Join petition to separate bicyclists and pedestrians on Lakefront Trail

Last month we shared Megan William’s story of recovering from a horrific crash on the Lakefront Trail and committing herself to making sure crashes like hers don’t keep happening. Now you have a chance to show your support for improving safety on the lakefront path.

Sign our petition to support increased investment in separating pedestrians and bicyclists on the trail and other safety improvements.

This week we spoke at the Chicago Park District’s annual hearing on next year’s budget and shared Megan’s story. As we’ve heard from all types of trail users in recent years, congestion continues to increase, putting everyone at risk of conflict and injury.

The 18-mile path is the busiest trail in the country, with peak usage at more than 30,000 users per day during the summer, and it’s not currently designed to accommodate that volume of users all travelling at different speeds.

With cost-effective solutions like enhanced pavement markings and a separate path in the most congested areas, everyone’s trail experience would improve.

While long-term planning projects like the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive provide opportunities to address safety concerns, we must develop and implement plans for near-term, lower-cost improvements now.

In addition to trail separation, our petition draws attention to other critical issues, like public education and trail etiquette, access challenges, the increasing frequency of events that use the trail and year-round maintenance.

These issues affect everyone who uses the trail, from tourists walking along the lakefront for the first time in July to daily commuters who ride on the path throughout the year. All of them were raised in our 2013 People on the Trail Report, published in partnership with Friends of the Parks and the Chicago Area Running Association.

Sign our petition today to support increasing safety on the trail for all users. If you’re interested in getting involved in the campaign, please let us know. You can also donate to the campaign and renew your membership or join as a new member today to show your support.