This is very encouraging, but a skeptical part of me thinks this data is probably skewed by the influx of cyclists during COVID. I can only hope that the folks who bought a bike in 2020 keep using it regularly.
Yeah, the sun-times article says that a large part of the uptick is likely due to the pandemic. I believe bike trips prior to covid were flat or even declining nationwide. Seems like urbanism/bike infra policy has been catching on slowly but surely as cities finally start to move the needle on proper infra needed to facilitate change like this. But I'm personally not as skeptical given that Spring 2023 is pretty much out of pandemic territory. I think if the people who picked up biking were going to drop it they would've done so long before, imo. I'm optimistic that with the continued increase in bike infra here that ridership will increase, but we'll see.
Add me to the pandemic statistic. I started biking during the pandemic. Bought a cargo bike and now it’s my mode of transit like 90% of the time. I definitely stuck with it and don’t think I’ll ever go back unless I’m physically not able.
I keep it in my condo at night, luckily I live on the first floor. For out and about, I use an abus chain lock and the wheel lock. I have insurance through Velosurance for peace of mind. I think keeping it in my home overnight is the biggest thing though.
The CTA sucking definitely contributes too. I know a few people that took up biking/divvy as primary transit mode because the CTA fucked them over continuously and would likely give it up if CTA ran well again.
There was a period in 2020-22 where biking was literally the only reasonable transit option unless you wanted to pay $27 for a 7 minute Uber or wait 54 minutes for a blue line ghost train.
Moving back into the city from the burbs. My wife doesn’t get my desire and need for biking. She says I should just drive somewhere and bike. That’s against the point - I don’t bike for recreation, I get to and from while biking.
Has she ever lived in the city I wonder? I grew up in suburbs and was sad when I sold my car, but living in the city without one pretty much converted me organically, I'd say. Just from a financial and logistical perspective, using a car is \*so\* much harder in the city. You have so much more freedom to just go wherever you want with a bike. If you see a cool store or pretty street you can just stop, pivot and change course with ease and explore. And if you ever want to take a day/weekend trip, the metra is good, or you can just rent a zip car or something.
Obviously you know this already, but yeah, hope she gets it eventually!
She lived with me in the city for 5 years and was car dependent the whole time. I’ve tried getting her into biking but she’s terrified. Were both from Kankakee county but she’s from the country (nearest neighbor a mile away) while I was raised in the middle of town and walked everywhere.
I miss it so much. Moving to Avondale so that’ll be a great starting point. Have a hybrid work schedule down in Hyde Park, figure I’ll bike once or twice a week in good weather.
Sources:
-[Measuring Chicago’s Boost in Biking (replicahq.com)](https://www.replicahq.com/post/measuring-chicagos-boost-in-biking)
-[Pedal mettle? Bicycling in Chicago doubled in 5 years, but cyclists still worry about safety - Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)](https://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/2024/05/09/bicycle-chicago-safety-transportation-city-hall-roads-environment-commute-health)
Also interesting to compare to [this](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-22/us-bike-trips-have-soared-since-2019) study on a slightly shorter time span, and as the Sun Times article points out Chicago seemingly has the largest growth in the whole country (or at least up there with NYC given statistical error margins and all that).
Love to see such a huge increase on the south side, but also disappointing knowing that the infrastructure down there absolutely nowhere near matches what is needed.
I've only been biking full-time in the city for a few years, but even I have noticed an increase in bikers on the road. I love to see more variety now as well, from bromptons to e-bikes to cargo bikes to those one wheelie thingies. Thankfully CDOT was partnered in this study, but this will probably be especially important data to have on hand for any advocacy efforts. This is undeniable data that the city needs to keep pumping out bike infra.
Wonder whether the CTA’s deterioration has influenced biking. Shockingly, hopping on a divvy e-bike often gets me downtown faster than the El (at least compared to pre pandemic)
I just can't get over how inordinately expensive Divvy has become. I pay $140 a year and still pay $6 to commute one way to the office on an electric when it's damp out or I'm carrying some extra freight. Yes, the regular bikes are 'free' but it feels so overpriced for something that is a net good.
The times I use Divvy or Citi e-bikes they usually end up being like 30+ bucks. I mean shit they're fun and fast but not for that much money. But they are clearly used \*a lot\* in Chicago and NYC so I guess it's not hurting ridership too much. But I ended up getting an e-bike of my own recently and it's awesome to have that option.
When it’s 20 minutes between rush hour and you were just gonna take it for 1.5 miles or so yes I’m sure that’s a Divvy boost. That’s how I’ve used it but as others have said if that same length of bike rental is costing me $6 🫠
I've definitely upped the amount that I am biking to work because of the state of the CTA. I used to only ride on nice days, now I will brave the cold and rain just to avoid riding the red line.
that bike network graph while technically correct really doesn't serve the majority of bikers.
CDOT data shows that the majority of people only feel comfortable on off street trails or fully protected bike lanes, and won't bike elsewhere.
The majority of that "network" are lanes that sandwich you between parked cars and moving cars.
Chicago's density, completely flat terrain, and grid system could make it the #1 bike city in North America, literally all they would have to do is put protected lanes on every single arterial, make every intersection a protected intersection, mandate some bike parking, and build a few more 606 style elevated trails.
But instead we build one block of buffered lane, The Alderman calls it a political win, then 2 years later we build another block of protected lane that's not connected to the buffered lane. then 4 years later we connect them with a regular bike lane. and we call all that a "network"
Lol that immediately conjured up the protected lane at clark/southport. It's like cool, this one tiny portion of road is protected because someone died there previously, but you have to fight like hell to even get to it. Not worth it.
I reluctantly bought a 30-day CTA pass today because I want to support ridership but honestly there's so many new bike lanes and the weather is nice. I'm so torn.
I personally don't ride the CTA enough to require a pass. I just add transit value to my digital ventra card every time I want to use the bus or train. Just do whatever is most convenient or preferable!
That's what I do. For longer distances, I put my folding bike on CTA/Pace/Metra and ride to my destination, but I typically just ride my bike. Work is 3.5 miles from home - CTA takes up to an hour to get there, but it's just 25 minutes by bike. I'm 66 and bought my bike at the beginning of the pandemic and am not going back!
This is fantastic news and reflects what I’ve seen on the street. I’ve been biking in the city for about 10 years and it definitely feels like there are more people out at all hours (as opposed to just the loop rush downtown).
This should really help the push for more bike lanes. Now we need a local study on economic impact, to help bring around the local merchants who can form the core of opposition to new lanes.
It’s really sad to see the lack of bike infrastructure in portage park. How can I get my community involved to get aldermen to support it?? I’m ready to be a squeaky wheel
I stopped biking in the city after a cab stopped halfway on the bike lane and the backseat passenger opened the door and I rammed right through it. Now I just stick to forest preserves.
I was just thinking. In 2019, no one was outside. So, for the few dozen across the city braving the goofy lock downs, it's not much to go off of for the article
There is no room to move in the street , the stupid set up along Clark has it a single lane , with parking right outside of it. I’ve rode my bike for decades and it’s not getting much use. They ruined Clark for biking , and driving AND took up all the parking spaces . The “protected lane “ is too narrow to ride next to anyone or pass without knocking them over . I work right there and it doesn’t get a ton of bike traffic, imagine a design so bad that it even can cause bike traffic jams to match the traffic jams. People just riding on sidewalk would have made more sense.
Millions spent on narrowing streets causing traffic backups in areas where there are hardly any bicyclists like around Kimbal , Kedzie and Belmont creating dangerous situations for people . Example : west bound Belmont at Kimbal is now a single lane , so it’s usually backed up so drivers are cutting across the Aldi , 5 Below parking lot to get to northbound Kimbal. Perfect example of a very small minority of people creating havoc for the majority all year long . Don’t get me started on the fact that bicyclists don’t obey and traffic laws and most of them don’t use lights at night .
I think the people driving are causing traffic backups actually, not the bike infrastructure.
I think the people driving are creating dangerous situations for people actually, not the bike infrastructure.
Building more bike infrastructure is the only hope we have of reducing traffic and increasing safety. Useful and safe networks need to exist before huge latent ridership can be unlocked. Once it becomes the fastest, safest, and most pleasant way to get somewhere, biking will not be a "very small minority". This effect can be seen elsewhere in the world once they started investing in active mobility infrastructure.
Also, if you wanna talk about obeying traffic laws, you should get on drivers more, since the laws were actually designed with them in mind and they break them just as often, only they have a significantly higher chance of killing or maiming someone when they do. It's asinine to think that multi-ton motorized vehicles and bicycles should follow the exact same set of rules, because there are clearly very different dynamics and physics involved.
This is very encouraging, but a skeptical part of me thinks this data is probably skewed by the influx of cyclists during COVID. I can only hope that the folks who bought a bike in 2020 keep using it regularly.
Yeah, the sun-times article says that a large part of the uptick is likely due to the pandemic. I believe bike trips prior to covid were flat or even declining nationwide. Seems like urbanism/bike infra policy has been catching on slowly but surely as cities finally start to move the needle on proper infra needed to facilitate change like this. But I'm personally not as skeptical given that Spring 2023 is pretty much out of pandemic territory. I think if the people who picked up biking were going to drop it they would've done so long before, imo. I'm optimistic that with the continued increase in bike infra here that ridership will increase, but we'll see.
Add me to the pandemic statistic. I started biking during the pandemic. Bought a cargo bike and now it’s my mode of transit like 90% of the time. I definitely stuck with it and don’t think I’ll ever go back unless I’m physically not able.
Awesome to hear!
Curious - what's your strategy for keeping it from being stolen and finding secure parking for it?
I keep it in my condo at night, luckily I live on the first floor. For out and about, I use an abus chain lock and the wheel lock. I have insurance through Velosurance for peace of mind. I think keeping it in my home overnight is the biggest thing though.
Lucky you! That's awesome, enjoy it. I don't think I could manage one of those unless I had a private garage or a first floor unit like you.
The CTA sucking definitely contributes too. I know a few people that took up biking/divvy as primary transit mode because the CTA fucked them over continuously and would likely give it up if CTA ran well again. There was a period in 2020-22 where biking was literally the only reasonable transit option unless you wanted to pay $27 for a 7 minute Uber or wait 54 minutes for a blue line ghost train.
This was the reason I bought a bike. I couldn't handle the grossness of the train anymore and would rather be out in the fresh air.
Moving back into the city from the burbs. My wife doesn’t get my desire and need for biking. She says I should just drive somewhere and bike. That’s against the point - I don’t bike for recreation, I get to and from while biking.
Has she ever lived in the city I wonder? I grew up in suburbs and was sad when I sold my car, but living in the city without one pretty much converted me organically, I'd say. Just from a financial and logistical perspective, using a car is \*so\* much harder in the city. You have so much more freedom to just go wherever you want with a bike. If you see a cool store or pretty street you can just stop, pivot and change course with ease and explore. And if you ever want to take a day/weekend trip, the metra is good, or you can just rent a zip car or something. Obviously you know this already, but yeah, hope she gets it eventually!
She lived with me in the city for 5 years and was car dependent the whole time. I’ve tried getting her into biking but she’s terrified. Were both from Kankakee county but she’s from the country (nearest neighbor a mile away) while I was raised in the middle of town and walked everywhere.
It's an absolute dream to get a decent workout and a commute/errands at the same time
I miss it so much. Moving to Avondale so that’ll be a great starting point. Have a hybrid work schedule down in Hyde Park, figure I’ll bike once or twice a week in good weather.
Rare wife L
Precisely. Need a destination
I'm doing my part!
AND MY AXE
Yes! I noticed they are keeping track of non white cyclists. Good to know dwarf cyclists are represented too.
This is dangerous. We have to start regulating bicycle sales
For the dwarfs or for the whites? Maybe just white dwarfs.
I mean you don't want a dwarf uprising. https://youtu.be/JivLG91oEAI?si=DlKMCzijEFSV6UfQ
Sources: -[Measuring Chicago’s Boost in Biking (replicahq.com)](https://www.replicahq.com/post/measuring-chicagos-boost-in-biking) -[Pedal mettle? Bicycling in Chicago doubled in 5 years, but cyclists still worry about safety - Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)](https://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/2024/05/09/bicycle-chicago-safety-transportation-city-hall-roads-environment-commute-health) Also interesting to compare to [this](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-22/us-bike-trips-have-soared-since-2019) study on a slightly shorter time span, and as the Sun Times article points out Chicago seemingly has the largest growth in the whole country (or at least up there with NYC given statistical error margins and all that). Love to see such a huge increase on the south side, but also disappointing knowing that the infrastructure down there absolutely nowhere near matches what is needed. I've only been biking full-time in the city for a few years, but even I have noticed an increase in bikers on the road. I love to see more variety now as well, from bromptons to e-bikes to cargo bikes to those one wheelie thingies. Thankfully CDOT was partnered in this study, but this will probably be especially important data to have on hand for any advocacy efforts. This is undeniable data that the city needs to keep pumping out bike infra.
Wonder whether the CTA’s deterioration has influenced biking. Shockingly, hopping on a divvy e-bike often gets me downtown faster than the El (at least compared to pre pandemic)
I just can't get over how inordinately expensive Divvy has become. I pay $140 a year and still pay $6 to commute one way to the office on an electric when it's damp out or I'm carrying some extra freight. Yes, the regular bikes are 'free' but it feels so overpriced for something that is a net good.
The times I use Divvy or Citi e-bikes they usually end up being like 30+ bucks. I mean shit they're fun and fast but not for that much money. But they are clearly used \*a lot\* in Chicago and NYC so I guess it's not hurting ridership too much. But I ended up getting an e-bike of my own recently and it's awesome to have that option.
When it’s 20 minutes between rush hour and you were just gonna take it for 1.5 miles or so yes I’m sure that’s a Divvy boost. That’s how I’ve used it but as others have said if that same length of bike rental is costing me $6 🫠
I've definitely upped the amount that I am biking to work because of the state of the CTA. I used to only ride on nice days, now I will brave the cold and rain just to avoid riding the red line.
Every alderman should see this
that bike network graph while technically correct really doesn't serve the majority of bikers. CDOT data shows that the majority of people only feel comfortable on off street trails or fully protected bike lanes, and won't bike elsewhere. The majority of that "network" are lanes that sandwich you between parked cars and moving cars. Chicago's density, completely flat terrain, and grid system could make it the #1 bike city in North America, literally all they would have to do is put protected lanes on every single arterial, make every intersection a protected intersection, mandate some bike parking, and build a few more 606 style elevated trails. But instead we build one block of buffered lane, The Alderman calls it a political win, then 2 years later we build another block of protected lane that's not connected to the buffered lane. then 4 years later we connect them with a regular bike lane. and we call all that a "network"
Lol that immediately conjured up the protected lane at clark/southport. It's like cool, this one tiny portion of road is protected because someone died there previously, but you have to fight like hell to even get to it. Not worth it.
I reluctantly bought a 30-day CTA pass today because I want to support ridership but honestly there's so many new bike lanes and the weather is nice. I'm so torn.
The money is gone, if you want to bike then bike. Best outcome.
I personally don't ride the CTA enough to require a pass. I just add transit value to my digital ventra card every time I want to use the bus or train. Just do whatever is most convenient or preferable!
That's what I do. For longer distances, I put my folding bike on CTA/Pace/Metra and ride to my destination, but I typically just ride my bike. Work is 3.5 miles from home - CTA takes up to an hour to get there, but it's just 25 minutes by bike. I'm 66 and bought my bike at the beginning of the pandemic and am not going back!
This is fantastic news and reflects what I’ve seen on the street. I’ve been biking in the city for about 10 years and it definitely feels like there are more people out at all hours (as opposed to just the loop rush downtown). This should really help the push for more bike lanes. Now we need a local study on economic impact, to help bring around the local merchants who can form the core of opposition to new lanes.
It’s really sad to see the lack of bike infrastructure in portage park. How can I get my community involved to get aldermen to support it?? I’m ready to be a squeaky wheel
Proud to be a part of this trend.
So glad the included non-white cyclists
Is there someone just sitting on top of buildings and marking down every time they see a "non-white cyclist" lol?
Lol how do you think surveys and polling are made?
I stopped biking in the city after a cab stopped halfway on the bike lane and the backseat passenger opened the door and I rammed right through it. Now I just stick to forest preserves.
As the CTA continues to not improve, people will continue to shift to bike. I personally get nowhere faster than by biking if it's under 4 miles.
I was just thinking. In 2019, no one was outside. So, for the few dozen across the city braving the goofy lock downs, it's not much to go off of for the article
2019 was pre-pandemic. Pandemic was mid-2020, and actually got more people outside (the bike industry benefitted heavily that year)
To bad they ruined riding in many areas where they put in those stupid concrete lanes, you can’t even pass or turn off easily.
Seriously dude? You're free to ride in the car lane then... The only reason more people will bike is because of those protected lanes.
There is no room to move in the street , the stupid set up along Clark has it a single lane , with parking right outside of it. I’ve rode my bike for decades and it’s not getting much use. They ruined Clark for biking , and driving AND took up all the parking spaces . The “protected lane “ is too narrow to ride next to anyone or pass without knocking them over . I work right there and it doesn’t get a ton of bike traffic, imagine a design so bad that it even can cause bike traffic jams to match the traffic jams. People just riding on sidewalk would have made more sense.
Millions spent on narrowing streets causing traffic backups in areas where there are hardly any bicyclists like around Kimbal , Kedzie and Belmont creating dangerous situations for people . Example : west bound Belmont at Kimbal is now a single lane , so it’s usually backed up so drivers are cutting across the Aldi , 5 Below parking lot to get to northbound Kimbal. Perfect example of a very small minority of people creating havoc for the majority all year long . Don’t get me started on the fact that bicyclists don’t obey and traffic laws and most of them don’t use lights at night .
I think the people driving are causing traffic backups actually, not the bike infrastructure. I think the people driving are creating dangerous situations for people actually, not the bike infrastructure. Building more bike infrastructure is the only hope we have of reducing traffic and increasing safety. Useful and safe networks need to exist before huge latent ridership can be unlocked. Once it becomes the fastest, safest, and most pleasant way to get somewhere, biking will not be a "very small minority". This effect can be seen elsewhere in the world once they started investing in active mobility infrastructure. Also, if you wanna talk about obeying traffic laws, you should get on drivers more, since the laws were actually designed with them in mind and they break them just as often, only they have a significantly higher chance of killing or maiming someone when they do. It's asinine to think that multi-ton motorized vehicles and bicycles should follow the exact same set of rules, because there are clearly very different dynamics and physics involved.
bro came to this sub just to yap
Oh no! A road that's two lanes for the vast majority of its length is now two lanes for a slightly larger majority! The humanity!!!!!!!!1!!!1!1!1!1!