A new ordinance would use automated enforcement to ticket drivers who block bike lanes, but some bike advocates say the city is avoiding the harder work of improving its bike infrastructure.
An ordinance aimed at improving road safety for Chicago bike riders is drawing mixed reviews from bike advocates, some of whom say it doesn’t go far enough to address safety concerns. Mina Bloom outlines the debate for Block Club Chicago.
“Under the measure, the city would install cameras on city vehicles and street poles in two pilot areas Downtown to identify parking violators and mail them a ticket.” The city says in addition to protecting people on bikes, this could also reduce congestion and speed up bus service. Christina Whitehouse, the founder of Bike Lane Uprising, calls the measure “light on details,” noting that there was little engagement with the public and bike advocates before its announcement. Whitehouse adds that the ordinance “doesn’t address pressing concerns for cyclists, such as dangerous construction zones and poor maintenance of city streets.” For Whitehouse, “it doesn’t feel like it’s genuinely about safety. It feels like it’s about trying to get votes for [Mayor Lightfoot’s] reelection.”
Other advocates also point out that the ordinance doesn’t take steps to address the city’s “shoddy bike lanes” or account for equity concerns. According to the city, low-income drivers could get reduced fines under the city’s Clear Path Relief Pilot Program.
FULL STORY: City Plan To Ticket Drivers Who Block Bike Lanes Downtown Draws Mixed Reaction From Cycling Advocates
Less Paint, More Barriers, Make for Better Urban Cycling
New research from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico sheds light on how to make cities safer for cyclists and other road users and refutes some assumptions about bike safety, such as "safety-in-numbers."
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
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Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
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