Can bicyclists, buses share a lane? Pilot to launch on Halsted Street

Two traffic lanes will be designated for bicyclists and CTA buses on a milelong stretch of Halsted Street on the Near North Side under a city pilot program launching Thursday.

Starting at 5 a.m., a shared curbside lane in each direction of Halsted between Chicago Avenue and Division Street will be exclusive to cyclists and the #66 and #8 buses, according to the city Department of Transportation.

Street parking will be limited on that stretch to make room for the bus-bike lanes, which will be offset by plastic posts. CDOT officials say it will “have no impact on normal traffic flow or roadway capacity along Halsted.”

The city partnered with the CTA for the pilot program as part of a series of detours put in place during construction to replace the century-old Chicago Avenue Bridge, which will shut down traffic between Larrabee and Halsted for three months.

Previously, the city has briefly implemented smaller stretches of bus-bike lanes without much evaluation. The concept is not prevalent in other major cities either, according to Active Transportation Alliance spokesman Kyle Whitehead, who said the advocacy group was “encouraged” that the program gives more priority to buses, but would be watching to see how it affects bicyclists.

“How buses are going to be able to mix with bikes in this is an open question,” Whitehead said. “When you feel a large vehicle approaching from behind, it’s not always the most comfortable feeling.”

In a blog post, Whitehead also said bikers will be allowed to “take the full lane” and said the CTA is “instructing its bus operators to proceed with caution.” It said because three feet of clearance is required for buses to pass bikers, “there should not be any passing within the lane.” Cyclists will be allowed to pass buses on the left at bus stops.

The Chicago Avenue Bridge construction began in September, with bridge demolition is slated to begin Thursday. CDOT officials say they’re limiting construction on other detour routes to minimize traffic disruptions.