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Chicago cops send a message to cyclists

The Chicago Tribune (registration required) reports today that the Chicago Police Department is issuing warnings who disobey traffic laws in the Lakeview neighborhood, located on Lake Michigan roughly halfway between downtown Chicago and Evanston.

Police spent six hours Tuesday on bike patrol in Lakeview, giving out 37 warnings to bicyclists for running red lights, riding on sidewalks and going the wrong direction on a one-way street, the Tribune reported. Next month, police will start handing out tickets, with fines that range from $25 to $250.

Closer to home, it never ceases to amaze me how many people ride their bikes on the wrong side of the road in Belleville. From all appearances, the big offenders seem to be children and people who are riding bicycles because they lost their driver's licenses. We in the cycling community need to do a better job of getting out the word on the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road (pdf file).

Roger 0 comments 12:43 PM