The city plans to install 20 more miles of bike lanes this spring and summer as part of a continued push to make Chicago more bicycle friendly.
The Chicago Department of Transportation plan includes five miles of protected bike lanes, which are similar to the one found downtown on Dearborn Street. On the North Side, a lane is planned for North Broadway Avenue between Montrose and Foster avenues. In the Loop, Harrison Street will get a bike lane from Desplaines Street to Wabash Avenue. On the West Side, a lane is scheduled to go in on Lake Street from Austin Boulevard to Central Park Avenue.
In addition, the city plans 15 more miles of buffer-protected bike lanes this spring. The painted lanes are planned for California Avenue between Augusta Boulevard and North Avenue; Halsted Street from 26th to 31st streets and Stony Island Avenue from 56thto 63rdstreets, according to transportation officials.
The city also is in the planning phase for 30 more miles of bike projects for the end of this year and early 2015, including Randolph Street from Michigan Avenue to the lakefront trail.
The bicycle push started under then-Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein, who has since left Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration. So far, the city has installed about 50 miles of protected bike lanes with plans for another 50 miles by next year.
Emanuel also brought in the Divvy bike-sharing program with racks of blue rental bikes dotting some city neighborhoods.
On Friday, the city announced that Chicago Bike Week would take place June 13-20. A list of events can be found at bikechicago.us.
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