After years of failed efforts to install bike counters, the city finally has its first counter at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Wells Street.
Chicago just got its first bike counter, one small step toward making bike riders in the city more visible. As John Greenfield writes in Streetsblog Chicago, “The device is located in front of AMLI 808, an apartment building on the northwest corner of Chicago Avenue and Wells Street in River North, and was purchased and installed by the AMLI real estate company.” The apartment building is heavily transit-oriented, including only 16 car parking spaces for 318 apartments.
Bike counters matter because they offer concrete data to skeptics and opponents of bike infrastructure, helping cities gather real-time data about their cyclists. As Greenfield explains, “They offer an excellent rebuttal to people who oppose bike infrastructure upgrades with the argument, ‘Why should we do this? Nobody rides bikes here.’”
Greenfield describes several prior failed efforts to install bike counters in Chicago, efforts that were repeatedly frustrated by bureaucracy and other issues. Advocates hope this bike counter will be the first of many throughout the city.
FULL STORY: The wait is over! Chicago now now has a bike counter at Chicago/Wells in River North
Chicago Sees Record Shared Bike, Scooter Use
Riders took over 11 million bike share and scooter trips in 2024.
Winter Cyclists Test Out New Chicago Bike Lanes
A new protected bike lane in the Logan Square neighborhood is seeing significant use, even in below-freezing temperatures.
Chicago Leads Nation in Biking Growth
Cycling as a mode share grew faster in the Windy City over the last five years than in any other major U.S. metropolis.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research