Bus/Bike Lanes Find Support in Chicago

A temporary bus/bike lane experiment could lead to permanent additions around the city.

1 minute read

April 11, 2019, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Chicago Commute

f11photo / Shutterstock

"Buses went so much faster during a bus/bike lane experiment on Halsted Street last winter that the CTA wants to try it again in other places," reports Mary Wisniewski.

The CTA is considering bus/bike lanes as a potential solution for its struggling ridership figures, with the thinking that improved service could win back riders.

"During a three-month pilot, the CTA found that buses went up to 65 percent faster than general traffic during rush hour, saving up to 2.3 minutes," according to Wisniewski. "Riders, bus operators and cyclists all liked the change, according to surveys conducted by the CTA, Chicago Department of Transportation and the Active Transportation Alliance, an advocacy group for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users."

City agencies are working to identify additional thoroughfares to potential receive the bus/bike lane treatment, so it could be a little while before the concept expands around the city.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 in The Chicago Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive