City opens new and improved Milwaukee Ave. bike lane

During a sun-filled morning rush hour, city officials, advocates and media gathered along the newly enhanced Milwaukee Ave. bike lane to officially open the latest addition to the city’s growing network of next-generation bike infrastructure.

As dozens of bike commuters whizzed by on the new bike lane, Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein, 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett and Active Transportation Alliance Executive Director Ron Burke (pictured at right, left to right) told reporters how the new bike lane will make this important corridor safer and better for everyone using the street.

Extending from Kinzie St. to Elston Ave. along Milwaukee Ave., the new improvements include several types of safety features that will bring more order to Chicago’s busiest street for cycling.

The project combines traditional bike lanes with stretches of buffered bike lanes, which use street markings to create more space between cars and people riding bikes, and barrier-protected bike lanes, which physically separate motorized traffic from people riding bikes by using bollards and/or parked cars (see images).

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this milestone in our quest to make Chicago the best city for biking in the country. Here are two ways you can help mark this special occasion:

1. Say thank you: Send a thank you note to city leaders expressing your gratitude for the new enhanced bike lane on Milwaukee Ave.
    
2. Raise a glass: Join us Tuesday June 18 at 6:30 p.m. at 694 Wine & Spirits (694 N. Milwaukee Ave.) for an informal celebratory toast of the new protected bike lane. You can RSVP on Facebook here, but feel free just to show up!

With your help, we can keep the momentum rolling and achieve our goal of building 100 miles of protected bike lanes by 2015.

You can read more about the Milwaukee Ave. project in Active Trans’ press statement.