After nearly six years, the City of Chicago has finally opened back up the crosswalk that connects Buckingham Fountain to the lakefront. The crosswalk, named “Queen’s Landing” after Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Chicago in 1959 had been closed since 2005. Back then, City officials installed bollards and chains in order to improve vehicular traffic on Lake Shore Drive.
The project began on November 10, and was completed early Thanksgiving morning. The City removed the bollards and now pedestrian and bicycle traffic can once again cross Lake Shore Drive between Buckingham Fountain and the Lakefront. The City also placed pedestrian light buttons and lowered the curbs for wheelchair access. In all the project cost only $125,000 and the removed bollards are to be used at different locations.
City officials originally planned to create a pedestrian bridge over the traffic lanes much like the one near North Avenue Beach, but planning costs piled up too high and the plan was scrapped. While the crosswalk may slightly impede vehicular traffic, the safety it will provide to thousands of pedestrians and cyclists will far outweigh any inconvenience it may cause.
In representing pedestrians and bicyclists who are the victims of collisions in crosswalks, the attorneys at Keating Law Offices have seen the need for traffic control measures such as these are obvious. The cost is minimal when considering the drastic increase in safety for those crossing Lake Shore Drive from the fountain to the Lakefront.
If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorneys at Keating Law Offices at 312-239-6787 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All e-mails and phone calls are returned promptly. All initial consultations are confidential and free.
