Tag Archives: lake shore drive

Paris Returns the Banks of the Seine to the People

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This article posted a while ago in The Guardian about the banks of the River Seine in Paris caught my attention, not because it’s about Paris but because it seems to make the banks of the Seine seem a lot more traffic-filled than they are. Most of the Seine is flanked by parks and pedestrian walkways on both sides, offering amazing views of the river and Paris’ skyline.

Seine River in Paris. Credit: Shaun Jacobsen

Seine River in Paris. Credit: Shaun Jacobsen.

The photo above was taken when I lived in France two years ago. There are quite a few stretches along the river where you can walk or sit, eating a panini and pastry from a local bakery (mmmm, nostalgia). But the article focuses on this:

Seine River and highway to the right

The Seine River and the doomed highway to the left. Credit: Shaun Jacobsen.

To the right of the photo you can see the highway mentioned in the article. It is allegedly soon to be removed and made into a pedestrian walkway with bars, cafes, and promenades that, knowing Paris, will probably be as beautiful as any other promenade you can find in the city.

This reclamation of the riverside is in-step with Paris’ plan to create a trampoline on the Seine (I’m not kidding):

Trampoline Bridge on the Seine

Trampoline Bridge on the Seine in Paris. Credit: TIME.

A little different from the standard bridges across the Seine.

Even though the Mayor’s plans to take back a portion of the banks of the Seine is a good idea and makes sense in a city that is so walkable, I don’t think that the freeway was ever a huge deal in the first place. At least it was never as bad as this:

Lake Shore Drive near Navy Pier, Chicago

Lake Shore Drive near Navy Pier, Chicago. Credit: Lonely Planet.

This is Lake Shore Drive near Navy Pier in Chicago. On the lower level is the very narrow portion of the Lakefront Trail that is arguably the worst, most congested (and frustrating) portion of the 18-mile trail:

Lakefront Trail near Navy Pier, Chicago

Lakefront Trail near Navy Pier, Chicago. Credit: Google Maps.

This stretch, which begins near the Oak St. beach and extends to somewhere around Randolph St., is too narrow and frankly, ugly. The cars driving on the upper level get an excellent view and tons of space to drive. This portion of the path is supposed to accomodate walkers, runners, and cyclists in both directions. It doesn’t work.

Dear Rahm Emnauel, follow Bertrand Delanoë’s lead and get rid of this. Give back this portion of the lakefront to people, not those zooming past it to get to another destination. At river level, this would make an excellent connection to an extension of a riverwalk along the river around the loop. Cyclists and pedestrians could use it as an “express” route from the lakefront to destinations inland. It would make an excellent space for these uses as well as restaurants, bars, and other uses (provided they do not monopolize an entire portion of the path, like some riverside restaurants do now).

I’m always fascinated by large European cities because projects like that in Paris seem to go by without heavy opposition. In Chicago, we can hardly get a separated bicycle lane built downtown without outcry from drivers who just can’t deal with 3 lanes instead of 4, or build a reliable BRT system on a four-lane street without drivers getting upset about some lane reduction. I appreciate that European cities have taken initiative early and see the positive effects of giving back public space to all people. Credit to Mayor Delanoë and other European mayors for realizing the importance of this for a more sustainable future as well as economic development (riverside cafés make more money and pull in more taxes for the city than a roadway that costs money to maintain and generates none in return). I hope someday we can see more reclamation of streets/freeways à la française in American cities.

To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets

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The New York Times‘ Sunday Review has an interesting article out today: To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets. It has a few interesting observations about cycling in cities, with its main point being that cyclists in other cities around the world often don’t find it necessary to wear a helmet while cycling since cycling isn’t regarded as a dangerous activity. It’s contrasted with America, where we often learn to wear helmets while cycling as children because they may save lives.

I’ve never been injured while cycling before (knock on wood), but I can’t imagine that a helmet would really save my life if I were hit from behind by a speeding car. Nonetheless I still sometimes wear a helmet when riding; other times, I’m making a trip quick to a nearby store and don’t really feel like having it on or having to carry it around – helmets aren’t exactly the easiest accessory to stow away.

The author also makes an interesting point about bicycle-sharing networks:

…many European researchers say the test of a mature bike-sharing program is when women outnumber men. In the Netherlands, 52 percent of riders are women.

I want to avoid making sweeping generalizations, but most of the bicycle riders I’ve seen on streets are male. This Saturday I volunteered for CDOT counting bicycles at an intersection and noticed an overwhelmingly disproportionate amount of men riding. From simple observation, the proportion seems a lot more equal on the Lakeshore trail. I’d be more interested in reading up on the science behind the higher numbers of men on cycles.

Whether or not the author of this article is right about his other point of helmet laws or encouragement dissuading people from riding is another thing. Many of the comments on the article seem to be people in favor of helmets. I’m more on the side of the author, but I do wish that it were safer to cycle in America so that we could feel safe on a bicycle without a helmet.

That’s it for now – happy Sunday!

In a bicyclist’s shoes

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I just finished reading a short article over at The Atlantic Cities about driver-cyclist relations between the Netherlands and the U.S. The stance of the author can be summed up in this short excerpt:

This emphasis on early education in the rules of the road doesn’t simply result in well-mannered and safe bike riders who use the excellent cycling infrastructure on Dutch streets responsibly. It also means that everyone in the society understands what it is to be a cyclist. All the people driving cars have had experience on bikes. They can look at cyclists and think, “That could be me.”

While I agree that bicyle safety education is important, I do wonder how well the education “sticks” is relative to the entire society. The Dutch ride their bicycles far more often than Americans, leading me to believe that since most Americans go on to drive a car later in life, and bike for “leisure” purposes rather than as a means of getting from A to B, they simply forget this information. Most Americans forget what it’s like to be a cyclist, whereas most Dutch people know exactly how it feels to be a cyclist.

I can recall a time when I was riding a bike north on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. It was a busy Saturday, and there is no bicycle path of any sort on the street itself. I needed to turn left to go to Walgreens to buy a drink. I got into the far left lane to turn when a car with a man and a woman began honking their horn excessively. I had in no way cut this couple off, but they seemed displeased by my occupation of the lane. The woman began screaming “bike lane!” while I motioned that I was turning left. As I said, there is no bike lane on Michigan Avenue, nor is it possible to ride on the sidewalk due to the heavy pedestrian traffic.

Judging by their out-of-state license plates, I am thinking they did not know that traffic speeds on Michigan Avenue are relatively low nonetheless, and a cyclist could probably win a race from 1200 S Michigan to Lake Shore Drive against an automobile.

Even if Americans made a better effort to teach their children about cycling safety, I do not believe that it would actually have a lasting effect. Many children go on to obtain their driver’s license and forget what it is like to be a cyclist. Until Americans shift to a more bicycle-friendly society, the majority will still always have the mind of a driver.