Community Letter Supporting Chicago Ave Protected Bike Lanes
The undersigned are 250+ local residents and businesses who enthusiastically support the city's Chicago Ave Multimodal Project between Davis and Howard. Numerous public forums, stakeholder meetings, and data-driven analysis of existing street conditions have correctly shown the need for these improvements. There has been misinformation circulated regarding the city's proposal, and we want to set the record straight with facts:
Claims that “very few bikes use Chicago Ave” are false. Data from Strava shows Chicago Ave is highly utilized today by cyclists, despite the lack of dedicated bike lanes. Additional residents and visitors of all ages and abilities would feel comfortable riding on Chicago Ave to reach local shops, schools, and parks, as well as Downtown Evanston, with protected lanes. Forcing cyclists to detour onto alternate routes or keep using Chicago Ave in mixed traffic would deny safe, equitable access to the countless destinations along the corridor.
Crash data proves Chicago Ave is dangerous: Cyclists and pedestrians account for 63% of all serious injuries. Numerous hit and runs have caused life-altering critical injuries and deaths. Due to higher reliance on public transit, walking, and cycling, lower income groups are disproportionately impacted by traffic violence. Separating bike traffic from vehicular lanes improves travel conditions for drivers and will discourage sidewalk riding making pedestrians safer. Traffic calming will reduce speeding, decreasing both the likelihood and severity of crashes. After a summer where suburbs surrounding Evanston saw multiple cyclists killed, choosing to maintain the ‘status quo’ on Chicago Ave would be needlessly accepting future injuries or fatalities which would inevitably continue to occur.
It has been reported that the project would be “essentially eliminating on-street parking for a two-mile stretch”. This is not true. Approximately 75% of the total on-street parking spots will remain along the corridor. Between Kedzie/Madison Ave and Davis St, where the most businesses are located, an average of approximately 1 parking spot would be lost on each block, with some blocks actually seeing increases in spaces provided. There are also numerous off-street parking lots along Chicago Ave, and on-street parking along intersecting streets such as Main and Dempster. The majority of Chicago Ave's right-of-way will remain dedicated to motor vehicles. All destinations will continue to be easily reachable by car.
Our small business community is important, and it is vital we ensure their success. Studies have shown that fears of less commercial activity due to installation of bike lanes are unfounded. In fact, protected bike lanes have led to increases in business revenues on corridors where they were installed. A safer, modern streetscape with protected bike lanes, enhanced ADA-compliant crosswalks, improved bus stops and wider sidewalks will make the experience of Chicago Ave more enjoyable for shoppers. Cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders are customers too- additional trips will be generated once individuals without cars are given improved access. Also, more trips made outside of cars will free up road space for those that will continue to drive.
Plans for Chicago Ave align with commitments our community has made through our Multi-Modal Plan, Bike Plan, Complete Streets Ordinance, and the Climate Action and Resilience Plan. In addition, numerous upcoming residential developments near Chicago Ave, as well as proposed land use and zoning changes from Envision Evanston 2045, make it imperative that sustainable means of transportation are encouraged for residents present and future. Keeping Chicago Ave car-oriented would lead to worsened congestion, carbon emissions, and pollution for decades to come. Evanston is proud of its progressive identity; backtracking on this project would be in contradiction to our values and stand to jeopardize the city’s efforts to achieve sustainability and equity policy goals.
Extensive outreach has been performed by Evanston officials, showing overwhelming support for Chicago Ave plans. Stakeholder meetings regarding this project have been held with regional transportation providers, Main-Dempster Mile and Downtown Evanston representatives, and local residents. The immense success of the existing two-way protected bike lanes along Sheridan Road, which the proposed lanes on Chicago Ave would be an extension of, disprove the notion that “bikers have commented that they would never use a two-way lane” versus mixed-traffic side streets. Two-way protected bike lanes were chosen by community members as the preferred option for Chicago Ave.
The Active Transportation Alliance has endorsed the plan, with spokesperson Ted Villaire saying, “Evanston has an opportunity to make Chicago Ave safer, more vibrant, and economically thriving… Research proves [Protected Bike Lanes] either boost or maintain retail performance, with studies showing no negative economic impact. Most importantly, this PBL will save lives -- Evanston’s existing protected bike lanes have already contributed to a remarkable reduction in traffic crashes.” These benefits would not only extend to our city but the entire region- Chicago Ave is the only direct road link between Downtown Evanston and the City of Chicago. Completing the final section of this north-south route, from where the lanes currently dead-end on Chicago Ave at Davis, would provide a seamless and fully protected 3.5+ mile bikeway the length of Evanston from Wilmette to Rogers Park with more than 60,000 people, five schools, countless employment centers, and hundreds of businesses within a half mile of its path. The economic, environmental, and traffic safety benefits this plan would provide are tremendous.
We sign this letter urging the City of Evanston to continue plans for Chicago Ave with continuous two-way protected bike lanes, which are a generational opportunity to protect our community, and connect our region.
