Bob Sirott`s One More Thing about Chicago bike lanes

We don't need all those surveys that come out annually to remind us how much worse the rush hours have become. The city has recently installed new protected bicycle lanes in Chicago, but there's one major flaw with them that's making things worse, not better for drivers.

Protected bike lanes are the ones with those flexible posts. They're supposed to make things safer for bikers. They're on stretches of Dearborn, Jackson, and Kinzie--with plans for more. The physical barriers take up space on the street normally used by cars. In nice weather it's not a bad idea.

But what about when the weather is like it is now? Then, it's a dumb idea.

Not a lot of people riding bicycles today. But those barriers remain up restricting the flow of traffic. What they should do is make the posts removable. Take them out and open the lanes to auto traffic most of the year. Put them back for those few months when the weather is good for biking. Mayor Emanuel has a plan to install 100 miles of protected bike lanes by 2015.

Hey, Mr. Mayor, at least until April, give our cars the lanes back! We could use them.