Pilot to launch on Chicago street for shared bus, bicycle lane

Two traffic lanes will be designated for bicyclists and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses on a mile-long stretch of Halsted Street on the Near North Side of the city under a pilot program launching Thursday.

Beginning this week, a shared curbside lane in each direction of Halsted between Chicago Avenue and Division Street will be exclusive to cyclists and the #66 and #8 buses, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. Street parking will be limited on that stretch to make room for the bus-bike lanes, which will be offset by plastic posts. City officials expressed the pilot will not impact normal traffic flow or roadway capacity along Halsted Street. Previously, the city has briefly implemented smaller stretches of bus-bike lanes without much evaluation.

The city partnered with the CTA for the pilot program as part of a series of detours put in place during construction to replace the century-old Chicago Avenue Bridge, which will shut down traffic between Larrabee and Halsted for three months. The Chicago Avenue Bridge construction began in September, with bridge demolition slated to begin this week. City officials say they are limiting construction on other detour routes to minimize traffic disruptions.

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Source: Chicago Sun-Times