Chicago to step up enforcement of bike laws

By Robert Mitchum | Chicago Tribune reporter
August 22, 2008

For many bicyclists on the streets of Chicago, coming upon a red light or a stop sign is not necessarily a signal to halt.

"If there's nothing around, no traffic, it doesn't faze me," said Larry Smith, 32. "It's a victimless crime. When you're riding a long distance, stopping and starting all the time just adds to your fatigue."

But this week, city officials warned that they would step up enforcement of bike laws as gasoline prices and environmental concerns lead to more bikes sharing city roads.

Visiting three of Chicago's most bike-heavy neighborhoods, police officers and representatives from the city's Bicycle Ambassadors program stopped and warned cyclists who broke the law.

Some laws being highlighted—such as the requirement that cyclists use head lamps at night—might strike even seasoned cyclists as a surprise. Others—such as the observance of stoplights and the ban on adults riding on sidewalks—are commonly known and frequently flouted.

But while participants in this campaign were merely handing out informational fliers and free accessories, not tickets, the grace period for two-wheel traffic violations may be coming to an end.

"We're going to see an increase in enforcement," police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. "We're going to be enforcing the same traffic laws for bikes as well as motorists, so that both respect each other and the rules of the road as far as bike safety and motor safety."

After being waved over Thursday evening on North Halsted Street by Sgt. Mark Silva near the six-way intersection with Clark Street and Barry Avenue in Lakeview, cyclist Scott Krueger, 35, was confused about what he did wrong.

Told that he did not stop at a red light before making a right turn from Clark onto Halsted, Krueger asked, "Is it against the law?"

"It is a citable offense, absolutely," Silva told him. "But we're not out here to punish people, we're out here to change habits."



'People can die'
Silva and bicycle patrol police Officers Lisa Taras and Kelvin Choe said they rarely write tickets for cyclists who run stop signs or go the wrong way on one-way streets. But Silva emphasized that cyclists do need to at least be warned about dangerous behavior, to prevent serious accidents.

This year, four Chicago cyclists have died in bike-car collisions.

"Most people we talk to say that rolling through a stop sign or a light is not that important compared to other things going on," Silva said. "But people can die."

Proving his point, one cyclist who ran a red light narrowly missed being struck by a car as officers and ambassadors watched from a block away.

In their three hours of monitoring, about 30 cyclists were pulled aside by officers, nearly one-fifth for riding through the intersection.

Many of the cyclists were given short lectures from the officers and friendlier advice from ambassadors like Charlie Short, 29, and Jason Jenkins, 34, and the cyclists responded with apologies and sheepish embarrassment. But most admitted they weren't likely to change their behavior.

"I try to do just common sense," said Geoff Keller, 36, who was stopped while riding home from running errands. "Follow 90 percent of the rules, and for the 10 percent you're breaking, know that you're breaking them and look at what the safety issue is."


What about motorists?
Others questioned the logic of ordinances that mandate bikes follow the same laws as cars, and they bristled at the idea of putting the responsibility for avoiding wrecks on cyclists.

"Accidents are usually the motorist's fault," said bicyclist Gianna Pena, 23. "That's where the focus should be."

Todd Gee, organizer of the alternative transportation advocacy group Break the Gridlock, agreed.

"If the goal is to have fewer people going to the hospital or the morgue because of transportation collisions, the biggest win is cracking down on bad motorist behavior, not bad cyclist behavior," Gee said.


Risking a $25 fine
The core of Chicago and Illinois bicycling laws is that cyclists have all the rights of people driving other vehicles on city and state roads, as well as all of the responsibilities.

That means following all street signs and stoplights or risking a $25 fine.

Joanne Moss, 60, who drives around Lakeview frequently as the owner of a cleaning service, said that ticketing cyclists might not be practical or effective, but pleaded with them to bike more responsibly.

"It scares me because I don't want to kill somebody, or even break somebody's leg," Moss said. "I don't want to carry that for the rest of my life, even if they were in the wrong."