Changing my tune on city bike lanes after a rainy Chicago commute

I used to think bike lanes were a waste of street space, especially the protected kind with the plastic posts. Then I had to ride from the Loop to Wicker Park during an evening downpour last spring, around 6 PM on a Tuesday. Cars kept swerving into the door zone because the lane was just painted lines, and I nearly got clipped twice. But the stretch on Milwaukee Avenue where they built the concrete barrier lane felt totally different, even in the rain. I could actually focus on puddles and slick tracks instead of watching every side mirror. It changed how I see infrastructure spending, more barriers, fewer paint jobs. Has anyone else had a moment where a specific street or route flipped their take on urban planning?

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the_leo8d ago

Ha, I'm on the opposite side of this one. Those concrete barriers in Wicker Park just made the parking situation worse for everyone else and they didn't even stop delivery trucks from blocking the lane. Checked the crash numbers last year and they barely moved, so it feels like a lot of money for a nicer looking bike ride.

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