Our Beautiful (and Crowded!) Lakefront
From today’s Chicago Tribune, Glenn Jeffers writes about the 18 miles of lakefront that is a moving obstacle course complete with cyclists, joggers, in-line skaters and walkers. There’s a lack of path etiquette which includes side-by-side joggers and sweeping skaters who as well as others contribute to increased traffic and rude behavior.
So who has the right of way? When is the best time to use the path? Is there an area that you try to avoid?
Pedestrians always have the right of way. People hitting others from behind are responsible because they see what is in front of them irregardless of ones lack of courtesy. The lakefront path (by its overpopulated urban nature) is not made for bikes to go 30 mph on. South of the loop is another story.
RIGHT- huh? So its OK for bikes to go 30mph south of the loop? Also, while you always yield to pedestrians, how about everyone paying a little attention and leaving space for people to pass?
I will say, the traffic on my side of the city is a good deal lighter than, say, up at North Ave. The worst stretch is easily the bit south of Navy Pier going over the river- a (relatively) narrow sidewalk, no shoulders to escape onto, and TONS of people, usually walking 2 to 5 or more wide. Biking through that is always a nailbiter, even at walking speed.
The best times to go are weekday evenings, or early in the morning. The bugs get pretty harsh around sunup and sundown, though. I’ve inhaled more than I like to think about! :-X
Oh, and don’t even bother this weekend during the Air & Water show!
I get pretty annoyed with the walkers. Seriously, just stay to the right and share. And when crossing, take a look around, First! Roller skaters are the most annoying. Headphones on, take up the entire lane, then they cry when they get clipped in the foot. Again, stay to the right and allow bikes to pass.
For whatever it is worth,
the WORST time to ride on the lakefront trail is early in the morning, say dawn until mid-morning. Because of the nature of the air flows caused by the lake, the pollution (smog, ozone, etc) that we find during the day in the Loop migrates out over the lake at night, then when the sun warms things up in the morning it flows back across the lakefront and into the city.
Consider yourselves warned.
my feeling is that pedestrians have SIDEWALKS, on which it is illegal to ride a bike. The path is meant for BIKES, move the hell over if you’re walking and definitely don’t walk 2 abreast.