Sponsored by: Royal Netherlands Embassy, Washington DC the ... · a result of the implementation of cycling infrastructure. Closing session The closing session was held at the Chicago

Report ThinkBike Workshop

A co-creative work session with Dutch and local experts in Chicago

26 and 27 September 2013

Sponsored by:

Royal Netherlands Embassy, Washington DC and

the City of Chicago.

In co-operation with

Dutch Cycling Embassy

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Report Think Bike workshop in Chicago 26-27 September 2013

1 Introduction After successful “ThinkBike Workshops” in 10 other US cities in 2010, 2011 and 2012 the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, DC has invited the Dutch Cycling Embassy to conduct another series of ThinkBike workshops in two cities in 2013. After Chattanooga the second of these workshops was in Chicago on September 26th and 27th 2013. ThinkBike workshops bring together Dutch cycling experts, local politicians, planners, advocates, engineers and business people in each city to plan and discuss how it can become more cycling-friendly by applying elements of the Dutch approach. Teams consisting of Dutch experts and a mix of local experts convene for two days during which they will survey the cities by bicycle and discuss in workshop format how streets, intersections and whole neighborhoods can be improved to create better conditions for bicycle use. The format allows to discuss all relevant aspects of cycling-related policies of the concerning city. The workshops consist of a kick-off session, open to the general public, followed by the workshops behind closed doors and then concluded with a closing session, again open to the public, where the findings and recommendations of the workshop sessions will be presented by the teams. The Chicago workshop was a collaboration between the City of Chicago, Dutch Cycling Embassy, and the Royal Netherlands Embassy. The problem areas that were chosen to work on were: Study Area 1: Milwaukee Avenue (Division Street to North Avenue), and Study Area 2: Monroe Street (the Loop to the Lakefront Trail) A more detailed explanation of the study areas is given in chapter 4. Objectives of workshop

Exchange ideas on the role of cycling and related policies

Reflect on objectives of Chicago's cycling policies

Explore applicability of Dutch concepts and designs in Chicago in an existing situation

Propose an appropriate mix of interventions and policies (based on both US and Dutch experiences) to strengthen the position of cycling in Chicago

Short overview of the workshop sessions Opening session A well attended opening session took place at the Theatre Room of Collaboraction on Milwaukee Avenue (in study area 1). Opening addresses were given by the transport commissioner of Chicago, Mr. Gabe Klein and Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink. Next, Tom Godefrooij of the Dutch Cycling Embassy gave a comprehensive overview of the Dutch cycling culture with some statistics about use and related policy development and the Dutch practice of intermodality (combined use of bicycle and public transport). In closing, Dick van Veen explained the Dutch planning and design principles and the principles of 'sustainable road safety' (See chapter 2 for further information) Small group work sessions After the opening session the two teams started to work on their assignment. They discussed the nature of the problem, explored the study area by bicycle and brainstormed and discussed possible solutions. Subsequently they elaborated the assignments into:

Street plans showing major choices

Conceptual designs of cross sections

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Visual impressions of what the public space will look

Reference examples

Argumentation for choices made On 27th of September representatives of both teams discussed more general policy issues, concentrating on the largest impediments for progress: the anxiety to lose parking places as a result of the implementation of cycling infrastructure. Closing session The closing session was held at the Chicago Cultural Center. After a short introduction by deputy transport commissioner Scott Kubly and a short explanation by Tom Godefrooij of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, both teams presented their problem analysis and solutions distinguishing between the short term ('now' solutions) and the long term ('wow' solutions). Subsequently they answered a number of questions from the audience. The closing session attracted about 150 people. In the following chapters you will find background information about the cycling culture of the Netherlands (chapter 2), and a description of the current status of cycling in Chicago (chapter 3). Subsequently you will find the findings and recommendations of the two workshop teams in chapter 4.

2 Cycling in The Netherlands

2.1 Short introduction

From the perspective of other countries all Dutch cities are cycling cities (although according to Dutch standards some cities like The Hague and Rotterdam are looked upon as mediocre). They all have qualities that make bicycling so prevalent, and consequently they all enjoy the related co-benefits with regard to health, livability, environment and the local economy. 27% of all trips are made by bicycle and 40% of all trips shorter than 5 km are by bicycle. 2 cities (Zwolle en Groningen) have reached the 50% mark in trip share for the bicycle. The Netherlands is the only country in the World with more bicycles (18 million) than inhabitants (16.5 million). Of course the moderate (mostly mild) weather and the flat surface contribute to the bike-ability of the Netherlands. Cycling in the Netherlands is a quite common mainstream mode of transport, used by all ages and both by men and women (women actually bicycle more often than men). Boys and girls between 12 and 16 bicycle 6.5 km per day on average. The bicycle is used for all purposes (25% of all commuter trips are by bicycle and around 70% of the trips to school). Cycling has an excellent image in the Netherlands and is so common that nobody considers himself a cyclist any more than anyone considers himself a tooth brusher: everyone does it. The Netherlands has the lowest use of bicycle helmets in the world: less than 0.5% of the cyclists wear helmets and we are often asked: why? First of all we prefer to promote active safety (prevention of accidents) rather than passive safety (softening the outcome of accidents). Thereupon we know that enforcing bicycle helmets or even the promotion of helmet use has a discouraging effect on bicycle use. After all the Netherlands is despite (or thanks to) the low helmet use the safest cycling country in the world with less than 10 fatalities per billion bicycled kilometers (Denmark being second with around 20 fatalities per billion bicycled kilometers). Conclusion: the alleged advantages of helmet use are largely outweighed by the disadvantages of the discouraging effect of enforcing helmet use.

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2.2 Philosophy Dutch cycling policies

Dutch bicycle policy has two cornerstones: 1. Dutch traffic and transport planners take cycling seriously as a fully fledged mode of

transport; 2. Dutch urban transport policies are aiming at the optimal mix of transport modes to meet

the need for travel of individuals on the one hand and the best overall result for society on the other hand. Dutch municipalities try to utilize the strengths of each mode of transport, including cycling; that is promoting the most appropriate mode of transport for the type of trip being made.

When it comes to the promotion of bicycle use it is important to bear the following in mind: 1. People bicycle because it is practical and convenient for them, and it is fun to do so. They

don’t bicycle because of all kinds of societal goals like the environment, however important these may be for decision makers! Therefore it cannot be stressed enough what the benefits are of cycling for the actual bicycle user: it is fun, practical, enjoyable, cheap, healthy and it is outdoors.

2. Perceived safety is at least as important for successful promotion of bicycle use as the factual safety. If people feel endangered, they won’t bicycle (and thus they won’t enjoy the fun of cycling either). People appear to have an outspoken preference for the option of undisturbed cycling without the need of being constantly alert for (the dangers of) motor traffic. Hence, the Dutch emphasize segregated cycling facilities along busy arterials and the separation of car traffic and bicycle traffic..

2.3 Dutch design principles

Functional road design is based on road classification according to the principles of sustainable road safety. In principle we distinguish three road categories: through roads with a flow function, distributor roads with the function to open up areas, and access roads with a residential or habitat function.

Complementary principles for integration and segregation of modes: segregation in case of high volumes and high speeds of motorized traffic; in cases where segregation is undesirable or impossible: traffic calming, i.e. decreasing speed and volumes. Or phrased slightly different: segregation when needed and traffic calming when possible.

Taking the cyclist's characteristics and limitations as a starting point.

Application of the five main requirements for cycling infrastructure: coherence, directness, safety, comfort and attractiveness.

Solutions that may follow from the application of these design principles could be:

Cycle paths are recognizable by a colored (reddish) asphalt;

At intersections cycling facilities are continuous, and whenever feasible cyclists get right of way;

Bicycle boxes can be applied at some types of intersections so as to make sure that cyclists won’t be cut off by right turning cars;

In case of car parking along the road: positioning of the cycling facility on the right hand side of the parking lane instead of on the left hand side to minimize the number of potential conflicts (dooring).

In general we can observe that over the past four decades the Netherlands has seen a re-allocation of urban road space in favor of cyclists and pedestrians. Whenever appropriate space for motorized traffic is confined and traffic calming measures are being applied.

2.4 Road safety education

At elementary schools in the Netherlands ‘traffic education’ is part of the curriculum for children at the age of 10. The curriculum consists of educating children traffic rules, road behavior and road safety. As a part of this traffic education children have to pass a ‘traffic

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exam’. For this exam the children have to cycle a specific route, and observers along the route check whether their road behavior is in accordance with the rules. Thus, every Dutch person is confident with the basic principles of cycling and appropriate road behavior as a cyclist. In addition to this, road authorities pay attention to a good design of school routes and traffic calmed school zones so as to enable children to use the road safely.

2.5 Integration of cycling and public transport

Being the second most important mode of transport in the Netherlands, cycling has also an important role for the functioning of the Dutch public transport system. Public transport in the Netherlands is predominantly being used for interurban trips and the backbone of the public transport system is the railway system. About 40% of the train passengers use bicycles to get to the railway station, and about 15% is (also) using a bicycle to get from the station to their final destination. A number of facilities and services is enhancing a smooth transfer between the bicycle and the public transport vehicle.

2.6 Bicycle parking

No cycling without bicycle parking. The substantial share of cycling in the urban transport mix is also a challenge to road authorities and other stakeholders to provide sufficient bicycle parking facilities at major attraction points. Over the past 20 year there is a growing attention for high quality bicycle parking facilities. These facilities offer (some) protection against theft, stimulate orderly bicycle parking (thus enhancing the quality of public space) and make bicycle use more attractive as well. A quality mark has been created to assist involved parties to select good quality bicycle parking facilities.

2.7 More information

A broad overview of Cycling in the Netherlands can be found in the generic presentation of Cycling in the Netherlands; the brochure “Cycling in the Netherlands” and “Fietsberaad publication 7. Bicycle policies of the European principals: continuous and integral” (see Reference list for links). Or watch the short film on the site of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: www.dutchcycling.nl.

3 Cycling in Chicago

3.1 Current use & safety figures

Bike Counts

2013 Chicago Downtown Summer Bike Count – 14,508 cyclists were counted during peak hours at 20 locations, 5 percent of those cyclists were using the newly available Divvy bike share bikes.

Milwaukee Avenue: cyclists represent over 40 percent of peak hour traffic.

Dearborn Street: Since the installation of a two-way cycle track, northbound bicycle traffic has increased by more than 100% to almost 600 cyclists during the PM peak rush period.

Chicago’s bicycle commuter mode sharemore than doubled from .5 percent to 1.3 percent (5,956 cyclists to 15,096 cyclists per day) from the year 2000 to 2010. From 2010 to 2012 it increased another 23% to 1.6%.

Crash reports From 2005 to 2010 there were a total of 32 fatal bicycle crashes and 8,961 bicycle related injuries.

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3.2 Current perceptions

Cycling in Chicago is perceived fairly well compared to other big cities in the US. The media is mostly supportive of the protected bike lane initiative and the DIVVY bike share program. There is still quite a bit of “motorist vs. cyclist” hostility, but citizens are generally interested in creating safer streets for everyone.

3.3 Current policies

Bike 2015 plan– Chicago’ second bike plan released in 2006 that includes recommendations on programs, policies, bikeways, bike parking, education, enforcement, crash analysis, and transit connections.

Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 – Plan to build a highly connected bike network of 645 miles of on street bikeways. This plan created three categories of bike routes: 1. Neighborhood Bike Routes – uses quiet, mostly residential streets for a safe and

calm bike route that connects to local destinations. 2. Crosstown Bike Routes – Uses collector and arterial roadways to get cyclists across

Chicago and will lead to major destinations. 3. Spoke Routes – Direct routes in and out of the Loop (downtown) that will provide a

comfortable and continuous bikeway for all areas of Chicago.

Complete Streets Design Guidelines – Policy to create safe and convenient streets for all transportation system users using a pedestrian-first modal hierarchy. Projects and programs will favor pedestrians first, and then transit riders, cyclists, and automobiles.

Chicago 2011 Transition Plan – Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to provide services at a lower price, ensure children get a world-class education, and make Chicago’s streets safer. This plan called for a world-class bike network that will increase cycling by creating an aggressive goal of installing 100 miles of protected bike lane by 2015 as well as other innovative bike facilities.

Chicago Forward: Action Agenda –Established the goal of making Chicago the best big city in America for bicycling and walking, 100 miles of protected bike lanes, an additional 10 miles of bike lanes and 10 miles of neighborhood greenways by 2015, and launching the Divvy bike share program.

Chicago Transportation Officials are often referencing design guidelines such as the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Design Guide.

3.4 Existing facilities & service

Total Bikeway Mileage:

Barrier Protected Bike Lanes –16.5

Buffer Protected Bike lanes – 33

Traditional Bike Lanes – 123

Marked Shared Lane Markings –41 Divvy bike share program

Launched on June 28th, 2013 with a goal of 4,000 bikes and 400 stations across Chicago by spring 2014.

300 Stations, approximately 3,000 bikes (as of 11/11/13)

Over 600,000 trips taken and 11.000 annual members (as of 11/11/13) Bike Parking

Over 14,500 installed bike racks located across Chicago

20 on-street bike corrals

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12 additional corrals planned for Summer/Fall 2013 Safe Routes and Bicycling Ambassadors

Team education specialists who encourage Chicagoans to ride their bikes more often and safely.

The bicycling ambassadors have three objectives:

Increase the number of trips made by bicycle

Reduce the number of bicycle-related injuries

Help all users: bicyclists, motorists, and pedestrians to better share the road and off-street trails.

Bikeway Maintenance

Monthly bikeway street sweeping to ensure a safe, clean, and debris free riding experience.

Winter snow removal on bikeways, including parking protected bike lanes.

3.5 Important stakeholders

Public outreach is done for all of Chicago projects in order to receive feedback before installation of each project. Meetings are conducted with Aldermen, business owners, State Officials, advocacy groups, and the general public.

Aldermen The Chicago Department of Transportation works very closely with the City’s 50 Aldermen. Aldermanic support is very important when implementing the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 city-wide bike network.

Businesses Local chambers of commerce, specific business along project corridors

State Officials When installing bike facilities on State-owned roadways or when using state money, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) officials must review and approve roadway designs prior to installation.

Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council (MBAC) Quarterly meetings with key transportation officials, planners, engineers and other stakeholders to discuss past, present, and upcoming bicycle related projects and issues. The public is invited to attend these meetings and encouraged to participate in the discussions.

Advocacy Groups The Active Transportation Alliance, West Town Bikes, The Chainlink

4 Working session reports

4.1 Study Area 1: Milwaukee Avenue (Division Street to North Avenue)

4.1.1 The assignment

Bicyclists use Milwaukee Avenue more than any other street in Chicago. Over 1,000 cyclists pass by any given point during typical AM and PM rush periods, and estimates put the daily number of cyclists over 6,000. With that said, this stretch of Milwaukee Avenue is very congested and narrow. It is a 40-42’ roadway from face of curb to face of curb, with two 7’ parking lanes and two 13 or 14’ shared lanes. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Route 56 bus uses Milwaukee and approximately 10-15,000 cars per day use this corridor. Discussions have started on how to make this street operate better for bicyclists, but there is no easy solution due to the constrained right-of-way.

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4.1.2 Work session report

Charrette leader: Dick van Veen This Thinkbike Chicago 2013 team focused on the area of Milwaukee Avenue, between the intersection of Division Street and the intersection with Damen and North Avenue. This diagonal in the rigid street grid of Chicago serves as a through route from the northwest neighborhoods to downtown Chicago. Chicago implemented a lot of cycle infrastructure in the past years along other sections of Milwaukee Avenue, however not on this stretch.

Project area, and street impression. The team started with an inventory of the problems:

High Congestion of all modes of traffic (vehicle, bike and pedestrian)

Narrow Roadway

Narrow sidewalks

High Conflict Intersections

Lack of Public Space

Excessive Loading Zones

Double-parking The main problems the team encountered were related to traffic safety and traffic flow, but also involved lack of space for shops, and squares. The road is not wide enough for two-way car traffic, two-way bike traffic and parking on both sides. The shops and bars along the street have very little public space in front of their businesses. The two major intersection are very confusing and dangerous, because of the traffic volume, the six arms of the intersections and the angle of the diagonal with the rectangular grid.

In short, this whole area radiates a big conflict between the form, the function and the use of the street. Is it meant to be a shopping street with little traffic, or should it be a car route going downtown or should it be a bicycle 'highway' running diagonallyl through the grid.

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In order to change the character of this area the team focused on slowly transitioning from a traffic street, in the now, into a pedestrianized place, in the future, the wow. The NOW stands for measures to be taken immediately: thus making the street a safe place, while the WOW implies to grasp all major opportunities that are there, in the future.

The team chose the following elements to be ingredients for an improved Milwaukee Avenue:

Vibrant shops, restaurants, bars and businesses

Reduce through car traffic, while maintaining local traffic

Slower driving speeds

Maintain bus with reduced stops

Maintain and enhance bike traffic

More efficient parking and loading zones

Safe and recognizable entrances

Neighborhood branding The first step to take is to divert the through car traffic away from the route. This is done by improving other routes, mainly via North and Division to the Kennedy Expressway (and Elston Avenue) which runs parallel to the route. Therefore the traffic flow on Division Street and North Avenue needs to be improved. Damen Avenue and Ashland Avenue (with Bus Rapid Transit) will also benefit from improved traffic flow at Division.

Also, bus stops on the other routes in the network, which account for quite a lot of disturbance in the traffic flow, have to be optimized. It is proposed to remove bus stops on Milwaukee Avenue at Honore and Paulina to improve the flow of bus and other traffic and to reduce the conflict between cyclists and bus traffic. At the same time the team is proposing that Milwaukee Ave will be reconstructed to make it less attractive for through car traffic. The parking on one side is reallocated at the dead end side streets, making them ‘parking pockets’ thus making more efficient use of the available space.

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The street design then asks for bike lanes along the sidewalk edges. These are slightly raised from the roadway. The one sided parking which remains on the road is shifting from the left to the right. As a result the roadway will be meandering through the area. This is unattractive for through traffic, but access for local traffic is being maintained, be it at a slow pace. For cyclists the route will become a high quality bike route.

In the long term, the parking is completely removed to locations off roads. The street transforms into a plaza, where cars pass at a slow pace and cyclists and pedestrians are the main users.

From 'now' to 'wow'

Intersections Vital for the proposals of the team is the design of the intersections with North and Damen Avenue in the north and with Division Street and Ashland Avenue in the south. Both intersections should:

Act as a gateway

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Slow down traffic

Reduce conflicts between different modes

Provide way finding to alternative routes

Create an Identity Milwaukee / Ashland / Division (Polonia Triangle)

The 'Polonia Triangle' is currently a kind of 'left over' space in the middle of three intersections. The team is proposing to emphasize the function for transit including taxis and to divert through motor traffic along Milwaukee via Ashland Avenue and Division Street. The available space can then be used for protected bicycle lanes and taxi stands.

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Milwaukee / North / Damen

The spatial context of the Milwaukee/North/Damen (i.e. the historic building around the intersection) is restricting the possibilities for the most obvious traffic engineering solutions for the traffic flows across the intersection like a roundabout. For that reason the team decided to design this intersection as a square where the space is shared by all modes at low speeds.

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The proposal of the Milwaukee team can be summarized as a recommendation to rebalance the street to emphasize place/destination and to encourage local traffic. The start should be to improve safety and to make the street more attractive. To make this all happen it is vital to work with the local community to incorporate their views and to identify best strategies for enhancing places to foster a vibrant business district.

4.2 Study Area 2: Monroe Street (the Loop to the Lakefront Trail)

4.2.1 The assignment

Monroe Street runs through Grant Park and connects Chicago’s downtown (the Loop) to the Lakefront. The Loop is the City’s major employment hub and many bicyclists commute to work via the Lakefront Trail. Because of Grant Park, there are very few options for bicyclists to travel east/west to/from the Lakefront Trail and their jobs downtown. Monroe Street is one of the options, but it is a very wide, car-oriented street. Between Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive it is a two-way street, with 4-6 lanes of traffic and it varies between 52’ and 68’. There are also very wide sidewalks on both sides of the street, varying between 16’ and 24’, but these sidewalks are often congested with pedestrians.

At the east terminus where Monroe Street intersects with Lake Shore Drive, there is a heavily used access point to the Lakefront Trail for bicyclists and pedestrians. However, it is challenging for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Lake Shore Drive, because of conflicting signal timing and high-turn volumes for motorists. As Monroe Street continues west past Michigan Avenue it turns into a one-way eastbound street. Bicyclists are forced to continue north or south on Michigan Avenue, a very unpleasant street to ride on. Most bicyclists would like to continue west into the Loop. Additionally, two and three blocks north, the City will be installing protected bike lanes on Washington and Randolph Streets as part of a Bus Rapid Transit project. There are several challenges in this corridor:

Improving the mid-block bicycle accommodations along Monroe Street

Improving the intersection of Monroe Street and Lake Shore Drive

Providing accommodations for westbound bicyclists who wish to continue past Michigan Avenue and into the Loop

Providing a connection between Monroe Street and Michigan Avenue and the planned protected bike lanes on Washington and Randolph Streets

4.2.2 Work session report

A lack of connection of the Lakefront Trail with Downtown (the Loop) where many people work was the main reason for this assignment. Monroe street is one of the streets heading from the lakeside into downtown (the Loop) Chicago. At the lakeside is one of Chicago's most used bike ways: the 18-mile long lakefront bike trail which is used by thousands of cyclists daily. The 'Monroe team’ consisted of about 10 persons, 6 were professionals working for the city and/or another governmental organization, 2 were from the advocacy organization, one was a resident, and one represented the business owners within the loop. During the exploring bicycle ride the team concluded that Monroe street was divided into two parts: the park section and the loop section. Additionally it became clear that the (lacking) network connectivity (which was the reason for this case) is not only problematic in the east-west direction; also the connectivity north south under the Loop needs consideration. For this reason the team included the Wabash Avenue in its deliberations. After the site visit by bicycle the team started the problem analysis using post-it notes to identify problems and underlying causes.

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The main challenges identified were:

Connect Lakefront, loop businesses, transit stations

Decrease sense of separation between parks

Create interesting spaces that attract people

The next step was to take a look at how the road network is being used by the various modes of transport and to identify streets that (have to) function as the main arterials for the different modes. Additionally the main destinations in the Loop area were identified:

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The team broke up in three subteams to to look at three possible designs: 1. Monroe Street - Loop section – 'Now' and the connection with Wabash 2. Monroe Street - Loop section – 'Wow' 3. Monroe Street - Park section – 'Now' and 'Wow' Under the guidance of the Dutch expert the participants were challenged to think in 'now' and in 'wow'. Now implied to design things that could be easily implemented without many troubles and the 'wow' would be a more ambitious vision for future possibilities. Monroe Street Loop section

The Monroe Street Loop section initially appeared to be a very big challenge. Because of the amount of activity going on in the street, combined with one-way traffic, the team looked for alternatives for cyclists going into the Loop. However, after a closer inspection of the road design and the activities going on, it

Flow function bicycles Flow function cars

Flow function Transit Destinations

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was found that the 4-lane road did not handle as much traffic as initially thought: only about 16.000 vehicles a day. With better enforcement and restrictions on stopping on the road a 2-way cycle path would be easily implemented by taking out one car lane. This conclusion led to the designs below made for the consecutive parts of Monroe Street.

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As the network analysis revealed that Wabash Avenue is an essential element of the main cycling network, a new design was made for Wabash avenue as well.

Monroe Street Loop section 'wow'

Ater seeing the quick results of the now for Monroe Street in the Loop, the wow-team started thinking about an even better solution. With a proper understanding of a hierarchical road network and using ITS it is possible to prioritize certain roads for traffic, making them high capacity through roads thus allowing to reduce the capacity on other roads. By this approach the importance of Monroe Street for vehicular traffic can be reduced drastically and ultimately the street can be closed down altogether for through traffic without increasing congestion in the city. Accessibility issues of premises, hotels and shops were solved by customized designs, like a cul-de-sac for the Palmer House Hotel.

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Monroe Street before

…and after

Cul-de- Sac solution to maintain accessibility of premises, hotels and shops

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Monroe Street Park section 'now'

Monroe Street in the park was recognized as an over dimensioned road. The available six lanes of traffic are excessive for the volumes of traffic. By Dutch standards, a 2-lane road would suffice to handle the traffic on the road. The now design was easily accomplished without a lot of discussion: a 2-way separated cycleway alongside the whole length of the road.

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Monroe Street Park section 'wow'

The wow design proved to be a bit of a bigger challenge: a discussion started on how to cross Lake Shore Drive. Building a tunnel would mean that motor traffic at Lake Shore Drive will have no direct access anymore to Monroe Street. During the discussion the awareness came that it should not be a problem to redirect traffic to Jackson Drive and Randolph Street, which were underutilized as well. An additional advantage was that traffic on Lake Shore Drive would be able to flow more smoothly. With regard to the design of an underpass the Dutch experts stressed the importance of a design that looks open and surveyable, unlike some current underpasses in Chicago

These underpasses trigger a feeling of insecurity and are not very attractive to use

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A clear unobstructed view and day light are important requirements in the design of underpasses.

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The wow ultimately meant closing down Monroe Street for traffic altogether, redirecting vehicular traffic to Jackson Drive and Randolph Street and creating a big avenue from the Loop onto the Lakefront. During weekdays this street could be used by cyclists and tourists. This design is also very practical in case of events at the lakeside, because the tunnel design (very wide with a slightly raised lakefront drive) would be able to easily handle huge crowds, providing access to the lakefront.

4.3 Getting public support

Representatives of both teams sat together on 27th of September to discuss more general policy issues. The conversation very quickly focused on the issue of overcoming opposition and getting public support. Clearly, the removal of parking space could easily raise opposition. Thus it is important to understand the concerns of potential opponents and to explore how their interests can be served as well. Both teams became aware of the importance to discuss their recommendations with local stakeholders and to be open for improvements and modifications. A search for 'win / win' solutions is probably more fruitful than a fight on conflicting views.

5 Composition of the teams The teams consisted out of a mix of city and state transportation officials, policy makers, advocates, business representatives and members of the general public. Milwaukee Avenue Study Area

(moderated by Dick van Veen)

Name Affiliation Title

Dave Smith CDOT Bike Program Bikeways Planner Hannah Higgins CDOT Complete Streets Program Project Manager Lee Crandell Active Transportation Alliance Director of

Campaigns Jim Merrell Active Transportation Alliance Campaign Manager Jessica Wobbenkind

Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area (SSA)

Program Manager

Brent Norsman Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area Commissioner

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(SSA) Jacob Peters 1st Ward Transportation Advisory Committee Member Lindsay Bayley Chicagoland Metropolitan Agency for Planning

(CMAP) Senior Planner

John Wirtz Jacobs Engineering Transportation Engineer

Mike Miller DB Sterling Transportation Engineer

Mike Folkening CivilTech Transportation Engineer

Brian Almdale CDOT Bike Program Intern

Monroe Street Study Area

(moderated by Sjors van Duren)

Name Affiliation Title

Brad Topol CDOT Bike Program Bikeways Engineer David Leopold CDOT Complete Streets Program Program Manager Marissa Dolan Active Transportation Alliance Transportation

Planner Brenna Conway Active Transportation Alliance Campaign Manager Bob Foster Chicago Park District Greg Borzo Resident Mike Edward Chicago Loop Alliance Executive Director Mike Magnuson Benesch Engineering Senior Project

Manager Mark O'Neil EJM Engineering Transportation

Planner Sarah Kellerman Sam Schwartz Engineering Intern

6 Suggestions for additional sources of information This chapter contains a detailed overview of web resources suggested to the teams for preparation purposes.

6.1 Cycling in the Netherlands

Brochure “Cycling in the Netherlands”(2009) http://www.fietsberaad.nl/library/repository/bestanden/CyclingintheNetherlands2009.pdf

Report Fietsberaad Publication 7: Bicycle policies of the European principals: continuous and integral http://www.fietsberaad.nl/index.cfm?lang=nl&repository=Fietsberaad+publication+7+als+dochter+van+de+nederlandse+versie

Generic Presentation on Cycle Policy and design in the Netherlands http://www.fietsberaad.nl/index.cfm?lang=nl&repository=Generic+presentation+Fietsberaad+International

Amsterdam Bicycles (82 pictures) http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/

Video “Amsterdam: The Bicycling Capitol of Europe” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk6YxhKH590

Video “How the Dutch got their cycle paths” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o

Bicycle Dutch: blog with lots of interesting posts, comments and links http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/

Bicycle Council(governmental expertise centre on bicycle planning)

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http://www.fietsberaad.nl/index.cfm?lang=en

Dutch Cycling Embassy (also featuring the video “Cycling for everyone”) http://www.dutchcycling.nl

6.2 General

Wikipedia about sustainable mobility http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_mobility

Wikipedia about mobility (utility) cycling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_cycling

A definition of mobility management http://www.epomm.eu/index.php?id=2590

Cycling Rules! http://www.cyclingrules.org

Cycle Chic from Copenhagen http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

Website from an Amsterdam bicyclist to inspire others http://amsterdamize.com/

7 CVs Dutch Experts Tom Godefrooij, Dutch Cycling Embassy

Tom Godefrooij (1950) is a sustainable transport specialist. After his graduation in architecture in 1975 he worked a few years as an architect. In 1981 he joined the Dutch Cyclists’ Union to make a publication on traffic calming. Subsequently he became policy director of the Dutch Cyclists’ Union and dealt with virtually all aspects of cycling, ranging from road safety and infrastructure design and policy development to technical standards for vehicles and equipment. From 1996 to 1999 he was president of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), and in 2000 he was programme director for the international cycling conference Velo Mondial 2000 in Amsterdam. In 2001 took up office with the Dutch Province of Noord-Brabant to become project manager for the drafting of the Provincial Traffic and Transport Plan. This plan defines the roles of the various modes of transport in the transport system and provides a framework the transport policies of the municipal governments in the province. The plan was approved in 2006.

From 2006 - 2011 he was employed by Interface of Cycling Expertise (I-CE), being responsible for capacity building activities in the field of cycling-inclusive policy development. In this capacity he worked in India, South Africa, Tanzania, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Israel, Turkey and Ghana. Now he is senior policy advisor at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, a public private body created in 2011 in order to make the Dutch cycling culture better known internationally and to share any relevant cycling-related expertise and experiences.

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Dick van Veen, Consultant/Designer @ Mobycon

“What kind of world do we want to live in? How can we as designers make that world a reality?” Underlying all Dick’s work is a belief that design should be used to preserve public space and encourage human interaction in that space. All road users are equal and vulnerable users should be prioritized. As a designer for city planning and traffic engineering, Dick is an expert at creative solutions that fit their context and make use of the space available.

Dick is experienced in creating car and bike parking and bringing traffic types together in harmony through retrofitting streets and developing Shared Space projects for Dutch cities. He works with municipalities and regions in Holland and abroad. Most recently, Dick has been giving design advice to Canadian cities building new bike infrastructure. Internationally, Dick has teaching experience in Canada, the USA, Greece and Finland. Through these design workshops, Dick has helped train city planners and traffic engineers in bicycle planning. Dick has a Master’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a speciality in Transportation & Planning, both earned from the Technical University in Delft. Always up for an adventure, Dick keeps active when not at work through skiing, sailing or just riding around town with his daughter on the back of his bike. She is one more reason, he believes so strongly in safe roads. Links: LinkedIn: http://nl.linkedin.com/in/dickvanveen Twitter http://twitter.com/Dickvanveen Sjors van Duren, Arnhem Nijmegen City Region

Sjors van Duren (1985) is a traffic and spatial planner. He works for the Arnhem Nijmegen City Region, a cooperation between two bigger cities and 18 smaller municipalities, together with about 720.000 inhabitants. He graduated in 2009 at the Radboud University with a Msc degree in spatial planning, back then focusing on the tendering process for regional public transport, especially how to gain commitment and involvement from crucial stakeholders with interests in public transport. Before finishing his thesis, Sjors was already

employed at the Arnhem Nijmegen City Region and was working with on the project ‘RijnWaalpad’: the first super cycle highway (currently under construction) in the region. The 'RijnWaalpad' will be connecting the cities Arnhem and Nijmegen over a distance of 16km. In 2009 Sjors coordinated the development of a new cycling policy for the city region, aiming at:

Development of more super cycle highways;

Increasing bicycle parking capacity at public transport nodes;

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Cooperation with employers to stimulate employees to use the bicycle instead of the car for commuting.

Since 2009 Sjors coordinates all cycling projects in the city region and is very closely involved in the development of the super cycle highways, starting from the first explorations to suitable routes, to creating political commitment and ending with a marketing campaign aimed at car drivers. Sjors coordinated a number of studies ranging from design questions to cost-benefit analyses. (See also www.Arnhemnijmegencycling.com.) In the last two years the projects in the Arnhem Nijmegen City Region got some international attention. In Austria, Sri Lanka and Germany presentations were given and delegation from the UK (a delegation from Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and the traffic and transport minister of Scotland) and Germany visited the Arnhem Nijmegen City Region to take a look at the development of the RijnWaalpad.