Winter Cyclists Test Out New Chicago Bike Lanes

How do people bike in 32F weather? If you’re a Chicagoan, easily. As John Greenfield writes in Streetsblog Chicago, “If you dress in warm, rain-and-snow-resistant layers, and your bike has lights and fenders (or you just use an affordable Divvy membership), cycling short distances year 'round here is at least as comfortable and convenient as other modes.”

According to Greenfield, he counted at least 18 people riding bikes on new protected bike lanes on Milwaukee Avenue during a 45-minute period on December 5 despite 25F degree weather. On a later, warmer day, another Streetsblog reporter counted 47 northbound cyclists in an hour.

With Milwaukee Avenue being the city’s deadliest bike route, Greenfield notes that there is an “urgent need” for protected bike lanes on the entire 10.6-mile street. “That's going to become more obvious in the future, as Chicago gets closer to having a citywide network of connected, protected lanes, and our city's bike and e-scooter mode share continues to grow. As that happens, more residents learn that using those vehicles during the winter is easier than one might think.”