One purchase on an unusually warm early March evening completely changed my life. My gently used Trek bike cost $400 and some change, but it was worth every penny. After about two weeks of riding solely on the Lakefront Trail, I realized there was a protected bike lane straight to my office building downtown.
Suddenly, I was biking to work every day instead of waiting for the CTA. The week after that, I began taking it to the grocery store. What once was a chore was now a delight, as I could smile at neighbors going by and feel the wind in my hair.
Without the protected bike lane connecting me to my office, I would never have begun my biking journey. Learning how to ride in the city is already terrifying, even without the threat of a large car sideswiping you. Having physical protection has helped me thrive in this new hobby.
Riding around the streets of Chicago has opened up a whole new world and made me more appreciative of our city. I ventured into neighborhoods that I had never visited before, stopped in new businesses simply because they had a bike rack outside and met new friends I will cherish forever. Chicago’s bike infrastructure is slowly growing but unfortunately is quite fragmented due to aldermanic prerogative.
It can be frustrating going to the grocery store, and, all the sudden, there’s no bike lane. Imagine if random stretches of our city were dirt roads with no stoplights or road lines; in a bustling place like Chicago, chaos should not be the goal. Road .