Chicago’s ‘Bike to Work’ Week Gets Bad Start

Chicago recently enacted a ‘Bike to Work’ week to help promote biker safety in the metropolitan area. Unfortunately, two days in to the event, one bike commuter is dead and another seriously injured.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Miceli, 22, was cycling in the bike lane on La Salle around 6:45 p.m. Monday when he slammed into an open SUV door, was thrown from his bike, then struck by a second car. The driver of the Nissan Xterra who opened the door into Miceli’s path was cited for opening a car door in traffic, police said.

A second rider collided with a CTA bus around 8:50 a.m. Tuesday at Broadway and Patterson in Lake View. That cyclist was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, a Fire Department spokesman said. The CTA driver was cited for failure to yield and suspended without pay, authorities said.

It is mentioned that the first accident marks the fifth time a bicyclist has been killed this year in Chicago.

Much of this is probably not out of the ordinary. Chicago is a huge city. With ‘Bike to Work’ week going on, there are definitely more bicyclists out there and a bigger chance for accidents. It is good to know that Chicago’s authorities have sited the drivers of both incidents for what amounts to not paying attention to their surroundings.

I am hoping that this will at least spark more attention around the Chicago area to pay attention to the bikers on the designated roadways. Over the past year, I have almost given up my vehicle and completely relied on my bike around town. One of the biggest worries is someone opening up a car door, just as you are passing. At the same time, though, bicyclists need to pay more attention, as well. I always look ahead and try focus through the back windows of parked vehicles I am coming upon. If I see any movement at all, I slow down and move over. You just never know..