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Active Transportation Alliance statement on Uptown truck-bike crash
For Immediate Release
June 10, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kyle Whitehead
Managing Director of Public Affairs
Active Transportation Alliance
312-216-0473
kyle@activetrans.org
Active Transportation Alliance statement on Uptown bike crash
Following is a statement from Active Transportation Alliance Executive Director Amy Rynell on Thursday’s truck-bike crash that resulted in the death of a 3-year-old girl
Chicago, IL: This crash is just the latest tragic example that even designated bike routes like Leland are often unsafe and uncomfortable for people biking. City officials clearly need to do more to control car and truck speed and volume on neighborhood routes like Leland.
Neighborhood greenways – or bicycle boulevards as they’re known in other cities – typically feature hard infrastructure to slow down traffic to safe speeds and deter many cars and trucks from using the street altogether. This segment of Leland features only dashed painted bike lanes. Features like concrete curb extensions, bump outs, and raised crosswalks and intersections would transform Leland into a much safer street.
The prevalence of large trucks in serious and fatal bike and pedestrian crashes continues to raise alarm bells. City and state officials and private companies must do more to require sideguards and high-visibility mirrors on all large trucks, and better manage truck volume on local streets.
These issues have been discussed for years in neighborhoods across Chicago, yet little has been done to fix our most dangerous streets and make designated bike routes truly safe and comfortable for all. This patchwork approach of addressing one block here and another few blocks over there is not working. City officials need to fundamentally redesign entire corridors and add life-saving infrastructure that slows down cars and trucks and protects vulnerable people on bikes.
Photo Credit: John Greenfield, Streetsblog Chicago
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About the Active Transportation Alliance
The Active Transportation Alliance is a not-for-profit advocacy organization that promotes walking, bicycling, and public transit to create healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. The organization works to build a movement around active transportation, encourage physical activity, increase safety, and build a world-class transportation network. The Active Transportation Alliance has more than 20,0000 members and supporters in the Chicago region. For more information about the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.
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