Unsafe passage

We are lucky to have a beautiful and convenient bike route winding through the quiet streets of Sauganash & Edgebrook, with easy access to miles and miles of riding along the North Branch Trail. Many local residents take advantage of this route for fitness, commuting and leisure rides with family. Cyclists from all over the city use it to get from the city center to the more bucolic suburban trails; or to get from outlying areas to work or school in the city. Additionally, several city-wide events are routed along this path.

There is one unfortunate snag in this otherwise pleasant route. If you happen to be cycling during the morning or evening rush hour (as many commuting cyclists do), or mid-day Saturday (as many others do), you are likely have to take a lengthy stop at the corner of Leader and Caldwell. 

Caldwell is a MAJOR thoroughfare, with heavy traffic, fed by an exit ramp off the Edens expressway. There is no stop sign, light, or even words of caution for drivers proceeding in either direction on Caldwell. Furthermore, cars coming Westbound on Caldwell travel over the bridge above the I94, and do not become visible to cyclists waiting at the intersection until the last minute.

Two blocks west of this intersection, there is a stop light (visible in the picture below), at the entrance to the golf course. This would be a logical place for the cyclists to cross, except there is no way to get there. The smaller streets south of Caldwell do not offer an alternative, as they all end at the fenced golf course, and don't continue to the light. Proceeding on the sidewalk along the south edge of Caldwell is also impractical, as the sidewalk ends half-way down the next block, and riders would have to continue along people's front lawns.

There are a few possible solutions to this problem, and with enough incentive & pressure from the community and the cycling public, something could surely be done. Probably the most expensive solution would be to install button-activated crossing lights at Leader and Caldwell. I am not holding my breath. A stop sign would be another alternative, but might not be ideal given the volume of traffic on Caldwell.
It seems to me that some effort should be made to utilize the existing stop lights at Caldwell and Lenox. One option would be do coordinate with the homeowners on the south side of Caldwell and create a continuous sidewalk with a narrow bike lane alongside of it for the two-block stretch. The other solution (and this would be my favorite) would be to create a bike route spur along the outer edge of the golf course, that would allow cyclists safe and pleasant passage to the existing stop light. The only danger there might be dodging flying golf balls. I'll take a golf ball over a Mack truck any day...

Comments

[Fritz]

How fast is the traffic moving? The lane is clearly too narrow to share, so what's stopping anybody from just taking the lane?

I've had a friend nearly killed by a golf ball, BTW (he wasn't wearing a bike helmet when it happened). It smacked him right in the head. Motorists can change speed and direction to avoid collisions; golf balls don't have that capability.

[Justyna]

Unfortunately, taking a lane on this particular street is not an option. A very strong rider traveling alone could do it for a couple of blocks to get to that light, and get the heck out of there. But not anyone with kids, or someone inexperienced. It's really a minor highway with two lanes of traffic going each way, and no shoulder of any kind. There is nothing along the way to slow down the motorists (stores, restaurants), so they're just transiting through.
Good point about the golf ball. I did not consider the very serious possible implications. There are other places in the suburbs where the bike trail is separated from he golf course by a very tall fence. That could work. I think that's still my favorite idea. I'll have to figure out who the alderman is in that area and give them a call.