115th & Western open for bike traffic

After a long, frustrating period of construction, it's now possible to use 115th St. as a bike route across Western again. Yeah!!! This has been one of our best east-west bike routes across Western and we've missed it.  Groups riding from the south often use this route to reach points in Beverly and Morgan Park (shops, restaurants, parks), so now we need to get the word out.

The new sports center has plenty of bike racks, if that's your destination.

Sports center entrance with benches and bike racks

If you're passing through, there's more than one option to use, depending on traffic and whether you're riding solo or with a group. A wide curb ramp next to the driveway makes it easy to get onto the broad sidewalk from Western. At the east (cul de sac) end, another wide curb ramp eases the transition from driveway to eastbound 115th St.  From the sidewalk, a driveway behind the sports center makes it easy to reach 115th at the cul de sac.

Westbound view from cul de sac

Curb ramps at Western

One surprising omission: no reflective posts or signs warning drivers from the east that the street is closed to through traffic. If that's left unchanged, it could cause some nasty surprises.

Westbound view east of cul de sac

I was concerned early about whether the park district would end up with a good design for traffic flow through the site. I liked what I saw. Well done, Chicago Park District!