A bicyclist rides on a bike path along Chicago’s lakefront.
Chicago, Illinois, is fast becoming one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States. The city already boasts more than 100 miles of on-street bike lanes and 50 miles of off-street bike paths.
This summer the city completed new bike lanes on Kinzie and Madison Streets. The Madison Street bike lane is the first one in the Loop, Chicago’s busy downtown area. The city also installed its first on-street bike corral on Milwaukee Avenue. This new corral provides space to park 12 or more bicycles. The city plans to place more bike corrals across Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to add 25 miles of new protected bike lanes to the city’s streets each year. “Protected” means the bike lanes will be along the curb behind where people park their cars. Another part of the mayor’s bike plan is to complete the Bloomberg Trail. This is a 3-mile trail along Bloomberg Avenue where there was once a railroad line. Part of the trail will allow bicyclists to travel safely above the busy streets. The trail will connect neighborhoods and schools along its path.
Mayor Emanuel thinks biking is a fun and fast way to get around Chicago. When people ride bikes, they get exercise to help them stay healthy. Biking is good for the environment, too. The more people ride bicycles, the less they use cars. Biking also helps reduce traffic in the city. The mayor wants to make Chicago the best big city for riding bikes in the country.
Image credit: ©Kim Karpeles/Alamy Images
Related Links
- City of Chicago Bicycle Program
Find out more about the city of Chicago’s Bicycle Program. - Types of Bikeways
Learn about the different types of bikeways found in the city of Chicago. - City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors
Read about Chicago’s team of bicycle safety specialists.
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