally and see how beneficial they
are, but the community isn't as plugged in and they don't
understand we need to do a better job of really helping
that Outreach when things go in so that we're not
In the defense mode in a anything goes in and last week no
more plans that sit on the shelves. I've been an advocate
for many years. I can't tell you how many of these plans I
read and they just sit on shelves and don't get done. So
I'm excited for this one to actually happen. Thank you.
Thank you very much for Becca. Next we have Timothy
Shambrook.
Everybody my name is Tim Shamrock. Got some you know why
I'm probably here but I just wanted to stand out as a light
lunch or is a more than 30 Horizon in the city who does not
own a car in the city we get around fine without having the
vehicle theft of that, but I'm here to thank see Don for
starting to actually make moves that are Citywide and not
war by water block-by-block Bert's bar too long. We've
allowed people in Black clubs to dictate how we lay out a
real proper infrastructure for bike and pedestrian
infrastructure as well as Transit games, right and if we
continue to allow that to happen, we don't get to build out
a proper Network and it's just chalked up. I agree with
many people who suck talked about. We need to be better
about sharing with the constituency as to what it is. It's
going in but also, you know say this is what we're putting
in and this is why we're putting it in and explain it
properly so that many of the boo-birds go away.
There's always going to be people who don't like change,
but if we explain it to them properly and ahead of time,
and I know that their difference is that it happened, you
know different ways that we could do things and some things
have surprised some of the Neighbors in the city when
they've gone in, but we just need to have a better a better
communication structure as to why we're building this out
cuz without proper bike and pedestrian infrastructure as
well as expanded Transit and density. We can't get our city
to grow back. We need to find ways to allow people to
travel around or City without having to rely on a car. We
need to give them the option because it's getting kind of
expensive car. Thank you very much.
Our next person is David pigman from the Sierra Club and
bike right now. Good morning. My name is David sigmon and
on the political chair for the Sierra Club here in Chicago
where an environmental organization and our transportation
work focuses on making Chicago and more walkable bikeable
Transit forward City. I'm talking with you this morning as
a car-free Chicago and I rely on my bike to get around the
city and that's how I got here this morning. I bite down
here to ask you to support a physically protected bike ride
that safely connect cyclists to every part of Chicago. I
know from personal experience. Our City's current cycling
strategy is not working this fall. I was baking home and
see. Unprotected by Clean on Halsted Street when a car
driver struck me from behind leaving me hospitalized for 5
days and forcing me to undergo emergency surgery to save my
Arm I was doing everything right? When that car hit me. I
was riding and see dots painted bike lane with the flow of
traffic and lights on front and back but this traffic
violence was not the result of one driver's individual
failure is a result of seedot systemic failure to protect
protect Chicagoans. See that has a responsibility to design
a transportation system that protects all Road users using
almost Transit, especially those most vulnerable this
traffic violence. I experienced was the inevitable result
of seedot deadly focus on cars. See that's neglect word
cyclist protection shows a cares more about the convenience
of the driver who mowed me down in the painted by Queen. It
does about going to cares about my life as a cyclist. It is
long past time for C. To radically redesign redesign our
street and physical infrastructure to decentralize cars and
make our streets safer for pedestrians and cyclist Transit
Riders and other vulnerable Road users paint is not
protection is he that continues to pretend otherwise cars
welcome
To maim and kill Chicagoans like me walk bike roll and take
public transit. I asked all of you on this committee to
join me, and calling for a network of physically protected
bike Lanes across Chicago. We need a protected bike ride
now. Thank you.
Thank you, David. Our next speaker is Austin Bush.
So why did the chicken cross the road to get to the other
side? That's a pretty morbid punchline and it rings true in
Chicago eight days ago on Reddit a dash cam video was
posted the r / Chicago subreddit. The video was taken in
full daylight outside the Irving Park station on the blue
line exiting from the Northbound off-ramp of the Kennedy
Expressway on to Pulaski. This is the border of the 30th
Ward and the 47th Ward represented by vice-chair
alderperson Cruz and all the person Gardner in the video
clip a Cadillac SUV in front of the car with a dash cam
waited for a green light and then made a left turn.
Unfortunately in the video of pedestrian was also Crossing
Pulaski in the crosswalk at the time and was hit while
doing so the driver of the Cadillac SUV did not stop and
may not even noticed the assault on The Pedestrian. This
video was posted online with the caption typical Chicago
driver.
It happens a lot in Chicago according to the Illinois
border Bell Road users report released by I. And fall 2023
left-turning vehicles are contributing factor in nineteen
percent of pedestrian strikes approximately 230 serious
injuries or deaths resulted in 2022. It was also 15% of
bike incidents The Pedestrian strike map also reveals that
concerningly large
Bus Around the Irving Park Blue Line station and I doubt
themselves have published this report it is time to
pressure them and the state. To fix this problem on their
own roads surrounding the incident the city should likewise
focusing be focusing on strengthening the curbs and major
intersections adding leading pedestrian intervals phasing
turns dedicated signal lysing an outright prohibiting them
through Michigan less. I'm not a chicken when I cross the
street. I actually want to get to the other side alive.
Thank you very much. Austin next have and these are my
apologies if I can leave mispronouncing you insane during
the season.
e a s o n
Good morning. That was perfect pronunciation. By the way.
Thank you.
What happened to open Boulevard or Boulevard network was
built to be a garden and compassing our city is now a
highway that runs through the most beautiful parts of our
residential neighborhood, cyclists. And a resident of First
Ward. I believe Chicago is a world-class City in America's
most beautiful big city. We have the responsibility to The
Visionaries who built the city to do big things for our
future and our people imagine a bar Boulevard network was
closed to cars completely allowing for pedestrians and
bikes to use a Boulevard cuz they were designed and not as
dangerous highways between Humboldt Park Garfield
Conservatory, Washington Park the boulevard Network. We
have our own Central Park.
End in Chicago that bleeds into the neighborhoods of our
city creating safe spaces for Fellowship Recreation and
connecting the South and West sides to the rest to the
city. I wanted to ask this committee first off. I'm excited
by you leading this committee. I've been a cyclist for
years. I want to see big things. I want to know is this a
priority for for this Administration? And what do we need
to do to our plans for the boulevards and making them more
pedestrian-friendly. Thank you.
naked women
Next we have Dixon Galvez.
Open Southwest Collective. Thank you. My name is Dixon
Galvez or all and I'm here representing the local community
group the Southwest Collective. I'm a lifelong chicagoan
and cyclists and I've been leading monthly Community bike
rides for years in the neighborhoods around Archer Avenue.
And in the relative vicinity of Midway Airport biking on
the southwest side can be challenging at best and dangerous
at worst with streets. Especially major arterial streets
being designed to move as many cars and trucks as possible
as fast as possible.
With very little regard for cyclists pedestrians or even
other vehicles the results have been predictable plenty of
crashes congestion air pollution lack of foot traffic for
local businesses and streets that field design for people
moving through our neighborhoods as opposed to the people
who live in our neighborhoods. I applaud the city for
developing an ambitious cycling strategy and I heard
policymakers to go even further and fully embrace the
promise of a connected city-wide bike ride for a residence.
I specially urged the city to reimagine Archer Avenue a
crucial Southwest side arterial road that is not included
in the cycling strategies vision for the next 150 miles of
bike ways, and it's not even included in the city is
protected bike lane feasibility analysis.
Finally I are just to remember that bicycle infrastructure
cannot exist in a vacuum if we want Safe Streets for all
we'll need to pair protected bike Lanes with other
priorities like a lower Citywide speed limit fundamentally
redesign Street escapes and more reliable bus service in
every Chicago neighborhood. Thank you.
Our next speaker is Mary Wiley.
Good morning.
Good morning, everyone. How are you? The reason why I'm
here I have problems cuz I look between 41st and 42nd and
King Drive and a lot of times people be speeding down the
street having car crash. It's almost got hit by a car
myself crossing the street right there on 42nd and King
Drive.
They have a pedestrian crossing a lot of times those
Vehicles do not stop and every once in awhile a vehicle
will stop so I can cross and I have it's very bad.
And I want to know what can be done about it because it's
just not me or other people around there where I live is
the whole lot of seniors and I have a problem with that
also and shows from the around there also, and the main
thing I'm looking for is police presence there because I
don't it's like early in the morning and late at night car
speed, you know driving crazy.
And they don't want to stop and I don't know why it's like
they very impatient like they can't wait to just put they
put to the pillow and stuff and I don't understand that to
me. I'm like
There's a whole lot of people out there the ARs driving on
suspended license.
and
it's like a few years back. They had that on the news as a
special regarding that why are these people out here
driving on suspended license? They go to court and they
equal on the core over and over again for the same thing. I
don't understand that work might be a different or
something different but come to find out they still have no
suspended life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you are next
speaker is Ed Fitzpatrick.
Good morning. My name is Ed Fitzpatrick. I'm a 45-year
resident of the 2000 block of North Mohawk Street, which is
next to Dickens and is one block from Oz Park. I'm here
representing users of Oz Park and want to point out that.
All of the neighborhood organizations including the odds
Park advisory Council and the Lincoln Park High School
Lincoln Park High School parents Association opposed the
Dickens Greenway, which is now being put forward and I have
two questions related to the Dickens Greenway and related
to the running it through as Park which is if you don't if
you've never been there, it's the most used per square foot
City Park in the city of Chicago.
The first question is too is for the Chicago Department of
Transportation. You initially sent Representatives who made
presentations to the neighborhood saying that this Greenway
was going to be federally funded.
It's therefore it went through the Illinois Department of
Transportation.
That they said you sent the Illinois Department of
Transportation sent you at least for communications asking
you to require to the safety concerns about the greenway
being raised by The Neighborhood including me.
You never were you refused to respond to those concerns and
the Illinois Department of Transportation said you don't
get Federal funding until you do it. You didn't respond
instead you withdrew the request for federal funding. We
now have tennis practice Kenneth. I apologize if that's a
mispronunciation.
I didn't plan on speaking but hey, I'm here. So basically I
prefer to have a a grid north and south east and west a
bike Lanes. I don't care if they're protected Lanes or what
but the painted ones are just fine by me and they're the
cheapest. So if it's only the budget issue if we have the
ability to go anywhere we want in the city with a protected
Lane of some type painted is fine by me.
It it's just that an advantage people will decide not to
use their car and take their their scooter or whatever. It
is use that not pollute the air it is the wonderful idea.
That's about it.
I appreciate you making public come in sir. Our next
speaker is Andrew Mack from Chicago family biking.
Good morning. I'm here as a father of two in a resident of
Bridgeport in the 11th. Ward. I appreciate the work that
seed that has done to put together a long-range flexible
plan to build our cities bicycle infrastructure while I
wish it was better. Now. I'm hopeful that my children will
be able to experience a city that welcomes their choice to
ride a bike for transportation. The bicycle plant currently
discusses the need to connect people and meaningful
destinations both in and outside of their neighborhoods.
And I encouraged you. To also consider those of us who
regularly travel outside of the city limits. I ride a bike
almost every day for transportation often pairing it with
Metra and CTA to get around our city and our region, and
I'd like to see that incorporated.
The plan also talks about filling in the voids in the
network void that often occur where one word ends in
another begins Bridgeport is an especially challenging area
to safely get into and out of it surrounded by the river on
two sides and railroads and highways on the other two sides
to get to our neighbors in the West in McKinley Park. I
ride on a sidewalk over bubbly Creek and then ride on Iron
Street through an industrial park with factories heavy
truck traffic Etc. Because this is the safest way for me to
take my children when we go to visit the Lagoon the library
or the play Garden there. I faced similar barriers when
visiting friends in the back of the Yards and in Inglewood
where I most often use roads that go through the Stockyards
industrial park because there's no other safe routes for me
to take these disconnect separate us from our neighbors and
force many people to choose to drive instead of other
Transportation options equitable distribution is also
something that the plan highlight
from my vantage point things are not currently Equitable.
We recently had some new bike Lanes installed in the 11th
ward, but that's after a decade of nothing new and there
were certain segments of bike Lanes in the 11th ward that
were actually removed to accommodate Vehicles When I visit
certain communities to the north of downtown, I'm often
stunned by the cycling infrastructure.
Thank you very much, sir. Our final in-person speaker is
mr. George, Blakemore.
my issue
it arrived at PHL parking.
People should be able to.
Elba parking Street Garage
What you doing is bad Public Power.
You putting the area of a city street at a certain time
just for these residents that live there. These streets are
open to all people that pay their Tech.
Add PayPal money, so I'm totally against rather than to
park and I'll give you the reasons because you need a
garage or somewhere to park your car and you can't deny
another citizen from 7.
P.m. To 7 a.m. In the morning, and that'll be your little
private space.
Taxation without representation. My next issue. My issue is
driving while black what driving while black don't many
when the Batman get in a car the policeman harassed his
black person, you know, you can be addressed as a black man
by walking jogging in a neighborhood but driving while
black is another issue and and most of these people are
Cycles here, you know, these streets was not as bad but
cart and basket.
So you would have to do a whole new grid and do everything
over again. It wasn't designed for cycle. It was for car
and you put the car Rich to when they driving you ducking
in and took it out.
Are you psychic? That's why I'm okay. I'm used up my time.
I hope you all was able to understand me and the ancestors.
Appreciate me. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Blakemore. Also
recognizing non-member Alderman Cardona great to have you
with us or do we know if Nate graebner hasn't been able to
join us online.
Awesome. Thanks for having me. My name is Nick graner. I'm a
resident of the 43rd Ward. I want to start by saying how
much I appreciate the work. This committee is done
primarily rely on my roommate primarily relied on TV to get
around town my best friend you live. I live a block away.
My best friend lives a block North he primarily use to get
around town car is on and I wanted to say thank you to all
the new things in the rest of the committee for the work.
They've done on projects like the Dickens Greenway and the
Belmont complete streets project. I travel back and forth.
I can park in Avondale times a week and previously I was
constantly worried about my own safety making that trip now
that the Dickens Greenway is in place and Belmont Street
project to get back and I feel much much much safer on the
street to the point of God on my way to take them cuz I
mean for me they're basically the only way to go east west
And then not only here to say thank you to see all for the
work you've done but the advocate for a further completion
of the grid. So there's you know, there's more ways to go
west and then also to go north-south. I live off Halsted
and Armitage that I frequently see people traveling on
those pads including myself almost get hit another person
said earlier, you know, it feels dangerous going down the
street. It's just paint protecting you you no cars just use
them as unloading Zone Dark Places to drop off movers, you
know, that's going to be the case. I would much rather take
away three parking spots so that you know,
30 people can get dropped off the ottobre and make that a
dedicated space and then make curb concrete protected lands
and then also use concrete bollards versus flexi post. I
saw multiple times this year only what the Dickens Greenway
where people just drive over the Pulaski post or did you
drive on open streets to get on the lakefront Trail? I'd
rather speak concrete recycle oil versus flaxseed post for
that car seat.
This concludes our public comment. Our first order of
business is to rule 45 report from December which was sent
out a email also recognizing every nerve in a purposes of
corn.
attendance board
back to business. Our first order of business is the rule
45 report from December which was sent out via email and
distributed to committee members and I have a motion to
approve the rule 45 report.
So moved German Irvin all those in favor of passing the
reports say I all of those opposed say nay in the opinion
of the chair that I've haven't we will now begin with the
items before the committee. We're going to go out of order
and we'll begin with the sign ordinances on page two. Can I
have a motion to recommend approval of all direct
introduction ordinances on page 24 the same roll call vote
as was applied to determine quorum
this will get the both of you so ordered let us turn to pay
just three and four for the recommended portion of the
agenda going to have a motion to recommend approval of all
recommended ordinances on pages 3 and 4 by
same roll call vote as was applied to determine Quorum so
moves during no objections so ordered
Now we will move to be just 5 to 13 of the agenda with
their departmental introductions from the Department of
Finance. All of these are disabled parking permits for
applicants that were approved by the Department of Finance.
Can I have a motion to recommend approval of all ordinances
on pages 5 through 13 by the same roll call vote as was
applied to determine quorum.
So moved Alderman Ervin hearing no objections so ordered
now, we will move to Pages 14 through 20 of the agenda
winter items that receive no recommendation from City
departments. These ordinances were submitted as overrides
are on the agenda at the request of the older person or do
not require departmental approval. Can I have first have a
motion to recommend approval of all ordinances on pages 14
through 16 to be passed without a department of
recommendation by the same roll call vote as was applied to
determine quora.
Alderman moreso moves hearing no objections. So ordered on
page 17. Can I have a motion to recommend approval of items
1 to 10 and 12 through 16 for the same roll call vote as
was applied to to determine a quorum.
Are all the person lost and sew moves hearing no
objections. So ordered for items 11 for item 11 on page 17.
We received a substitute ordinance that is correcting
language current recommendation from the Department of
Transportation. The Substitute ordinance was emailed out
and you should have it in front of you. Can I have a motion
to accept this substitute ordinance?
Or persons UNC sew moves hearing no objections so ordered
with that. Can I have a motion to recommend approval of the
substitute ordinance Esso? 2023 Dash 0 0 0 5 7 8 5 item 11
on page Seventeen by the same roll call vote as applied to
determine a quorum.
All the woman winner happen with some moves hearing no
objections. So order finally can I have a motion to
recommend approval of all ordinances on pages 18 through 20
to be passed without a department of recommendation by the
same roll call vote as was applied to determine quorum.
I'm in Irving sew moves hearing. No objections. So ordered
by request Weebles old items three on page 21 in committee
items on one items one and two on page 21 are items that
CDOT has recommended against and will fail to pass. We will
report these items out at the next regularly scheduled city
council meeting. We will now have a subject matter hearing
regarding a resolution on page one that was introduced by
Vice to your cruise or 2023 Dash 0 0 0 5 9 5 4 which calls
for a hearing on Chicago's cycling strategy and the
department of transportation's plans to create a
community-based cycling system before we will begin I will
pass the mic to buy steer Cruise.
Thank you charm, and I want to start by saying thank you to
everybody was in the gallery. Thank you for those who are
also advocacy. They're not here today. But because of your
advocacy and your support your help is Chicago Bulls
forward with the mission and vision of protected bike
Lanes, but I appreciate the support but it also clothing as
accountable to be better at what we're doing with the base
and some of the comments clearly. There's a lot of room for
opportunity in and think that's what we're here on March of
2020.
Three. I'm the Department of Transportation. I'm launch
definition of Chicago cycling strategy to help to create a
community K cycling system, but it is important that we are
coming back to hear more about the things that have been
done and what are those opportunities? What are those
changes for us to become better as a city and that's what
we're here. It is important not only were implemented
things. But also there were here we know what we're doing.
Well and like I said what we need to change. So again that
we want to make sure that it is a priority to have funerals
Traffic Safety across the board. Not only for those who
drive buy who does little walk and bike as well as the
safety of all of our residents. Is it a priority for all of
us that we are here and we were presenting every single one
of you so we want to make sure that if we all keep informed
and then also for our colleagues to know what we can do
better to bring it back to our community today. I'm wearing
a t-shirt from the 6th annual belmont-cragin.
Bye, even if this is something that I wanted to say the
north what Thunder is doing an excellent job in
belmont-cragin. I'm bringing that advocacy for Equitable
transportation system and making a residence more aware
about the opportunities with other, you know organizations
like Davy I bring you free TVs to to the ward so I just
want to make sure I get them I also shut off but again
there is many other advocacy group that I have been able to
speak with and they're also
Great job. So thank you. Thank you very much.
We will now have Dave Smith from the Department of
Transportation here to present. I asked you reserve your
questions and comments until the conclusion of testimony.
Thank you, Dave.
Good morning, everyone and thank you chairman. The spa de
Vie screws vice-chair Cruz members of the committee and
Council and our partners attending from the public. I am
incredibly excited to be here this morning to provide an
overview of the Chicago cycling strategy and to continue to
discuss why it is so important that every Chicago in and
visit her be able to move around safely comfortably and
efficiently no matter your mode of transportation what
we've seen in Chicago and what we see in cities across the
world is that when we design our streets and adopt policies
that prioritize those most vulnerable we improve the safety
and accessibility for everybody using the street.
2023 was an incredible year for cycling in Chicago through
our Partnerships and collaboration. We built more miles a
bike a structure than any other previous year on record. We
built more miles of protected bike Lanes in neighborhood
Greenways than ever before we've partnered with communities
across the city and the gate engaged with residents in new
and creative ways that will result in long-term success.
We distributed nearly 1,500 bicycles to Chicago residents
free of charge.
More Chicagoans are riding bikes than ever before he trips
hit an all-time high in 2023 and it increased by 70% since
2019.
In that same time period since 2019 one day the source
shows that Chicago has experienced a 120% increase in the
number of bicycle trips during an average week in the last
four years pre-pandemic to today. There's more than double
the number of people riding a bike throughout the city of
Chicago this represents the highest growth in biking of any
large city in the United States.
The way in which people are getting around his change
quickly Bike Share electric electric assist bikes cargo
bikes scooters, the transportation landscape in our city is
evolving quickly and it is critical that the way in which
our streets function reflect these changes.
The successes of 2023 are a direct result of an effective
and continually growing partnership between C. City council
Advocates activists and Community stakeholders while
there's a long way to go. There will always be work to do
what we have accomplished is exciting and provides the
momentum that we need to keep going in 2024.
This morning. I will provide an overview of the Chicago
cycling strategy the Citywide document that outlines why
where and most importantly how we will build a cycling
Network that is reflective of the various scales at which
we all experience our city first at the Citywide scale a
Citywide Network that connects all Chicagoans to Regional
destinations across communities and makes biking a safe
efficient and fun Transportation option regardless of your
age or experience second at the neighborhood scale focusing
on shorter trips and providing connections to the places
that are most meaningful to US schools Parks local
businesses and our friends and family.
Almost a quarter of all automobile trips in Chicago are a
mile or less in about 40% of those trips are under 2 miles
by making biking a great option for people even just for
these short trips. We can have an incredible impact on the
health safety and quality of life for our residents and
every neighborhood.
And third we experience our streets at the block by block
scale where we focus on incorporating Street design
elements that provide individuals with a low stress and
high Comfort experience.
Our city is big and the context of our communities can vary
widely which is why the cycling strategy provides the
framework for strengthening Partnerships and neighborhoods
that have a growing interest in cycling and how to move
forward with stakeholders in a way that is reflective of
larger Community efforts.
In areas where cycling is more visible and a network of
infrastructure is more developed. We will continue to
identify how to enhance the network increase connections
and fill gaps.
So before I get into the overview of the cycling strategy
wanted to just highlight these three key themes that you
had asked the committee to just think about and consider as
we we go through the presentation and and I think this
really sets the stage for conversations that can happen in
three months from now 6 months from now year from now to
years from now, but first the Chicago cycling strategy, is
this our Citywide document that outlines how why and where
we will build the network really focusing at both that
local neighborhood scale and at the Citywide scale in an
order for cycling to be a great option for everybody that
has to be done in the context of a network. We have to
connect people to those neighborhood destinations, but also
across the entire city.
Secondly cycling is critical to becoming the city that we
aspire to be it's not just about biking or providing space
for somebody to ride a bike. But it's about achieving many
many City goals including Public Health climate
sustainability affordability access to education access to
employment youth engagement cycling plays a role in all of
these quality-of-life issues that we're all working so hard
to achieve and we need to really
Collectively connect the dots between bicycling
transportation and these larger quality-of-life issues.
Third a we move further and faster together. I think a lot
of the success as I mentioned in the last last year to has
really been because of a great partnership
across-the-board. We all have a role to play and if we're
moving together in the same direction, I think we can
continue to be incredibly successful.
So the Chicago cycling strategy is vice-chair Cruz mention
was released in 2023 and it really is focused on creating
an equitable transportation system across the city and
focused on keeping those on our street who are most
vulnerable safe and it is really about creating an
efficient way in a meaningful way to build a Citywide
Network that connects people to all of the places that they
need to go.
And we're very intentional but with calling this a cycling
strategy versus a traditional planning document.
Attritional plans are very static and sort of one-time
efforts along very long-range goals, but don't really get
into how we're going to achieve those goals. The cycling
strategy is really the complete opposite and it's really
focused on how and why we will build a network for
everybody. So it's a very Dynamic and very reflective of
the transportation Mobility landscape that Chicago and
cities across the country are experiencing in terms of
Engagement. Yell traditional plans have maybe you spend six
months or so having a few meetings across the entire city
and then the plan gets produced and it's supposed to be a
10-15 Eurovision We really believe that in the context the
bicycling that's not the right approach and that this
strategy provides the framework for ongoing collaboration
and engagement in every neighborhood across the city and of
course as I mentioned really focusing
The multiple scales in which we operate it's not enough
just to think about the whole city as a whole and So within
the the cycling strategy, we've outlined strategic pillars
the network scales in which we operate in the building
blocks, which really get into how we're going to complete
this goal.
When you start to look at how the pillars and the network
scales and the building blocks line up we can see how
they're all related to each other and how they they work
together. So for example, if the other strategic pillar of
building a connected Citywide network is a is working at
the Citywide scale. And in order to do that. We need to be
incorporating cycling into planning efforts across the city
develop design standards that can be implemented and
Incorporated in every context across the city serving local
trip.
Is that the neighborhood scale as I mentioned shorter trips
destinations that people are most familiar with and that
includes the building blocks of increasing the visibility
of cycling in the culture of cycling access. The bikes are
bikes your system is now Citywide giving away free bike
store by Chicago program.
And then a focus on Los Tres options and buy low-stress. We
mean protected bike Lanes in neighborhood Greenways and
that's at the block by block or the project level scale
that we're really focused on implementation making sure
that were implementing these types of projects across a
variety of programs and at every opportunity available
focused on maintenance and operations so that these
low-stress options are part of our system all year round in
are in good shape for everybody chooses to
Let me start to stack these different scales on top of each
other. You can really see how this will get us towards a
network that functions for every trip for every person no
matter the trip type that they're making.
Enter real quickly the building blocks of how we're going
to get there in terms of planning our neighborhood bike
Network program. I'll get a little bit more into that
identifying Citywide priority corridors and continuing to
connect an expander off-street trail system where there are
opportunities opportunities from a design perspective
continuing to develop design standards learn from
incorporate Lessons Learned and continue to try new things
to really get at a system that is safe and comfortable for
everyone implementation again, coordinating across programs
the last as of recent I having a local funding source in
order to implement complete streets programs has really
been critical for the progress that has been made.
Maintenance and operations working very closely with public
way contractors and others on maintenance of traffic
standards within the public way in construction zones
protected bike lane maintenance expanding resources in
terms of maintaining are protected bike Lanes.
Access to bikes. I mentioned our bike Chicago program we've
given away about 1900 bikes over the last two years and
that program will continue over the next couple of years
and then developing a culture of cycling drive safe and
master's program teaching adults and kids how to ride a
bike with our learn to ride program and other public space
events.
The cycling strategy outlined a map with the next hundred
fifty miles of projects that is part of our vision of those
150 Mi 85% or either protected bike lane or neighborhood
Greenway projects and if completed 70% of Chicagoans will
live within a half-mile of a low-stress bicycle facility.
The one of the really exciting things with the strategy
document is that it is intended and flexible where we can
update this document on a regular basis keep the framework
and the strategy but update Maps highlight new initiatives
in new projects. And the goal is really to have continually
a vision for the next 90 hundred hundred fifty miles that
we always know where we're going over the next couple of
years, and we can really see how every project the role
that every project plays with in developing the network and
achieving our goals of an equitable transportation system.
All these hundred fifty miles. I'll hit you up in a little
bit, but we implemented around 55 miles or so in 2023.
And we have to recognize that the city is big and the
context of our communities can vary and so the strategy
allows for the flexibility of different approaches in
different neighborhoods. It's not a one-size-fits-all
approach the way that we are the way that people move
around their community and and some of the challenges they
face or opportunities that are there. It was very different
on the far north side versus the far south side. There's a
lot of different lot of different issues to consider in the
end that impact the way in which we move around and IT band
interact within our public spaces. So we have to customize
and Taylor and really work within the communities and Bill
partnership to really find the most effective way to move
forward and we feel really good about our ability to do
that and show him that we're doing that over the last two
years.
And so was part of the strategy to try and capture this we
developed this stages of no bike Network development and at
the very top the three different categories every Community
within the city of Chicago fits into one of these
categories a growing interest where people are riding the
bike and every neighborhood around the sea.
People are riding a bike. What is some neighborhoods is not
quite as visible as others, but there's an interest and
there's an understanding that we need to improve
continually improve access and safety on our streets.
And so in those communities, we really focus on identifying
opportunities quick wins building Partnerships
strengthening relationships and really understanding the
perceptions of bicycling and how people are moving around
challenges and opportunities when we build that
partnership, which is through our neighborhood bike
networks program were able to implement infrastructure
identify issues very quickly and efficiently and in a
meaningful way.
As we grow the network in those communities the community
moves into what we call the emerging that work where biking
is becoming more visible and the infrastructure is getting
built.
from their communities move into having an established
Network where there's more connectivity biking becomes more
visible and you'll see at the end, you know, it's
intentionally a cyclical process as we continue to
strengthen the network that will in turn continue to grow
the enthusiasm around biking and as I said at the beginning
the work never ends, there's always work to do and always
ways to upgrade and enhance the network and the goal is not
to move one a community from the first stage all the way to
the
Stage in six months that's just not reality and not the
recipe for success, but the goal is to continually move
communities to the next stage develop the network and
progressed cycling as a mainstream option.
And we developed the neighborhood bike networks process,
which is really focused on Community Partnerships, and it's
been incredibly effective over the last couple of years.
This is a photo in the belmont-cragin community where we
initially piloted this program in essentially 18 months or
so. We implemented about 17 miles of bike infrastructure
that connected people to the most meaningful destinations
that they had identified. We expanded the divvy bike-share
system. We installed in a hundred 150 bike racks just
within the community and was really successful and a big
part of this was the partnership that we developed and in
the neighborhoods and in 2023, we spent a lot of time in
the little village community implementing infrastructure
engaging with residents working in the Brighton Park Gage
Park McKinley Park Community partnering with folks like
Dixon who spoke earlier on the engaging with people getting
feedback understanding how people move around why they make
certain decisions in terms of their mode of transportation
so that we can be really effective in building.
a long-term success
and we really learned that the best way to do. This is to
meet people where they're at. We don't need to be creating.
We don't necessarily need to be creating additional
meetings for people to go to but it's really about going to
where people already are so different types of community
events that are happening in through schools and libraries
and parks and really that helps. Bye bye us going to those
events that really helps connect the dots more efficiently
and effectively between cycling and all of the
quality-of-life issues that people are working on the photo
on the right is part of our learn to ride program. We're
teaching adults and kids how to ride a bike.
The number of community bike rides that have been happening
all over the city is been really incredible in the last
couple of years and really speaks to the level of
enthusiasm and interest and demand for cycling across the
city of Chicago.
And through this process this neighborhood bike networks
process. We partner with the community create a task force
of a diverse set of stakeholders. The goal is not to just
have a room full of people who are really interested in
thinking about biking and transportation all the time. It's
really to get a diverse set of perspectives. So we bring in
people who are involved with working with young people
involved with schools and local businesses.
People working on issues of public health and mental health
so that we can again really explore and better understand
the role of Psych that cycling plays in achieving all of
these goals and that's been a really effective model and
partnership. And again, we sort of turn the process on his
head a traditional planning effort might start out with
looking at specific streets and identifying where there's
opportunities for cycling and infrastructure, but through
this process we start out better understanding the
perceptions of biking and sort of moving into better
understanding those critical places that people need to
connect to within their community.
From there. We then designer Network in partnership with
the with the neighborhood that that connects people to
those most important destinations while also connects to
the larger Citywide networking Community adjacent
communities and part of that is understanding both the
physical barriers that exist within a community and also
the invisible barriers that exist within a community
and so we combine that lived experience quality qualitative
approach with a more quantitative and data-driven approach
where we are in the process of looking at every Major
Street in the city and identifying what it would take to
incorporate a protected bike lane into that street can't
adjust can it fit within the existing space. Would it
require changes to the to the street or to the the layout
of the street?
I'm so understanding that so we have really at our
fingertips a quick understanding of what it would take for
a protected bike lane on our arterial and collector
streets. The image on the right is highlighting physical
barriers across the city where the street Network breaks
down either because of something like a multi-modal yard or
Expressway River or even a destination like a large Park
where the street network doesn't continue through but
understanding where these barriers exist and how did the
context of our transportation Network fits Within These
barriers week and then identify if there are priority
streets where we really need to focus cycling
infrastructure because you're just simply aren't any other
options to get across the barrier something like the
shipping Canal on the southwest side which were working
with the folks on.
And so to just illustrates.
The results of what we've done so far using belmont-cragin
as an example as the first community that we took this
effort under in 2020 prior to the starting you can see the
the blue lines are very few streets with any type of
bicycle infrastructure and really in about over the course
of an 18-month period or so, we implemented 17 miles of
projects and you can really see the network developing
East-West streets North South Street infrastructure on
residential streets.
Using contraflow bike Lanes allowing people to bike in both
directions infrastructure and some of the main streets. But
if you overlay this with some of the parks that you can see
on this map, but also with schools other destinations that
we're identified the by the community this really provides
nice connections to those important places while setting us
up for connecting into adjacent communities are using major
streets like Milwaukee Avenue Armitage Avenue, etcetera.
And when we take this approach the community is really the
face of this effort. And again, that is really I think the
key to this process is building up trust and empowering
people within communities to be a part of the process to
help lead the process and ultimately that will result in a
successful effort.
In the belmont-cragin community, we work very closely with
high school students. And that was a really powerful
partnership and definitely something that we were trying to
recreate in communities across the city bringing in young
people who are really really interested in advocating for
different Mobility options at and want their streets and
their communities to reflect how they get around and how
they want to get around.
We continue the process going south through the Austin
Community down to North Lawndale again following the
process. You can see through the blue lines that the
network we've created including protected bike Lanes on the
independence of Douglas Boulevard through Douglas Park in
the number of neighborhood Greenways.
And we've continued that work going south in to Little
Village across the shipping Canal most recently into the
Brighton Park Gage Park McKinley Park neighborhoods.
And so this graphic just circle the belmont-cragin north
Lawndale communities for contacts is the a map of the
entire city. The red lines are only on Street bicycle
infrastructure. This is not include the lakefront trailer
and the off-street Rouse going back to 2010. Nelda network
was about 190 miles the shades of blue represent the
density of bicycle infrastructure against the miles of
streets within the official community area boundary. So the
darker the blue the higher density of bicycle
infrastructure exists within the community and I'll just
slip through the series pretty quickly so you can see how
things have changed 2014 and start seeing more red lines on
the map some communities sort of getting into that darker
shade of blue 2018 a big focus in terms of that density
increasing along the north lakefront and the near west
side.
And then you fast-forward to 2022 and you can see in Belmont
Cragin North Lawndale. Those those networks are really
standing out and the level of density of bike
infrastructure is really changing in every Community across
the city including far south you can see how that is
shifted. Then again, the goal is not to go from the
lightest shade blue to the darkest shade blue within a year
or two but to systematically and context really move
forward in an effective way.
And over the last couple of years our bike Network growth
has a 65% about 2/3 has been on the South and West sides.
And this is an effort that we're really excited about and
going to continue moving forward in the years to come and
the idea is to really build off of them the momentum that
we created one neighborhood. It's her to move
systematically into adjacent communities across the city.
Highlight a few 2023 success is it really was an incredible
year as I mentioned there's a lot of work to do there
always will be but 2023 really was an exciting year and I
think sets the tone in the stage for how we will move
forward in the years to come.
Are we related release the Chicago cycling strategy as I
mentioned more miles of bicycle infrastructure completed
than ever before more miles of protected bike Lanes than
ever before about 27 miles of new and upgraded protected
bike Lanes across the city about 18 miles of new
neighborhood Greenways across the city of those 50-plus
miles that we completed 90% of those were either protected
bike Lanes our neighborhood Greenways. So again very much
in line with the implementation of the cycling strategy,
which we outlined is 85%
protected bike lane on State Route partnership with I. On
Jackson Boulevard in West of downtown
expansion of the neighborhood planning and neighborhood
bike Network planning effort while we rolled out in the
last 2 months or so a new complete streets website which
includes a lot of really good information on biking walking
transit in overall Traffic Safety. So I definitely
recommend people checking it out chicago.gov complete
streets is the is the URL.
Are the bike Chicago program incredibly successful
successful giving away bicycles for free about a close to
two thousand bicycles in the last two years and if you look
at the communities in which people applied for the bike and
which bikes were distributed It lines up very well with our
neighborhood bike Network process. Some of the highest
communities were in belmont-cragin Brighton Park little
village. And if you if you look at surveys that were
conducted on why people wanted to ride a bike and how
having access to a bike would change their decisions on how
they moved around the top answers that people gave for the
type of trips. They want to make buy bike. We're related to
having fun Recreation shopping at local businesses visiting
friends and family y'all and the traditional model of
really facing success on the commute to work metric is
really sort of an outdated approach and that was really a
function of available data at the time.
Senses, but what we're hearing from people directly and
communities is that no, that's not the best way to get more
people to ride a bike. It really is tough to focus on
getting people to the park. Those short neighborhood types
of trips. The rest will sort of take care of take care of
itself.
IMDb ridership as I mentioned over six and a half million
trips in 2023 new record continues to expand incredibly.
And this graphic really highlights how the share of
protected bike Lanes Greenways and trails has expanded over
the last few years so hard to date our total cycling
network is about 450 miles and about 36% of that fits into
the low-stress categories.
So I'll finish up with just a few photos to highlight some
exciting projects. This is not everything by any means but
some that we're very excited about Augusta Boulevard a new
protected bike lane. It wasn't existing by Clay and we
upgraded it to a protected bike lane immediately. You know,
we see a significant number of drivers traveling at less
than 30 mph a significant Improvement in terms of
pedestrian Crossings along this Corridor there for schools
a ton of kids students walking to school a history of
concerns around crossing the street and we really take a
complete streets approach and really take the approach of
making the street better for everyone if we can get people
can get people who are operating a motor vehicle to drive
it slower predictable consistent speeds. The street will be
safer for everyone whether you're inside a car or out
On Kedzie Avenue, same thing pedestrian improvements curb
protected bike Lanes immediately 90% drop in people
exceeding 30 mph. Both of these projects were coupled with
the legislative for the policy piece of lowering the posted
speed limits 20 mph and then also supported by the change
in Street design in the infrastructure Central Park in in
Garfield Park in front of the Garfield Park Conservatory.
We cut the ribbon on this project the beginning of December
with Amir Johnson Alderman. Urban Alderman Burnett raised
crosswalks pedestrian improvements protected bike Lanes
connections to the green line connections to the park the
conservatory and other protected bike Lanes again.
You immediately we see that decrease in drivers exceeding
30 mph and that's critically important because speed is the
number one factor that determines the severity of an injury
within the Traffic Rush, Broadway, Wynonna.
But you're tragically in 2023 a woman was killed crossing
the street at this location. Are we partnered with older
women hoppenworth and Alderman Martin and implemented race
bike Lanes race crosswalk curb extensions new pedestrian
Refuge Island and really sort of changed the feel of and
the function of that whole intersection and working towards
a larger improvements along the Broadway Corridor somebody
in the public comment period mentioned the Belmont complete
streets project connecting transit to our trail system.
Protected bike Lanes Transit improvements improve
pedestrian Crossings New pedestrian Crossings really a
really successful project and a great model of what a
complete streets project can look like the Belmont Corridor
is really I think one of the top projects in the country in
2023.
We've had a big focus on the designs at bus stops and
Transit boarding islands where the CTA bus can simply pull
up to the bus stop stop in the lane not have to pull over
providing benefits for Transit operations more space for
people boarding in the lighting the bus but also to provide
additional separation and protection for someone riding a
bus riding a bike and so in the last
Two years. We've installed about forty of these across the
city and plans to keep that going and keep doing more.
Her protected bike Lanes where we've upgraded existing
protected bike Lanes with different types of concrete curb
to really enhance the level of separation between people
driving and people biking really increase the comfort of
streets.
And then as I mentioned our neighborhood bike networks
program continue 8 continuing that on the southwest side
continuing to go further south across the shipping canal.
So I'll before I end up just put up these three themes
again that I think are really important for us to
collectively think about as we move forward the cycling
strategy really providing that framework for how we move
forward cycling in the role that it plays in achieving all
of the goals that we have is a city and the importance and
significance of the Partnerships that we have developed and
will continue to strengthen in order to become the best
city for biking in the country. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Dave.
Yes, noting Alderman Vasquez present as a non-member great
to have you also want to know we have some guests in the
room with us from Betty Shabazz International charter
school every great to have you with us for the hearing.
So I will have to leave early will be turning things over
to our very capable of ice here. But just a couple quick,
Would you mind going back to the Belmont bike lane for a
moment?
It's speaks to me very distinctly the impact that this has
because that Kennedy on lamp right? There was a place where
I was hit on my bike 10 years ago from behind someone
making a right turn onto the Kennedy. They knock me down.
They waited long enough to see if I got back up and then
they kept driving onto the Kennedy and I I feel like I'm
looking at a gallery of folks who either have a story like
that or have a friend who has a story like that and I
didn't ride my bike There Were Ten Years After that and
then to have written their recently after meeting and to
just feel like I could breathe.
Was really encouraging and you were talking about the number
what are tips actually are in your right for the longest
time that you're going to go we had this outdated
hub-and-spoke model that this city was really built on the
assumption that everybody's trying to get to the Louvre. So
let's get them to the loop. And that's not what our lives
are. I mean, my my trips are the hosting part to how far to
Mary flowers parked up one mile trip to get my daughter to
daycare a half mile trip to Target and the gym and being
able to create
bike Network snow neighborhoods that actually do look like
The rhythms and routines of our day that that is new for C.
Is like really refreshing for all Chicago to very quick
questions. Number one question that was forwarded to us
from the room asked about the programming that accompanies.
That's new talk about it.
The planning the design the implementation. Sometimes
that's the starting point. Like how how do we think about
the programming that continues to socialize and encourage
use of infrastructure F to be filtered out?
Yes, I think in terms of programming for cycling know
there's a couple of pieces there is the engagement piece
with communities and the design planning the
infrastructure. But then also how we're implementing these
projects and something that we've done a really good job of
is Rodney and the implementation ability for these types of
projects so that whether it's a resurfacing project or a
streetscape project or a menu project, you know, we're able
to design and incorporate cycling infrastructure through a
variety of delivery mechanisms, and that's really key to
moving efficiently for moving forward efficiently and
building out a network and we really try not to be a week.
We don't just walk away from a community or from a project,
you know, we work with
Many many many Ward many Community groups on continuing to
enhance projects that have been installed and to better
understand how they're operating entity really continue
that that relationship and look forward to continuing that
in and keeping that going thank you. You also talked about
how critical it is have a local funding source know I
wondered if you could expand on that particular.
roll that that the Chicago Works program hasn't that
the capital infrastructure bonds program has been really a
huge part of being able to move forward quickly with this
type of infrastructure. You don't have either there's also
there's a lot of federal money that it is coming through
and and we utilize Federal money for these types of
projects as well. But there's a process and administrative
process that is connected with those federal funds. So
having a dedicated source of local money allows us to
really Implement these projects quickly and in a way that
is reflective of how people are moving around our city.
It's reflective of Lessons Learned the latest design
standards know all are we design our streets changes so
quickly along with the last game of Transportation. So how
our design in streets today is different than 3 4 5 years
ago and having that local funding source allows us to
move forward with that flexibility so that our city really
reflects. Our people are moving around. Thank you very much
from the room also had to keep one and looking behind me
for anything from ottoman Martin, but guess all the women
Fighters.
Awesome. Thank you gentlemen, can you walk me through how
see. Is working with and partnering with Park District for
cycling events or events in general? It really prioritize
pedestrian safety particular like runs 5K races events that
don't include Vehicles directions to our Parks is critical
and for all the reasons that I mentioned before. We also
interim that in addition to partnering with Park District
on the infrastructure sides, and I mentioned the the
ribbon-cutting with me or Johnson at us on Central Park in
Garfield Park is also included the park district on
collaboration with Park District in the Garfield Park
Conservatory, but in addition to the infrastructure side,
we supposed to have developed a really great program called
learn to ride where it's held at Park District facilities
and in the public parks where we
It's a free class to sign up for and we are teaching people
how to ride a bike and there's different levels depending
on your experience including if you are if you've never
been on a bike ever before it's been decades you can sign
up for this program. If you're a child or an adult we do
the classes in English and Spanish and teach hundreds of
people how to ride a bicycle and if you complete that
program that class you automatically qualify for the bike
Chicago program where you can receive a free bison.
All at following the class and I think if you look at some
of the evolution of growing the culture and visibility of
cycling you learned that we have a forum where you can
learn to ride a bike now, you can get that bike the amount
of community bike rides that are happening around the city
in the Partnerships that are happening from within the
public and within communities is incredible. So now you can
get connected and we're we're here to help connect those.
Stupid are you connected with people in your neighborhood
on sort of a group ride to understand which streets make
the most sense how to get around and feel more comfortable
and then you started building up to being able to ride to
the park by yourself eventually longer trips getting to
work or or or wherever so the partnership with Park
district and the connection to Parks I think is really
important in that evolution of growing the culture of
cycling.
Just another question. I have several intersections in my
ward that have historically been extremely dangerous. So
we've some of the traffic studies had conversations with
several Folks At Sea. Is there a particular process that
all the folks should go through so that we can prioritize
those interceptions with a sense of priority.
So one, I think the traffic studies process is good to
submit submit that to get that on the record and intensive
that can be evaluated. But also, you know working with
myself and my team just kind of directly we can set up
meetings and talk through really what we've seen is a
successful model is looking at really thinking like the
next two to three years ahead so that it's easier to
prioritize those key locations develop a strategy for
funding figure out where there's if there's overlapping
projects and some of those elements can be incorporated
into existing projects. So definitely the traffic study
request but also, you know coordinating with me directly
would love to do that. Is it typical for two to three years
to be the timeline in which we make infrastructure changes
to those intersections that are I'm trying to understand
when we as older folks are identified.
New sections that are priority for us. What is the typical
time like timeline to make the infrastructure changes? It
doesn't have to be two to three years. There are things
that we can do very well very quickly within a year or that
same year. And then there's something that may take a
couple of years depending on the specific location or the
context. So you'll we absolutely want to identify those
quick wins that we can address especially if they're
significant issues.
In the community, but in terms of working together and
developing strategies, I think it's really helpful to look
at that three-year horizon or so and really see how we can
move forward and think about the context of a network and
so yeah, let's connect for sure and then work to that. I
appreciate that 2023. In fact was a good year not foresee
that as we prioritize pedestrians and folks that are riding
bikes or appreciate your work and I look forward to
doubling down in 2020 for some fun test next other one
more.
Thank you. And yes, I miss something when it's a bike
Network start in 2014 or before the first bike Lanes within
the city or around the mid-90s or so. And then I think you
know, if you kind of look back I was out kind of Mark 2011
is a bit of a changing point. We're protected bike Lanes
started in and so the conversation in approach around
biking kind of changed. So do you know how much we've spent
in developing protected bike Lanes since 2008. No. Can you
provide that dollar number to the chair and then break that
down into what was Federal money? And what was City money?
Also, are you aware? And could someone told me this once
and then someone else told me it wasn't under a previous
administration it when the federal government give us
dollars for a structure. Are they strictly time $7 to that
you have to do bike Lanes in order to get the money.
It depends on the funding source, and the end the end the
nature of the application. So you saying there are times
where the federal government in order for us to get funding
we have to do some backlight infrastructure apply for
specifically for bike project. There are other funding of
federal funding sources that if you are incorporating
bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, your application
scores a lot higher in your likelihood of receiving those
federal funds is significantly increased those those things
are going to be those numbers are going to be critical to
me. So I definitely want that information one of the things
that we're dealing with and I heard people speaking about
while we can't allow a certain block clubs or certain
communities to dictate this communities have to dictate
what
One in their communities what we're spending dollars, which
I am and I do support bike Lanes, especially when there's a
large need for it, but in situations where we're spending
infrastructure dollars, and they're so many communities who
is vocalizing their concerns cuz they can't even walk down
the street because it's so bad and we're spending a $2 on
them sure that that's the last thing that they want. And so
that's why their voices are critical when I look at and I
are respectfully, you know, the voices that are around
here. That's not those voices that represent the community
and what I am hearing someone people said we've talked to
people I don't mind if my committee tell me to put a
million bike Lanes down for I'm all for it, but that's not
what I'm hearing in it and it's causing a lot of issues on
Imports of certain communities. And so I like and I think
it when I was reading it here.
This is not a one-size-fit-all. And so I think we should we
just got to be mindful about how we roll this out. If
there's the need if there's the demand absolutely but it it
be is becoming even as I was talking to think the Tribune
the other day. I'm thinking of a school right now that used
to be Seventeen, but 976 Ward Wescott.
When cars are driving, it is backing a a street up so bad
because of the bike Lanes taking away space that now the
residents are complaining that more cars are coming down
the street with causing safety issues cars have gotten hit
side windows and all this stuff because of the heavy
traffic even some cases some trucks. And what happened is
that it also for the school say what I was going with that
is it creates a false sense of security because the the
children who are sometimes called some bike lanes and they
feel safe by standing in that bike lane, but the habits of
the driver when they're coming down they come down every
day and never see a biker down and see what they have to do
and what they do jump in that bike lane to get around and
end in kids have almost got hit in that because of that
false sense of security because there's no demand over
there. So I just want to be
I just want to be that voice that says we have to be
mindful how we roll this out. And especially when when you
going to see the the dollar amount that are involved and he
when you talk about people what they want to see those
dollars at they they want they would like to see that
streets repair that have not some have not been repaired at
20 years. I can tell you that right now because when you
talkin about 1.5 million dollars and may your money I've
been alderman for 8 years. We just did a remap that was
treats. I wish I could have gotten to when I was.
Before the dream app that I could not get too and I'm
talking about both streets and alleys that I just totally
jacked up. So we got to be careful about how we spend our
money and if people want stay a short $2 to go towards
bikes I'm all for it, but it's got to be is that there's an
equitable piece in here that has to be understood and if
that's not then that's a problem. I've been saying the
situation with bike lanes were put down and streets were
jacked up the damn street before you put the bike lane
down. And so these are issues. I want to make sure that we
are addressing that I cannot ignored because the those
voices within those blocks are very important. So please
get those numbers for me so I can fully understand the car
and in anything that we're looking forward to spending in
the future. Thank you so much.
Thank you. We will be providing that information all the
more now next Alderman Martin.
Thank you guys chair Dave. Good afternoon. Thanks very much
for your presentation and more importantly for your and
your team's wonderful work. We really appreciate it and
47th Ward the close working relationship with you and your
team on a whole host of issues to quick things. I wanted to
ask about / flag one is is you're looking to build out a
more protected bike Lanes.
Particular along commercial corridors. I'm curious what
work is underway or in the queue in terms of understanding
the commercial impact on that because I think about things
around a lot of parking and sometimes people have questions
about that. I think about the fact that with more bike
activity at least in other cities certain Studies have
indicated that that's been enough benefit or business has
been located next to protected bike lanes and also curious
about is we have these bike Lanes in place now see that is
increasingly accounting for delivery trucks making sure
that maybe we're identifying particular parts of corridors
where trucks can go to proactively so is to not
intentionally or otherwise be parked in bike Lanes be they
protected or otherwise
Yeah, thanks for the question. Aldermen and also ask her
what you said appreciate the partnership in the 47th ward
in terms of commercial corridors. I think this is it. This
is a big focus of our going forward and I think that we
collectively need to really engage in and build a
Partnerships within the business Community as you mention.
There are a number of studies from around the country
around the
That highlight the economic benefits of providing protected
bike Lanes on Commercial corridors and multiple options for
wait for people to get to those corridors. It's basically
about creating more opportunities for someone to get to a
local business comfortably and safely additionally. There
are studies that have been conducted looking at the
spending power of an individual and how transportation
choices impact the spending power and you know, if so
someone who rides a bike more often than drives a has maybe
a little bit more spending power at a business isn't so if
you see maybe someone who rides a bike spending less per
trip, but ultimately more trips being made and the spending
power someone who bites regularly and be actually higher
than someone who drives
Acreage you and others at Sea. Perhaps in collaboration
with other departments like dpd and bacp to continue to
track that part of the constructive feedback. We've
received from residence, especially when we are in the
planning stages it is well, that's all well and good in
terms of other cities experiences. What about our own so
want to make sure that especially if
Additional support from city council Financial or otherwise
is needed to ensure that you're doing that work. I think
that it's sad that that that's something that I hope you
would bring to our attention in that my last question
really just more of a flag is I've been on your terrific
complete streets website and taking a look at some of the
features. I know it's great to see one of the areas of
focus being school zones cuz we've had in and around the
47th Ward tragically several younger residents hit and
killed by drivers and both before and after those
tragedies. We have been focused on our our senior centers
as well as our school is getting any improvements that
makes sense and you'll be for Christine. Very closely on
that. I will note that some of those particular projects
are not reflected on there and I recognize that maybe we
were
maybe a little bit more of a driving force than see. Was
and some of those but in the interest of ensuring that we
are capturing the full scope of seedots work. Would you
suggest that the city continue looking at projects that can
be reflected on the school improvements own portion as well
as others cuz there are plenty of areas including but not
limited to 47 where that work. It's been finalized and I
think she should be reflected in in.
The great website. That's all I have by his chair. Thank
you. And again, thank you Dave to you and your team.
Thank you. Thank you all of my heart. And I also want to
act all the emergency about the commercial corridors. And I
think that's something that I'm hearing a lot. And I know
that Northwest Center did at one point it is the how is
this going to affect my business? Like they feel that
people won't be able to park that is taken away again those
extra parking spots for them. Like they definitely some
that could be a change on how do we deliver that message to
ARA businesses to understand that there is probably even
more opportunity for growth rather than preventing them
from getting their customers their so I agreed so thank you
for that. Next is Alderman Vasquez.
Thank you, sir. Thank you so much for the presentation and
Dave and all the great work. I know in the past term we've
had a lot of work in the 40th Ward with the Clark Street
Bike Lane. We've done the Berwyn Greenway as was a lot of
other infrastructure and we're continuing to look at that
Lincoln Avenue as well. I appreciate it in a variety of
fronts. I think when you think about people's ability to go
from one place to the other and having as many
possibilities to do that as soon as we can on its crucial
work that we get this done, right? I mean folks, some folks
can't afford. Some folks don't want to ride a car the whole
time. They probably transport.
At his own challenges, which is why we bring up CTA often
enough. So I think being able to optimize how people can
travel from point A to point B is important. I didn't we
look at parts of town that have traditionally been
Transportation desert building this out is also very
crucial work. And so I want to thank you for it. I didn't
do it to one of my colleagues points earlier about the
funding sources. I appreciate the question. I do think that
in order to kind of level Centre frame for folks. It's not
a binary conversation right one can want to get their
streets fixed in their alleys fixed and also have the bike
infrastructure built but I think is absolutely Fair
regardless of what your view is on it that there is
tracking a dashboard something that shows us all the
funding that's occurring. So it's not necessarily about
any, you know, zero some but really seen what all the work
is doing. I think sometimes the communication is where
folks end up feeling more what they hear from the ground
up.
I think as it relates to what this mission is been as far
as building this infrastructure.
I said it last term. I think when you want to build the city
infrastructure, it should not be and Alders kind of take on
whether you want it or not. It's more of a top-down. I
don't believe Michigan Avenue was established as a street
because people asked every neighbor in a community. If you
want have a street going through your neighborhood right
top down from the executive branch. They decided this is a
city we're going to develop a full Street infrastructure
connect people. And so I think similarly when you think
about bike infrastructure, it should be that same approach.
And so I guess my first question is special we have cyclist
who have dealt with crashes and loss of life and everything
else. It's clear that folks need a a bike ride. And now
they need a Citywide want anything Implement in his last
term as I stated down from a mayor and I know when we were
seeing this new cycle come a lot of the candidates work
we're being spoken to him.
Commitments on what that looks like. I know internally
we've gone through different leadership right for someone
who can command commissioner b.i.g. For a lot of the vision
that God has to move in on some of this now we can have
time Connie coming in as that's all getting sorted out has
there been conversations with the administration in the
mayor's office as to what is Citywide vision is going to
look like and how that communicated now that we have a new
Administration in office.
Well, I can't answer fully answer that and don't want to
get too far ahead of myself on that. So I can't fully
answer that but I think related we really look at the
Chicago cycling strategy as a document and our Guiding
Light for moving forward both acknowledging that we need to
have a network that spans the entire city that connects
people across communities and is reflective of how we live
our lives and move around our city and interact with each
other connecting Chicagoans to Chicago ones. But at the
same time the neighborhood Network process is really
tapping into getting that more on the ground and better
understanding from within the community and helping to
build the community support with with a variety of
stakeholders. And I think that that has been a really
effective model over the last couple of years.
Again, connecting the dots. As you said all of these issues
are interrelated. It's not you know, when we designed a
bike lane. It's not just about that providing six feet of
space or seven feet of space for someone to ride a bike.
It's really about creating a street that's safer for
everybody and no matter how you're getting around providing
people with options. I think that's hugely important, you
know, the goal isn't and doesn't need to be that every
single person rides a bike for every single trip
everywhere.
But if we make cycling a good option for people for those
trips where it makes sense we're going to we can really see
a transformation of the quality of life in our city and our
transportation system as a whole functions.
The country has built such a road car-centric kind of
infrastructure because it was all about Ford and selling
more vehicles that it's kind of lead to Rose it feel like
race car highways and I think that leaves two people
especially for covid-19 more anxious when they're driving.
It's actually less they for everybody involved. And so I
really appreciate that and it's packed it is not binary
right you want to get the neighborhood in put on it, but I
think the two ottoman Martin's Point, for example, there's
like business districts and parks and schools where they
should be just directed rules. And here's what we're going
to set this up. So that kids are saying that people have
options. I think also I'm missing some of this because I
don't think people look at bike infrastructure as Public
Safety to add another lens. If you're worried about a
drive-by police car chases hit and runs those have been
less likely when it's a lot harder to speed through a road
and I think thinking about the rebalance of how these roads
look is also
Crucial from that land as well, right if it's less like you
were people to commit crime in a vehicle or vehicular stop
and take off because the road isn't as why it is safer for
people than walk on the street cuz I don't think those
things are going to happen in the neighbor. I think I like
a lot of it to me feel to be about vision from the top down
and communication in a way that I want to make sure that we
are apart of to help inform. Sorry to hear. I'd like to get
GIF files for your completed and pending traffic calming
measures and infrastructure in the bike lanes because you
know, we had a conversation about Northeast 46 47 48 49 50
what the road looking forward can be but I think we need to
communicate that also we had legislation.
Based on the Supreme Court ruling on cyclist as intended
use of the road and that was very problematic folks to do
the road cuz they're over 12 years old. You can't ride a
bike on the sidewalk. You have to be on the street. We have
legislation last time that passed Department of Law and see
that we're supposed to work with us to put together a
website. So the folks in more easily file liability claims,
but also so you can shake and show people where the bike
lanes are so you can save these are the intended ones for
cyclists. And so I didn't just want to know if there been
any communication since then has been a lot going on, but I
want to make sure we reconvene in the year to get that
going have there been any talks.
About the liability claim intended use our conversation and
the infrastructure being built. Not sure on all of that
everything that you mentioned including the claims piece of
it so I can follow up with you. But in terms of where we
have existing bicycle infrastructure, I would Point folks
towards our new complete streets website chicago.com
complete streets or chicago.gov bikes gets you to that
specific section for cycling all within that website. We do
have a pretty up-to-date like interactive map where people
can zoom into their community area or any particular
location of your interested within the city and get an
up-to-date understanding of what the cycling Network looks
like and then we also something that we started this past
years is also providing a list of all of the active
projects that are
either being planned or under construction or have been
completed that year. So there's definitely been efforts to
increase that level of accessibility and information in
terms of what the existing bike Network looks like and
where we're going in the near future to that website.
That's more fully-formed. I do think almost like a cyclist
working group of some of the Alders.
Help with that as well as the biking for bike lane
enforcement pilot goes to Alderman Wars point, which I
agree like if the enforcement isn't there for those bike
lanes and vehicles feel like they can just go in and out.
It is definitely more dangerous for everybody involved in
so many sure that that pilot is not only moving forward but
expanded Citywide is something we should all be invested
in. So thank you again for all the work. Thank you by Cher
for your chair work and look forward to working with you
more for years to come. Thank you. We will share that with
information with you. I'm all their men and then next we
have all their men lost them.
Thank you, man by Cher. I like your shirt. I've been on the
ride with your predecessor out on the northwest side. And I
appreciate that. This is really a Citywide issue cuz I
think it comes up a lot in the world like mine on the North
light front but I want to thank The Advocates were here for
bike ride. Now. I should have a family biking I have done
chemical Mass to Lincoln Park Zoo I had to recommend it but
I have a couple questions and I know you have a lot of
information to us, but my concern is about maintenance, you
know, sometimes we put this infrastructure and and there's
supposed to 311 if there's a Ballard missing as it gets run
over if there's a sign that comes down and I feel like it
just goes into a black hole and so part of keeping the
safest to make sure that everything is maintained. Well, so
it when we talk about the budget is if we can look at that,
you know.
It's from my colleague even more. I've seen by claims that
were painted over the pothole. Right? Are we still in the
pothole before pain in the pipeline? I have had a request
in for the curb style Ballard's at Broadway. And Aldine for
six months is a previous question about it you and I have
talked about it. I still don't have them. It's right by the
school. It's been a major request of our community. Now, I
have the exact same type of infrastructure that wasn't
requested by the computer that I was part of the Valmont.
Bike way. We're supposed to my point of please work with us
a little bit more closely on this thing and I got one
that's really well use it when it's not so well use and we
could be smarter and these are not big ticket items at all.
One other thing I wanted to mention. I know every street is
different and I have a lot of tight Straits right? That's
kind of our thing on the North light front end and how are
we looking at streets that are more narrow. I know parking
is of course that they issue that comes up but in the in
the complete streets, that's right. If we have safe spaces
for pedestrians bikes and Autos. Everyone will be safer
Transit. But if there's a specific look at what we're doing
for a very narrow streets Broadway South of Irving Park
Street Halstead in some places. I think that would be
helpful to the we can start to understand how that bike
infrastructure impacts the streets than they already have a
bump out that may have very wide sidewalks and cafes
because that's something that will help us explain to her.
Well Lakefront is something that we struggle. That's right.
It's very very hard to connect from Ashland to the
lakefront Trail. There's only so many places at the
lakefront Trail to connect to which is a problem and we're
going to talk about that with me to find the drive coming
up. We put in a Greenway in 44, I could use more to others
but looking at those East-West routes cuz like Sherman the
spot us that are you know, my neighborhood everything goes
north south to get to downtown words you do in different
directions for others. I'm concerned. Like I said, there's
places for pedestrians bikes and Autos cuz everyone safer
those Belmonts bike lands west of my War west of Ashland
that go up onto the sidewalk. I don't feel like have been
delineate it in a way. So The Pedestrian understands our
standing or crossing a biplane and I know there are new
when I know it's something we're going to have to learn but
I really am very curious to see how they
Call Dad, especially in the spring where you're put in
bikes and pedestrians in the same space without maybe that
kind of Separation, which is what we're looking for our
roadways and putting it better by plans.
So just one of the flag. Because you got to do stuff coming
through the chair and then just this anyway, I plan that
we've all talked about right we know it's coming out Clark
Street continue to talk about that and it looks like I will
coordinate with streets and sandwich dpd with CTA because
the complete street is what in every neighborhood needs.
However, that street is functioning or however it's serving
and so I want to make sure we're we're continuing to talk
about that and that your department has the resources may
be on a regional level. Obviously not neighborhood but to
make sure that that happens cuz it's the southwest side is
different than the Northeast side. Certainly. I just a few
comments there and then I'll look for some of the numbers.
Thanks.
I'm going back to other McLaughlin regarding the main and
so David I know there are several but when it comes to
either snow or leave removal for bike lane, I know that has
been a question also as like, how are we cleaning? Those
protected bike lanes are there are intentions of to
purchase more or how many missions are there to win the
protected bike Lanes, but there's nowhere there's leaf
removal.
Yeah, so in terms of sweeping and plowing a protected bike
Lanes. All right. Now that is something that's conducted by
see that or the protected bike lanes and we have purchased
different types of equipment that are size to fit within
those protected bike Lanes faces because a typical streets
and sand snow plow would not be able to fit and so I don't
know the exact number we can get the exact number of
vehicles that we have. But I do know that we purchased
multiple vehicles in the last year to really reflect the
expansion of the protected bike lane that work. I'm so that
those those Lanes can be in our used year-round people ride
a bike in the oldest of days and the hottest of days so we
want to make sure that that can happen comfortably and
those those smaller sized Vehicles. They include a street
sweeper.
A street sweeper attachment for the spring through the fall
months and then over the winter. It's got a snow plow on
the front and I in a salt spreader on the back to help with
the ice. So in terms of the number of vehicles we can get
more info. How's the plant how do you coordinate which
streets to get clean often? Is there you know, like for
example a student and have a schedule 1 Word, you know
specting to is there are also schedule. What is the plan?
How's that coordinated that throw 311 or just one?
So the plan so in terms of the details of how the schedules
are developed and have to follow up on that but the
laughter after and during snow Advance the protected bike
lanes are cleared using those vehicles in terms of sweeping
spring through the fall there is a regular schedule where
those are hit on a regular basis and then additionally if
there are 311 request for specific issues, I know that the
crews do mobilize but in terms of do, you know details and
terms of the schedule we have to bring in some other folks.
I know we're almost almost done before we get going. It's
just next other than Knutson and then other person might
not happen, but we go with all the mechanics in first and
you so much vice-chair cruise and thanks so much for
collaboration between offices and always answering
questions. I've got a few questions. I wanted to just act
01
Call Herman Lawson said about maintenance and I think that
this probably goes to General see. And we won't make spaces
see. Hearing but there's just some materials that are so
important that when they go down it is the most
disheartening thing in the world when we get an estimate of
6 months, you know, whether it's a baller or a traffic
safety sign. There's got to be a better way. Cuz without
these signs. Yeah, it kind of like all the sudden without
these Behavioral Science people using weather sister.
To the bike lane. It's like the Sims like they're just kind
of floating around like crazy commissioner lost Lawson and
I have had issues with people driving on to the lakefront
and driving on to the park. When a Bollard is just
something that were getting keep saying I had a few
questions actually and there's been a lot of good questions
today. My my main theme is a question so you can let me
know if we should direct them elsewhere but to my
understanding in unpacking the city's agreement with Davy
is that there's a bit of a revenue-share that occurs and in
yours when the city makes a profit which ideally is is all
years a prophet is intended to be used or bike Lanes kind
of General Lee. Is that understanding correct? Am I missing
something from that?
There are there are revenues or funding associated with the
divvy bike-share system and the contractor the sponsorship
contract details about work. I can't answer all of that
today, but we certainly have and do use funding that comes
from the bike-share system and that agreement for things
like infrastructure but also a variety of things that you
know related to transportation and traffic safety. Is there
any use it?
You don't lose that money. Is there any kind of piece that
if we don't use that we lose can answer that. Not sure it's
okay to Big portion of complete streets when I think of
riders using these Greenways or Lanes to get to their other
forms of Transit, whether it's a train station or otherwise
a lot of residents we talk to you are in that case right
now comfortable with it because they don't have to walk up
a lot of us fed issues with with bikes getting taken and I
think it's important to be an interesting picture hearing
for us to have here especially as other cities that have
give you like programs. Look at different user to lose. It
funds for things like helmet share and other things that
can make everyone safe for well while riding
other questions that I would I'm going to note to the
vice-chair but I don't think we'll go to Dave is I would
love dadda or data portal on if we could see Divi
memberships throughout our Wards divvy station. Use I'm
aware that I think we've got canceled for the top 10 divvy
stations are in the 43rd Ward buy it by day we use and I
think that could really help us from an in infrastructure
perspective and envisioning are our Wards the other piece
that I'm hopeful that
Sweet Streets pushes part of this conversation is just
enforcement. I know see that's not going to be the group
out there and forcing speed limits, but we several of us
orders have been a lot of work to into reducing speed
limits and the fear is that they're not being behaved
because you know, there's not as much of a risk if the 43rd
Ward on East-West streets for ticketing on some bar
commercial streets. We do have cameras, but I would be
interested for us all to look into whether different pilot
programs that are happening like in downtown. There's two
there's currently a a camera based parking ticket pilot, if
that could be used in ways, you know more effectively to
enforce speed streets whether it's cameras attached to CTA
buses or or otherwise, I guess I'll redirect this question
to you is whether there's any Innovative enforcement
strategies being looked at
complete streets
Well, I know the the you reference the Safe Streets
ordinance, which has a study are your pilot area beyond
that I'm not sure in terms of your other Innovations being
looked after enforcement. Okay. Maybe we'll bring this up.
You know part of my word is a part of the pilot program in
the Gold Coast portion. My ward is a part of the downtown
pilot program for parking ticket in buy camera. And you
know my wanted when we went to talk to the community about
this program initially. I thought that they would have a
prehension but they weren't programmed the number one fan.
So I'm interested to see how once we get the data back of
How It's Working in practice how we can extend it in
innovative ways that aren't just about parking but also add
to all types of Transit safety.
Well, thank you for that recovered nation that they will be
great. If we can have another special hearing with Vivian
and we will ask your questions as well and provide those
answers to thank you so much and then out our other person
and work. Thank you very much are I was hoping to get back
the the map or the vision for the next 150 miles of bike
ways back up if that's possible.
And this is really spectacular. I just wanted to commend
you David for and your team for all your work and I am
excited to have this kind of map also in the 48th Ward so
we could show where we were and where we're going. I think
that's it's really important to show exactly what we're
trying to do. I have very few questions left. My colleagues
really touched on all the things including how this is
going to impact our commercial corridors. As you know, we
got Anderson Uptown in Edgewater and we've got, you know,
very fast rate Clark Street Broadway Sheridan. We've got a
Loyola student wanted to access the lakefront and we had
that the dad that had we known on Broadway and I want to
thank you and your team or being very responsive and making
a priority so that we can prevent that's and that's really
What it is all about I've got them by public schools and our
our elementary schools are really grateful or the bikes
that you provided and for the the bike rides that you are,
you know, encouraging them to do to the get off of their
campuses in to the lakefront and I want to thank you for
your commitment to work with our office to figure out ways
that we can bring people, you know East and West especially
to the lakefront through our neighborhoods. I also want to
say that we are we're really concerned about the the trucks
in the end up at small businesses are saying, you know, how
are the delivery trucks going to get you my business is how
our people with that, you know.
Disability is going to get to my my medical facility,
whatever Services they provide and that that I hope that we
are going to work together with the ACP at the ultimate
Martin and others instead to figure those things out. I
would love to I'm really encouraged by what's going on.
Especially that what you what is going on in
belmont-cragin. So I'm I'm curious how we can you know,
bring some of that communication work what worked in your
neighborhood to the Edgewater Andersonville area,
especially working with the
that's super important and dumb and
I'm also a mom to so I've got that you two are learning how
to drive and we all have to share the road right so.
Also a small business owner in Andersonville, and I
understand where people have concerns, but I'm also seeing
families like for the first time I get a soft as a friend
and their family and they have a two boys eight and 12 and
they were on their bikes in Anderson fell on my side where
you coming from are like our coming from Albany Park and I
thought wow that I never imagined in my life. You know, I
used to ride my bike from like around Chicago Avenue and
Ashland to where I worked at the Cook County Hospital that
Ashley let you know that that's crazy. I would never do
that right now, but maybe there's a different route. So I I
just wanted to commend you look at this map and really we
hit we have to fill in the gaps, you know, it's really
weird to have these fantastic lanes and have them and you
know, or the perception of it ending
We don't have directional signs is ultra instead. So thank
you. Thank you for the advocates for showing up, you know,
not just here. But every day as they are moving in their
daily lives and bringing these issues up and for taking
this seriously because we don't want to lose any more lies.
It's it's and it's also really like it's it's disheartening
to the the misuse of the infrastructure because people are
not educated delivery trucks than even you know,
governmental cars or trucks and that makes it to go in the
street.
I think I just I wanted to just touch on all those things
again, and I look forward to working with you more bringing
up the research that in the instance. It's not just in
Chicago, but another it is where it works. It works for
everybody not just bicyclists and pedestrians, but also
small businesses and residents and it for all of the city
of Chicago cuz this is not, you know, it's not we're not
connected quite yet, but we're going to get there and I
appreciate all the work that you are doing and I look
forward to working more with you and your team and keep
moisture. Thank you. I love you.
I also want to just end by saying thank you on behalf of
the committee. Thank you to you David. I'm your team and
see that for everything that you're all doing. But also we
look forward to those opportunities together with there
being no further business before the committee. Can I have
a motion to adjourn?
All the persimmon IHOP. It were so moved all those in favor
signify by saying I
we are adjourned. Thank you.