Street improvements are coming to Clark Street between Montrose to Winnemac. These changes will make the street more comfortable for everyone – whether they walk, drive, bike, or take transit – and improve access to local businesses.

Clark Street is a vital neighborhood hub connecting the Andersonville, Ravenswood, and Uptown communities. In Uptown, 42% of households do not own a vehicle, and many residents rely on walking, biking, and public transit for their daily trips. Over the past two years, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) worked with the community to create a vision for Clark Street. This process highlighted a strong desire to create a more vibrant, walkable neighborhood corridor, to improve safety and predictability for all users, and to provide connections to the existing bike network.

The project includes improved pedestrian crossings, lower vehicle speeds, and provide a physically separated lane for people cycling on Clark Street. This will create a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone and will also provide critical cycling connections to bike routes on Leland, Glenwood, Winnemac (upcoming), and Lawrence.

This proposal is based on the feedback received during outreach for the Clark Street Crossroads Corridor Study and aligns with CDOT’s Chicago Cycling Strategy.

The Clark Street Crossroads Study was a partnership between CDOT, DPD, and the 40th, 46th, and 47th Ward Offices with the goal of creating a vision for the Clark Street Corridor from Montrose to Foster guided by community input. The study kicked off with a Discovery Phase that began in Fall 2021 and culminated in the publication of a final study, which was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission on March 16, 2023. The plan was led by a steering committee that included CDOT, DPD, the 40th, 46th, and 47th Wards, three chambers of commerce, and four neighborhood organizations. Community outreach conducted during the study included:

• Two virtual workshops (February 2022 & January 2023)
• An in-person open house at Chase Park with nearly 480 attendees (July 2022)
• A community survey with nearly 2,000 responses
• Feedback from more than 270 website comments
• An interactive online map with more than 120 comments
• Two focus groups

The study’s engagement process identified protected bike lanes as the top street priority for the corridor. This was reflected in the corridor-wide implementation recommendations, which included evaluating the feasibility of protected bike lanes through technical analysis and stakeholder outreach and implementing feasible improvements.

Extending protected bike lanes on Clark Street also aligns with the Chicago Cycling Strategy, which focuses on developing low-stress bike routes (such as protected bike lanes) that cross network barriers, connect neighborhoods to one another, and provide access to neighborhood destinations. Clark is a critical citywide cycling corridor which achieves these goals.

• People walking and biking on Clark are disproportionately injured in crashes
  • Over half of all crashes resulting in an injury involved people walking or biking.
  • Nearly 60% of serious injury crashes along this portion of Clark involved people walking or biking.
• Some people are driving at dangerous speeds on Clark
  • 700 drivers were recorded going faster than 30 MPH in one day, with a top speed of 66 MPH.
• Many parking spaces on Clark go unused
  • Based on parking studies along Clark Street, less than 30% of the on-street parking spaces on Clark are occupied on an average weekday.
• Separating modes improves safety for everyone
  • After installation of the Clark Street protected bike lane south of Montrose, CDOT observed a 75% reduction in vehicles traveling over 30 MPH.
  • Following the installation of the Milwaukee protected bike lane, injury crashes were cut in half.
• Economic impacts of bike lanes are positive or neutral
  • Following bike lane construction, most economic indicators are positive or neutral, accoring to a recent analysis in Chicago. Both protected bike lanes and traditional bike lanes were included in the analysis. 
  • Residents and customers also expressed support for the safety and accessibility benefits of the bike lanes.

In response to community feedback and initial planning and feasibility, CDOT is proposing to install protected bike lanes and enhanced pedestrian crossings on Clark between Montrose and Winnemac. These changes will enable residents of all ages to more easily travel to parks, schools, restaurants, and local businesses, and will create a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone.

Changes to on-street parking are required for the implementation of these safety elements. An analysis of on-street parking utilization found less than half of the existing on-street parking spaces in the project corridor are utilized during the day. On-street parking will remain on one side of the street, and parking will be available on each block to support local businesses.

• Higher comfort and slower vehicle speeds for everyone living, working, and visiting Clark Street.
• Improved mobility options for everyone. The addition of protected bike lanes will better organize the street and make traveling safer and more intuitive for everyone. Protected bike lanes are also more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities and will help more people bike to their destinations.
• More comfortable crossings and improved access to businesses, parks, and more for people walking, cycling, and taking transit along Clark Street. Pedestrian crossing exposure will be reduced by 50% providing greater visibility for all users.
• Enhanced bike network by connecting the neighborhood to multiple family friendly low-stress bike routes, including the Berteau, Glenwood, Leland, and upcoming Winnemac Neighborhood Greenways.

Clark Street from Montrose to Winnemac.