| « It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish | Odds On Hitting the Jackpot Are Low » |
Bicycling Mon May 19 2008
Car Culture on Lakefront Path
Lakefront Path is one of Chicago's primary alternate transportation arteries. Over eighteen miles of trail pass through Southshore, Lincoln, Jackson, Burnham, and Grant Park allowing thousands of cyclists, skaters, tourists, and runners to pound the path daily. The path is both a reminder of Chicago's rich architectural history (skyline views are plentiful) and glimpse of a potential future where alternative transportation methods replace gas hungry automobiles.
Nuzzled next to Chicago's famous Lake Shore Drive, however, the path adopts many components of car culture. A familiar mixture of pedestrians, stoplights, informative signage, and different sized vehicles litter Lakefront Path. Pay attention to the below analogies and always remember to avoid Gapers Block (the social phenomenon not the publication).
Sedans, SUVS, and Hybrids. Driving down Lake Shore Drive usually presents an interesting collage of vehicles ranging from taxi cabs to Hummers, all driving at different speeds with separate destinations. Filling the role of the Hummer and large SUV on Lakefront Path is the in-line skate. Both SUVs and in-line skates boast a disproportionate "energy to distance traveled" ratio and also consume an excessive amount of lane space. Scientific studies from the Angelos Foundation suggest one skater occupies the space of 2.5 cyclists with road tires.
Less common than energy guzzling skaters is the lifestyle-modified cycle (LMC). Much like the Prius and other hybrid cars, the LMC is steadily gaining popularity among the trendy 30-something class. Disposable income and a proclivity for non-mainstream experiences are prerequisite for the LMC user. You may have been puzzled by oddly shaped compactable bikes or low riding cycles with back support meant to alleviate health problems...these are both examples of LMCs. As nascent technologies, early-adopters of hybrids and LMCs are prone to criticism and incredulity from the critical mass of bikers.
The Octogenarian Child. Elderly drivers are sometimes criticized for extremely slow driving and lack of awareness to fast-paced surroundings. On LakefrontPath, children replace the elderly as slow and bewildered travelers barely surviving with training wheels and strollers. The frenetic pace of high speed cyclists training for long-distance events can impede upon childish fun and even result in dangerous collisions. Should there be a young-folks lane on Lakefront Path?
HelOnWheels / May 22, 2008 9:56 AM
What exactly was the point of this bike-centrist babble? - A Lakefront Quad Skater (would that be a tank in your book?)