WEST TOWN (WBBM Newsradio) -- The intersection of Grand and Damen Avenues here is a great "before and after" illustration of the city's strategy toward expanding Chicago's network of protected bike lanes.
People riding bikes on Grand between Damen and Western Avenue can do so in a dedicated lane, protected by a hard curb and a row of parallel-parked cars.
But once those cyclists cross Damen heading east, the sign at the corner says it all: "Bike Lane Ends." From that point, people on bikes must rely on the kindness and courtesy of people driving cars and trucks along a corridor with everything from light industrial and commercial activity to condos and small businesses.
Within the next few months, city crews are expected to move forward with a three-year plan to continue that protected lane from Damen east to Ogden. It's being championed by local alderman and avid cyclist Daniel LaSpata, who was on hand last September when the city finished 100 miles of protected bike lanes.
"This is the work for Chicago. We always keep moving forward," said Ald. LaSpata (1st Ward) during that event. "We are genuinely building one of the safest, strongest bike infrastructure cities in the country, and I'm so proud of that."
But Doug Van Tress, whose Golden Triangle antique store moved to this neighborhood from River North five years ago, said the planned lanes will wipe out street parking spaces that businesses in the area need.
"They're going to lose half their parking," Van Tress told WBBM Newsradio. "You put these cement curbs in everywhere, and what parking remains is very hard to get into."
He said Ald. LaSpata told them the project is already out for bid, so it's impossible to make big changes in the plan ... a fact confirmed by a spokesman for the alderman.
And Van Tress said that he sees and understands the safety improvements involved, but he and his group are calling on City Council to consider other changes to make the street safer while not giving business growth a flat tire.
"There's other ways to make the road safe," he said.