Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) installed and restriped more than 51 miles of on-street bike facilities throughout Chicago in 2014, including 36.5 miles of protected bikeways.   His plan to install 100 miles of protected bike lanes in the Mayor’s first term in office will be complete this spring.

CDOT has installed 85.5 miles of protected bike lanes throughout the city since Mayor Emanuel came into office in May 2011.  Chicago’s bikeways network now totals more than 227.5 miles, according to CDOT’s annual bikeways report, which was released today.

“Chicago is a national leader in building new and improved cycling facilities, and we are setting a new standard for other cities to follow,” Mayor Emanuel said.  “I look forward to continuing our bikeways construction efforts this year, making cycling safe and more accessible in every part of the city.”

This spring, CDOT will install 14.5 miles of protected bikeways in order to reach the 100-mile goal, including:

The extension of the Milwaukee Avenue bikeways project from Elston Avenue to Division Street, with a combination of buffer and barrier-protected lanes.The extension of the Vincennes Avenue bikeways project down to 105th Street in order to connect with the popular Major Taylor Trail. 

The City also plans to expand the Divvy bike share program with the installation of 175 new stations this spring, bringing the system to 475 stations and 4,750 bikes.  The expansion will give Chicago the most bike share stations and largest service area in North America.

In 2014, CDOT installed more miles of bikeways than in any previous year and expanded the use of green bike lane markings on the street and through intersections.  In October, Chicago was ranked the 2nd Best City for Cycling in the United States by Bicycling magazine.

The 51.25 miles of bike facilities and restriped on-street bikeways in 2014 included:

• 3.25 miles of new barrier-protected lanes on Broadway, Harrison Street and Lake Street
• 33.25 miles of new buffer-protected lanes across the city, including large projects on Armitage Avenue, Damen Avenue and Hubbard Street
• Half-mile neighborhood greenway on Wood Street between Augusta Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue
• 2.5 miles of new standard or shared bike lanes
• 11.75 miles of restriped bike lanes

Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 calls for a 645-mile network of biking facilities to provide a bicycle accommodation within half-mile of every Chicagoan.  A guiding principle of the plan is the concept of balancing roadway space to ensure that all users – pedestrians, transit users, bicyclists and motorists – can travel along and across the street safely. 

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