Greenways offer hidden gems for Chicago cyclists
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The quiet School/Aldine Greenway in Lakeview includes traffic calming features like speed humps and sharrows indicating a shared roadway. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Amid a wave of recent cycle and scooter deaths, many Chicagoans are looking to infrastructure for answers.
- But some of that infrastructure could be hiding in plain sight, in 85.2 miles of quiet greenways that wind their way through the city.
What are greenways? Quieter residential streets designated for cyclists tucked away a few streets over from busy streets.
- The city describes them as "low-stress alternatives to arterial roadways. Priority for cyclists is created with traffic calming for motor vehicles, enhanced signage, special pavement markings, and sometimes facilitating two-way bike travel on one-way side streets."
What they're saying: "Greenways are the perfect balance of quick, comfortable, and cost-effective!" Ald. Daniel La Spata, who chairs the City Council's Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee, tells Axios.
Top trails: "I have to stand by the newly expanded Rockwell Greenway, which is my favorite way to traverse Logan Square going north and south," La Spata says.
- Mayor Brandon Johnson, an avid cyclist, tells Axios his favorite greenway is Lavergne Avenue from Hirsch to Madison.
Driving the news: Last month, after Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth announced new geofencing to keep e-bikes and e-scooters off Sheridan Road, she urged folks to switch over to the nifty Kenmore and Winthrop Avenue greenways that run parallel to Sheridan.
Monica's thought bubble: I'm always shocked when I gush about greenways at cocktail parties only to hear my confused pals ask: "greenwhats?"
- My faves are the east-west sister greenways of Roscoe and School/Aldine that run parallel to Belmont. I ride them to and from the lake regularly.
- I may have even "advised" random lakebound cyclists on Belmont to take their kids and unhelmeted heads over to the School Greenway for a safer ride.
For a complete list of greenways, you can check out this great city map, but in the meantime, here are more bossy swaps I'd urge Chicago cyclists to make.
Do you have a favorite greenway or tip for finding quieter biking routes in Chicago? Email us at [email protected].