Since the advent of the bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

in the 1860s, Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 has been distinguished as one of the premier cycling locations in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, with such public cycling destinations as Grant Park

Grant Park (Chicago)

Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...

, Burnham Park

Burnham Park (Chicago)

Burnham Park is a public park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The park, which lines along six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, connects Grant Park at 14th st. to Jackson Park at 56th St. The of parkland is owned and managed by Chicago Park District. It was named for urban...

 and the Chicago Park District

Chicago Park District

The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...

's Lakefront Trail. Chicago is named a cycling capital of the United States by a prominent national magazine.

History

Early bicycles arrived in Chicago in the 1860s. By 1900, there were 54 bicycle clubs with more than 10,000 members. Bicycle advocacy

Advocacy

Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...

 has been present in Chicago since the early days of the city. Carter H. Harrison II

Carter Harrison, Jr.

Carter Henry Harrison, Jr. served as Mayor of Chicago . The City's 30th mayor, he was the first actually born in Chicago....

, a mayoral candidate, was an advocate for cyclists. One of his campaign

Political campaign

A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...

 poster

Poster

A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...

s presented him as "Not the Champion Cyclist; But the Cyclists' Champion." Harrison won the mayoral election and attributed his victory to strong support from cyclists, and rewarded his supporters with a bike path along Sheridan Road

Sheridan Road

Sheridan Road is a major north-south thoroughfare that leads from Diversey Parkway in Chicago, Illinois, north to the Illinois-Wisconsin border and beyond to Racine. Throughout most of its run, it is the easternmost north-south through street, closest to Lake Michigan...

 from Edgewater

Edgewater

Edgewater is a common name used throughout the world as a place name. It is often found in English-speaking countries such as Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States.-United States:*Edgewater, Alabama*Edgewater, Colorado...

 to Evanston

Evanston, Illinois

Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...

. By the late 1890s, Chicago was the "bicycle-building capital of America". According to the 1898 Chicago Bicycle Directory, approximately two-thirds of the country's bicycles and accessories were manufactured within 150 miles (241.4 km) of the city.

Mayor Richard J. Daley

Richard J. Daley

Richard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...

, like Harrison, was a supporter of bicycling. When he was inaugurated, the city had a limited number of bike paths. By the 1970s, Daley's administration had built a large network of lakefront bike paths, bicycle lanes on the road, a 34 miles (54.7 km) bicycle route and rush-hour bicycle lanes on Clark Street

Clark Street (Chicago)

Clark Street is a north-south street in Chicago, Illinois that runs close to the shore of Lake Michigan from the northern city boundary with Evanston, to 2200 South in the city street numbering system...

 and Dearborn Street.

In the 2000s, Chicago roads and trails saw an increase in the number of bicyclists.This can in part be attributed to the current mayor, Richard M. Daley

Richard M. Daley

Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...

. Daley has said, "My goal is to make the City of Chicago the most bicycle-friendly

Bicycle-friendly

The term bicycle-friendly describes policies and practices which may help some people feel more comfortable about traveling by bicycle with other traffic...

 city in the U.S." Daley created a Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council (MBAC) in order to encourage bicycling in the city.

The Council created the Chicago Department of Transportation Bike Program, a multi-million dollar program funded primarily by Federal CMAQ funds, in order to achieve this end. The program, whose efforts are guided by the Bike 2015 Plan, approved in June 2006, has created over 100 miles (160.9 km) of new bike lanes, installed 10,000 bicycle rack

Bicycle stand

A bicycle stand,also called a bike rack, is a device to which bicycles may be securely attached. It may be free standing or securely attached to the ground or some stationary object such as a building. Indoor bike racks are commonly used for private bicycle parking, while outdoor bike racks are...

s, and installed 165 miles (265.5 km) of signed bike routes in 2006. The city has also sponsored events to promote biking, such as Bike The Drive

Bike The Drive

Bike The Drive is a recreational, non-competitive bicycle ride held each year in Chicago, in which Lake Shore Drive is cleared of motor vehicle traffic and opened exclusively to bicyclists for several hours beginning at dawn. The event benefits bicycling advocacy work in the region by the Active...

, Bike to Work Rally, the L.A.T.E. Ride, the Commuter Challenge, and many other events. In November 2001, Bicycling magazine honored Chicago as the “Best Cycling City in the United States” of cities with more than one million residents.

Bikes and transit

All Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....

 (CTA) & Pace

Pace (transit)

Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in...

 buses are equipped with bicycle racks which accommodate two bicycles each, available for use at all times. Bicycles are allowed to board any Chicago Transit Authority train ("the 'L'

Chicago 'L'

The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...

"), except during the hours of 7-9a and 4-6p on weekdays, up to two bikes per car. Bicycles are not allowed on trains on July 3 or 4. Folding bicycles, however, are allowed on CTA vehicles at all times. Metra

Metra

Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...

, the commuter rail system, allows bicycles to ride on reverse commute

Reverse commute

A reverse commute is a round trip, regularly taken, from a metropolitan area to a suburban one in the morning, and returning in the evening. It is almost universally applied to the trip to work in the suburbs from home in the city...

, non-rush hour, and weekend Metra trains for no extra cost. Metra timetables list certain blackout dates and specify which trips disallow bicycles; folding bicycles are allowed at all times. This policy began in 2005.

Most CTA rail stations have indoor, outdoor or outdoor sheltered bicycle parking. The Chicago Bicycle Program's Bike Parking website displays all stations and denotes the quantity and type of bicycle parking available. Most Metra stations have bicycle parking available.

Starting in 2008, high capacity bike parking was constructed at four CTA rail stations: Damen (CTA Blue Line)

Damen (CTA Blue Line)

Damen is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line. It serves the popular and growing Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods...

, Sox-35th (CTA)

Sox-35th (CTA)

Sox–35th is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, located in Chicago, Illinois, and serving the Red Line. It is situated at 142 W 35th Street. It opened on September 28, 1969 along with the other stations on the Dan Ryan branch. Currently, the station serves U.S...

, Jefferson Park (Metra-CTA)

Jefferson Park (Metra-CTA)

The Jefferson Park Transit Center is an intermodal passenger transport center, in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It functions as a station for rail as well as rapid transit and also as a bus terminal. Jefferson Park Transit Center's railroad station is on Metra's Union...

, and Midway (CTA)

Midway (CTA)

Midway is a station of the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Orange Line. It is the southwestern terminus of the Orange Line, and serves Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, the city's second-largest airport...

.

Facilities

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation Bicycle Program, Chicago has just over 111 miles (178.6 km) of dedicated bike lanes covering much of the city. There are also several miles of roads signed and marked with shared lane marking

Shared lane marking

A shared-lane marking or sharrow is a street marking installed at locations in Australia, Canada, and the United States. This marking is placed in the center of a travel lane to indicate that a bicyclist may use the full lane...

s (consisting of bike and chevron symbols, or bike symbols and arrows). As of August 2008, there are approximately 27 miles (43.5 km) of these types of shared bike lanes throughout the city. The Milwaukee Avenue bike lane and marked shared lane is one of the most popular on-street bikeways in the city: between 2003 and 2008, the number of bicyclists riding on the street has increased 377%. CDOT is counting the number of bicyclists on other city streets in 2008 and 2009.

The City of Chicago publishes a Bike Lane Design Guide. The Bicycle Parking Program within the CDOT Bicycle Program lists almost 8,000 bike racks at over 4,000 locations in the city limits. More than half of the CTA 'L' stations have indoor or sheltered bike parking available to protect bicycles from inclement weather.

The McDonald's Cycle Center

McDonald's Cycle Center

McDonald's Cycle Center is an indoor bike station in the northeast corner of Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city of Chicago built the center at the intersection of East Randolph Street and Columbus Drive, and opened it July 2004...

 in Millennium Park

Millennium Park

Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, USA and originally intended to celebrate the millennium. It is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a section of northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously...

 was opened on July 16, 2004 just east of the Pritzker Pavilion. The building has indoor parking for bicycles, bicycle repair, showers, rental, lockers, and a cafe.

The Chicago Park District

Chicago Park District

The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...

 maintains an 18-mile multi-use path along Lake Michigan called the Lakefront Trail.

Organizations

• The Active Transportation Alliance, formerly known as the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, was founded in 1985 and is the largest member-supported bicycle organization in the Chicago region. ActiveTrans works heavily with the Chicago Bicycle Program.
• The Illinois Cycling Association focus on competitive cycling with links to several Chicago based racing clubs.
• The Chicago Cycling Club holds regular rides.
• The UIC College of Cycling promotes cycling at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• Several grassroots
  Grassroots
  A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
  
   organizations also exist to promote cycling in Chicago. The Cycling Sisters
  Cycling Sisters
  Cycling Sisters is a bicycle group in Chicago, Illinois, USA to increase the number of women who ride bicycles and to increase their confidence and comfort.Cycling Sisters was started by Bike Winter.-External links:* *...
  
   work to encourage women to ride more. Break the Gridlock works to reduce auto-dependence. West Town Bikes teaches kids and adults how to maintain their own bikes. Bike Winter holds workshops and fun events to keep people biking all year round. The Pilsen/Little Village Bicycle Alliance works to increase bicycling in those neighborhoods.

Social aspects

In good weather, the Lakefront Trail teems with cyclists. In winter fewer and more dedicated cyclists remain. Conditions of the trails and streets can be tracked through a local Wiki

The monthly Critical Mass

Critical Mass

Critical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...

 ride draws thousands of participants in the summer months. Participants gather at Daley Plaza

Richard J. Daley Center

The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is...

 on the last Friday of every month at 5:30 PM for a free ride.

The LATE Ride, sponsored by the Friends of the Parks

Friends of the Parks

Friends of the Parks is a non-profit organization in Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1975, it acts as a watchdog group and environmental advocate for the Chicago area. Specifically, it monitors the condition and safety of the Chicago Park District and the forest preserves of Cook County.FOTP's office...

, is an annual overnight tour of Chicago neighborhoods.

Active Transportation Alliance hosts its annual Bike The Drive

Bike The Drive

Bike The Drive is a recreational, non-competitive bicycle ride held each year in Chicago, in which Lake Shore Drive is cleared of motor vehicle traffic and opened exclusively to bicyclists for several hours beginning at dawn. The event benefits bicycling advocacy work in the region by the Active...

 and Boulevard Lakefront Tour

Boulevard Lakefront Tour

The Boulevard Lakefront Tour is a non-competitive bicycle ride on Lake Shore Drive and neighborhood communities in downtown Chicago, Illinois, presented by the law firm of Schwartz Cooper and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation...

.

Each summer, the Mayor's Office of Special Events (MOSE) hosts Bike Chicago, a series of bike friendly events around the city. MOSE and CDOT jointly operate the online calendar of events.

External links

• Chicago Cycling Chicago Bike Racing Forum
• Chicago Bike Shop Database A listing of all bike shops in Chicagoland. Browse via list and Google Maps; leave rating and comments.
• McDonald's Cycle Center (formerly Millennium Park Bicycle Station)
• Bikes On Trains - Metra's information about traveling with a bike
• Bike the Drive - annual event where Lake Shore Drive
  Lake Shore Drive
  Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue , Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S...
  
  is closed in the morning for bicycles
• Chicago Bike Racing - information about amateur bike racing in the Chicago area
• xXx Racing-AthletiCo - Chicago-based racing team
• The L.A.T.E. Ride - Annual event which includes downtown Chicago and the Lake Michigan bike path
• Chicago Department of Transportation Bicycle Program - official website for the City's Bicycle Program. Report an abandoned bike, request a bike rack, request a bike map or other publication. Download informational brochures and read information on state and local cycling laws.
• Active Transportation Alliance - Major bicycle advocacy group, formerly known as Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
• Chicago Critical Mass Bicycle ride at 6 PM on the last Friday of each month from Daley Plaza
• Bike Winter Events and classes for riding in the winter
• Chicago Cycling Club
• Working Bikes Cooperative
• Chicago History Museum's article on early bicycling
• Chicago Biking Conditions Wiki

Maps

• Chicago and regional maps for download
• The Chicago Bike Map (interactive online map)
• The Chicago Bike Map (form to request a paper map by mail)
• Interactive bicycling directions
• Chicago bike trails
• The Grand Illinois Trail
• Interactive map of Chicago-area bicycle routes
• Northwest Indiana and south Chicagoland
• CitySpokes Chicago Bike Map Route Finder