Edgewater has seen new aspects added to the roadway to ensure pedestrian and biker safety. Here is everything you need to know:
Introduction:
As an organization, our platform regarding transportation is to improve air quality by changing practices that degrade it and prioritize bike, pedestrians, and transit in the transportation hierarchy. The new changes the ward has planned and implemented align with these goals. These changes include making the roadway and transportation safer and more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists while promoting more active travel over personal motor vehicle usage.
The 48th ward's plan includes infrastructure for preexisting roadways. They plan to use Contra-Flow Bike Lanes, High-Visibility Sidewalks, Raised Intersections, Bumpouts, Curb Extensions, Audible Crosswalks, and Flashing crosswalks. These neighborhood additions will improve safety and convenience for pedestrians and bikers. To learn more about these changes, refer to our guide below.
We thank the 48th Ward for its consideration and efforts to improve the community's infrastructure. We recognize their steps and support this initiative to make our neighborhood greener and safer.
What We Can See Coming to the Neighborhood:
What are Contra-Flow Bike Lanes:
Contra-flow bike lanes are to be added on one-way streets and run against the direction of car traffic. They promote bicycle usage by opening up streets to bicyclists in both directions. Their addition to the ward would make biking more convenient, practical, and safer. To learn more about Contra-Flow Bike lanes and how they can best serve our community, visit the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
Source: National Association of City Transportation Officials
What are Raised Intersections:
Raised intersections reduce vehicular speeds and increase pedestrian visibility, encouraging drivers to yield to pedestrians. This change to the intersection would also provide a continuous route for pedestrians, meaning they would no longer have to step down onto the crosswalk. Please view the image below to get an idea of what this would look like in our community, and check out the National Association of Transportation Officials website to see how this can be applied to our neighborhood.
Source: National Association of City Transportation Officials
What are Bump Outs and Curb Extensions:
Curb extensions reduce the street width at crosswalks by extending the sidewalk or curb line and reducing the parking lane. Many cities have implemented extensions because they reduce the distance pedestrians have to cross the street. By removing the parking spots closest to the intersection, they reduce obscured visibility while promoting slower driving near the intersection. Bump outs and curb extensions can be useful tools in urban planning to promote pedestrian safety and safe driving practices. For a more detailed understanding of bump outs and curb extensions, view the Department of Transportation guide.
Source: Department of Transportation
What are Audible Crosswalks:
Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are tools employed by the City of Chicago to provide non-visual cues to pedestrians regarding information about crossing. These tools use speech messages and vibrating surfaces to inform pedestrians when it is safe to cross. APS devices are crucial for pedestrians with visual impairment, and with more APS devices installed in our neighborhood, they will become more accessible to more people.
What are Flashing Crosswalks:
Flashing Crosswalks are to be added to the neighborhood. These crosswalks use a pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB). These devices use traditional signage and lights to signal to traffic the potential of pedestrians crossing. Using multiple forms of signage to ensure oncoming traffic is aware of pedestrians crossing will reduce crashes. Below is a design of the new PHB devices coming to N Ridge Ave. and N Wayne Ave. This will be the first PHB device to be deployed in the City of Chicago.
Source: Lakewood Balmoral Residents' Council
What are High Visibility Crosswalks and Sidewalks:
This concept ties together many of the ideas we have discussed. This strategy of ensuring higher visibility of pedestrian crossings between sidewalks uses tools such as curb extensions and marked signs. Improving high-visibility crosswalks aims to provide a safer commuter experience for pedestrians. According to the US Department of Transportation, increasing the visibility of these crossings alone has resulted in a 48% reduction in crashes.
Source: Department of Transportation
How This Can Affect Your Day-to-Day:
One of the first projects has already been completed, with the installation of a contra-flow bike lane on Berwyn Avenue, increasing safety and access for biking commuters. This new installation was much needed and will provide a great service to the community. Check out the graphic from the 48th Ward below to see the project's outcome. Although it is just the beginning, small changes can significantly impact the safety and accessibility of roadways for pedestrians and bikers alike. We thank the 48th ward for their continued dedication to this cause.
To stay updated about all the new infrastructure, subscribe to our newsletter and keep up with the Ward. They have many resources regarding all new projects. Head to their website to learn more about what you can expect to come. This website has helpful reference photos, detailed visualizations of new projects, information regarding how these projects are funded, all upcoming infrastructure improvements, and more.
Helpful References and Visuals of Future and Completed Projects:
Graphic of the completed Berwyn Greenway
Source: The 48th Ward
Existing Bike Network
Source: The 48th Ward
Bike Signage Improvement plans
Source: The 48th Ward
Contra-Flow Bikelane to Connect Preexisting Bikeways
Source: Lakewood Balmoral Residents' Council
The bump outs and curb extensions are AWFUL. They reduce visibility when they're planted with big shrubs. It makes turning into the streets MUCH MORE DANGEROUS because there is less room for cars to make the turn. And as a cyclist I ABSOLUTELY DREAD THEM because the bike lanes just disappear and pick up on the other side like nothing happened, forcing me to merge with car traffic that may or may not yield to me. They are a terrible design and should be removed rather than adding more.
I do quite like the red brick crosswalks at intersections, however. I have found Broadway to be much safer to cross on both bike and foot with them.
What is being done about the WALKING path along the lakefront south of Foster Beach? The bike path endangers all pedestrians - and the walking path is narrow and crowded. The bikers often ignore and/or endanger pedestirans - they use the path(s) that are designated for pedestirans instead of the very adequate bike path nearby. At a minimum there should be clear, large signage that indicates which paths are for walkers / pedestrians and which paths are for bikes.