Bike Lanes Blocked By Vehicles Create Chaos For Cyclists Near Millennium Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It is a popular spot for Chicagoans and tourists alike—a bike lane along Upper Randolph near Millennium Park.
It is also popular spot for tour buses and trucks. When they park illegally on the bike lanes, it's a potential danger for cyclists, CBS 2's Jim Williams reports.
Tony Roldan uses the lanes on Upper Randolph Street to deliver food. He says it is often blocked by buses, trucks and other vehicles.
That was the case when CBS 2's Jim Williams spoke with Roldan on Tuesday.
Jim Merrell of the Active Transportation Alliance, said: "Any time we have an obstructed bike lane it creates a real potential hazard."
A hazard for Roldan and other cyclists, who use this popular route to the lake.
"I have to swerve into the middle of the road to go past them," Roldan said.
"If people who are on bikes are forced to go from the bike lane into the car lane that could create a conflict or even crash sometimes with tragic consequences," Merrell said.
Photos posted on Twitter show just how egregious drivers can be on Upper Randolph. One even put a cone on the bike lane.
One bus driver said he was not even aware he was blocking the bike lane. When confronted, other drivers decided to move.