What's a “bicycle superhighway?”

If you went to Tuesday’s Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 open house meeting, or if you’ve read about it online, you might be wondering what a “bicycle superhighway” is. Here’s a great video explanation from London, which has really embraced the concept.

The Chicago Department of Transportation is looking for feedback at the public meetings on what to call “Bicycle Superhighways” in Chicago, and they’ve offered this explanation of this bike route classification:

Chicago’s most direct routes in and out of the Loop for bicyclists. These “red carpets” for bicycling will be improved over the next eight years to provide bicyclists with the safest, quickest and most comfortable accommodations possible. This will require a level of creativity and innovation in street design and branding new to the United States. Characteristics of bicycle superhighways may include; intersection improvements, colored pavement, improved pavement, traffic signals for bicyclists, more bike parking, unique signage and branding. Specific bike accommodations will be determined through the design and implementation stages of the plan, and the feasibility of the following improvements will be considered, starting from the top:
– Protected bike lanes (preferred treatment)
– Two‐way protected bike lanes
– Buffered bike lanes
– Bike lanes/marked shared lanes

To experience a more literal version of a Bicycle Superhighway, make sure to join us this Sunday for Bike the Drive!