Ever since my last Reader column on Chicago’s mayoral election was published, I’ve been fielding a lot of complaints about lawbreaking bicyclists. I mentioned Toni Preckwinkle’s statement from a recent debate that many bike riders “don’t pay any attention to the traffic laws, which is not only infuriating, but also scary for drivers.”
Technically illegal, but widespread and largely harmless, behavior. This includes slow, cautious cycling for short distances on sidewalks or against traffic on side streets. Another example is riders treating stoplights like stop signs and stop signs like yield signs. This is known as the “Idaho stop” because it’s legal in the Gem State.
I contacted the Wisconsin-based National Motorists Association for the right-wing windshield perspective. After all, the group’s hard-line stances against automated enforcement, lower speed limits, traffic calming, stricter DUI rules, and even seatbelt laws make the American Automobile Association look like Greenpeace. But I was pleasantly surprised by spokeswoman Shelia Dunn’s fairly balanced response, which stressed that everyone “driving, riding, or walking . . . should be responsible for their own safety and look out for others on the road.” While the CPD’s job is wielding the proverbial “stick” of enforcement against hazardous behavior, the Chicago Department of Transportation provides “carrots” in the form of bike infrastructure, education, and encouragement. CDOT has built dozens of miles of physically protected bike lanes over the last eight years, which help make less-confident cyclists feel more comfortable staying off the sidewalk. Active Transportation Alliance advocacy director Jim Merrell argued that sidewalk cycling is best addressed with more protected lanes, neighborhood greenways, and off-street trails. Free bike light giveaways, which have been done in the past by the Bike Ambassadors, and Streetsblog Chicago cofounder Steven Vance’s grassroots “Get Lit!” campaign, can help eradicate bike ninjas.
