Chicago's lakefront trail: It is dangerous?
On April 28, 2001, John Scully was training for the Chicago Triathlon along the city's Lakefront Trail.
Scully was on an early morning ride on his road bike. He had just biked over the Chicago River bridge, following another cyclist as he headed south off the bridge. Just then a woman suddenly walked in front of them.
From what Scully was told, the cyclist in front of him swerved and then he swerved. The front tire on his bike struck the back tire of rider in front of him sending Scully flying head first into the ground.
Scully was wearing a helmet. However, after the accident, Scully was in a coma for a week. The accident caused paralysis on his right side and amnesia for which Scully underwent treatment for several months. Doctors say that if he had not been wearing a helmet he would have died.
Scully believes that "the beauty of the path is also its danger." He has recovered from his injuries although he still has some memory loss. "It's such a wonderful resource of the city, but it's crowded. And because of that, it's hazardous.
Park District employees reported 126 accidents between 2002 and 2008. According to a Chicago Sun Time analysis of the Park District's incident reports, the accidents involved people colliding with each other, swerving to avoid an accident with another person or hitting a rough patch and losing control.
Dr. Khare, an ER doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital says it is not uncommon for him to see a minimum of 5 persons who have sustained injuries on the path in an eight hour shift. Particualry when the weather is nice. Khare says that he treats serious injuries like fractures, lacerations and concussions.
Friends of the Parks President Erma Tranter believes that the city needs to do a better job tracking the accidents that occur on the Lakefront Trail.
Rob Sadowksy, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance says the Alliance wants to know what crashes are happening the most and why. "It would help us figure out how much of this is being caused by the conditions or the design of the trail, or how much of it is being caused by people crossing at spots where they shouldn't be."
Park District Spokesperson Michele Jones says that the city is always looking for new ways to improve public safety on the path. "Capital improvements are a huge part of our efforts to make sure there is enough room for everyone."
The city is planning the construction of a "flyover" ramp to improve the conditions on the trail from the Chicago River bridge to Ohio street, considered by many to be the most dangerous part of the trail. The ramp is contingent on the city receiving money from the federal government. The project would get underway in 2011.
Other improvements to the trail include the underpass at Solidarity Drive and the "bike ambassador" program designed to raise safety awareness.
